Super Nonfoods

I'm off to the grocery store, the supermarket as we call it on the east coast, and for good reason. Super long aisles stocked with a super duper variety of supersized boxes draped in supercolored designs holding superprocessed ... foods? Not in my mind. The Grocery Manufacturers of America (one of the most powerful food-trade groups in the US) has succeeded in supering most aspects of their wares except nutrition. No super nutrition here. With their super long ingredient lists these supermarket packages contain more nonfoods than superfoods.

But I guess these Super Nonfoods sell. Why spend so much prime retail space on supersized soft drinks, overly sweet&processed cereals, and big-damn frozen food packages with questionable content?

I can't help wondering if the upward trend in American's weight is related to the increased availability of these Super Nonfoods...

In 1996, no state in this nation reported an obesity rate greater than 20%. By 2000, 23 states had obesity rates at 20% or higher. By 2003, 34 states were reporting a rate at 20% or higher, with 4 states at 25% or higher ... and by this time, no state was reporting a rate lower than 10%!

Here's a state-by-state breakdown:




And that's just obesity, not overweight. Include the overweight statistics and over 60% of Americans have a weight problem.

Oops, I forgot. Obesity isn't a problem. That's hype. And downright unpatriotic. So say the cronies at ConsumerFreedom.com in their Declaration of Food Independence:

"We therefore solemnly publish and declare that Consumers are, and ought to be, sovereign adults trusted to make their own food decisions. They have full power to eat, drink, and purchase without fear of harassment, violence, or tyrannical taxes."

Yes. I'm free to choose. And my credo?
If you want to lose weight, spend most of your time in the produce aisle.

I'm off!

Salmon Cakes

Or as my mother used to say, Salmon Croquettes.


It's been a while since I revealed the contents of a can of salmon and lamented my lack of knowledge about how to serve it. Well, readers to this blog sure weren't lamenting. They knew how to eat canned salmon, and eat it they did - in soups, patés, cheese spreads, potato stuffings, and lots of varieties of layered casseroles that, I'm sorry, remind me too much of my more orthodox youth when Saturday afternoons were spent preparing Shepherd's Pie for the nuns. (How they maneuvered in the kitchen with all that flowing habit beats me. Maybe that's why they solicited the help of neighborhood girls - would-be proselytes. It sure couldn't have been to chow down on a meal prepared by a 10-year-old. Heavens, I saw more of the inside of a convent than was healthy for a budding nonsectarian.)

So, no Shepherd's Pies. But the Salmon Cakes had appeal. So I tried them. And I liked them. And here I document them, at least my version of them. (The FRE likes them too, but there's the possibility that any food with "cake" in its description would get his thumb's up.)


Ingredients

1 can (14.75 oz.) salmon, picked through, liquid reserved
    (I like the Wild Alaskan Sockeye Red Salmon)

2 tbsp. minced red onion or shallot
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried cilantro
1/8 tsp. chipotle chile pepper (More if you like it hot)
1/4 tsp. ground onion
1/4 tsp. ground garlic
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
(No salt - the salmon is usually canned with plenty of it)

2 tsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. light-colored vinegar (apple cider or white wine)
2 tbsp. liquid the salmon was packed in

1 large egg

Whole wheat flour for dredging

High-heat oil for sautéing

~~~~~~
1   Remove skin, bones, and other questionable material from salmon, i.e. "pick through".

2   Preheat oven to 400ºF.

3   Toss minced onion and parsley with salmon. Sprinkle the dry spices over the salmon and stir gently.

4   In a separate bowl whisk together oil, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and salmon juice, then toss with salmon. In a separate bowl whisk egg, then toss with salmon.

Note: I try to keep some memory of the flaked fish in my salmon cakes, thus the gentle stirring and tossing.

The addition of the salmon juice keeps the cake moist. The first few times I made these there they were too dry, like a true cake - a la Duncan Hines. I also omit any flour or bread crumbs for the same reason. They're a little more difficult to handle but the result is nicely light and salmony.

5   Divide the salmon batter into 6 or 7 cakes. Gently form into patties.

6   Dredge patties: Using a spatula, slide the moist patty onto a plate of flour, sprinkle some flour over the top, flip a few times in hands to wiggle off excess, and transfer to a clean plate until ready to sauté. It's not necessary to completely coat the patty. It's preferable to just dust either side lightly - you won't end up with uncooked floury edges.

Note: Dredge the patty immediately before placing it into the pan. If it sits, it will absorb the flour coating and the exterior will have less of a crust.

7   Preheat a 10-inch sauté pan over low-to-medium heat. Just before adding the patties drizzle 1 or 2 tbsp. high-heat oil into the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, then transfer to a baking sheet. Finish in a preheated 400ºF oven for 5 minutes.

Note: I serve these with a squeeze of lemon and my yogurt dressing. The FRE scoff's them down. I bask in the notion he's plumping his cells with omega-3 fatty acids.

Barbequed Shrimp

Woe for the lack of a picture. I was a little busy wielding the tongs to be pressing the shutter. So here's another refreshing little memory of our Independence Day 2005 that has nothing at all to do with shrimp or barbequing. The stream shooting across the right side of the frame is, well, you know.

Since I designed these recipes in my head, and since this is my first attempt at documenting them, amounts may not coincide with amounts that went into the product we ate. I'll do my best. Read that as your license to experiment.

I started with six pounds of raw shrimp - peeled, deveined, tails left on. They were relatively large, 16-20 shrimp per pound. Those were divided into three, 2-pound groups each receiving a different marinade. One I called "Asian" although it may have nothing to do with true Asian fare. One I called "Mexican". Again, who knows just how south-of-the-border my Mexican shrimp tasted. And one I called "Plain". That was probably the most accurately defined of the lot, if you discount salt and pepper.

Ingredients: Asian

3 tbsp. vegetable oil (preferably high-heat oil)
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seed oil
5 tbsp. tamari (soy sauce)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbsp. ginger root, peeled and grated

2 tsp. ground mustard
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3 tbsp. sesame seeds*

2 lbs. raw shrimp - peeled, deveined, tails on

1 scallion (green onion), chopped coarsely (about 2 tbsp.)
1 lemon

1   Whisk together first 5 ingredients - oils, tamari, garlic, and grated ginger root. Whisk in next 9 ingredients, the dry spices and sesame seeds. Add the shrimp. Toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to grill or for at least an hour.

Note: Don't add acidic ingredients to the marinade. Lemon juice, vinegar, and acidic fruits can denature the proteins in the shrimp making them ragged and mushy.

2   Preheat grill to high, at least 500ºF. Place grill pan inside grill while preheating or at least 5 minutes before ready to use. (You want the shrimp to sear when they contact the hot pan.)

Note: We used a gas grill. A charcoal grill would produce pretty dandy shrimp too, but are likely to cook faster so keep an eye out for the telltale curling.

Since I was cooking in quantity, I chose not to skewer the shrimp. A grill pan comes in handy for times like these, especially for smaller pieces of food. But if you're only cooking a pound or so, shrimp this size lend themselves to skewering and will develop a nice grilled taste when cooked as a kabob.

3   Add one pound of shrimp to the heated grill pan, stir once or twice and cover for 2 minutes. Stir after 2 minutes and cover again. One pound cooks in about 6 minutes.

Note: Don't crowd the shrimp or they'll end up steaming instead of grilling; thus the 1-pound at a time method. Throw this recommendation to the wind if your grill pan is wide enough to double as a soccer net.

Try to keep grill lid closed between stirrings to conserve heat. If the grill cools too much while the shrimp are cooking, they'll end up tasty but a little tough. Shrimp are done when they're still moist inside, turn bright pink and curl - just so the tail begins to meet the head. Shrimp are overdone when they form into twisted little balls of tightly coiled crustaceans, ready to offer your incisors a real workout.

4   Spoon shrimp from grill pan onto serving plate. Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon and sprinkle with scallions.

5   Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the second pound.

* A special thanks to our host who whisked our used grill pan to the kitchen sink and gallantly scraped and cleaned the burnt sesame seeds from 500-odd holes.

~~~~~~
Ingredients: Mexican

4 tbsp. olive oil (not extra virgin which has a lower smoke point than pure or refined)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbsp. fresh jalapeno pepper, minced

2 tsp. ground chipotle chile pepper
2 tsp. ground ancho chile pepper
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 tsp. dried oregano
2. tsp. dried cilantro (or dried parsley)
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 lbs. raw shrimp - peeled, deveined, tails on

2 tbsp. coarsely minced cilantro (or parsley)
1 lime

1   Whisk together first 3 ingredients - oil, garlic, and jalapeno pepper. Whisk in next 12 ingredients - the dry spices. Add the shrimp. Toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to grill or for at least an hour.

2   Grill as in steps 2 through 5 above, except garnish with lime juice and minced cilantro.

Note: I removed the ribs and seeds from the jalapeno before mincing. If you like a nice hot mouth-scorching bite, leave them in.

Any good chili powder could be substituted for the 12-spice blend I list above. Use about 2 or 3 tablespoons and don't forget to include salt.

Enjoy!

No, my shrimp weren't that big. That's a photo of the day's lobster detail - a task men unceasingly gravitate towards.

Cherries

Sometimes, life's just...

Turmeric (Curcumin) and Skin Cancer

Turmeric is a plant in the ginger family. Like ginger, its roots can be ground to a powder and used as a spice. Indian cuisine is awash in turmeric. It doesn't have ginger's peppery piquantness, but it does have a vibrant orange color that will stain anything in its path. I look like I've been finger painting after I cook with it. The turmeric-spiked barbequed shrimp (recipe to follow) I made for our Independence Day picnic left everyone with branded fingertips (hehe). Don't you love eating with your hands?

Turmeric contains a chemical called curcumin. There's not a lot there, maybe 5%. If a teaspoon of turmeric weighed 5g, you might get 0.25g (250mg) of curcumin from it. Why would anyone care? Well, curcumin is fast gaining a reputation for its health benefits. And due out in the August 15 issue of Cancer is a study that found curcumin just about eradicated melanoma cancer cells. Killed them right there on the plate. (Check the title of the study below for the mechanism.) And the more curcumin they used, the stronger the effect, i.e. it was dose dependent.

But they only looked at cancer cells in vitro. Someone will have to contribute the money to test this effect in humans. And since curcumin is a natural product, what pharmaceutical company will step up to the research plate when they can't recover their research dollars through a patent? We'll have to hope the government picks up this tab.

Dear Mr. President,

You know those 4 skin lesions you had removed from your face recently? The ones that had a good likelihood of blooming into skin cancer if not excised? Well, just think of how reassuring and by golly how tasteful it would be to chow down on a big plate of curried rice or turmeric-spiced shrimp knowing it could very well stem any future cancer tide in your epithelial cells. Hm? So if the National Institutes of Health come calling, would you please consider funneling some funds their way? That sure would be dandy.

Thank you,
The Fanatic Cook

~~~~~~
For a summary of the study:
In Cancer Fight, a Spice Brings Hope to the Table
or
Curry Spice Shuts Down Melanoma

For the study itself:
Curcumin-induced antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in melanoma cells are associated with suppression of IB kinase and nuclear factor B activity and are independent of the B-Raf/mitogen-activated/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase pathway and the Akt pathway

Apricot Tart

It should probably read Upside-down Apricot Tart since tarts usually have just one crust and that usually on the bottom. This one crust is on the top. At least it's cooked on the top, but I end up serving it on the bottom. I like the crisp, flaky, golden brown of a crust exposed to the dry heat of a roasting oven, not the wet heat of boiling fruit syrup pressing down on it as it tries to mature into the pastry it was meant to be. I guess I could precook it, but it inevitably sucks up its fruit baggage and ends up soggy. Besides, precooking requires two steps, this just one. And I'm all for efficiency during a season when I'd rather be outside picking the fruit than inside supervising its renderings.

Ingredients (To fill a 9-inch pie pan):

2 lb. fresh apricots
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1 tbsp. all purpose flour

1/2 Basic Pie Crust recipe

Egg white wash:
     1 egg white
     1 tbsp. milk
     1/4 tsp. sugar

~~~~~~
1   Prepare the Basic Pie Crust.

2   Wash, pit and slice the apricots into 1/2-inch wedges, about 8 slices per apricot. Leave the skin on the fruit.

Note: I used 12 medium-sized apricots for this tart. After seeing how much they deflated when cooked, I'd probably increase the amount next time.

3   Toss the apricots with the sugar, honey, lemon juice, almond extract, and flour and let marinate in the pie pan for at least 30 minutes, stirring periodically.



Note: That's an unretouched photo above. My apricots really were that brilliant. There's nothing like using fruits at the height of their season.

4   Preheat oven to 400°F.

5   Remove pie crust square from refrigerator. Allow to warm for about 5 minutes to assist rolling. Place onto the middle of two overlapping sheets of plastic wrap, and cover with two overlapping sheets of plastic wrap. Roll through the plastic wrap into an approximately 13-inch round. Peel off top wrap, position dough over apricots in pan, and peel off bottom wrap. Trim overhanging dough and finish by pressing with a fork, fluting with your fingers, folding back over fruit, leaving freeform, or any way you may be inspired.

Note: Although this process keeps plastic wrap manufacturers in business, it's an efficient way to work pastry dough. There's no sticking to your rolling pin or the counter, you won't heat the dough by handling it directly, and it's easy to place onto the pie pan. There's just one trick to the plastic-wrap technique: peel the wrap off and replace it periodically as you roll (both top piece and bottom piece) to prevent stretching the dough instead of rolling it. Stretching will produce a tougher pastry. You can easily flip the dough, rearrange the plastic, roll, and flip again.

6   Make slits in crust. Brush top with egg-white wash.

7   Place pie onto a cookie sheet to catch drippings. Bake at 400°F. for 30 minutes or until fruit bubbles through slits and crust is golden.

8   Cool for at least an hour before serving. I slice a piece and turn it upside-down on the plate, scooping extra apricot filling onto the top, sometimes using the crust as a scoop or pusher. My mouth is watering as I type this.

Blow Wind, Blow

It's the morning after the morning when the trash collectors were scheduled to retrieve, from carefully placed and considerately sealed curbside containers, all manner of organic refuse from the previous week's Independence Day celebrations. They're a day late. I'm OK with that, no problem, for I'm more than happy to live in a community where my trash is regularly whisked away with little effort on my part save for dragging and propping my loaded can at the end of my driveway each week.

Well, the trash truck just went down the street. Have you any idea what a block full of cans that have been incubating for more than 24 hours the leftover 4th-of-July remains of uneaten hot dogs at 90 degrees and high humidity smell like when their lids are popped off? There's no way these sanitation workers are being compensated sufficiently for their task. I'm hoping for a good wind gust.

Freckles

Just the way I like them.