Pressing the Orange Flesh

For more on yams and sweet potatoes, see my update to Why I'll Never Be An Atkinite.

A yam is not technically a sweet potato, although those terms are used interchangeably in the US. A true yam isn't bright orange, moist or sweet. It's pale, dry and starchy, more like a white potato.

Here's a nice table that lists the differences:
What is the Difference Between a Sweet potato and a Yam?

So, my analysis is actually for a sweet potato. And my picture is technically of a sweet potato. I'll come clean, I've never tasted a true yam. Have you?

Er, ah. Make sure you poke a few vent holes in your spud before you cook it.

Squash

On the left is a sweet potato squash (also known as a red kuri squash). On the right is a spaghetti squash.

I'm about to toss them in the oven, as is, while I do lots of other things. I used to be intimidated by these pretty gourds. I mean, they make nice decorations, but ... eat them? How? Why? I've nicked my bony little fingers too many times carving pumpkins to get enthused about prepping another petrified squash.

Some plants protect their fruits from being eaten by foraging animals by hiding under innocuous cloaks (kiwi, lychee, coconut), others by leaving a memory of an oral cavity on fire (jalapeño, habanero, serrano). I swear the squash has evolved to protect itself by guaranteeing broken molars. I mean, what animals survived by eating these things raw?

As I'm typing they're in the oven softening. The spaghetti squash I'll fork-fluff and eat with tomato sauce. The sweet potato squash will probably get mashed and added to a loaf. Isn't fall great, FRE?

Heart

Yesterday was World Heart Day.

Everyone who knew that please raise your hand.

I'd bet there aren't that many hands.

Here's what I want to say...

First, heart disease is the number one killer of Americans. You'd think that something capable of killing 700,000 Americans - each year! - would get a little attention. If a natural disaster, or a terrorist attack, or a bird flu took that many lives, there would be non-stop coverage on all the media outlets - traveling correspondents, in-depth reporting, heart-breaking personal stories. A headline might read, "If nothing is done, 700,000 more are likely to die in the coming months." Would I be going out on a limb if I said that more people probably know someone whose life was ended via heart disease than by terrorism or a disaster?

Second, it was a global event, not a national one. The resources that could have been procured to market such an event were tremendous. In contrast, the Great American Smokeout is just national, but it gets more press.

Third, most death via heart disease is preventable. A prominent World Health Organization (WHO) official¹, in a lead-up to World Heart Day, claimed:

"Approximately 80% of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, and 40% of cancer could be avoided through healthy diet, regular physical activity and avoidance of tobacco use."

So, Mr. President, while you're allocating federal resources, can you also earmark another $200 billion for prevention of these deaths? They're not a given.

~~~~~~
¹ The World Health Organization Warns of the Rising Threat of Heart Disease and Stroke as Overweight and Obesity Rapidly Increase

Why I'll Never Be an Atkinite

Because when I'm busy, and hungry, I eat yams. In their entirety.

Bake at 320ºF for 1.5 hours. Cool for 1 hour. Unwraps to a warm yam pudding.

Update (29 Sept):
Nutritional profile for one cup of sweet potato cubes, baked, no skin:



The numbers will be higher by about a third if you eat a cup of boiled, mashed sweet potatoes. That's just a volume thing.

The top numbers, macronutrients, aren't anything to write home about except for that fiber figure. Almost 7g of fiber is a nice dent when you're working towards 30 or 40 g a day.

But look at that beta carotene! I was floored.

This is a good place to note that beta carotene can be converted to vitamin A in the body. That's why the vitamin A score is high. There's no RDA for beta carotene (12 mg is thought to provide enough vitamin A, though). The RDA for vitamin A is 3000 IU (900mcg) for adult men. So you get all the vitamin A you need, and then some, by downing this cup of orange spud.

Not all the beta carotene goes to make vitamin A, however. And what isn't converted is thought to roam the body scavenging free radicals. That's the draw of beta-carotene, its action as an antioxidant. But when you glean the benefits of vitamin A in the body (good vision, bone health, immunity, and , oh yes, moist glowing skin) you'd be keen on making sure you get enough of it.

You'd be surprised at how many people don't get enough of it. Unless you're eating whole milk, eggs, liver, or vitamin A fortified foods, you're not getting enough vitamin A. Your options? A vitamin pill ... or a sweet potato :)

Bird Flu

I haven't been concerned until recently. I researched a little. Looks like chicken soup isn't going to do it.

Here's what I found:

• There's a deadly flu passing around the bird population in Asia right now.
  
• It's caused by a virus, The H5N1 virus.
  
• It can pass from bird to bird, and from bird to human, but not yet from human to human.
  
• The moment it mutates to a form that can spread from human to human, it could infect a global population within a week.
  
• It has killed 55% of the people it has infected so far.¹
  
• That makes it the most lethal flu in the history of man.
  
• It infects lower respiratory tissue causing severe pneumonia. (Normal flu infects upper respiratory tract.)
  
• There is no vaccine.²
  
• Humans have no natural immunity to it.
  
• Antibiotics are useless against virus-caused flu.
  
• It will take at least 6 months after it's detected to develop a vaccine.
  
• Any new vaccine will be limited, not widely available.
  
• Our government plans to contain it through quarantine.
  
• The government's emergency plan predicts 200,000 deaths in first few months.³

~~~~~~¹ The most recent, yesterday.
² There's an experimental vaccine based on an older strain of H5N1. It may or may not be effective against a new mutated strain.
³ A death projection is difficult. No one knows how lethal the new mutated virus will be.

Links:
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (Minnesota)
World Health Organization - Avian Flu

Sara Lee's Preemptive Strike

Now, I don't mean to pick on Sara Lee (SL) exclusively for any other reason but that I saw this headline today:

Sara Lee Food & Beverage Issues Precautionary Recall Alert for Select Bagels, Artisan Bread, English Muffins And Pita Bread in Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada

The FDA states that Sara Lee is recalling a whole whopper-load of their baked goods "because they may contain metal and plastic."

I have to say, I've never been obliged to recall even one of my batards for fear of foreign flecks. Why? Because I wipe my counters before I knead, I wash my hands, I sift my flour, and most importantly, I do not conduct baking preparation in a cloud of suspended metal and plastic fibers.

Again, I don't mean to pick just on SL. Quantity food prep is a challenging affair. Could it be that some manufacturers become so distraught at their failure to produce, say, virgin-white vanilla ice cream that they give up and just market the stuff as having "real vanilla bean specks?"

While I was on the FDA site I took a look at other Sara Lee recalls. They included products recalled for undeclared egg, undeclared nuts, undeclared FD&C Yellow No. 5, undeclared sifter screen wire, ... Maybe they were just oversights. Still, it doesn't boost my belief that everything I'm eating is reflected on the ingredient list.

To their defense, it looks like SL's move was preemptive. There are no consumer complaints on record yet, and SL probably wants to keep it that way. Long live quality assurance.

What, No Beef Beer Beans?

A friend sent this to me:

The 29 Healthiest Foods on the Planet

I notice they listed bok choy and quinoa, but where are the soybeans?

And why is that guy smiling?

Shrimp Scampi

Of Italian origin. Originally not battered, deep-fried, boiled, broiled, or submerged in anything but the juice it gives up when coaxed properly. No wine, no tomato sauce, no fish or chicken stock, no water, no cream. A squirt of lemon and a sprinkle of parsley ... posthumously. Go ahead, coax a shrimp.

(I'm trying this new feature of Blogger where you can click the pic for a larger version.)


Ingredients

1 lb. large shrimp - peeled, deveined, tails left on

2 tbsp. high-heat oil
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Spice mixture (Optional, or to your preference)

dried thyme
dried oregano
ground ancho chili
ground chipotle chili
paprika
red pepper flakes
cayenne
ground onion
ground garlic
turmeric
cumin

~~~~~~
1   Blend black pepper and kosher salt with 2 tbsp. olive oil. Toss shrimp with seasoned oil. Set aside.

Note: Here's where you can add any or all of the spices I have listed above. Season the marinade oil with about 1/8 tsp. each. Be judicious with cayenne, chipotle or any other hot pepper you might be using. Peppers bloom when soaked in oil.

2   Place sliced garlic into cold 10-inch skillet (not non-stick) with 1 or 2 tbsp. olive oil. Turn the flame on as low as it can be adjusted. Cook. Turn heat off when garlic has begun to sizzle and is just turning amber around the edges. Remove garlic from the pan after it cools, about 5 minutes.

Note: This method extracts the most garlic flavor without causing bitterness. Try not to let the garlic turn too dark.

3   Increase heat in the pan to medium-high. Add 1 or 2 tbsp. high-heat oil (just enough to coat the bottom of your pan). When the pan is hot, add seasoned shrimp. Let them cook undisturbed for at least 1 minute to brown, turn each of them, and let cook undisturbed another minute. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low, and cook another 2 or 3 minutes. Don't stir the shrimp. Without lifting the lid, turn the heat off and let sit for 4 or 5 minutes. The shrimp will give up their juice in this rest period.

4   After the shrimp have sweated, lift lid and test one for doneness. It should be warm and juicy but not tough. You may recover and reheat for another minute or two if the shrimp seem undercooked, but not too long or you will cook off the rendered juice. When done, add lemon juice and parsley to the pan, stir briefly, and serve immediately.

I like to put the whole pan on the table and use bits of crusty bread to sop up juices. Ugh, life is good.