The years around World War II (WWII) were a turning point in the history of our well being. And in the decades that followed–the sixty-plus years that constitute most or all of a lifetime for a majority of us–we have been living a large and uncontrolled experiment. One result has been skyrocketing rates of cancer. Although we don’t usually think of it this way, there has been no time in human history and no place in the world where food quality, eating habits and lifestyle have changed so fast and in so large a way.

Many believe that cancer strikes because of poor genetics or poor luck–because of factors that are outside our control. Some believe it’s simpler than that; it strikes because we’re living longer and have more time to develop the disease. Yet there is much evidence to suggest that cancer often strikes because of the lifestyle choices we make, and because our eating habits and the quality of the foods we consume have deteriorated. No culture in all of human history has ever eaten as we do now.

How did it happen? How did  the thread of well being that wove one generation to the next begin to unravel? One answer, I think, is that large-scale, continual change has been the reality for as long as most of us have been living. We’ve grown so accustomed to it that we rarely consider how unusual the extent and pace of this change has been. Further, the transformation of both our food supply and food habits promised to be “new and improved.” Without adequate perspective, most of us couldn’t know where these developments would lead or predict that the unraveling might destroy our garment of good health.

While it’s true that poor health is built into our modern food system, the story does not have to end here. We all have the power to step around this system and, in our own homes and without much difficulty, to understand and undo many of these changes.

Read the complete post »

We are all made up of trillions of living microorganisms. Although it may sound surprising, this is good news. We need these microorganisms to keep us alive and well: They live inside our bodies and on our bodies, and the largest colonies reside in the digestive tract, which is the core of our immune system. When we make these microorganisms welcome within us, they flourish. And when they do, they help our bodies break down the foods we eat to absorb their nutrients. They also bolster our immunity to keep us strong and well.

One of the most important ways we have of replenishing and strengthening the population of microorganisms inside of us is by eating living foods–also called fermented foods. Fermentation is as old as humanity. The process transforms our food, preserving it and making it more nutritious and digestible; the food then transforms us.

Around the world, fermented foods are prized for their contribution to good health and long life. Our modern American culture, however, has lost much of its connection to these foods and its appreciation of their many benefits. Living fermented foods can be hard to come by and, where they are still found, we often don’t recognize them or value their importance.

Put simply, living fermented foods matter. They have the potential to impact our well being in such a significant way that they are worth getting to know–and worth appreciating for their power to support a level of good health that is vibrant, deep and lasting.

Read the complete post »

For those of us with children, feeding them may be the most insistent demand we face. The regularity of preparing meals can often seem relentless, and the pressure to put nourishing food on the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner can leave us feeling inadequate.

The fact that feeding a family feels challenging, however, does not reflect on us. It doesn’t feel hard because we ourselves are limited; it feels hard because it is hard. The task is intrinsically challenging and can, at times, be a struggle for every one of us. I have built my personal and professional life around food, yet there are still days when I want to hide under the covers as dinner time nears.

When kids are at an age or phase that makes them more selective about what they eat, the task looms still larger and can become more frustrating. It’s demoralizing to shop for food, prepare it, and then watch it be pushed away. And it’s disheartening to finally find nourishing food our children will eat, and then have it wiped off their list because peers deem it “uncool.”

Finding the fortitude to face the challenge squarely and to meet its demands creatively takes a lot of energy, especially when food manufacturers spend millions selling us quick and cheap “solutions.” Time is the great commodity, after all; we might resist giving up what precious little we have when our efforts are unappreciated or rejected. “Not worth it,” our small internal voice may say.

Read the complete post »

To bake boldly is to push limits; to wonder, and then try out new possibilities; and to believe–to know–that baked goods don’t need to be made from refined sugar, white flour and poor-quality fats to taste great. Baking with more healthful ingredients is easy to do, whether you bake once a year or every week, and you will achieve consistently good results when you use them. In this first installment of Bold Baking we’ll focus on using whole-grain flours to make both sweet and savory baked goods. As time goes on, we’ll consider other aspects of bold baking like using natural sweeteners and high-quality fats.

The Problems With Refined White Flour

There is no trick to using refined white flour to make light and tender baked goods; it handles these jobs effortlessly. But there is something else white flour does in the process. It creates inflammation inside of us by pushing blood sugar up in a dramatic spike and then plummeting it down again. This is a roller-coaster effect we should avoid because our most devastating diseases, including cancer, are often preceded by years of subtle internal inflammation. Blood sugar spikes happen whether we use white flour in sweetened baked goods or in savory baked foods like biscuits, breads and pizza dough. Another problem with white flour is that it has been stripped of  nutrients, so rather than label it a food ingredient, we might think of it as a “tool” we can use to lift baked goods, and to lighten their flavor and texture, but only when nothing else will do.

Why Whole-Grain Flours Are Better

There are many varieties of whole-grain flour that we can use for baking, and all are nutritious and flavorful. While there are some baked goods that can handle a transition to all whole-grain flour, others will not. But even a portion of whole-grain flour added to a recipe will lessen its impact on blood sugar in a meaningful way, minimizing the roller-coaster effect. In addition, substituting at least some whole-grain flour makes baked goods less flimsy and more substantive, while adding flavor and complexity. The whole grain flours I have used most successfully are barley flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour, whole-wheat bread flour, whole-wheat pastry flour and rye flour. Read the complete post »

In our wide realm of experience, we apply labels–to ourselves, others, and the things around us–as a shortcut to help us make sense of our world. But labels can change in meaning over time, and often become more or less important.

Consider this short history of the “organic” label. When our grandparents were young, food was grown on traditional family farms. No chemicals were used and so food was inherently organic, but without the label.  In the middle of the last century, with young people moving away from family farms and with the introduction of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones, farming became more industrialized. As a response, in the 1960s and 1970s an “old-fashioned” organic movement took root. Its focus was practical–growing food without chemicals–but it was also philosophical; farmers were committed, above all, to permanence and sustainability. This was farming with integrity, a way of meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. And, thus, the first “organic” label was created.

In the last decade, this label has grown in breadth and popularity as it has been shaped, in part, by large corporations that value profits over sustainability. “Organic” has developed a magical connotation and has been used to bestow a halo of good health, for us and the planet, that may not always be deserved. “Organic” has also been reduced to a marketing program–a name to attract us–that often offers no guarantee of goodness. There is nothing healthful about organic pop tarts, organic soda, or organic evaporated cane juice; as New York University Professor Marion Nestle states, “Organic junk food is still junk food.”

Sometimes labels can make it easier to understand our options, but I wonder about the value of an organic label that can increase our food costs without adding the meaning it once did–or the meaning that we imagine it does. Under the law, “organic” currently refers to any food that is mostly free of synthetic substances, has no antibiotics or hormones, has not been radiated or fertilized with sewage sludge, was raised without pesticides and contains no genetically modified ingredients. There is no question that this is all good. But is it enough? Does it tell us everything we need to know? Read the complete post »

The crucifer is a paradoxical vegetable: it is uniquely good for us and, at the same time, it is not. What seems to matter  is how we prepare and eat it, and the choices we make in this regard are meaningful ones.

Let’s start by clarifying which of the more common vegetables are crucifers, and the length of this list may surprise you: arugula, brussel sprouts, swiss chard, mustard greens, radishes, horseradish, turnips, bok choy, cabbage, kale, watercress, wasabi, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, rutabagas and collard greens.

The good news about crucifers is that they are said to have substantial cancer fighting power. According to Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, they prevent precancerous cells from developing and promote the suicide of cancer cells; they also break down certain carcinogens.  These are important reasons to try, when we can, to incorporate cruciferous vegetables into our diets.

Yet the bad news about crucifers is that, in certain situations, the very same chemicals that fight cancer may also be toxic and do us harm. It is not unusual for plants to contain toxic chemicals; they provide an important means of self defense and necessary protection against the elements. The naturally-occurring chemicals in crucifers are called goitrogens. Current research suggests that when we consume them in small amounts, they increase our need for iodine. When taken in large amounts, they can damage the delicate thyroid gland. They are also thought to prevent iodine from passing into breast milk, which is worth knowing if you’re a nursing mother. Read the complete post »

December is here, and that means it’s holiday season for most of us, a time of year that often involves welcoming guests and spending more hours in the kitchen than we may be used to. If you’re already feeling stress because you believe you can’t gracefully pull off all that’s expected of you, it may help to remember that serving a holiday meal is not a performance, and your guests are not coming to judge or measure. These are people you love, who love you. We all long to eat homemade meals with family and friends, especially when the meal is a celebration, so you can be sure your guests will arrive feeling anticipation and gratitude.

One way to take the pressure off yourself as cook, and to shift some of the emphasis away from the meal, is to give your guests an ample welcome by offering starters to nibble on and to take away hunger’s edge. Try beginning with a loaf of hearty whole grain bread; then add a plate of olives or tapenade, a bowl of bean spread, marinated goat cheese, and pickled red onions for crunch and color. If these don’t measure up to your idea of holiday fare, how about mixed baby greens tossed in a vinaigrette; miniature potato pancakes with spoonfuls of applesauce; or whatever is traditional in your family? The point is to provide starters that are good tasting and easy to prepare in advance, and that don’t cost a king’s ransom–and their purpose is to begin satisfying your guests before they formally gather around the table. If you follow these with a main course that has some depth, a salad or some simple side dishes and a refreshing finish, you’ll have a meal to remember and one you can pull off. What’s more, even if you buy the main course, side dishes or dessert, your starters will earn you the credit and reward for having served up a home-cooked celebration.

Read the complete post »

We all look forward to particular seasons of the year, as well as to the foods that come with them, and relish their annual coming-around with an almost childish delight; there are winter holidays of every shade and stripe, the beginning of summer, the Fourth of July, birthdays and more. A day that I greet with the brightest burst of enthusiasm, and with the reassuring sense that fall is almost on our doorstep, is the one on which I spy the first crisp apples of September. At their welcome sight, I press on with confidence and gather ingredients because I know that apple crisp season is almost here.

In the realm of dessert, the crisp may be the finest friend a home cook has. It’s so much easier to make than pie and yet not a sweet to shirk at because, in its rustic simplicity, it’s lovely to behold and delicious, too. And to its list of virtues we can add that its blend of  fruits, whole grains and nuts actually nourishes us.

Preparing wholesome sweets may have developed my kitchen skills more than any other endeavor, and experimenting with whole grains and natural sweeteners for baking has led me to results that have endeared these ingredients to me. I have come to treasure them, as you will too, for their flavors and for the nutrition they bring to a part of my cooking where I least expect to find it. It’s true that a crisp calls for sweetener, but we can rely on natural options and then use them wisely. I’d say that once we step into the realm of sweets, a crisp is everything a dessert should be.

Read the complete post »

Have you ever considered the surprising generosity of an onion? It holds onto nothing of itself as it spreads its essence throughout every dish it graces. The onion gives of itself without being diminished and makes itself indispensable, lessons for living we could all heed. I never thought of it before, but the onion is a role model, able to shine alone or exist amiably within a group, and essential to the integrity of whatever it’s a part of.

You may not know it, but the onion is ancient among vegetables; it was a form of currency during the Middle Ages and was used to pay rent, an approach we might all wish for in this down economy. And even today, the onion is included in the cuisine of nearly every culture. It is endlessly adaptable and necessary always. How many vegetables can boast that–and how many of us, for that matter?

There are so many ingredients that, if need be, I could carry on without–not so, the onion, at least not without a sinking sadness in my heart and the sure knowledge that whatever I planned to cook would be much the worse for its absence.  Read the complete post »

Soup is the “Grand Old USA” of the food world. In fact, soup, rather than apple pie, should hold the coveted place of honor as our national food for the simple reason that it best reflects who we are. After all, apple pie is exclusive, a club meant only for apples–and certain types of apples at that. Soup, on the other hand, is all smiles and outstretched arms. It lifts the heart as it makes room for every sort of vegetable, grain, legume, animal food, and even many fruits. Maybe that’s why it’s such a comfort. Soup is inclusive. It has a generosity and openness that make us feel warm and safe and nourished. Soup also has the good-natured virtue of being loved by children. What better way to raise our spirits when they sag than with a bowlful of this sort of consolation and love?

Some people think of soup as dinner food, but I eat soup at any time of the day and, in fact, reheated soup makes a wonderful breakfast. Yet certain soups are better during specific seasons of the year. Thick bean soup, for example, is rich and filling, and most welcome in the cold of autumn or winter–while a light broth refreshes and cools in warmer months. No matter when or how we serve it, soup is probably the very best way I know of coaxing good, nourishing food into unsuspecting mouths.

Read the complete post »