Once upon a time I was very anti-salt.  I remember one day in culinary school I got into an argument with a classmate about the use of salt.  At the time I was against using it excessively she thought it should be added to everything including watermelon.  Over the years since I have regretably moved to the other side of the spectrum and now find myself needing to again correct course.

As people, we are fascinated with taste

It is true; salt is one way to heighten the flavors of a dish although it is not always the best way to bring out the unique flavors in food.  Often times it simply adds the flavor of salt and over time our palates have confused the salt-enhanced flavor of an item with the salt-added flavor of an item.

In addition to masking some flavors in our food salt can wreak havoc on our bodies

A certain amount of sodium is okay. Sodium acts as a conduit for the electrical system of nerves in our bodies and it helps to keep muscles moving. But, too much salt can cause the body to retain water in the tissues.

Did you know that all we need each day is the equivalent of a teaspoon of salt? We are talking about 2,000 to 2,500 milligrams a day.

Fast foods, processed frozen foods, and canned foods including vegetables, soups, sauces, dressings, etc. are all hidden sources of salt.  You can get at least half or more of your daily allowance of sodium in one box of small fries.

Make it a habit to read labels

If you ever read the nutritional information on that cheeseburger you are eating or those fries, you might faint. You will find a lot of useful information on a nutrition label. If the total salt is given in grams, just add three zeros to the number and you will find out the sodium content in milligrams.

Increased salt intake can also raise your blood pressure

And not just from reading the nutition labels of your favorite canned soup.  Due to your increased salt intake your heart will have to pump harder to pass blood throughout your body. This higher flow can lead to stroke or heart attack if you have clogged arteries and high cholesterol.

So what can you do?

* Reduce the amount of fast foods that you eat – This is easier said than done but can reduce your daily salt intake by about 80 percent if you are a person who likes to eat out. Remember, restaurants season their food before it gets to you and you have no way of knowing what has sodium and what does not. Just because you can’t taste it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

* Cut out table salt – Instead of using more sodium, even light salt, opt for other spices that add a kick to the dish: cumin, curry, red pepper, thyme, oregano, cilantro and others.

* Cook more often – Rinse canned vegetables and then simmer in water instead of the juice in the can. Use broth to flavor rice and vegetables instead of salt, high sodium sauces and gravies.

The decrease in sodium might be jarring to our collective systems at first.  But if we are making changes at home as well as the mandated changes in our preprepared foods then it shouldn’t be long before our palates have adjusted to a lower sodium plate.

The suggestion is not a new one and let’s face the facts this country in general suffers from an eating disorder of epic portions and the time has come to address it and reprogram our lives. 

Some people have chosen to battle this disorder sans meat.  To many, not eating meat is too horrible to be believed. But, some people have sworn off meat for their health, the environment or both. In fact some have not only gone meatless they have gone vegan – the abstaining from animal flesh and animal by-products. This can severely limit the types of foods that they can eat.

If you are considering the life of a vegan, here is some information to help you make an informed decision.

When you are on a plant-based food diet, it is important to be conscious of what you are eating and how many nutrients are you are ingesting on a daily basis.

Pros

While animal meat is rich in protein, it is also rich in saturated fats which can clog arteries and lead to other diseases.  A diet centered on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can be considerably less fatty and can contribute to the overall intake of protein on a daily basis.

Protein doesn’t just come from animal sources. There are plant sources that can provide protein without all the fat. These include soy, plant sterols and nuts and legumes.

It has been shown that vegans who monitor their diet tend to have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and healthier bodies. 

By eating more fruits and vegetables, some of which are classified as super foods, they increase their intake of many nutrients over people who eat meat.

Cons

At first glance, this seems like the perfect diet. But, everything has a few downsides to consider. For one, are vegans getting enough protein?

Unless they carefully monitor what they eat, it is possible to come in below the mark. Protein is needed for strong muscle development and overall cellular function. When it is lacking, your body is not as strong as it can be.Vegans also eliminate dairy products and eggs from their diet. Eggs are a great source of protein that lowers food cravings.

Dairy is also an excellent source of calcium. As we age, the body needs more and more calcium to build and maintain strong bones. When the body lacks calcium, it can rob it from the bones leading to osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Iron is also an important mineral for women especially. It helps to build your blood and maintain your energy, especially when menstruating. Iron is found in significant quantities in eggs and meat and so vegans can be at a higher risk for iron deficiency.

Live Intentionally

Like any dietary lifestyle choice there are benefits and drawbacks.  Though a vegan diet must be vigilantly monitored to make sure all nurtition goals are met being more mindful of what, how, when and why we are eating something isn’t a bad idea for omnivores and herbivores alike.  When we talk about living intentionally in the fyresyde kitchen that’s a big part of what we are talking about. 

Examine for yourself your needs, goals, and desires and then go out and enjoy a good meal.

Actually I had one midlife crisis at 30!  I know who has a midlife crisis at thirty?  Mostly I just paniced thinking I should be further along in my career than I was at the time.

I’ve been told that midlife shouldn’t be viewed as such a terrible thing.  When you hit 40 and 50 you are actually in a unique position.   They say you are in the prime of your life! 

 Unfortunately not everything is luxury yachts and resort spas at middle age.  This is usually the time when menopause hits women and bone loss and muscle depletion hit everyone. It is also the time when you can turn things around for yourself both physically and mentally. Youcan think of yourself as being in transition – a work in progress.

 That being said we can’t simply sit around and hope that everything will be well with us through the middle ages and on into old age.  We must help shape our own lives.

 Healthy eating

 Don’t underestimate the importance of your daily food consumption. If you are having problems with your skin or you seem to have lost your energy, check your diet. The answers are often found there.

 Healthy eating begins with uncomplicated foods. There are many foods that are nutrient rich and flavorful: blueberries, strawberries, whole grains, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, root vegetables and yogurt.  Nothing needs to be added to these antioxidant packed foods in order to enjoy them and to keep your body repaired and vibrant looking.

If you are a busy person, you can still have convenient nutrition without fast food. It just takes a bit of scheduling. Make meals ahead of time. Create your own healthy snacks at home and carry them wherever you go.

Get moving

 Still feeling less than fabulous and fit? Get moving and shaking.   Rev up your metabolism with exercise. In no time at all you will feel younger and look better than you did when you were twenty.

 Getting and staying in shape is important at every age and especially during this transition phase of your life. Don’t feel like all hope is lost. You can start today and reap the benefits of a healthy body for years to come.

 Exercise doesn’t always mean hitting the gym.  Choose an activity that you like and stick with it.  That activity can be running, hiking, biking, or basketball.  But if it’s been awhile since you did much exercising – take it slow!  If you haven’t exercised in a while, taking a kickboxing class may not be the best place to start. There is benefit in going slow. As you get stronger, you can move up to that kick butt kickboxing class and feel confident that you can hang tough.

Don’t forget strength training either. Building muscle burns fat more efficiently than just doing aerobics alone.  It also strengthens your bones and your joints to avoid arthritis. Start slow here again with light weights and maybe a fitness trainer if you haven’t a clue what to do. The goal is to build lean muscle that is toned and tight.

 Exercise has the added benefit of lowering blood pressure, decreasing stress and strengthening your heart and lungs. With a strong body you can avoid many of the diseases that usually come with age.

 The Best is Yet to Come

As middle and pre-middle aged people we have to strive to let people know that this is our time and we’re not yet done being perfected in the refiner’s fire.

Are chefs prima donna artists who need to get a grip on who they are and what they do? 

I definitely feel that there are different levels of culinary experience.  If you are a customer who wants to experience what a chef has to offer – not a cook, not your Aunt Tilda but a bonafide, dues paid, professional chef – then you show up at a top restaurant you order from the menu and you take it as is.

If you simply need something to eat and you are craving something particular then you go to a chain restaurant like Applebees® and special request away.  At least that’s what I do.  As a chef, (and a finicky eater) if I go to my favorite local restaurant where I respect the chefs for their creativity and their knowledge and experience with food I order from the menu as it has been printed.  If there is something in the dish I don’t like I either don’t order it or I don’t eat that item.  Allergens and religious beliefs are the big obvious exceptions here.

On the other hand if I take my family out to eat at Chili’s and I’ve got a hankering for sauteed spinach on my reuben sandwich or I want a side of broccoli with my burger instead of fries then boy howdy I order it.

Two different venues with two different agendas

 Restaurant one is in business to show what they can do. To offer to a select market their view of food.  Chili’s is in the business of feeding – mass feeding.  The customer isn’t always right and on occasion it is necessary to let one walk out so there is room for a new one.

Now fast forward a month and the situation turns around on me. 

After a routine visit to my primary care physician in regards to my diabetes I went to the lab for a blood draw on some tests the doctor had ordered.  Once those tests came back the doctor calls the house and tells my wife that there were some concerns with the results and wants me to schedule a return visit. 

Knowing my doctor the way I do I know this means he wants to add more medication to my regimen.  I disagree with throwing pills at everything especially when I am still trying to make personal changes and get use to the meds I’m already on.  So I didn’t go in.  A few weeks later I start running low on medication and blood glucose test strips.  I call the pharmacy to see if my automatic refill is ready and find out that my doctor has refused to let them fill those prescriptions.

This took me back to the NYT article. 

Here I am the “customer” and I don’t want something the doctor is “cooking up” and he’s refused me service.  Is he in his rights to do that?  I don’t know.  I did some looking around on the internet and found an article that had this to offer:

… the physician/patient relationship, which is similar to any contractual relationship, creates certain obligations. …a physician has a duty to treat and may not just say “no” to care of a patient without exposure to liability for abandonment of the patient and possible malpractice. A physician’s withdrawal from the relationship should not be attempted or accomplished during a time when the patient is in need of medical attention.

So then maybe he can’t do it.  Either way I’ve decided to seek medical help elsewhere.  Maybe I’ll have the same response from another physician as well.

I am aware of the severity of my current condition but I’ve also watched others take the carnival ride of prescription drugs to fix this and that and then the subsequent drugs to counteract side-effects of the original drugs. 

I say it’s my body, my disease, my treatment.  I’m willing to accept help and I’m willing to try new things but I’m not ready to turn my body over to science quite yet.

 Sound off friends.  Am I right or am I wrong?

courtesy of Victoria Wesseler

Tomorrow is Father’s Day and in honor of that great day we have a fabulous guest post from Victoria Wesseler, creator and author of the Indiana food blog GOING LOCAL– www.goinglocal-info.com . GOING LOCAL showcases and celebrates Indiana farmers, food artisans, farmers’ markets, local foods, and producers. Site visitors can find information to help them “discover, celebrate, and savor the abundance of Indiana’s fresh, in-season, and local foods”.  When Victoria sent me this piece I immediately knew it was a perfect fit for the Fyresyde Kitchen.  Please enjoy and don’t forget to visit Victoria’s site and tell her hello.  Happy Father’s Day to you and yours.

***

The proudest day of his life was the day he became an American citizen. He’d come to America from Poland after the war. He knew some English. A skill which he believed kept him alive in the concentration camp. His brother found him a job in a bakery where he worked double shifts and; not being able to afford an apartment on his small weekly income, slept on the bakery floor. He met the love of his life but postponed marriage until he was able to get a secure job at a factory and knew he would be able to support a family. He wore a tiny American flag pin on his jacket. He taught me how to grow roses and trained the family cat to rub noses with him. He was the first man to hold me, the first man to dance with me, the first man I cooked a meal for and the first man to tell me I was pretty. Most called him ordinary. I called him Daddy.

After my mother passed away, we had a standing dinner date. Every Tuesday night we would go to a local buffet for supper. He would always choose a table near the ice cream machine in the middle of the dining area. He loved watching the children fill their dishes with towers of soft serve. He said the sparkle in their eyes made him feel alive. On those Tuesday nights, I would bring him a meatloaf. He would use it for sandwiches and some of his evening meals during the week. It was my mother’s recipe and, as most meatloaves go, pretty ordinary, but he loved it.

One evening, he leaned over the table and very quietly said, “Vickie, we have another assignment.” I immediately knew what he meant. He believed that God tested your faith and character by presenting you with opportunities to help people. He went on to tell me that the manager of the apartment complex where he lived had called him that afternoon and asked if he would be able to act as a translator for a Polish couple trying to rent an apartment. My father went to the office to find a man and a woman in their mid-60s waiting for him.

Josef and Maria said they were from Chicago and had just taken jobs as night janitors in a nearby shopping mall. They barely spoke English and my father helped them with their lease paperwork. He noticed they had very few pieces of furniture and hardly any clothing with them.

In the weeks to follow, my father and I would go to their apartment every Tuesday before dinner. We brought clothes and furniture that my friends had collected for them. My father would give them the meatloaf explaining that it was too much food for him to eat in a week and that he didn’t want to waste it. Just before Christmas, we brought them a small tree, some decorations and a ceramic crèche. That night, Maria gave us a small paper plate filled with cookies. They both hugged us and wished us Merry Christmas in Polish.

When we went to see them the following week, there were no lights on inside the apartment and no one answered the door. We looked into the curtainless window and saw the apartment was empty. The next day my father confirmed with the apartment manager that they had moved. They never said goodbye to anyone.

“Mysterious,” is what my father would say whenever we talked about them in the months to come. We often discussed who these seemingly ordinary people might have been and why they came and vanished so quickly. He wondered what our next “assignment” might be. It never came. He would be the next to leave. Quietly slipping from this world into the next.

This Father’s Day, I’ll visit the place where he and my mother now rest. I’ll replace the American flag in the vase on the headstone and trace his name with my fingers as I tell him how much I miss him knowing that when it comes to those you love and the workings of God, no one or nothing is ever really ordinary. 

Ordinary Meatloaf

¼ cup milk

½ cup fresh white breadcrumbs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 cup finely chopped yellow onions

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the milk and breadcrumbs and let soak for 5 minutes.

Add the eggs and tomato sauce to the breadcrumb and milk mixture. Blend well.

Add the salt, pepper and oregano and stir to combine evenly.

Add the onions, ground beef and pork. Working gently so as not to compact the meat, combine all ingredients using a fork or your hands.

Spray two 8 ½ inch by 4 ½ inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Divide the meatloaf mixture in half and gently shape into two loaves.

Place the loaves into the pans. (Do not pat down on the meat.)

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into them reads 160 degrees.

Remove the meatloaves from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes.

Take them out of the pans, put them on a cutting board and slice into one inch slices.

Makes 2 meatloaves. One to keep and one to share.

Each meatloaf serves 4 generously.

Cook’s Note: I make my meatloaves in disposable pans. To help the fat from the meat drain off, I poke five or six holes in the bottom of the pans before placing the meatloaves in them. Then I place the pans on an elevated rack in a roasting pan that has been lined with foil. The holes in the pan allow the fat to drain through and collect in the bottom of the roasting pan as the meatloaves bake.

 City ordinance 11.12.080: Camping and Sleeping on Public Grounds is meant to keep the homeless from sleeping in public areas.  But as the ordinance is worded the city may just have banned a great number of park related summer time activities.  In part it reads, “It is unlawful for any person to … place sleeping bags, bedding or any other type of … sleeping equipment on any ‘public grounds’.” 

 Since the ordinance does not define the term bedding and since it bans the placement and use of said items on public grounds one can only deduce that picnics that utilize blankets are illegal in Salt Lake City. 

 James Thalman of the Deseret News has written an article in today’s paper about the issue.  His comments focus more on how the ordinance effects the homeless rather than how it effects the weekend family picnic plans.  Perhaps rightly so.

 This situation definitely sounds like it is going to require an illegal picnic to raise money for the homeless.  Who’s in?

I’m not by any stretch of the imagination a backwards redneck hayseed from Central Wyoming.  I’ve spent sometime in larger cities, (Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Denver) but I was unprepared for a few of my experiences in Portland.

The first I wasn’t prepared for was the homeless.  I have seen homeless people on the streets before, pan handling on the Streets of Salt Lake and Seattle; sleeping on the streets of the city called New York.  But I have never experience such a high concentration of homeless in a city.  My assumption is that due to the setup of the greater Portland area downtown is simply a natural gathering place for the homeless of that city.  Rescue Missions, street churches, and Salvation Army buildings are as prevalent as restaurants and shops. 

I’m not qualified to make sociological or political comments about the nearly 2000 people sleeping on the streets of Portland[i].  But I am qualified to say that the sight of several dozen people gathering under a single covered area gave me reason to pause and give thanks for the blessings in my life. I wondered what situation existed be it real or imagined that forces someone on to the street away from family and loved ones. I was never more aware that another person was someone’s child, someone’s friend, lover, brother, sister, etc.   

Asia Dog by Chef Mitch Prensky

I mentioned the violent anti-police protests.  I encountered this as I tried to find a source of something cheap, greasy, and delicious to eat that wasn’t a Voodoo Doughnut.  (Honestly it is hard to escape the Voodoo Doughnut in Downtown Portland.) For the first time in real life I saw angry protestors, I saw an officer of the law attacked and pulled from his horse and then slowly drug by that same now frightened horse for several yards down a street.  I saw people aggressively beaten, arrested, and corralled.   

I did experience some food while in Portland as well.  Ironically I was there to study Street Food and that is what I had the least of.   I did sample the BBQ Brisket from Fusion BBQ and was turned on to Alabama BBQ Sauce which will soon become something I use on a regular basis. 

Chocolate glazed doughnut with peanut butter and oreo

While walking the streets we noticed a long line and figured if I line had formed for something we wanted to see what it was.  After getting in line we learned we were about to experience the gluttony that is Voodoo Doughnut.  A short review of this novel house of fried pastries – the experience is worth the trip. Some of the unique items on the menu were fun and this business is certainly positioned for ongoing success.  But in the end a doughnut is a doughnut is a doughnut unless, served within minutes of immergence from the fryer.  

Overall I loved my visit to the City of Roses which was decidedly different than my first visit ten years ago when I was ready to write the city off.  If as my future unfolds I find myself spending each day in the Portland area I would not be saddened by that fact.

photo credit: Christie Merrill

Recently in a weekly production meeting at my job I launched into a bit of an anti-diabetic rant.  Generally my co-workers, I think, find my rants somewhat humourous and that’s okay with me because otherwise that meeting could easily become a death march of upcoming events.  But this particular rant wasn’t necessarily meant to be humourous.  My issue that day?  Diabetes is a lazy disease and diabetics are a lazy bunch who want to have their hands held and their decisions pre-made.

Before I go further I should clarify a couple of things.  First, I understand that this is an empirical statement and does not include every diabetic in the world.  Second, I am a diabetic and at this point would count myself among the lazy crowd.  So this rant was just as much aimed at me as anyone else.

Every week we have any number of special dietary requests for the various events that we are producing for and I rarely even flinch at the sight of them.  There is the occassional one that is allergic or sensitive to so many items that I wonder why they ever leave their homes rather than trust their well-being to a total group of strangers.  But generally I’m fairly confident about our ability to produce a quality dining experience for our special needs groups. 

My beef with diabetics is that simply requesting a diabetic meal is ridiculous.  Because as a diabetic I know that you can eat whatever you want as long as it is controlled portions.  I also know that everyone’s diabetes is different because every body handles the disease a little differently.  It is not like someone who is celiac or lactose intolerant.  When some one from these groups call I immediately know what to avoid – wheat, oats, barley, rye, dairy, etc.  Occassionally I will get the diabetic who calls and gives a list of items they wish to avoid.  That is more helpful if not less aggravating.  But generally it is my feeling that the diabetic diner who simply asks for a diabetic meal is saying “I’m too lazy to be mindful of what I eat and I need you to be mindful of it for me.  I can’t do it by myself.  I can’t look at a plate and eat only a portion of the starch that is there because I know that the larger portion will have an adverse effect on my blood glucose levels.”

Diabetics are lazy.  That is why many of us are diabetics.  We were too lazy and apathetic to get our butts up off the couch to stay active enough to allow our bodies to operate properly.  That is why we are fat – or if you prefer obese – that is why we are sick.  Yes, I understand that some of us got an extra push from our genetics but I’m making sweeping generalizations here not stating targeted facts.  But even knowing that we remain lazy.  We want someone else to choose our food and we want the doctors to give us a magic pill to control our sugar and we want it all to just go away. 

Well personally I’m tired of being lazy, I’m tired of watching my son sprint down the path of diabetes at an alarming rate, and I’m tired of cooking special meals for people too lazy to either adjust their eating or at the very least tell me what they want to eat that day.

Diabetes is most definitely a deadly disease that needs and has the attention of health care professionals around the world.  But does any of that matter if those of us who have it are too lazy too care?

photo credit: Kriss Szkurlatowski

I’m often struck by the “kid-friendly” meals offered by restaurants where standard fare includes: hot dogs, deep-fried chicken fingers, mac-n-cheese, pizza.

That adults get to eat a large variety of high-quality, interesting foods, and kids get to eat off the bargain menu filled with crap? I often hear that harried parents TRY to force their kids to try new things and vary their diets, but the kids refuse to eat it. Given no other options, kids will learn to eat it and like it.

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