Guy Food

Guy Food

Friday, October 30, 2015

Italian Sausage Sandwich~ I am baaaaack... wasn't that used in a movie

Tonight's dish, Italian sausage sandwich with left over spaghetti bolognese. Since, I am a 'sammy' kind of guy... I can of course make a pretty good sandwich.

I prefer to buy Italian sausage in bulk which means not in the casing. It cooks faster and still remains juicy. Get some olive oil going in a skillet, pat out your sausage in an oblong shape and lay in the patties when the oil starts to sizzle. Sprinkle on some dried herb seasoning and let em cook. Once browned on both sides, cover and simmer for 10 min. on low heat. Prepare bread or sandwich rolls by toasting in the oven or toaster oven. Have some mozzarella cheese ready to melt on the patties once they are cooked through. As the rolls come out of the toaster, press them down into the juices in the skillet where the patties still simmer. Then, turn off the heat, make a sandwich and get happy. Oh, and lastly, microwave the left over spaghetti.

~ Tutti a Tavola!


and don't forget the Giardiniera relish

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Brainy Guys Love Buckwheat ~ Why?

I was first introduced to buckwheat by my wife the Brainy Gourmet who spent years on the steppes of Eastern Europe where it is cultivated. The fields are like a bride's bouquet when in bloom and afire when its the harvest.

Buckwheat is energizing and nutritious, buckwheat is available throughout the year and can be served as an alternative to rice or made into porridge. While many people think that buckwheat is a cereal grain, it is actually a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein gluten. Buckwheat flowers are very fragrant and are attractive to bees that use them to produce a special, strongly flavored, dark honey.


Diets that contain buckwheat have been linked to lowered risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The Yi people of China consume a diet high in buckwheat (100 grams per day, about 3.5 ounces). When researchers tested blood lipids of 805 Yi Chinese, they found that buckwheat intake was associated with lower total serum cholesterol, lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, the form linked to cardiovascular disease), and a high ratio of HDL (health-promoting cholesterol) to total cholesterol.

Buckwheat's beneficial effects are due in part to its rich supply of flavonoids, particularly rutin. Flavonoids are phytonutrients that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and acting as antioxidants.
 Buckwheat's lipid-lowering activity is largely due to rutin and other flavonoid compounds. These compounds help maintain blood flow, keep platelets from clotting excessively (platelets are compounds in blood that, when triggered, clump together, thus preventing excessive blood loss, and protect LDL from free radical oxidation into potentially harmful cholesterol oxides. All these actions help to protect against heart disease.

So, guys... load up on the Buckwheat. It makes me feel - robust!




~ Source -  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Brainy Guys Love Gazpacho!

Gazpacho!






I did not know that gazpacho was actually Spanish and I think pretty much resembles salsa.


Here is an excerpt from an expert ~ "Gazpacho" is cool, refreshing and flavorful start to a meal on a hot summer day. This soup is eaten often in the southern part of Spain called Andalusia, the region from which is originates. Eat gazpacho from a soup bowl, or drink it from a glass. Either way, it is tasty, refreshing and very healthy, since it is made from nothing but fresh vegetables and a bit of oil and vinegar. During the hot weather, do what the Spaniards do - Make a batch of gazpacho and keep it in a glass pitcher in the refrigerator for whenever you need a cool drink.

I like the last part, keep it in a glass pitcher for whenever you need a cool drink, and the best part... its pretty much a health food.  Follow the recipe which can be done in a blender on coarse setting for soup and liquid if you want smoothie.
  • 3 lb. ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded - coarsely chopped
  • 2 green or red peppers, seeded- coarsely chopped
  • 1 small red or white onion - coarsely chopped
  • Washed and chopped fresh green (curly) parsley
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic 
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  •  3 cloves of garlic - minced
  •  1 squeeze of fresh lime juice
  • salt to taste
 *Try it topped with croutons or as a side any toasted bread.






Source ~  http://spanishfood.about.com/od/soupssalads/r/gazpacho.htm

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Zucchini From the Garden

Hi there, its been a while but other duties call. As you know, I am all about fresh veggies, right??? Well, most of the time. Today, since we have an abundance of zucchini from the garden what better to do than get the deep fryer going.
 Flowerettes

How do I do that? Well, its easy. Hot oil, egg whites, beer or club soda, flour and zucchini ~ Voila!

Mix your flour and beer (stiffly beaten whites for crispiness) and salt. Heat the oil and get fryin.



  • Vegetable oil (for frying)
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 ounce chilled Pilsner, lagerstyle beer, or club soda
  • Zucchini blossoms (stamens removed; about 2 dozen) 
  •  Put out on the table a salsa, or creamy dipping sauce and crack a cold one.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

You want gravy on that?

Its been awhile since I blogged you, but hey cooking and eating takes time. So, I have been busy doing both and given the later, it takes time to digest; especially, if we are talking gravy. Just back from a trip down south and gravy doesn't get any better than southern white gravy made on bacon or some kind of pork grease.

What is or can be a surprise for most northerners is that gravy gets put on just about everything. I guess its like the French who put 'sauce' on everything. For instance, I was in a nice local restaurant with my wife and mother. The waitress came round to take our orders and and we ordered. My wife wanted the grilled fish with mashed potatoes and coleslaw and of course the waitress said "Now you want gravy on that" and my wife said, "No thanks". The waitress looked at her and said, "Are you sure you don't want gravy on that". My wife said "No thanks" a second time. The waitress looked at her as if she were from a different planet.

Now, for myself and my mom, we integrated. I had chicken fried steak with gravy and my mom had pork tenderloin with gravy. My wife is a great cook, in fact she is the brainy gourmet in my book. She loves fish and likes mashed potatoes with butter or sour cream. In her brainy head, gravy, especially the kind served down south, is what she would put on biscuits in the morning but not on grilled fish with mashed potatoes.

When we looked about around the restaurant, just about everyone had gravy. So, my wife was feeling a bit left out. I ended up giving her a taste of my gravy so that she could feel part of the culture. She said, "best on biscuits". I agreed to keep the harmony between us.

But hey... when in Rome do as the Romans and I love gravy. I could put gravy on just about everything.
So, I ordered a blackberry cobbler for desert and asked for gravy and guess what ... the waitress looked at me and said, "Don't think you want to do that." LOL

 just keep it comin...


Thursday, June 4, 2015

Chocoate is for Brainy Guys

I love chocolate; especially dark chocolate. I think that it is good for anyone's well being ... cause what I eat, I consider good for my being. The Mayans used it in a variety of ways and for various reasons and as a kind of 'treasure'.




 Here's a bit of chocolate history. Chocolate was considered ‘food of the gods’. It is believed that cacao originated in the Amazon Orinoco Basin more than 4,000 years ago, but was used primarily for the sweet pulp that surrounds the beans inside of the pod.  It was most likely spread through Central America from Ecuador by humans along coastal trade routes. By 1800 BCE, Theobroma cacao had spread into the Soconusco region of Guatemala and the Pacific coastal plain of Chiapas, Mexico. It was here that cacao is believed to have been first domesticated and used for its beans.


The Barra people – the first pottery-using culture of Mesoamerica – are believed to be the first to process chocolate and consume it in a drink. From here, cacao spread north to the Olmec people of the Mexican Gulf Coast and then to the Mayan civilizations in the Yucatán Peninsula between 600 and 400 BCE.


The earliest evidence of Mayan chocolate usage was found at Colhá in Northern Belize around 600 BCE. It was most commonly used in several different drinks and gruels, the most common being a frothy beverage that was served to royals and newly married couples. Chocolate had an extremely important place in the religious, spiritual and cultural life of the Mayan people and is depicted on vases, murals and other pieces of art. It was used as a gift to the deities, presented at royal burials to ensure comfort in the afterlife and even used as currency.

Chocolate’s importance in the Aztec empire is clearly documented and traceable through history. When the Aztecs took control of the Soconusco region, cacao was regularly brought back to Tenochtitlan as a tribute payment on the backs of traders. Each trader’s pack would traditionally contain 24,000 beans. It was noted by the 16th century writer Francisco Cervantes de Salazar that at one point, in one of the Emperor of Tenochtitlan’s many warehouses of cocoa beans, 9.6 million beans were being stored!
The Aztec way of making chocolate was very similar to that of the Mayans; both cultures made a frothy drink from the dark beans, with the only real difference being that the Aztec beverage was consumed cool rather than hot. The drink was created by first toasting the beans on a clay comal (griddle) over an open fire, then laboriously grinding the beans on a stone metate until a stream of liquid chocolate trickled off the metate’s edge and into an earthen bowl.


Water was then added to create a coarse texture, as well as flavorings such as honey, dried flowers, vanilla, chili, allspice or finely ground corn.  In order to achieve the froth on top of the beverage, it was poured from one bowl to another bowl repeatedly until thick foam formed on the top.



 
When I was in Europe, I discovered how to drink chocolate. They even offered Tabasco on the table to spike it.  Let me tell you that it was a wonderful experience. You also got a cinnamon stick to stir it. 



*Source~  http://www.wilburchocolate.com/chocolatelore/history/

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Meat Jerky is Making Comeback

I am happy to announce a reawakening in meat jerky; most people eat as 'beef jerky'. There was a period not long ago well about the time the Paleo diet came out that people were making their own meat jerky which is basically dried shavings of meat to be used as an energy snack. Somehow, that died down and got replaced by a increase 'spike' in smoothies (something I have never made or drank and never will) and raw vegetables (ditto) as the way forward in snack food.

We are still being told that carbs and sugar are the real enemy and that whole foods are increasingly favored over processed which should be a no brainer for most of us. But, maybe not. That is why so many of us are scrambling to figure out how to replace our reliable protein bar with a portable meal boasting a few less ingredients. Thankfully, in an effort to help simplify our life, and reclaim a snack choice that was long ago hijacked by a snappy tag line (you know who you are, Slim); therefore, I’ve taken the liberty of sharing this article (see link below) that identifies a variety of jerkies you can buy that fit today’s health needs and wants.

I also strongly suggest that you try making your own. Native people have been making this kind of snack for a lot longer and some even mix in dried fruit 'berries'; the end product was/is called pemmican a concentrated mixture of fat and protein. The word comes from the Cree word pimîhkân, which itself is derived from the word pimî, "fat, grease".

The meat and fruit ingredients used were usually whatever was available; the meat was often bison, moose, elk or deer. Fruits such as cranberries, currants and blueberries for example were added but usually the addition of berries was almost exclusively for ceremonial and wedding pemmican.


I like mine full of fat, the kind that dribbles down your chin when you take a bit. You might be wondering if I worry about eating fat as this has been recognized as the evil ingredient in our diet. My response is - No!
Sugar and processed foods are the evil ingredients. Ask any Native American what has happened to their health since they started eating what 'we' non-native Americans eat.



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
* Read more at http://www.grindtv.com/fitness/jerky-is-making-a-clean-eating-snack-comeback/#qtv4zp1hFKkulJCo.99

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day is this Sunday and if you haven't planned dinner, then you better get going. My mom likes to eat out. I think its the atmosphere that she likes.... being in public, socializing. That's ok. We eat at home most of the time and I don't mind gettin out either. Since, we will be at our favorite local restaurant, the choice on the menu is up to her.

Just to let you know in advance come Father's Day, I am grillin out and its beef brisket and trout.




* for an appetizer ~ Tomato Basil Bruschetta


Monday, May 4, 2015

The Sandwich

Most everybody knows that John Montagu is accredited as being the Earl of Sandwich. Even so, as for him creating it, not likely. He may have 'labeled it or coined the phrase' and may even have made adaptations like most people do when they create their very own as in what they think is the greatest as in biggest and tastiest sandwich of all time. But, that is about all. I'd say anything else is just a 'sandwich' story.

What I can tell you being a history buff is that putting meat between hunks of bread or rolls is not new. Its thinking on your feet food 'traveling food' and just about every culture that bakes bread and eats meat has a 'sandwich' on their list of favorite foods.

Basically, it is traveling food. It makes sense to eat a sandwich when you are traveling or commuting. The world of work makes demands on us. So, taking and eating a sandwich to/at work is convenient as in time saving and frugal. It can be wrapped up and put in a bag or a lunch box. Whether you make it yourself or order it, the sandwich is a main stay and here to stay.


Here are some of my favorites:

 Hot and Spicy Gooey Veal Burger on Crusty Organic Rosemary Bread

 Roast Beef Grilled Cheese

 Monty Cristo with Ham
 Italian Sub!

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Happy Days ~ French Fries

What guy or gal does not love french fries. For sure the best way to eat potatoes and other veggies. I come from the generation when Happy Meals were at the top of any kids food hierarchy. I still say that McD fries are among the best.






Then as I grew into my teens, cheesy fries baked with cheddar cheese and topped with bacon crispy crumbs.

Now, that I am older, I am trying new ways to eat and enjoy french fries. Here are some that will capture your taste buds - from the top: Rutabaga, plantains, and zucchini.



and of course, a batch of homemade is always comfort food


almost forgot... a batch of butternut for my sweetie, my one and only brainy gourmet


Friday, April 24, 2015

Eating Raw is not for Brainy Guys





Eating raw is not always best.


I am smiling and keep on. Especially since a landmark study published in 2002 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry first showed that a powerful antioxidant called lycopene is released from tomatoes when they’re cooked agrees with what I already knew just listening to my mom.

The study found that heating tomatoes at 190.4 degrees for 30 minutes boosted levels of absorbable lycopene by 35 percent. Lycopene has been shown to help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and macular degeneration, a degenerative eye disease. In addition, a study published in The British Journal of Nutrition found that folks following a long-term raw-food diet had low levels of lycopene.

Let's consider that 2002 was more than twelve years ago. Interesting is that the rage is eating raw veggies on our plates and in our smoothies. Didn't anybody read that 2002 study? If I haven't blogged it then I should have blogged that eating raw is not always the best. People are surprised. How would you know?  Being brainy about food sometimes means listening to your mom and or grandmother who have been cooking and serving food longer than most newbie experts and definitely listening to your own body is the best advice.

As for my own eating experiences, I cannot eat and will not eat raw veggies. In fact, they are like poison to my body. I figure, if I were a rabbit, then I guess I would. But I am not. I also live by the wisdom that if it does not smell good or look good; forget it. I am not eating it.

Now that information was given to us over thousands of years ago by earlier man who used his eyes and nose. How did doctors and the nutritionists of today miss that?

So, let us return to the advice of good old fashioned experts ~ like the Brainy Guy!
Cook before you eat!

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Mushrooms ~ Edible Fungus

Mushroom collecting is one of the most widespread activities in the world. People have been collecting and eating mushrooms since before the culinary arts began.
Of the many different kinds of mushrooms, almost all are “edible” but too fibrous or insignificant to consume. That still leaves a considerable portion of mushrooms as consumable and either "fair, good, or choice." While the numbers vary and are debatable, only about 250 are considered significantly poisonous.

While those numbers put the odds of picking an edible rather than a non-edible mushroom heavily in the favor of foragers, experienced mushroom growers are quick to point out that foraging for mushrooms should never be thought of as a game of chance. “Don’t guess,” advises Tradd Cotter, who has been cultivating mushrooms for more than 20 years.
I enjoy mushrooming in both the spring and fall. There are even types that come out in the summer. Right now, I am getting excited about morel fests that pop up in the Midwest from late April til May.  
 
Morels are considered a gourmet’s delight and one of America’s most popular and highly regarded mushrooms. They range in color from cream to almost black, and their honeycomb pattern makes them easy to spot.
Where they grow: Morels grow in almost every state. Exceptions are Florida, which is too hot, and Arizona, which is too arid.
When to forage: Early spring before the trees leaf out. That’s February on the Pacific coast, March to mid-April in the South, and May in the Northeast. Peak season is April-May.
A tip from Cotter: Carry a cooking thermometer to measure the ground temperature. Morels fruit only when the ground temperature is 50 to 58 degrees.
Habitat: Morels associate with moist areas and specific tree types: Ash, tulip, oak, hickory, sycamore, cottonwood, maple, beech, conifers and apples. Cotter urges caution if foraging in apple orchards, because morels are excellent at absorbing pesticide residue, which can remain in the soil for long periods.
Culinary use: Morels have a unique smoky, earthy, nutty flavor that is prized by cooks worldwide. The darker the color, the stronger the flavor. A popular way to cook them is to simply saute then in butter with salt and cracked pepper. Wash thoroughly, but be aware that because of their honeycomb structure, they may retain some bits of soil that can’t be washed out.
If you are not so adventurous, then just go the local market and buy some tried and true Champion.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Brainy Guy is Baking Cookies

Yeah, Brainy Guys bake cookies...

I am here to tell you that I like mine fat and full of chocolate chips. There is no one secret recipe. All you need to know is the chemistry of ingredients, how they work together and the results you can expect. So, if you are like me and like em thick and chewy then lay off the sugar and no baking soda.  I never use melted butter. I go with one stick salted and half cup brown sugar with 1/4 cup granulated. One egg and half tsp. baking powder and one full tsp of vanilla extract.  Since the butter is salted, there is no need to add more.
Altogether, I am somewhere between more flour, baking powder and chilled when I make my batch. You can experiment... after no cookie ever goes uneaten in our house.

Take a look!

Thursday, March 26, 2015

No Brainy Guy Could Refuse A Good Brisket

I've been thinking, maybe because its Spring, that it is time to do a Brisket. Now, what is that? This is a cut of meat beef or veal coming from the lower chest 'breast'. I prefer the veal as it is incredibly lean, tender and juicy. I also like to marinate mine and broil, some like their blackened and some like it smoked, others like just grilled.  The key is truly to sear it on both sides and then slow cook in the oven covered and then in the broiler on high for a last and final sear.

I am not going to tell you how to do it in terms of seasoning. Sometimes the basic salt, pepper and garlic is perfect. I like a traditional marinate, which is fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, seat salt olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and of course dried herbs - overnight or at least 2 hrs. minimum.

As side, potatoes and I am good. If my sweetie wants a salad, I won't stop her from contributing. Personally, I really love a wilted spinach salad with feta and strawberries. What do you know, that's her favorite. So, if she asks me "Would you like a spinach salad?"... I will say "Yeah, works for me."

Ahh, she knows me by now.

I be taken break...so- peace to you and yours this Passover and Easter!







Tuesday, March 24, 2015

A Brainy Guy Doesn't Do Raw Food ~ Cause Then He Would't Be Brainy Anymore!



Did you know that eating meat and cooking food made us human! Studies suggest, that cooking food enabled the brain of our ancestors to grow dramatically over a period of time. 

At the core of this research is the understanding that the modern human brain consumes 20 percent of the body's energy at rest, twice that of other primates. We now know that meat and cooked foods were and are needed to provide the necessary calorie boost to feed a growing brain. http://www.livescience.com/24875-meat-human-brain.html







The Fire Diet ~ by Nancy Sherer

While cooking destroys some vitamins, it leaves plenty behind that are more available to our digestive system. Raw vegetables have more vitamins, but our teeth and digestive system can't efficiently digest the plant matter that contains them. Consider how your teeth and jaws have to work to chew a raw carrot. How long would your teeth last if they were stressed that way at every meal? 
Fruits are softer, but they contain sugars and acids that destroy tooth enamel. Digesting raw vegetables creates enough excess gas to cause lots of discomfort. Fruits cause even more severe gastrointestinal problems. Grains also must be processed before they serve as the ‘staff of life.’ Without pounding, grinding, dissolving and heating, wheat, corns, rice, most legumes and seeds are virtually indigestible- to humans at least. 

Cows, birds, and mice can eat grains right off the stalk along with the stalk itself. Although humans require vegetation as a source of nutrients and calories, we did not evolve to eat them raw. But that doesn’t make us carnivores. That tender steak in the upscale restaurant has been hanging around ‘tenderizing’ for many weeks before it melts like butter in your mouth. Most cuts of meats require marinades, stewing, grinding, or pounding with a mallet before they can be chewed, but chewing is only part of the problem. 

Eating raw meat of any kind is risky for humans. Unlike predators such as lions or wolves, our digestive systems did not evolve to eat unprocessed meat. Internal organs, such as livers, brains and intestines are protein rich and easy to chew, but we still never eat them raw. I’m not sure why we cook internal organs, but if we prefer to not eat raw innards is it reasonable to assume that we evolved on a such a diet? Try to get a two year old to eat liver, raw or cooked.

Humans need protein, and lots of it to develop our big brains. Most of this brain growth takes place before age five. Salmonella, E. coli, and other bacteria in raw meat are deadly to infants and toddlers. By age three, children are weaned, but they still need a high protein diet. Something happened long before we were Homo sapiens that enabled toddlers to get enough protein to feed a growing human brain. 

We need animal sources of protein. We need vegetables for vitamins. We need to eat what our teeth can’t chew and what our stomachs can’t digest. There are some exceptions.
We can eat raw sea food without much risk. As long as the water isn’t contaminated, and the fish is fresh, sushi is a healthy source of protein. It also is easy to chew and easily digestible. However, our bodies can't manufacture most of the vitamins that are required for good health, so our teeth and digestive systems didn't evolve solely on 'sole' fish.

It is possible, and even very likely, that use of fire to alter food played an important part in our evolution. Unlike other animals, we are mesmerized by fire rather than terrified of it. Cooking food removes hazards of bacteria and parasites, allows us to exploit food sources that we otherwise couldn't use, and even begins the digestive process for us. Did our hominid ancestors move down from the tree tops to walk or to cook? The idea at least is something to chew on the next time you sit around a campfire.

Get smart ~ cook!

Friday, March 20, 2015

Jambalaya and Boudin

Cajun food is spicy and hot. You just can't go wrong with jambalaya because its just so creative; and boudin sausage which is just so yummy. The boudin, I buy in a ready to cook and eat state. The jambalaya I buy all ingredients separately if I don't have on hand. As I said, jambalaya is what you make it - creative.
Get the boudin sausage going in one skillet and in the other - the basic for any creative jambalaya. I like it juicy and so I advise you to cook your meats (using either pork butt, pork stew meat or even beef/lamb ground and used as meatballs, and even some roasted chicken and or turkey breasts) first and then add water and your seasonings which you can buy prepared or use your own combination... and that I do. First, brown your meat in some olive oil and chopped garlic and onion. Then add 1/4 cup of whatever stock you have on hand. Now, since I like my jambalaya spicy, I put in lots of red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, paprika and dried herb seasonings * rosemary, oregano and basil. Simmer all this on the stove til your meats are tender. When nearing the finish, put in as much fresh (out of shell and de-veined) shrimp as you like.

Rice is always cooked on the side til tender and never added to the jambalaya. Pour out onto larger serving platter and top with your jambalaya.  Toss on some fresh chopped green or dried parsley and Ahhh eee!



The boudin can be set out as a side dish... why not.




Wednesday, March 18, 2015

What Makes a Good Cook?

You know that your tongue basically has only two taste detectors = sweet and salty. A good cook knows how to use and blend sweet and savory in a dish and on the plate. That means, in my opinion, having a kind of sixth sense about what goes with what and which foods are best sweet and which are best savory and how to blends those two to get a combination which works with some foods but not all.  Now, I know that smell and looks also play into the cooking process and final product, but there are times when something does not look that good but tastes great - like my gooey cheeseburger and super thick mac and cheese.

I read this comment by chef Jim Berman on chef talk - ...a really good cook can anticipate the outcome of the dish and, subsequently, can make changes to keep it on track or improve upon it. Just a 'cook' on the other hand, will follow the process and procedure regardless of the outcome. We often fail to focus on flavor and maintain a "get it done" approach. A really good cook can get it done and make the flavor worth the effort.

Yeah, totally Agree!

So what's my best 'chef'  experience? The day I cooked for the first time, my famous gooey cheeseburger for my sweetie who did not understand the process as much as she understood the flavor!


Monday, March 16, 2015

Always Good to Cleanse after a Bold and Brave Weekend

Aside of eating what I like on weekends, I also spend the weekend the way I eat- boldly and bravely either hiking, biking or watching college ball. Since its March, of course, that meant I had to have chips and salsa as in 'super nachos' while watching this Sunday's Wisconsin vs. Michigan game. Which... by the way, was the most incredibly 'Boldly' played college game I ever saw!

I like to keep the salsa on the side. If you don't make your own, I can suggest your local deli; mine always has fresh made.

Now, as you may already presume, the nachos weren't bold enough for one weekend; before the game, I had a super awesome delicious afternoon dinner of wild caught salmon and fettuccine with my sweetie made by my sweetie - the incredible brainy gourmet.





Today, cleansing... using this one I found online some time ago, its simple and tasty!


Tomato Lemon Parsley Cleansing Detox Juice

5 tomatoes
1 lemon
1 bunch parsley
Process the tomatoes into a puree, add fresh squeezed lemon and chopped parsley Pour into a glass and stir well before drinking. Supposedly, this is a very cleansing juice that will detoxify your body and boost your immunity to illness and help your skin glow. Never felt any glowing of my skin but certainly felt refreshed.

*P.S. makes a great Bloody Mary starter.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Steak Chimichanga ~ Not For the Faint of Heart!

I like it hot from time to time but sometimes, even hotter. Today's post is as about as far as you can get from the previous post on a good Christian's diet. Not that rich, tasty, hot food isn't Christian or unhealthy. I think if you indulge once in a blue moon... it's ok. I also think it is wise to take time for cleansing the system and or time off from rich, hot tasty food.

As you know everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial - 1 COR 10:23. And, I take that to mean not everything all at once. It would make sense then, that a little oil, grease and hot sauce would be ok...even like a good cleansing.

I never preach that diet is supposed to be or has to be to be rigid. Nor do I advise to throw your life away. Life is to be enjoyed, as it will be in the hereafter. So, when I get a taste for hot Mexican food, we head for the local Taco Patio (owned by Greeks?). My sweetie, she likes the chicken taco dinner with rice and beans and I have to have the Big Steak Chimichanga. I dress it up with a layer of sour cream and lots of hot peppers in oil - giardiniera.



Definitely, not for the faint of heart!


Friday, March 13, 2015

Guys need Bran and Grams!

Jelly - "You should get more roughage in your diet doc. A bran muffin in the morning would help that"... 

I did not know that the idea of eating healthy as the way to well being belongs to Christians who more than any other group in this country had/have consciously considered and practiced controlled diet as a means for a longer and a more virtuous healthy life. As recorded... It began with Sylvester Graham a Presbyterian minister who lived from the early to mid 1800s. He spent his adult life trying to convince Americans that white bread was weakening the nation. Reverend Graham's solution, instead of white bread, was to eat a coarse brown bread and or whole-wheat crackers - Graham Crackers!




I like bran muffins, so yeah... I eat one from time to time. As for 'gram' crackers, best as a s'more...
or better yet~ Golden Graham Macaroni Cheesecake!  That's 'kilyn' two birds with one stone... think I misread that blog recipe. But hey, every cheesecake has a graham cracker crust! Now, the brainy gourmet makes the best creamy dreamy cheesecake I ever had!



*Source ~ Advertising in America: The First 200 Years. Harry N. Abrams. Inc. publishers NY