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/

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

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

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!

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

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!

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.

Read more: http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/wild-mushrooms-what-to-eat-what-to-avoid#ixzz3WpoMTtMv