White Man's Footprint

     The plantain weed is found in practically every crevice, yard and field around the world. It is native to Europe and central Asia  but is one of the most abundant and accessible plants on the planet.  It grows well in compacted or disturbed soils, especially along roadsides.  It was introduced to the New World inadvertently, the seeds carried on the shoes of the Puritan colonizers, hence the nickname given it by Native Americans "White Man's Footprint."



     While it is classified as a weed it is also a valuable medicinal plant containing many bioactive compounds.  The leaves are edible as salad greens when young and tender and the older, tougher leaves can be cooked in stews.  High in calcium the leaves rival carrots for Vitamin A content.  The seeds can be ground into flour.

     Extract from the plantain has wound healing qualities and is an effective anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant and antibiotic.  A poultice made from the leaves can be applied to wounds, sores and stings to promote healing.  Plantain tea is used to treat diarrhea and dysentery.  Fresh seeds and flower heads added to the tea is an effective laxative and soothes a sore throat.

     And I thought it was just a weed!!!

Making a Difference

   Born to Ecuadorian parents, Jose Garces is a first generation American born in Chicago in 1981.  In his lifetime he has risen with meteoric speed to international fame as a premier chef and restaurateur with more than a dozen restaurants located across the nation in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Scottsdale, DC, Palm Springs, CA, Chicago, and Moorestown, NJ.  Studying under Chef Douglas Rodriguez the "godfather of Nuevo Latino cuisine" Jose learned his craft well and was soon recruited by Stephen Starr to oversee two of his restaurants: Alma de Cuba and El Vez in the City of Brotherly Love and now Jose calls Philadelphia his home.  In addition to 7 restaurants in Philly he owns a 40 acre organic farm in bucolic Bucks County, Luna Farms, named after his lovable bull dog.  

     On Sunday I had the opportunity to visit the working farm for a Summer Barbecue that benefited the Garces Foundation.  I enjoyed some great food served up by his catering company as well as such well known local culinary giants as Tony Luke's, OwowCow Creamery, Rosati Water Ice, and Fat Jack's BBQ.  There were hamburger sliders served with 2 cheeses melted on top and garnished with caramelized onions, pickled ramps, lima & fava bean salad, gelato and water ice, and even a demonstration on preparing a whole goat for El Cabrito, a goat meat taco.  It was an amazing and fun filled afternoon.



     And it was all for a great cause.  The Garces Foundation is making a difference in hundreds of lives through its multi faceted programs.  They sponsor Community Health Days, a free quarterly event to aid the uninsured and underserved immigrant community with dental exams, cholesterol and glucose screenings and physicals.  They also direct individuals to health professionals who provide discounted services.  

     Another important service provided is the English for the Restaurant program that offers ESL classes to Latino restaurant workers.  The restaurant industry in Philadelphia is the 5th largest employer of Latinos in the city.  The English language and skills program also includes nutrition education classes as well as a computer literacy course.  Student teachers from the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and Arcadia University serve as interns in approved fieldwork sites.  

     Luna Farms Field Trips is a third program offered by the Garces Foundation and is directed toward the youth introducing them to comprehend the importance of a healthy diet and exercise.  It's a hands-on program involving planting and harvesting of fruits and vegetables that teaches young people how to prepare fresh, nutritious meals and the value of daily exercise and physical activity through nature walks and group games.  They also outline the farm to table process of food preparation and cooking.  Last year over 350 young people from the greater Philadelphia area participated.

     Jose Garces is doing something big.  Not only has he elevated the concept of Latino cuisine and showcased its flavors and style, he is also providing local immigrant restaurant workers and their families an opportunity to share in the American Dream that he has realized in his own life.

Versatile Spice

     

     Cinnamon has been around for a long time.  And throughout its history it has been used in a wide variety of ways.  There are many claims regarding the power of this ground bark of the Cinnamomum tree including even being a cure for cancer and a method for significant weight loss.

     The website hellawella lists some of the more interesting ways cinnamon can improve your life and lifestyle.  Consider these:

1. It's a natural appetite suppressant. Sprinkle some in your coffee, add some in a banana smoothie or stir some into your oatmeal.  Even if you don't find that it curbs your appetite, it adds a nice flavorful kick that may deter you from turning to sugar.  

2. It deters ants.  If you're looking for a non-toxic and humane way to address an ant problem, cinnamon is the solution you seek.  Apparently, the little beasties don't like climbing over or through cinnamon in powder form.  the powder won't actually kill them, so you'll need to monitor closely and replace the cinnamon every two weeks or so to make sure the ants took the hint and left for friendlier pastures.

3. It's an anti-inflammatory.  It might help with arthritis pain or help with a sore knee.  Many credit cinnamon with lowering blood sugar.

4. It may help your acne.  Dab some honey and cinnamon to spot treat a zit or pimple.  Your mileage will likely vary depending on the severity of your acne and the underlying causes.

5. It's an odor neutralizer. Yes,  cinnamon will fix everything from smelly sneakers to a skunked dog.  And the added benefit...your home will smell like a hot cup of Autumn! 

The Most Famous Tomato in the World

     A few weeks ago I happened along a small roadside stand in South Jersey that was selling tomato plants.  There were the usual varieties: Big Boy, Early Girl, Beefsteak, etc.  But one flat caught my eye and I quickly grabbed a container holding 4 San Marzano plants and gladly paid fifty cents a piece for the seedlings.



     So what's the mystique about these pomo d'oro fruits?  (Yes, technically tomatoes are a fruit).  They are the thing of legend and myth, according to some.  One claim which remains unproven is that seeds of the San Marzano were a gift from the King of Peru to the King of  Naples and were planted near the shadowy smoke of Mount Vesuvius in the town of San Marzano.  It is said that the rich volcanic soil of the area gives the tomato their sweet flavor and low acidity, as well as their firm pulp, deep red color and low seed count.  They are the only tomatoes permitted to be used on a certified Neapolitan pizza!

     
     Many top chefs from around the world claim the San Marzano to be the best tomato available and use them exclusively in their recipes.  The tomatoes are grown under very specific rules in the Campania region of Italy.  Only San Marzano tomatoes will have an official DOP (Denominazione d'Origine Protetta) label on the container to verify the tomato's variety as well as the location where it was grown.  Authentic San Marzano tomatoes can be grown only in 3 provinces of Campania: Salerno, Naples and Avellino.  And while some of the famous tomatoes are grown outside that area, they cannot wear the official "seal of approval" on the can or jar.

     Here's what a fellow blogger has to say about it:

"San Marzano tomatoes are, not to put too fine a point on it, simply the best sauce tomatoes in the world.  Better than any other canned tomato.  Better than 99.9 percent of the fresh tomatoes out there...The only way to be sure you're getting the genuine article is to look for the D.O.P. seal on the label."

Bill Citara,  Food Fight Blog

     I can't wait to taste my own San Marzano tomatoes later this Summer! With or without the label...



Coming Clean

   Yesterday morning my culinary co-conspirator passed along to me several issues of recent cooking genre magazines.  And while I enjoy perusing the recipes contained therein I am even more fascinated by the commentary of guest writers on contemporary culinary issues.

     Such was the case as I settled in to read an editorial entitled "Coming Clean" in the April/May 2015 issue of allrecipes.  The author was seeking clarity on exactly what the term "clean eating" really means.  Is it "a diet, a lifestyle a belief system--or something else entirely?" the author asks.  After not receiving much in the way of a definitive answer from Internet sources she concedes that clean eating may mean many things to many people.  But there is a basic agreement that it seems to always include the idea of consuming minimally processed foods, that is, foods that are close to their fresh-from-the-farm condition.  The less processed they are the more natural nutrients they contain, resulting in a more healthy environment and healthier people, too.

     Processing food has been a time honored necessity in our world, to preserve abundance for lean times.  Our fore bearers salted meats, pickled vegetables, canned fruits and turned milk into cheese.  Processing increases shelf life, lower costs and in general makes  some foods more appealing.  A prime example of this is found in canned tomatoes that have been picked at the peak of ripeness and minimally processed versus a tasteless tomato that has been grown for its sturdiness in shipping rather than its flavor.  And where would we be without the processing of olives to make the oil that we use to cook healthy meals?

     But it is a proven fact that processed foods contribute to 75% of the sodium in our diet.  And the average American also consumes about 22 teaspoons of sugar every day, mostly from highly processed drinks and breakfast cereals.

     The essay concludes by stating what clean eating is and isn't.  Here are the 3 clarifying conclusions:

1. It isn't about losing weight.  You can eat too many "clean" calories and still gain weight--just as you could with highly processed foods.

2.  It doesn't necessarily cost more.  Rice and beans are minimally processed and very inexpensive.  While highly processed foods (like chips and soda) can be inexpensive, so can clean foods.  It all depends on your choices.

3.  It doesn't have to take hours of cooking.  It can be as simple as a dinner of broiled fish with broccoli and roast potatoes.

     It's all just common sense, really.  The closer you stay to un- or minimally processed , the cleaner your diet will be.

Pop Culture

     It's a well known fact that popcorn is good for you.  It's a healthy snack that is low in calories and high in fiber. Zea mays everta is actually a whole grain and is a member of the grass family.  Air popped popcorn contains only 31 calories a cup while the oil popped variety has just 55 calories.  It has more protein than any other cereal grain and contains more iron that eggs.

     

     Nebraska produces more popcorn than any other state in the nation.  And that's a good thing because Americans eat 17 billion quarts of it every year.  There are two basic shapes: snowflake that is sold primarily in movie theaters, and mushroom which is sturdier and resists breakage and thus becomes caramel corn.

     Every New Year's Eve a 40 pound ball of popcorn covered with lights is dropped at midnight in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.  And in 2013 at the Indiana State Fair a record was set as a 6,500 pound popcorn ball was created.  But it didn't last long because after the fair was concluded it was demolished and fed to livestock.

     In the town square in Valparaiso, Indiana stands a statue of Orville Redenbacher who began his popcorn making career there over 50 years ago.  At the Boiler House Restaurant in San Antonio Chef Jeff White uses left over popcorn for a popular menu item, Popcorn Grits.

And now a "Pop" quiz:  What are the unpopped kernels called?

Amazing Arepas

     Made of ground maiz, better known to us as cornmeal, arepas are a form of flatbread common to Latin America, especially Venezuala and Columbia.  In Mexico they are called gordita and in El Salvador called pupusa, they serve a dual purpose.  They can either be the foundation for toppings or can form a sandwich, filled with meat, eggs, cheese, salad or seafood.

     Any way they are prepared these flatbreads are enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner as an appetizer or a main course.  The flat, round, unleavened corncakes can be grilled, baked or fried.

  They are amazingly good and healthy, too!