Saffron

The Evanston Athletic Club is a wonderful form of therapy because while I sweat profusely on the treadmill, I can watch Ina Garten in her lovely Hampton's abode cooking fabulous and friendly meals for her loved ones. God save personal tv's in cardio machines. Anyway....

Today, Ina reminded me of something. Saffron, the pungent and sunset-colored spice is actually the dried stamens of the Crocus flower. When I think of saffron, I immediately associate it with riches and bounty beyond imagination. Not surprising. This thin thread costs, on average, $1,000 per pound reaching $5,000 for the really good stuff. It takes up to 75,000 plants just to get this much! Talk about labor intensive. My 13-year-old brother gets board after 15 minutes at the Berry Patch rooting around for blueberries, I'd like to see him in the fertile fields of Egypt back in the days of Pharaoh!

As a college student, finding a place to cook is hurdle number one, then comes shopping with no car, followed by purchasing ingredients on a collegiate budget. Saffron is simply not in the cards. I'm reserving it for summers of bouillabaisse, paella and risottos. But there is no harm in abating my curiosity......

The earliest record of saffron dates from the 7th century BC in upper Egypt, a region formally known as Assyria. Cleopatra was the first celebrity to discover the energizing effects of the spice. This gold plated (and underage) queen bathed in saffron infused water to stimulate her sex drive and receive heightened pleasure from her sexual partners. Honestly, you'd think college women would at least shell out the dough for this!!

If college women don't want to relax in a yellow colored-tube, we might consider saffron for our mental health. A study cited in Health Magazine from the Journal of Enthopharmacology found that people who received 30 milligrams per day for six weeks reaped the same benefits as those taking depression medications like Prozac. This happened because saffron enhances mood lifting neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine.

Some centuries later, around 330 BC, Alexander the Great used a saffron ointment to heal his battle wounds. If Cleo was right, you've got to wonder what this lotion did to a powerful man with a big sword.

The spice found its way to Europe in the 14th century AD, charging onto the medical scene to fight the BLACK DEATH! Brought to the west via big, big, boats, the theft of one vessel set off a 14 week saffron war, and so called "spice adulterers" who corrupted the spice for greater profit, were sentenced to jail, public shame and even death.

Saffron has been used to aid digestion, cure measles and treat liver, kidney and gallbladders diseases. It also contains a very high amount of crocin, an antioxidant which inhibits the growth and propagation of cancerous cells.

After finishing my jog at the gym, and after Ina had completed her apple turnovers and fingerling potatoes for supper, I jumped on my bike in search of my computer and enough money to feed my ever-growing appetite. I'm getting close to searching the couch cushions for quarters to satiate my craving for Saffron Chicken!

I think somewhere in this legacy, there is a novel, or perhaps a motion picture staring Russel Crow.

Food Of The Week: Honey

“Our treasure lies in the beehive of our knowledge. We are perpetually on the way thither, being by nature winged insects and honey gatherers of the mind.” Nietzsche

Honey, the beautiful aurulent liquid is near and dear to my heart. I eat it on everything. It graces the top of my ice cream, freezing just slightly into chewy toffee-like strands; it melts away winter mornings inside my tea cup before the sun as thought about rising, and it finds its way into my carrots tossing me into my memories of after-schools snacks.

Luckily for this sweet tooth, I've found a local man at the Minneapolis farmers market who's bees are experts and artist at their work. The group of hives is called Ames Farm. Ok, so it used to be small the first time I met him and now you can buy it all over the Midwest.

It’s logo looks like this:

Ames Honey is called “single source” honey, which means it is raw, and unfiltered; preserving beneficial vitamins, enzymes and yeasts which processed honey does not do.

Here is how it works: the bees frequent a particular field to pollinate a particular type of flower. The flavor of honey produced depends on what flower is in bloom. When the sweet clover is fresh in early summer the honey is sweet, mild with hints of herbal or cinnamon flavor. Later, when the buckwheat is sky-high the honey takes on an earthy flavor with anise and black currant tones. No so much a toast honey but great on a cheese plate served with a goat or sheep cheese.

Also, different honeys have different colors. Clover honey is very light and transparent; where as the deeper buckwheat is dark with a purple hint.


But why is it good for you?

This fall, CNN reported that “A teaspoon of honey before bed seems to calm children's coughs and help them sleep better” Turns out, honey works better than cough medicine.
As I did last week, let me remind you I am not an MD; (Though I am devastating intelligent and some people think I look like Meredith Grey--I’m not one of them) go to the article to read more….


So here are some sweet facts and stats

EAT THIS:
Honey is
1. Really high in anti oxidants: no cancer
2. A great food for athletes because when taken before a workout, it maintains optimal blood sugar levels for two hours post sweat session.
3. A wound healer and topical antiseptic: a study in India found that 91% of first degree burn patients were infection free within a week when they were treated with honey where as only 7% were clean from conventional treatments
4. The best sweetener for people with Type II diabetes or high cholesterol… like me. According to my cholesterol levels, I should be an overweight seventy year old smoking male. Weird.



If you're looking for a new way to try
using honey, try this Moroccan dish!

Restarant Review: Blu

In early January, the temperature has inexplicably climbed into the fifties in Evanston IL. I'm dreaming of flip flops and tulip blossoms while trying to keep in mind that winter has just begun. But this doesnt' mean I won't take this opportunity to indulge in a little warm-weather noshing.....SUSHI!
In July, 2007 Evanston was treated to a sushi heavy hitter. Blu, lead by Chef Sang Lee, formerly of Moda, presents a menu capitalizing on fresh fish. There are 30 options for sushi/sashimi and several dozen signature roll options, covering all the classics and branching into territory unknown for this sushi lover. Tobiko, I learned is flying fish roe, one of Chef Lee's specialties. Lee's menu also includes fare from the fields, like Black Angus Beef and soy braised duck, but the focus is clearly on the fish.

Our meal began with the Hamachi Tataki: six pieces of seared yellow tail slightly encrusted with pepper corns and topped with a fine mince of tomato and cilantro. The fish sat on a ribbon of cucumber wrapped into a tight spiral around a chiffonade of greens in a plum reduction and topped with mint. It was delectable. the tuna was perfectly cooked, accentuating its velvety texture and allowing its flavor to shine unobstructed. The concert of tastes played beautifully off each other, the plum adding depth and dimension, while the mint dotted each bite with bright staccato notes The refreshing cucumber was fun to eat left me ready for more.

Despite the excellence of our first course, the miserable service throughout the meal was beginning to take its toll. Water glasses went unfilled, food waited on the bar for delivery, and our waiter new nothing about the wine list. When my mother inquired about a Pinot Gris, she was informed that it was a "white wine." Well, yes, this, we clearly knew.But then our next round of deliciousness arrived. We sampled mackerel, tuna, and red snapper, all of which were outstanding. The personalities of each fish were allowed to shine with a three to one fish:rice ratio. Perfect.
However, my enjoyment was interrupted because we lacked a single nagiri bite and waited over fifteen minutes for it to arrive. By the end of the meal, I was tired and my mother was irritated. Walking out of the restaurant, beneath the Chuhuly-esq light fixtures, it was clear that the new establishment needs to iron out the kinks. However, the food itself was so good, it easily trumped the abominable service. I will return open minded and empty stomached.

Click Here For A MAP

Food of the Week: Fennel

I adore fennel. It is fresh and bright, but after cooking takes on a comforting earthy quality that is perfect for the sub-zero temperature in Minnesota in early January.

“I hate fennel,” said my father. “It tastes like licorice!” And he’s right— licorice, anise and fennel all share a compound called anethole, which happens to be extremely good for you. Anethole reduces inflammation, and protects against cancer. Quite a tricky little compound! By shutting down a process called tumor necorosis, cancer contaminated cells cannot communicate among themselves, thus inhibiting their devious activity.

Anethol has yet another wonderful property, one especially near and dear to the hearts of college students, and New Year’s Eve partiers everywhere. The compound has been shown to protect the liver from toxic chemical damage. This means alcohol, so eat up you party animals!

Fennel is a great source of folate, potassium and fiber. We all know fiber keeps us “regular” and our arteries clean, but folate and potassium? Folate jump starts red blood cell production and supports the nervous system. Potassium can lower blood pressure, as well as maintain good muscle and nerve health

The coolest part about fennel is its history. The first name of the bulbous veggie was “marathon” because it was discovered in the ancient battle field. The ancient Greeks tell the tales that Prometheus stole

knowledge in the form of a fiery coal from the gods by concealing it in a fennel stalk. He was subsequently punished by having his liver eaten by an eagle. Maybe if he had eaten the fennel instead, the anthole might have helped him!!

After I began to experiemnt with the white layers of the fennel bulb, my father realized that it is quite a treat. Personally, I’ll eat fennel with anything, but it is particularly wonderful in a soup, such as Fennel-Potato with Smoked Salmon. The fennel mellows as it is cooked, the molecular structure breaks down releasing its natural sugars which marries harmoniously with the salty salmon garnish. Might i suggest a piece of rye toast and a bit of cheddar cheese on the side?

Try this aromatic recipe to fill your kitchen with flavor: Braised Pork with Fennel and Orange.

If you don’t like licorice, it doesn’t mean you won’t like fennel. Sautee it in butter, add it to a salad with avocado, garnish it up with some mint!

Give this bad boy a try. He packs a punch.

For more information on Fennel, click here.

Fennel link on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRILf3W6E4E

Grandpa's Christmas Gift

Its Christmas Day at Bluemound Country Club in Milwaukee WI. On the mountain of ice at the end of the buffet, I can see the oysters, delicious in their briny liquid, they will be smooth on my tongue and slide down my throat like an ocean wave. The duck I remember from last year is there too, and the cheese and four kinds of smoked salmon. I have to plan my attack. I'm a small person, and I can't possibly eat it all.

Especially after last night's home-cooked feast of polish sausage, cheesy potatoes and seven layer jello, pan fried trout and shrimp. I'm not a particularty good Polish girl- I don't speak the language and I can't polka, but I'm certain that this meal makes me more Polski with every bite. The Jello is crucial.

Then finally, just before preseents, its time for dessert.

At Christmas, we all return, somewhat, to the age of seven. All hands attack the cookies and little cakes. I adore this holiday because it legitimizes the excessive baking that I do, which otherwise must be consume by my family.

This year I discovered a very old pastry called Chocolate Babka. I have eaten it before, but making it was a new challenge. A yeast bread, Babka came from Eastern Europe and is very Polish. Like me. In both Polish, Babka comes form the word for "grandmother" and the bread used to look round and plump, apparently the image of Polish Baba's or Nana's.

Babka is best when its warm on the first day, but really, its great any time. Though, it won't be around much after you get the first taste in your mouth. It's rich and buttery and a perfect treat for Christmas.

Check out the Recipe!