Food Rules #40: Be the kind of person who takes supplements - then skip the supplements

Hmmm...so, Pollan says that even though studies tell us that people who take supplements are generally healthier than people who don't, yet that in controlled studies supplements don't appear to be effective. He backs that up with an interesting point, though: that people who take supplements already have an active, healthy lifestyle and diet.

At any rate, you should decide for yourself. Tomorrow, Sept 12, Green Grocer hosts Naturopathic doctor Stephanie Draus for a presentation called "Making Sense of Supplements". I've had the pleasure of working with Stephanie in the past and she knows her stuff! Why not head over to Green Grocer and find out more information on how supplements may or may not be a good alternative for you. The event is free and the shop is great, too!

http://www.greengrocerchicago.com/events.html

Food Rules #39: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself

So, it's ok to eat "junk food"? "Yes", says Pollan, provided you make it yourself. What we consider junk food has become so cheap and easy to get that many people are eating it on a regular basis - and it's loaded with empty calories, carbs, sugar, HFCS and sodium. I just got back from an amazing BBQ in southern Tennessee where everything was made from scratch - the 24 slow-smoked pork shoulders with BBQ sauce, potato salad, cole slaw - even Jambalaya! I'm not sure if BBQ would be considered junk food or comfort food, but it was so good and not only could I taste the difference between what was served and the store-bought stuff, I appreciated the time and effort put into those dishes. I'll take that kind of junk food any day.

Pollan argues that if we all took the time to make our own junk food rather than buy it, we'd eat a lot less of it (not to mention all the extra "junk" we'd keep out of our bodies). Take mac n' cheese, nachos & pie for example. You can make versions of these at home so easily and I'll bet you'll enjoy these dishes so much more (and impress your friends & family!). Here's how:

1. Use our "Odds 'n Ends" or other small-shaped pasta with a quick bechamel http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Sauce-or-Bechamel-Sauce-40046 sauce and whatever odd pieces of cheese you have in your fridge. Cook the pasta, mix with grated cheeses and bechamel, and bake in a lightly-buttered oven-proof dish at 350 until cheese is melted and top slightly browned.

2. Put a layer of our El Jinete tortilla chips on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, top with any of all of the following, available at Provenance: shredded cheddar or manchego cheese, Rick's Picks heat seekers (pickled jalapenos), crumbled Dona Juana sobresada, pork rillette, sliced piquillo or red peppers, chopped piparra peppers, Tomato Mountain salsa. Put under broiler til cheese is melted & viola! Top with creme fraiche if desired.

3. Slice fresh seasonal fruit; mix together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar,
1/2 cup sliced almonds (2 oz), 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Put mixture over fruit in a lightly-buttered oven proof dish; bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Top with creme fraiche or Nice Cream.

How's that for easy junk food!?

Provenance September Staff Selection

Upton's Naturals 10% off All Month Long!


Read on for staffer Aaron Golding's selection this month:

"We're eating Satan?" I said. My mind immediately thought of a horned beast on a spit slowly roasting over a fire. "Not Satan, seitan (pronounced say-tan). It's good," a vegan friend said as she placed her version of a sausage, peppers, and onions sandwich in front of me. A few sprigs of arugula lined the opening of the bun. Beyond the arugula foliage I could see the red and green peppers intertwined with the soft and translucent onions.
I lifted the sandwich to have a bite. The Midwestern values instilled in me at birth demanded that I eat whatever was placed in front of me. It would be rude not to. This wasn't my first encounter with faux-meat. I have memories of that one Thanksgiving when a vegetarian family member persuaded me to try the log-shaped tofu-turkey roast. If anything they solidified my love for pork, poultry, lamb, and beef because nothing faux ever seemed to come close to the real thing.

My vegan friend watched me as I took the first bite, anticipating my approval. The sweet scent of sautéed peppers and onions filled my nostrils. Everything seemed right. If I closed my eyes the smell was what I would expect from a sausage, peppers, and onions sandwich. My incisors pierced the bread and tore away the first bite. I chewed. And chewed. And what I pleasantly discovered was a pretty damn good sandwich. The peppers and onions were cooked to perfection. The arugula added a little kick up front. She'd drizzled a little balsamic just over the veggies to give them a little zip. But the star of the show was the meat- I mean, seitan. I was confused. This wasn't the faux-whatever I had encountered before. The texture and flavors were there. "This is really good," I mumbled through a mouthful (another Midwestern faux-pas). I proceeded to devour the sandwich and then inquire as to the possibility of another.

So when I started working at Provenance Food & Wine, I was happy to discover that we carry Upton's Naturals Seitan. I bought a package of the Italian Sausage-Style and recreated at home the sandwich that changed me from a strict meat-a-saurus to an equal opportunity protein eater. Don't get me wrong, I still love steaks and chicken and Carolina-Style pulled pork sandwiches with slaw and just a dab of hot pepper sauce - yum - but now I mix in a little seitan into my diet and am just as happy with my meal as when I am eating meat. Unlike tofu masquerading as meat, Seitan is different. Upton's Naturals describes it as, "a traditional Japanese product made from the protein in wheat (aka gluten). With an impressively meat-like texture and robust flavor, seitan is both high in protein and low in fat without the cholesterol associated with meat." It's its own thing, and dates back centuries to Buddhist Monks looking for a meat alternative.

Upton's Naturals, based in Skokie, IL, uses all-natural ingredients that are GMO-free. It's high in protein and low in all the stuff you'd want it to be low in, like fat and carbs. It gives you a lot of bang for your buck. I use it as a substitute in any dish, mix it in with cheeses to make lasagna, stuffed shells, enchiladas, tacos, and chili. The consistency favors a dish that would have crumbly or ground meat, although I'm thinking of using some egg to hold it together and see if I can create a meatball out of it. I used it as a pizza topping the other night. I fed some to my fiancé, who is strictly a meat-and-potatoes-kind-of-girl, without telling her that it was seitan and not ground sausage. She couldn't tell the difference. Give it a try if you're looking for something different but remarkably familiar.

Italian Sausage-Style Seitan, Peppers, and Onions Sandwich
1 Package of Upton's Naturals Italian Sausage-Style Seitan
1 Onion, sliced
1 Green or Red Pepper. (I like red) Sliced
A hand full of Arugula
A splash of Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
Crusty rolls

Heat oil in a hot skillet and then sauté peppers and onions, adding salt and pepper, until onions become translucent and tender. Remove from pan.
Break the seitan into pieces and heat in a pan until hot. This won't take very long.
Assemble sandwich. Line the bottom of the bread with seitan. Stack peppers and onions on top and then add a few sprigs of arugula. Lightly drizzle with balsamic. Enjoy.

Chorizo-Style and Potato Quesadilla
1 Package of Upton's Naturals Chorizo-Style Seitan
4-5 Russet Potatoes
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Onion, diced
1/2 Onion, sliced
1 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper
1 avocado
Sliced Cheese
1 package Tortillas (I like to use flour but corn works fine)
Tomato, sliced
1/2 cup salsa
Hot Sauce (if desired)
Oil

In a skillet, heat oil and add, garlic, onion, cumin and salt and pepper until onion starts to look translucent. Add salsa and then potatoes. Cook potatoes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked and edges start to take on color. Add Upton's Natural Chorizo-Style Seitan and cook for a couple more minutes until the seitan is hot.

Food Rules #38: Favor the kinds of oils & grains that have been traditionally stone ground

Pollan explains that grindstones were once the way to 'refine' flour & oil, and that more fiber & nutrients are left in those that are not refined by modern chemical processes. Newer oils tend to have more additives, too.

Try using avocado, sesame, peanut or extra virgin olive oils for cooking. Again, avoid refined white flour (so similar to sugar!) and try to eat more whole grains and oils like these that contain more favorable fatty acids.

That's it for today - Short & sweet! But I'll try to get one more blog post in before the Labor Day weekend. Enjoy this holiday with family & friends!

Food Rules #37: "The whiter the bread, the sooner you'll be dead"

Boy, what a title for a chapter, eh? The title, explains Pollan, comes from a cross-cultural bit of 'grandmotherly' advice, which suggests that other generations have been quite aware of the benefits of whole grains and the lack of nutrition white flour provides. Now I know plenty of people (myself included) who wax nostalgic about sandwiches from their childhood on soft, doughy white bread. Me? Cold meatloaf and ketchup sandwiches on squishy white bread. My husband talks about the fried bologna sandwiches on Wonder Bread he had as a kid. And what about Miracle Whip & Chipped Ham on white bread? Certain tastes/combinations can harken warm memories of being a kid...but I'm a little smarter now in terms of my food choices and I understand the lack of nutritional value that squishy bread has.

Bleached flour shows up in many grocery items as well. And most of us know and understand the benefits of eating whole grains: spelt (aka farro) is one of my favorite grains. Quinoa, wild rice, sorghum (we just brought in a sorghum syrup at PFW that is great on pancakes or biscuits)...ever had amaranth? Vella Cafe had amaranth pancakes that were to die for. There is a long list of whole grains and how you can prepare them. Using a homemade chicken or veggie stock adds another layer of flavor. We also carry red and black quinoa, which makes for a great presentation (and lots of protein!)

I've heard a lot of people complain about the lack of good bread in Chicago, too. There are a myriad of bakeries in the city, but many of them just carry the too-soft, slightly doughy style of baguettes that to me are devoid of flavor and good texture. They're also really cheap. You can definitely taste the difference when a good quality flour (and skill!) are used. And sure, some recipes work better with a bleached vs unbleached flour. But to circle back to Pollan's point, we should strive to include more whole grains in our diets than we do. Eating whole vs processed (i.e. bleached) foods is better for our overall health, decreasing our risk of certain diseases.

But I wouldn't turn down a cold meatloaf sandwich with Heinz ketchup on Wonder Bread right about now, though.

Food Rules #36: Don't Eat Breakfast Cereals that Change the Color of the Milk

And so once again I find myself having to apologize for not keeping up with this blog. But summer's keeping me busy! Last night, though, a repeat of the Oprah show featuring Michael Pollan was on and it guilted me into writing the next segment of this blog. Well, not quite, because I really enjoy reading and blogging about his book "Food Rules"...but it was still another reminder for me.

This latest rule is titled "Don't Eat Cereals that Change the Color of Milk". Now I must say I was a fan of Count Chocula, Fruit Loops & Fruity Pebbles as a kid. So sweet & delicious. I remember really liking how the texture went from crunchy to somewhat soft to totally soaked in milk, then drinking the little bit of milk from the bottom of the bowl. I haven't eaten cereal in years. But if asked, I'd say my favorite is Cheerios. Now the thought of drinking that pink or blue milk kinda grosses me out. Pollan's point, though is that cereals which change the color of the milk are obviously chock full of chemical additives, refined sugars and empty carbs. If I want to eat bright green or blue or pink I'm looking for kiwi or Michigan blueberries or lady apples.

But what if you are like Seinfeld and LOVE your cereal? Well, I guess at least go for whole grain cereals that aren't neon in color. Try making your own, like this recipe I found on epicurious.com: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mixed-Grain-and-Wild-Rice-Cereal-1435

You could also try making granola. This is actually a great tie in (surprise!) to our August staff selection at the shops, which is Milk & Honey Granola. We sell through several bags a day of this stuff, and I've heard more than one person's claim that this is the best granola they've ever tasted. This month you receive 1/2 off a bag when you buy another bag of granola at full price. We carry 4 flavors, each of them delicious, each made with real ingredients, with little else but dried fruit, nuts, honey & oats. And I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed that your milk isn't anything but white when you get to the bottom of the bowl!

August Staff Selection

Read on for staffer Melissa Yen's selection this month:

I love putting out the word about things that I am passionate about, which is (mostly) always food. Picking a staff selection was a pretty difficult thing to do, because Provenance carries so many great items. I tend to go home with something new every week. Nothing like leaving your paycheck at work! Speaking of work, I have two jobs, the other being at Milk and Honey Granola. I love working at two amazing, small local businesses, both run by incredible women. You see where this is going, don't you? Yes, Milk and Honey Granola is my staff pick, with full disclosure of course.I am just that honest. I really won't eat any other granola. You know the problem: no one else bakes it enough. All other granolas taste like raw oats to me! I have ranted and raved about this before. People are afraid to put color on their baked goods, cookies, pies, and granola. People, that is where the flavor is, in the caramelization of those lovely sugars. Don't be afraid to leave it in the oven for five more minutes. It's not going to hurt it.

I have spent many a shift making that lovely caramelized granola, back in the day when there was only one flavor and we shared a space with Terry's Toffee, another great product that Provenance carries. I won't tell you how many pieces of toffee I "sampled", McCall's Dark is my favorite. One day I baked granola for eight hours straight by myself! I think we were making the granola in thirty pound batches back then. So thirty pounds times at least five times; I don't even know how many batches that equaled. Math is not my forte, plus I lost track. The hardest part was not losing track when I counted cups of oats and honey and brown sugar. My mind tends to wander, as you may know if you read my blog, That's Not Lettuce. It tends to have lots of tangents, like this one here. Back to the important business at hand, Milk and Honey Granola. Funny, the part I remember most about that day is all the sheet pans I had to wash! I don't do any of the baking these days, but I do smell it baking all day long. Do you know how hard it is to resist that smell every day. Believe me, I don't. I can usually make it until after lunch, but then I break down and have to have at least a handful or two or three.

Eating Milk and Honey Granola right out of the bag is one of my favorite ways of enjoying it, although I would like to leave you with other ways to use granola, besides a snack or a topping for yogurt.

The easiest way to switch up your breakfast granola routine is to serve it hot, like oatmeal. You might want to try this once the temperatures drop a little. Just bring one cup of any type of milk to a simmer on the stovetop and add in half a cup of Milk and Honey Granola. Cook to desired consistency. You may need to tweak the recipe to fit your tastes. I like the combo of Vegan Papaya Cashew with almond milk.

Another way I love Milk and Honey granola is in cookies. How could you not? Why use boring old oatmeal, when you could add some crunch and excitement with granola! You can use any flavor, but I like the Blueberry Pecan best. You have to remove the dried blueberries as they have been baked into the granola. If you bake them again, they will get very hard. (I learned this the hard way. Poor little tooth!)


Chocolate Chunk-Granola Cookies
4 cups flour
4 cups Milk & Honey Blueberry Pecan Granola (remove dried blueberries)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 lb unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups dark chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter and both sugars together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture. Add dry ingredients until just blended. Add the chocolate. Spoon onto buttered or non-stick cookie sheets and bake in heated oven until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.


In this fruit crisp recipe, feel free to sub out whatever fruit is in season, as we just missed strawberries and rhubarb. I think this would be great with peaches and the Cinnamon Raisin Granola.
Carol's Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp


I thought this last recipe was so cool and very creative. And it showcases that granola is not just for breakfast anymore! It makes the perfect homemade gift. You can get some pretty ribbon at the fabric store and cellophane bags from the container store and you're in business! You do need a candy thermometer for this recipe, but don't let that scare you. You can pick one up at Sur la Table or The Chopping Block.
Happy gift making!

Maple Granola Brittle
Special equipment: nonstick bakeware liner (Silpat), candy thermometer, parchment paper
3 cups of original mix Milk and Honey Granola
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ tsp salt
½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

Line a baking sheet with nonstick liner. Cook brown sugar, syrup, orange juice and salt in a 4 or 6 qt heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon (be careful of splatters; mixture will be extremely hot) until the thermometer reads 285 to 290 degrees, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and add the butter and stir until butter dissolves. Then, quickly add the granola and stir until well coated. Immediately pour onto the liner, then cover the mixture with a piece of parchment paper. Roll out mixture with a rolling pin to ¼ inch thickness. Peel off parchment paper. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Break brittle into large pieces.