Due to the fact Hurricane Fay was headed my way, I received lots of e-mail from friends and colleagues wondering how things went.  I’m happy to report - where I live - there wasn’t even a drop of rain.  Throughout the night, wicked winds blew, but I didn’t notice any damage this morning.  We were spared …

Otherwise, here’s some news for those always asking when they can “see” me:   I’ll be appearing on WFLA News Channel 8 (NBC) September 10th.  At some point during the daytime show (I’ll let you know when), I’ll be chatting about grass-fed beef.  If you’re not in my market, the show is syndicated in Raleigh, NC, Jacksonville, FL, Washington DC, Savanna, GA, Charleston, SC, Columbus, OH, Las Vegas, NV and Wichita, KS.
 
Tune in, and let me know what you think!

I like to write thoughtful blog entries.  Having been an editor, I can’t find it in myself to “twitter” a few lines or ramble on about something that’s really not of any value. 

Maybe, I’m just getting older.  I think it was the German Philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche who said, “Profundity of thought belongs to youth, clarity of thought to age.”

Truthfully, it was a colleague of mine, Doug Ronan, former Director of Marketing at Häagen-Dazs, who said to me the other day, “You really need to blog more!  You travel frequently, engage in exciting professional activities, and formulate great insights along the way.  It’s a waste not to share your experiences!”

So, I’ll be honest and admit I’ve been shamed into posting this log – and that’s terrible!  I love blogging and the dialog that goes with it, but I’ve been so busy these past ten weeks, I’ve barely had time to write my grocery list…

Where have I been?  Well, I’ve canned tomatoes in Alabama, had an audience with acclaimed author and former ABC News co-anchor Cokie Roberts to learn about her new book We Are Our Mother’s Daughters, cycled through California exploring farm stands and organic markets and, most recently, enjoyed New Orleans’ annual Tales of the Cocktail.

For those not familiar, Tales of the Cocktail is a five-day culinary and cocktail festival held annually in the French Quarter and features award-winning mixologists, authors, bartenders and cocktail events such as dinner-pairings, demos and tastings, seminars, mixing competitions, design expos, book-signings and more.  Pencil into your calendar next year’s event which will be around the same time (July 16 – July 20).  The exact dates will be posted on their official website in the coming months.

Everyone who is anyone flocks to the event, and the program is as good as the people watching.  On the media front, a bevy of reporters were busy filing stories in the Media Room, but I enjoyed Eric Felton’s piece about the event that appeared in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal. One of the great take-aways for me was a recipe demo for Bananas Foster Frappe made with fat-free cream and ice cream.  What a find!

Mount Gay Bananas Foster Frappe
Makes about 8 servings 

 

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup Mount Gay Eclipse Rum
3 bananas, peeled
Juice of 1/2 lemon (approx 1/4 oz.)
1/3 cup Sugar in the Raw
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. Grand Marnier (or Orange Liqueur)
1/2 tsp. banana extract
3/4 cup fat-free half-and-half
3 cups fat-free vanilla ice cream (slightly softened) 

 DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
• Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray
• Slice bananas length-wise and then into 1 inch chunks.  Add the bananas to a mixing bowl, along with the lemon juice, sugar, orange liqueur, and cinnamon.  Toss gently.
• Place the banana mixture onto the baking dish and cook until mix is soft (approx. 10 mins.)  Allow to cool thoroughly.
• Add banana mixture and accumulated syrup to blender, along with the extract, rum, half-and-half, and ice cream.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into chilled wine goblet.
• Garnish with sliced strawberries if desired

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

From oysters and crawfish to Po’Boys and turtle soup, New Orleans is a great place to be if you love to eat.

Institutions like Brennan’s (www.brennansneworleans.com) , Arnaud’s (www.arnauds.com) , Antoine’s (www.antoines.com) and Café Du Monde (http://www.cafedumonde.com/) always offer a taste of history alongside a terrific French Creole meal. 

But when you’re in this town for several days, and you don’t want to go home several pounds heavier, you might want to take a little break from the rich cream sauces and powdery beignets.  What to do?  Try MiLa (http://www.milaneworleans.com), where taste isn’t sacrificed for a serving of health and a lot of tradition.

Chefs Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing are from Mississippi and Louisiana, respectively, so their menu is inspired by their Southern heritage; however, they use fresh produce, purchased daily, from local purveyor Lujele Farms in Mount Hermon, Louisianna, so every lunch, brunch and dinner option is fresh, “clean” and explodes with flavors.

I enjoyed a meal there yesterday when a colleague of mine and I tried dishes including a light-as-air Mirliton Veloute with Louisiana Crawfish and Lobster Oil; a delicate Filo-Crusted Redfish with Wilted Heirloom Spinach; a crisp salad of Farm Arugula with Homemade Duck Ham, Pears and Red Wine Vinaigrette and the most tender cornbread with lima bean puree.

As chic a restaurant as it is good, MiLa is a find.  Seek it out the next time you’re in town.

Today finds me at the 30th Annual Conference of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (http://www.iacp.com).  For those of you not familiar with the organization, the IACP is an international association for individuals in the culinary field, including food stylists and writers, publishers and chefs.  The IACP is always an amazing forum for the exchange of information and, more important, inspiration, on a global level.  Being here feels like a privilege!

There are workshops and Master Classes given, along with culinary showcases and seminars, and the people here are the nicest and most talented you’ll ever meet.

Yesterday, for example, I had the opportunity to chat with author Robert J. Heiss.  His book, The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide (http://www.amazon.com) is nominated this year for the IACP Award of Excellence, a coveted award given to members whose unending pursuit of excellence embody the highest standards of the association.

The Story of Tea is a beautifully-photographed resource that enlightens, excites and answers every question about tea you might have, doing so in an accessible, highly enjoyable way.

I also had the opportunity to learn what fellow foodie bloggers are doing, and below is a great list of resources you might want to check out.  Enjoy!

http://chezpim.typepad.com - Pim Techamuanvivit is a globetrotting gourmand whose entries are entertaining, fun and informative.  Her stories are a hoot; her passion comes through in her writing, and her blog links are super resources for those who want to connect with others with similar interests.

http://aromacucina.typepad.com/aroma_cucina - Chef and writer Judith Klinger is a resident of both New York and Modena, Italy.  Her passion for Italian culture, culinary history, cooking and baking pervade her site.  Bookmark it!

http://kitchen-notebook.blogspot.com - Leon, France-based Lucy Vanel writes Lucy’s Kitchen, a blog that most of us just dream about.  Lucy is an author and photographer – not to mention a phenomenal cook – and reading her blog is an escape. 

Stay tuned for more updates from New Orleans!

Sexuality is part of being human.  But I’m constantly amazed by all the spam I receive about potions and magic pills that will make you better, bigger, stronger, and on and on.  You know.  You get the same e-mail I do.

It was these e-mail that sparked the idea for my most recent blog talk radio show, “Sexy Foods.”

No, some foods aren’t sexier than others, but eating certain foods and following a diet with the right carbohydrate, protein and fat ratio CAN make you better in bed.  In fact, there is an important relationship between overall health, lifestyle and sexual satisfaction.

Research also suggests that certain physical conditions which go along with obesity can negatively affect sex drive, further dampening the desires of those who are overweight.

According to doctors and dietitians, there is good news:  It’s never too late to make even small lifestyle changes to enhance your libido, increase your energy levels and improve your body image.

Just click on the link below to hear the show!

“Sexy Foods” Radio Show

You are what you eat, and how you live can also be a reflection of your environmental fitness.

For the past six years on an annual basis, Cooking Light magazine has built what they’ve named FitHouses model homes in different cities across America that can inspire how you live, a home renovation project or even influence your next home purchase.

This year’s FitHouse, built in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, opened June 2nd and is one of the first homes to conform to the city’s proposed residential green building standards. The house includes environmentally-sound materials, energy-saving appliances and embodies wellness in both form and function.

During the next three months when the model home is open to the public, 20,000 people are expected to visit, and you can be sure I’ll be one of them. I have a kitchen renovation underway, so I’m curious to see how I can combine my zest for healthy living with my love of cooking and eating. I’ll let you know what I learn.

As you know, I occasionally feature guest bloggers who are experts in their field and who can augment the Voice of Reason with credible, informative entries. This week, I’m happy to hand over the pen to my friend and colleague Dr. Suzanne R. Steinbaum, Director, Women and Heart Disease Heart and Vascular Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City…

Heart Disease is the number one killer in the United States. Amazingly, 80% of heart attacks are associated with at least one risk factor that has been identified as modifiable. The risk factors that lead to heart disease are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, family history and age. Many think that if heart disease does not run in their family, then they are not at risk. With the statistic that 80% of the time, there is something you actually can do to prevent a heart attack, clearly it is worth making the effort, even if no one in your family has any heart problems.

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even diabetes are 3 conditions that can lead to heart disease, and that can be reversed or controlled with lifestyle choices. It is frightening to think that 40-60% of the time, the first sign of heart disease is sudden death. I would say, with these odds, prevention is the most compelling option. At the root of the problem is the way that we live. Studies from other cultures, such as the China Study, revealed that there is a lower incidence of heart disease until the culture becomes westernized.

With diet and exercise, it has been shown there is a reduction in blood pressure, cholesterol and even a reduction in the risk of developing diabetes, which almost guarantees heart disease. At the foundation of prevention is, simply, empowerment.

Consciously doing the right things — eating well, exercising and living an active and healthy life — makes a difference. Getting older doesn’t equate with a diminishing quality of life. I contend aging is a process that allows us to flourish. The inevitable is not getting sick. The potential is growing old healthy. And it really is within our control and within our power to make a difference.

I had to laugh after reading a 55-page research report issued last week by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The study, called Food for Thought: Television Food Advertising to Children in the United States, prompted headlines across the country ranging from Kids Gorge on Junk Food Ads, to Kids Besieged by Food Ads. Quoted in these stories were the usual suspects of food police and activists and, frankly, all the coverage was a yawn.

While the Kaiser Family Foundation study examined the overwhelming amount of TV children watched per day and the number of food ads they saw daily, and newspaper reports screamed about marketing’s detrimental effects on childhood obesity, no one addressed a critically serious problem underlying the epidemic: effective ways to motivate kids to become active vs. leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Clearly, it’s easy for consumer advocates and policy makers to point fingers and lay blame as opposed to asking their constituents to take responsibility for their own health. That takes effort. And it surely doesn’t win votes. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) told a forum held to discuss the Foundation study that the food industry must voluntarily shift marketing campaigns away from unhealthy foods for kids or face the prospect of government imposed limits on advertising.

Can we be realistic for a moment? Will candy ads touting a fitness message really solve the problem? In theory, that sounds lovely, but kids get information from innumerable sources and, as long as we ignore the basics of behavior modification, these block-and-tackle attempts to solve the obesity crisis will never be effective.

I was filing some papers this morning and came across a recent ACNeilsen study that indicated Americans really do know how to manage their weight. Further, almost 82% of consumers surveyed acknowledged they are most responsible for their weight not food manufacturers or fast food restaurants.

This made me wonder if law has become the new medicine. Do influencers (and activists) really think they can regulate the public’s way to better health? It sure seems as if they’re trying.

When the Nutrition Labeling Education Act (NLEA) was established in 1990, it was done so to foster a healthy food environment, provide public guidance and education. Now, so many guidelines and regulations have been established that we’ve lost sight of the real problem: changing or modifying consumer behavior.

With attorneys interpreting science and translating their findings into policy, I tend to wonder if we’re leveraging the laws appropriately to facilitate consumer empowerment of their own well-being. I don’t think so. But we’ve sure done a great job of stirring controversy, making headlines and creating platforms for politicians.

Of course, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue.

Gluten has been in the news a lot, lately, and I’ve had many people ask me what it is.

Gluten is a protein that’s found in rye, wheat and barley. This protein is what makes bread chewy, allows bread to rise and also gives bread its absorbent quality (something very important to those of us who MUST dip their bread in olive oil or red sauce, and you know who you are).People who are allergic to gluten suffer from Celiac Disease, a genetic disorder that more commonly affects those of Northern European descent. For these individuals, gluten-free foods are a must and can be found in both grocery and health food stores.