new foods and oils

This week we have learned so many things but I feel the need to cover what I have learned about cooking with oils.  We take it for granted the oils are a part of our kitchen when really kitchens did not have these varieties available only a few years ago. Fire cooking , roasting and baking was the way.  Prolonged high heat cooking is not the way to go if you want to keep the nutrients in your foods and cancer at bay. 

-safflower and sunflower oils, smoke at a failry low heat.  Aprox 225degrees F (107 C)
when refind they increase the smoke point by 100-125 degrees.
-canola however when refined can raise the level as much as 400 degrees.
-extra virgin olive oil can range from 200-405 depending on the refinement level and original condition of the oil.
-avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points of 520 degrees.

Heating oils not only loses nutrients but causes free radicals causing oxidative reactions.
manufactures call them peroxide value or PV.  Also polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs in the oils can increase illness risks such as cancer.

Because of these reasons it is best to use extra virgin olive oil. The best thing to do is buy organic, unrefind, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. At 200-250 degrees this range limit causes the least amount of damage. It is best to use for sauces and not for baking or higher temperatures.

Remember the oxidation reactions occur well before the smoke point.

So what is a girl to do if she wants that fried chicken?  I suggest baking methods with out oils. You can get a nice crispy chicken with out the frying.  Naturally we will talk about these health issues later like dark over white meats and skin vs no skin. That is for another day.

Lets talk about what you are cooking on.  yes , we all remember grandma's aluminum cook ware.  Even back then I remember being told not to leave foods in the pot it will pit the aluminum.  That is because it leaches into our foods.  Although most people can process these small levels of aluminum, those with fragil health or delicate immune systems should never use aluminum cook ware. Yes, sadly I have some of that vintage cook ware although I have not used it for years,  now it will decorate my vintage kitchen. Teflon and non stick ware is in every kitchen except mine.  I never liked the effect of peeling blackness into my foods.  It most often does wear off and is a likely carcinogen.  Tefflon can basicly be reguarded as plastic.  This make a problem what the chemist call PTFE and PFOA , toxic particals and fumes begin to release from tefflon-coated pans on stovetop at 464 degrees. see http://www.ewg.org/

Stainless steel is the way to go or cast iron.  I personally live out of cast iron and my basic cooking is done from a dutch oven, sauce pan, and fry pan that I never fry in.  Unless you have an issue with too much iron in your body this is an excellant way to go.  The amount of oil use to season these pans is so small, and the formation of free radicals is normal. It is what helps life go on.  It is only when they play havic with blood vessel walls and can start to damage a blood vessel or too many free radicals in the wrong place can cause a problem.  Balance is the key.
A quick word on microwaves. Remember to never use plastic and that it has the inability to kill Ecoli or salmonella and streptococcus bacteria. I use mine mostly to heat water, some times melt butter or other quick convient task. I do not cook in my microwave.

A quick note on grilling.  There are documented health risks to char-broiling and gas grilling.  There is a formation of heterocyclic amines, HCA's.  most are documented carcinogens so keeping their levels to a minimum to avoid cancer is important.  Under 325 degrees the formations of HCA's are low.  High temperatures they increase as much as 700-1000%.  This is enough reason to stay low.