organic grill and wine bar

I have discovered a great place to eat.  I have decided from all we are learning to try and eat all organic when ever possible.  My friend Ada wanted to take me to lunch and when I explained my position, she knew of a great place.  It was worth the drive.  It is HARVEST Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar.
They are supplied by organic local, sustainable, seasonally changing, and farm to table suppliers.
The great thing about this place is the waiter was so attentive and informative.  He explained everything, and even told us that at the hiring you have to watch the movie Food Inc.  and follow their way of thinking or your will not be hired.  They do not own a microwave.

The food was some of the tastiest I have had in a long time.  I chose the grass fed beef as I wanted to compare it to traditional meat I usually eat.  It was a little dryer as I had read grass fed beef is, but much less fat, and the taste was amazing. Texture was harty, and I felt right away I had bit into something substantial.  The portions were reasonable and more than enough.  They were not these huge over necessary portions that people think they need.  They were not mini portions you eat on a cracker either.  It was interesting that the food was so nutritious that we brought half of it home as we were full half way through.  There was no need for us to eat more than we needed, as we were not continually hungry.  The food sustained us and I felt no reason to eat snack in the evening as I usually do.  Most items were under 500 calories.

My friend was surprised that she felt no desire to continue eating and her body knew when to stop.  She usually found at eating out she was hungry the entire meal and walked away still feeling she was not satisfied.  This simply was not the case for either of us this time.  She was starting an eating program to lose weight for health reasons and through this experience she discovered that eating organic obviously was the way.  She not only would have great nutrition, eat food that tasted like real food, but would eat smaller portions due to being satisfied. 

The owner is DAVE MAGROGAN and the manager is DAVID STEIGER.  I hope you will visit his restaurant. 

                                                       HARVEST
                                             seasonal Grill & Wine Bar
                                             549 Wilmington West Chester Pike
                                              Glen Mills, Pa. 19342
                                                     610  358-1005

                                HARVESTSEASONALGRILL.COM

B vitamin info

importance of B vitamins
Cysteine

You need B6, B12, methioine, folic acid, s-adenosyl methionine
A key constituent of glutathione. Glutathione formed from cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine, is found in all human tissue with the highest concentration found in the liver and eyes. Cystine breaks down heavy metals, protects from free radicals, detox chemicals, and protect from free radicals.
Eat: chicken, turkey, yogurt, eggs, red bell peppers, oats, garlic, onion, broccoli, brussel sprouts, wheat ( germ).
Glutamine
 believed to prevent infections
It is an amino acid synthesized by the body from another amino acid called glutamic acid or glutamine. A form of vitamin B3 and B6 is required. It is a fuel source for cells lining the small intestine. It is the most abundant amino acid in the blood and mussel tissue.
Eat: cabbage, beets, beef, chicken, fish, beans, dairy

Niacin
(vitamin B3) required for genetic production
Niacin plays a critical role in the chemical process of fats in the body. Niacin can be made from the amino acid tryptophan. Inadequate intake of many nutrients including protein, iron, vitamins B1, B2, B6, and c inhibits this conversion. Components of DNA require niacin for production. The foods that contain niacin also contain B12, and a deficiency of B12 can lead to increased excretion of niacin.
There are at least 25 foods that you can eat to obtain niacin. Here are a few.
Eat: crimini mushrooms, tuna, chicken, summer squash, green peas, carrotts, spinach, grass fed beef, raspberries, kale.
　　　
Tryptophan

an amino acid that assists in the process of niacin
Promotes mood balance in the production of serotonin, helps in insomnia by producing melatonin for sleep, diabetes can reduce tryptophan.
The body can not manufacture this and must be gotten from our diets. It works with many other nutrients necessary for it’s metabolism, including vitamin B6, c, folic acid, and magnesium.
There are at least 25 foods. Eat: Tuna, scallops, calf’s liver, soybeans, mustard seeds, eggs, swiss chard.  needed to synthesize the proteins promotes antioxidant activity

the importance of B vitamins

Here is some information we are discussing this week in our nutrition class.  We all know we need vitamins and frankly the supplements can be a waste as digesting them is not the same as getting them naturally.  Here is some information to help us all understand only some of the importance of B vitamins. 

compare your pantry

In 1956 shopping was primarily a woman's duty.  She was expected to know her kitchen and it's function as well as any professional.  Here for comparison is a shopping list for the new home, as I am studying nutrition at SWIHA lets compare our pantry to the average 50's house wife.  Now class mates,  you are changing your diets for the better,  compare your new diet to this vintage list.  Have fun.

Reference from:  my50'syear.blogspot.com  she also does ( theapronrevolution.com)  check her out.

winter vegetable

Each week we are to chose a new organic item we have not tried before. Naturally if I run out of local ideas I can consider other organic packaged items. 

This week I chose a parsnip. I just was not raised up eating them and they never really felt that interesting to me.  I have to tell you they are very good.  I boiled it with cabbage, carrott, onion and potato. it had a bite like a radish and texture like turnip. I will deffinately experiment again with this new chosen root vegetable.  Remember to peel it first.

consumer beware!

My Herbs

This weeks lessons on nutrition is already blowing me away!  We have been asked to view two movie/videos for this week. http://www.food,inc.movie.com/ and http://www.thefutureoffoodvideo.com/
The first movie I had seen before, and must say I was shocked and appalled that people would be so greedy and stupid to jeopardise this planet in such a way for all of man kind.  The second made me feel helpless and I cried half way through realising the future impact on our world.

You owe it to yourself, family and friends to view both . I will never look at my food pantry the same again.  Especially that this information tells you that you do not have to have it this way.  We have a right to know what is in our foods and how it is handled.  No one has the right morally to make such critical decisions about your body.  Did you know that GMO foods effect antibiotics?  I have not had any in the last few years but I have taken medicine and it effects all pharmaceuticals.  If you have a child for instance that needs antibiotics for respritory infections, asthma, or other areas, these antibiotics may not be available or work due to modifications that enter products that currently are used to produce your medicine? This is because the products grown that have been modified, have a antibiotic resistance strain so it does not interfere with the chemical engineering of the seed. 

Remember that old saying what goes around comes around?  Well it has.  Salmon that is modified, will NOT be labeled as such because the government thinks it will only confuse the consumer.  That's right folks they have decided that we are too stupid to understand what we are eating.  See http://www.naturalnews.com/  and  www.Washintonpost.com/wp-dy

Here is another kick in the head.  There are only 4 seed companies controlling the entire market.
There are only 4 major companies that control the beef market.  The projected view of retail in the next 10 years is that only 6 retailers will control the market and only one of them is in America and it is Walmart.  We will not have the choices to our food supply and they will be making all the choices for us.
Europe has banned GMO's in products.  Round up co. is the Monsanto co. that developed canola seed modification.  They have sued several farmers for cross pollination in farmers fields saying the farmers have stolen their seed patten.  Apparently we are now responsible for the control of bees, birds, wind, and natural pollination methods.  If you as a gardener, are found to have and gmo modification linked to their patten, you too are liabel for law suite as you will be considered thief. 

I think the last straw is that seed produced today is being modified to be terminator seed.  It produces seed that grows a plant we eat,  then in return produces a seed that dies and does not produce.  There are 15 pattens of these seeds today.  This is so farmers can not save their own seed but are forced to buy from the seed market.  1.4 billion farmers depend on saving their own seed. 

Are you now as angry as I am?  Think, if the seeds can not reproduce, how long will it be before we have no food.  We are just one major disaster away from the original seeds being destroyed that was used to grow the crop the seed was taken from and modified.  I do not want to be geneticlly modified nor do I want to eat foods I have no idea what is in them.

 Pre world war one our food was organic and clean.   No one here on this planet is not effected by how our food comes to us.  Please, please take the time to think organic.  I personally will be changing my food habits as quickly as I am able.

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.