Celebrate Charleston Food and Wine – Enjoy Mock Turtle Soup!

“HOW MUCH AM I OFFERED FOR THIS GOOD COOK? SHE IS AN EXCELLENT COOK: CAN MAKE THREE KINDS OF MOCK TURTLE SOUP FROM BEEF, FOWLS OR FISH”

The above is an excerpt from the Charleston, SC Courier on March 22, 1865 recounting the Freedmen’s Jubilee Parade, which featured a black man on a float with a woman and two children whom he was pretending to auction off “for good Confederate money”. He played his part with vigor and conviction, causing much mirth and merriment in the crowd of black faces.

I have always been a fan of turtle soup. My parents would often visit the Doc and Nananne in New Orleans (my great Aunt and Uncle) and they would return with tales of delicious turtle soup. They brought back two cans of turtle soup for me to try. The rich, dark stew with a splash of dry sherry was absolute heaven to my 8 year old palate I have never forgotten it. And so, since I could not attend the Grand Opening, I decided to celebrate Food and Wine by recreating that taste of my childhood. Continue reading “Celebrate Charleston Food and Wine – Enjoy Mock Turtle Soup!”

Can Acid Reflux Cause Weight Gain?

I wouldn’t necessarily say that acid reflux causes weight gain, but I would say that there are foods that most people eat every day for years that cause both acid reflux and weight gain.

So it might seem like the acid reflux is causing the weight gain, but in reality, eating the wrong foods and combinations of foods can cause weight gain and acid reflux at the same time.

Just to give you a simple example of foods that give me acid reflux, and are known to cause weight gain would be white sugar, and white bread. There are many other foods but let me explain these two and how they both cause acid reflux and weight gain.

White sugar makes your body overly acidic. Your body will sometimes store excess acids in the fat cells to protect your vital organs. This is one way that it makes you store fat.

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Italian Herbs Are Hearty And Healthy

Italian cuisine happens to be my all-time favorite! As a matter of fact I love it so much that I decided to plant my very own Italian herb garden right in my own kitchen. That way, each time I whipped up any of my delightful recipes all I needed to do was stroll over to my windowsill planter and snip off a couple buds of garlic, basil, parsley, rosemary, sage or oregano.

These are but a few of the herbs essential to that specific taste of exquisite Italian cuisine. These flavors vary quite naturally from region to region of the Italian countryside so it is a matter of the cook ascertaining which herbs will be used the heaviest to provide the most unique flavor.

I found Italian herbs to be extremely hearty. They grow very well all year round. Most of my herbs I grow indoors. The few I placed in outdoor pots I bring inside during winter when the temperature is a little chillier. I adopted this method from herb gardeners who live in a villa in the Italian countryside. Continue reading “Italian Herbs Are Hearty And Healthy”

Celebrating An Italian Heritage In East Harlem, New York: Part I Of A 3 Part Series

A Backward Glance at the Old Neighborhood

Italian Harlem, you could say it was a helluva’ neighborhood. Previously known as the “Little Italy of East Harlem”, it was located between 104th and 119th streets, from Third Avenue to the East River, and it once teemed with Italian immigrants running businesses. Since their arrival several generations earlier, the Italians would seize upon entrepreneurial opportunities, establishing small independent and family enterprises. Bakeries, fruit and vegetable stores, grocery stores, funeral homes, restaurants, coal and ice distribution, tile and marble, candy stores, delicatessens, pizza parlors and barber shops began mushrooming all over Italian Harlem, particularly during the 40’s and 50’s. Italian Harlem with all its small businesses was thriving economically. It was packed and as busy as ever prior to and up to the late 50’s.

Continue reading “Celebrating An Italian Heritage In East Harlem, New York: Part I Of A 3 Part Series”

The Hazards of Soy

For years I have purchased soy milk, stocked it on my shelf, told myself I should open it and include it into my diet. After opening it though, it just sits in the refrigerator for a month or two. Then, of course, it’s too old to drink, so I throw it down the sink and the cycle repeats itself a couple months later. Now I believe that my body was telling me that it didn’t want the soy milk as I’ve been reading up on the soy controversy lately. Here is a summary of that information…

Isoflavones-the estrogen-like hormones that all work to help you stay young and healthy may not be the magical food that you have been led to believe. Soy is just one example of the many fad foods/ supplements/ cures that I find myself exposed to in trying to decipher the long-term health benefits before sharing them with my clients.

Soy has been marketed as a health food when, at one time, it was only a toxic by-product of the vegetable oil industry. Hmm….that doesn’t sound right, does it? Don’t we eat soy in lots of things now? Continue reading “The Hazards of Soy”

Chicken Recipe for Baked Ziti

It’s not necessary to have a party or celebration to cook something special for your family. Though everyone is really busy these days, it is worth having something that you will enjoy eating. For instance, Italian food: I picture a scrumptious cheesy, creamy meal that will leave a lingering smile on the faces of many. The best part about Italian meals is that if you modify these dishes a little to your own tastethey only keep getting better. That is why we all just love Italian cooking.

Baked ziti is a sort of modified Italian American casserole that is ‘Oh so easy to make!’Ziti is a tube-shaped pasta, also sometimes called penne. If you are looking for the thrill and sizzle of a chicken flavoured dish, why don’t you try this recipe? Feel the tasty tender chicken with every bite and enjoy the juicy sauce of this delicious meal. There are thousands of baked ziti recipes and this chicken recipe is a welcome change to the regular beef recipes: it and is the most delicious of them all for me. I’ll show you how to make a delicious chicken baked ziti. Continue reading “Chicken Recipe for Baked Ziti”

Healthy Trans Fats vs. Unhealthy Trans Fats Revealed

I’m going to talk about something today that most of you have probably never heard…that there is a distinction between good trans fats and bad trans fats. There is some evidence that the good trans can help you with fat loss, muscle building, and even cancer prevention, while the bad trans fats have been shown to cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and the general blubbering of your body.

I’m sure most of you have heard all of the ruckus in the news over the last few years about just how bad man-made trans fats are for your health. If you’ve been a reader of my newsletter and my “Truth about Six Pack Abs” e-book program, then you definitely know my opinion that these substances are some of the most evil food additives of all and are found in the vast majority of all processed foods and fast foods on the market today. In my opinion, man-made trans fats are right up there with smoking in terms of their degree of danger to your health. After all, they are one of THE MAIN factors for the explosion of heart disease since approximately the 1950’s. Continue reading “Healthy Trans Fats vs. Unhealthy Trans Fats Revealed”

The Secret Ingredient to a Healthy Life

While in college studying nutrition, my friend heard from a teacher that it is easier for a person to change their religion than to change their eating habits.

But necessity is the mother of invention. When my dad got sick and was hospitalized for cancer, I started researching to learn how to protect ourselves and heal from cancer. While watching “A Delicate Balance,” on Vimeo I heard nutritional researcher T. Colin Campbell describe the results from the largest study ever done on nutrition and cancer as detailed in his book, the “The China Study.”

A friend had given me the book years before but it had been a deal-breaker since it advocated a vegan diet, which meant giving up all animal foods including vegetarian food like cheese and eggs. But in the fight for my dad’s life I was willing to do what it took so I read the book and couldn’t put it down. My first thought upon finishing it was “knowledge is power.” Continue reading “The Secret Ingredient to a Healthy Life”

Superfood Splendor for Your Blender

The term “superfood” has been thrown around recently to describe many edible items that may not necessarily fit the bill. An unfortunate example of this occurred on a well know street where a big yellow bird and disgruntled trash dweller have occasionally been spotted. Yes, sunny day, sweeping the clouds away, on my way to where the air is sweet, can you tell me how to get, how to get to Superfood Street…not exactly. Four new characters have recently moved into apartment B12 on Sesame Street: broccoli, banana, whole wheat hamburger bun, and block of cheese. All of them qualify as food, but two are not particularly super. While Mr. Broccoli, sporting the green afro and bleeding vitamin C, is a legit superfood, and his buddy Mr. Banana is considered a healthy food, Whole Wheat Hamburger Man and Block of Cheese Guy should not have been put on the lease. These two cats need to find their own little efficiency down Unhealthy Lane somewhere.

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Healthy Chocolate Peanut Fudge Recipe

Chocolate Lovers Look No Further!

Doesn’t sound like a healthy treat does it?

So Is ‘Low Fat’ Really Healthy?

Recent research is uncovering that ‘low fat’ actually means more sugar. Start reading your food labels carefully. There is nothing healthy about increased in sugar content or artificial sweetener!

So if you are like me and have a sweet tooth then take a look at this fudge recipe…

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

Ingredients: Continue reading “Healthy Chocolate Peanut Fudge Recipe”