Happy New Year

I am just back from a vacation trip in Park City, Utah where enjoyed some great food with old friends and neighbors. At altitudes from 6,000 feet in town to 10,000 feet at the top of the mountain, I found myself a little out of breath and realized I needed to get in better shape in 2012. Part of getting in better shape means to lose a few pounds, not so easy when you write about cooking and food as a hobby.

I’m not a big diet fan because they are often very difficult to maintain so I try to work out a little more and eat better foods, staying away or eating less fattening foods. One might ask what are the best foods to loose weight and I found out by reading an informative article on msn.com called The Best Superfoods for Weight Loss.

In the article, I learned some of the “so-called superfoods ….. that help build bones, prevent chronic diseases, improve your eyesight, and even keep your mind sharp” are also great foods for losing weight AND some of my favorite foods including avocados, salmon, pears, grapefruit and wine, to name a few.

Here are a few of the foods mentioned in the article, but I encourage you to read the entire article to find some of your personal favorites and learn why they may help you lose some of those holiday pounds.

Salmon - not only one of my favorite fish but my kids love it. Salmon is a great source of protein and an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. There are lots of ways to cook salmon including dry roasting, grilling, pan frying and poaching. See my recipe for Poached Salmon with Dill Sauce.

Grapefruit - my wife has been eating grapefruit in the morning for years and now I know why. According to the msn article, “eating half a grapefruit before each meal may help you lose up to a pound a week!” Ok, I can go along with that. Grapefruit is 90% water and a good source of protein plus it has compound that can lower your insulin, a fat storing hormone. Because they are so popular, you can find fresh grapefruit from different areas of the country at your local supermarket all year long. I’m going to join my wife and start eating them with her every morning.

Broccoli - here’s one we eat all the time at our house. My youngest loves it raw as a side dish but the rest of us like it steamed. Easy to prepare, an antioxidant, a great source of fiber and low cal unless you serve it with a lot of butter. Besides serving as a side dish once or twice a week, I have used broccoli in dishes like chicken and broccoli stir fry and broccoli pasta soup.

Garbanzo Beans - beans in general are a great alternative source for protein, fiber and healthy fats and garbanzo beans are one of my favorites. Also know as chickpeas, I love using them in soups and salads as well as Chickpea Curry.   Garbanzo beans are also an essential ingredient in hummus.

These are just a few of the “best super foods for weigh loss” and there are many more. I’m going to try and incorporate a bunch of them in my daily meal planning especially since most of them are readily available and foods my family enjoys.  Besides, who doesn’t like an occasional piece of dark chocolate to “slow down your digestion” and “rev your metabolism to burn fat and calories.”

Who knew there were so many great food facts and trivia surrounding Christmas. I started posting different facts I’m finding on my Reluctant Gourmet Facebook page and thought I would consolidate them all here and add to this list as I find them. Of course if you have one you would like to share, please do so in the comments area below. And most of all -

Happy Holidays and Have a Merry Christmas

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Candy Canes

Did you know Candy Canes are thought to have originated back in 1670 when a German choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral handed out sugar sticks bent to look like shepherd’s staffs to keep the kids quiet. What was he thinking? Giving sugar to kids to keep them quiet! The original candy canes were all white and the stripes were added about 50 years later.

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Sugar Plums

We have all heard the famous line from Twas the Night Before Christmas poem - “while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads” but how many of you know what sugar plums actually are? Originally, they were sugar coated coriander seeds that tasted sweet at the start and then offered a spicy burst of flavor. After a while, pieces of dried fruit were added to become the confection we know today as sugar plums.

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Figgy Pudding

So last night we watched the 1938 version of Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol like we do every year to get us in the Christmas spirit. In the movie Mrs Cratchit serves her Figgy Pudding, you know the dessert made famous in We Wish You a Merry Christmas. What is Figgy Pudding, also called Christmas Pudding? It is a dish similar to bread pudding and made with figs, of course, bread crumbs, nutmeg, cinnamon milk and a variety of other ingredients depending on whose recipe you are looking at. After it is baked, it is topped with a cognac or brandy and set ablaze.

NPR has a great story about Figgy Pudding plus a wonderful recipe for Sweet and Steamy Christmas Pudding here.

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Here’s another great post from my friend Chef Mark Vogel. This one is about cantaloupe. I’m thinking he may be on a fruit diet these days since his last post was all about watermelon. That’s OK with me, I love cantaloupe and his recipe for Chilled Cantaloupe Soup in Coconut Broth at the end of the post looks easy to prepare and very tasty. Thanks Mark.

The Seeds of Columbus

In 1493 Christopher Columbus embarked on his second voyage to the New World with 17 ships and 1200 men.  His goals were to search for new territories and establish colonies.  His route took him through the Lesser Antilles where he discovered and named a number of islands such as Antigua, St. Kitts, Montserrat and others.

He then sailed on to Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola.  Probably of minor significance at the time, but noteworthy for our current discussion, Columbus introduced the cantaloupe to the Americas.  Cantaloupe seeds were planted and shared with the native population who received the new fruit with enthusiasm.

The cantaloupe that America is familiar with, (there’s also a European variety), is a type of muskmelon.  The muskmelon family includes honeydew, casaba, Crenshaw and others.  They originated somewhere in Persia and were cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans, then the Europeans, and finally, thanks to Columbus, by the inhabitants of the western hemisphere.  In the first century AD an opposite course delivered them to China.

Where Does The Name Come From

The Italians were quite fond of cantaloupes and are credited as the source of the fruit’s name.  They were cultivated in the Pope’s country villa in the town of Cantalupo just outside Rome.  The French then called them cantaloup which was eventually Anglicized into cantaloupe.

Cantaloupes are now grown all over the world.  The top US producers include California, Arizona and Texas.  Annual sales of cantaloupe in America exceed 300 million dollars.  They are available year round, (thanks to imports from Mexico and Central America), but are at their peak in the summer months.

Choosing the Right Cantaloupe

Cantaloupes must be picked when mature but mature doesn’t mean ripe.  Unripe fruit has a longer transportation and shelf life.  Choosing a ripe melon is always a murky endeavor but the guidelines are as follows:

• Select specimens that are heavy for their size
• free of any significant blemishes or bruises
• sport a rind that is neither too shiny nor too dull
• have an unmistakable fragrance.

Obviously they should be barren of soft spots with one exception:  The blossom end of a ripe melon will slightly yield to pressure.

Storing Ripe Cantaloupes

Unripe melons can be left at room temperature a few days to ripen.  Once ripe, refrigerate them to retard their decline.  Cantaloupes are known to absorb odors from other foods so wrapping them in plastic before refrigerating them is not a bad idea.  Cut melons should always be refrigerated immediately and used promptly.

Most people wouldn’t equate salmonella with cantaloupe but they are a possible culprit.  Wash their skin thoroughly before cutting them open.  After harvesting cantaloupes are treated with sodium hypochlorite to inhibit mold and salmonella growth but they should be washed nonetheless.

Cantaloupes are a powerhouse of nutrients.  They are an excellent source of vitamins A and C.  However, they also contain beta carotenes, potassium, B-complex vitamins and manganese.  Moreover, they are very low in calories and practically devoid of fat.

Cantaloupes are best enjoyed as is.  But there are many other culinary possibilities.  They are ideal for fruit salads.  Cantaloupe can also be incorporated into jams and sorbets or served with ice cream.  And of course, there is the iconic Italian appetizer of fresh melon and prosciutto.

Below is my recipe for chilled cantaloupe soup in a coconut and cream broth.  Perfect for summer, use this recipe as a first course or a dessert.  Adjust the sugar level to suit your taste.  Additional garnishes include shaved coconut, sliced almonds, or supplemental fruit such as pineapple.

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup in Coconut Broth

Ingredients

• Half a cantaloupe, seeded, and peeled
• 2 (13.5-oz) cans coconut milk, (not coconut water or cream of coconut)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• Fresh mint for garnish

Cut the cantaloupe into small cubes.  For the broth, combine the coconut milk, cream and sugar.  Gently whisk until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the cantaloupe to the broth.  Place in the fridge to allow the soup to fully chill and for the flavors to meld.  Sprinkle with fresh mint before serving.

by Chef Mark R. Vogel