Food Blog - Live. Taste. Share.

Korean man CAN cook

2009-12-26T04:38:00.000-08:00

Dave Park makes the Frittata...If Dave can do it, You can too!

It's such a lovely thing to watch a man cook ... But when a Korean man cooks, stop everything and take a picture! it's truly a treat for the soul.

I mean, how often DO you see a Korean man cook? It defies tradition and disrupts the image of the conventional Asian man.

Still, Dave insisted on making us the Frittata for lunch and so we have to celebrate his bold, "break-out-of-the-mold" actions on this holiday break. Thank you Dave!

Giada's Frittata

Prep Time: 15 min

Inactive Prep

Time:

2 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 servings

Frittata with Asparagus, Tomato, and Fontina

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

12 ounces asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces

1 tomato, seeded, diced

Salt

3 ounces Fontina, diced

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Whisk the eggs, cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a 9 1/2-inch-diameter nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat.

Add the asparagus and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high.

Add the tomato and a pinch of salt and saute 2 minutes longer.

Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus mixture and cook for a few minutes until the eggs start to set.

Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the frittata is almost set but the top is still runny, about 2 minutes.

Place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the top is set and golden brown on top, about 5 minutes. Let the frittata stand 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata from skillet and slide the frittata onto a plate.

Sold Out at St. James' Bazaar!!!

2009-11-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought we'd completely sell out!?!?!?

What a fun time at the St. James' Bazaar in Richmond!

Doing the show with friends made it so much fun... and because there were such great sales people, we completely sold out. Fran fussed about the wrappings and at the fact that I wasn't pushing the e-commerce on the web. Elizabeth told stories about how she begged and begged me for more Soychas. Carterbay, she knew everyone and their in-laws and had them trying all the samples and talked up the teacher's & hostess gifts.

People were buying the gift boxes in bulks and gobbled up all our samples. In the end, they grabbed for the last few bags and we left Richmond feeling so good about our Soycha and Chilicha.

In the evening, we solved all the different cultural issues and applauded the United Nations, created the Piedmont VA flower club over champagne & crackers.

Thank you Elizabeth, Fran and Carterbay!!

2009-11-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

Palcha shines at the Metropolitan Cooking Show!

Success at The Metropolitan Cooking Show in DC for our little company!

The show had all kinds of foods from chocolate to breads, dips to cakes and Paula Dean, Giada and Tyler were busy doing live shows. In between their shows, we fed 1000+ people healthy salads in our Palcha dressings at a frantic pace and came back knowing we made more Palcha Fans in DC. Then, the unspeakable happened. We ran out of lettus and portion cups and forks! Cousin Kay to the rescue! Even with babes waiting at home, she made a mad rush Sam's run for us and saved the day! Hurrah for Kay and million Thanks!

Thank you to all who bought our products for themselves and for gifts. PLUS a special 'Thank you' to those of you who dragged your friends back to our booth to have them taste it.

Thank you to all my sisters: Helen, Grace & Joyce!!! Could not have survived without you!

...and my deepest apology to my Dad for dropping you off at the metro station : (

I'm off to Richmond with my friends, Elizabeth, Fran and Carter to do another show so wish us luck!!

Eileen-PalchaPal

Salmon Recipe for Halloween

2009-11-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

Salmon is orange and perfect for Halloween dinners

At the 'Bone Chillin' " Halloween Party, herb crusted salmon was served on top of basmati rice with currants, and cinnamon baked acorn squash with peas and pine nuts on the side. To see how the cutest EVER 'Bone Chillin' invitations were made or to peek at the Elizabethan style decorations, click on the link:

http://palchaparty.blogspot.com/

Salmon facts (according to AOL)

Salmon (especially the wild kind) is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. What's even more exciting is that consuming the pink fish can enhance your beauty. It is one of the best food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, those beneficial fats that enhance our health and appearance by fighting inflammation, keeping our cells supple, improving circulation, and helping our brains function optimally. Salmon is a beauty food because its nutrients play a key role in keeping the skin's outer layer soft and smooth. The omega-3s in salmon reduce inflammation on the cellular level that can cause redness, wrinkles, and loss of firmness.

Crusted Salmon With Herbed Mayonnaise by Colorado Collage

Herbed Mayonnaise:

1/3 cup minced fresh Italian parsley

1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 cup minced green onions

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoons minced garlice

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 cup prepared mayonnaise

Fish:

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 small cloves garlic, peeled

1 1/4 cups fresh white bread crumbs

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted, divided

2 1/2 pounds salmon fillet, 1 piece if available

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup parsley, cilantro, green onions, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, oregano, pepper, and cayenne. Stir until well blended and let stand, at room temprature, 30 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease large, shallow baking pan. In food processor or blender, combine 1/4 cup parsley, Parmesan, thyme, lemon zest, and salt. With processor running, drop 2 cloves garlic through feed tube and process until finely chopped. Transfer to large bowl and add bread crumbs. Toss to blend. (May be prepared in advance. Cover and chill overnight. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.) Add 3 tablespoons of the melted butter and toss to combine.

Pat salmon dry and place, skin side down, in prepared pan. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter. Pack crumb mixture on salmon. Bake 20-25 minutes or until center is opaque. If crumbs brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Transfer to serving platter. Stir mayonnaise into chilled herb mixture and serve on the side.

Soba Noodles & Greens

2009-11-01T02:33:00.003-08:00

Soba Noodle Lover's Dream!!!

This one, I have to say is turning out to be my favorite! You do have to like the taste of wasabi & soy sauce but if you do, you've got to try this one out. Click on the link and check out the recipe:

http://palcharecipes.blogspot.com/

Food For Less - by Stacy Pae

2009-10-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

How to feed 6 people with $10

In this economy we're all watching our budget. But that doesn't mean we can't have friends over and enjoy a meal together!!

This is my favorite pasta salad to feeds 6 people on a short notice, on a small budget:

1 Bag of Pasta Penne $0.99

1 Bag of TJ's Organic Spinach Salad $1.99

1 Jar of Sliced sun Dried Tomatoes $3.29

1 Can of Sliced Black Olive $1.19

Salt and Pepper to taste.

* Boil pasta according to directions.

Add entire jar of sliced sundried tomatoes

Strain juice from the olives and put in entire can.

Add 1/2 bag - 1 whole bag of spinach at the end.

Serve with Two Buck Chucks, also known as Charles Shaw Wine $1.99

Best Red Velvet Cake- Hands Down!

2009-10-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

Laura's Red Velvet Cake to Die for-(Marie Antoinette did...)

Once I had a party and the theme was "Marie Antoinette" It was a girls night out party and the movie was just released at the theaters. I asked my friends to bring food and Laura brought the cake. She made the most dense & moist cake which was blood red inside and it said, "Let them eat cake" on the top. It was PERFECT!

I have to admit, the red was shocking but very appropriate to the theme as we all know that Marie Antoinette was beheaded. Everyone, including myself, raved and raved about the cake for years. This cake won't disappoint. To add to the theme, my friend Betsie brought me a Marie Antoinette doll that got beheaded when you push the button on the back! ...too funny.

(Click on the picture of Marie Antoinette on left and see Marie get beheaded)

Here is the recipe for the Red Velvet Cake from the Magnolia Bakery in NY:

Cake:

3 1/3 cup cake flour (not self-rising)

3/4 cup (1 2/3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and lightly flour 9 x 2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, whisk toether the red food coloring, cocoa, and vailla. Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.

In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bwol, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then the ice top and sides of the cake with with creamy vanilla frosting.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting: (follow this directions exactly)

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

2 cups (4 stickes) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth ad creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating coninuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer- est a timer!) Use immediately.

Salad Recipe by Kathy Morris

2009-10-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

Kathy Morris' much requested Salad recipe

The recipe for my salad is as follows:

Mixed baby salad greens

Mandarin oranges (or any dried fruit like craisins)

Soy Cha salad dressing (available at Whole Foods or Rebecca's, Foods of all Nations, C'ville Market)

Crunchy topping:

1/2 stick melted butter

2 packages crumbled ramen noodles (I pound/crush in package with big spoon)

1/2 cup or so of slivered almonds

1/2 cup or so of sunflower seeds

Toss together, spread on cookie sheet and roast in 300 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Kathy

Chocolate cake by Kristin

2009-10-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

She calls it, "Mom’s Chocolate “Cheater’ Cake"

My friend Kristin brought a Chocolate cake for the birthday girl and I'm not kidding, this is the BEST chocolate cake! I usually don't like the cakes dusted with powdered sugar because my past experiences were that they were usually dry and flaky. This one changed my mind about cakes without frosting. It was amazingly moist!

But first, I have to tell you a little facts about chocolate. I'm sure you all know that chocolate is an aphrodisiac. The word 'Chocolate' comes from the Aztec word, 'cachuatl' or xocolatl' which means bitter water. But did you know that chocolate is a great economy booster? People spend more than $20 billion a year on chocolate worldwide! This cake will show you why...(she served wit with fresh cream and raspberries~YUM!)

Mom’s Chocolate “Cheater’ Cake

1 box Duncan Hines “Butter Recipe Fudge” Mix (I have tried many different mixes and this one is the best- Harris Teeter has it)

1 large package of Jell-o Instant Chocolate Pudding

4 eggs (yikes!)

¾ cup water

¾ cup canola oil

½ cup sour cream (but I usually put in more for a littler more tang)

Mix all ingredients and then fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips (I probably use a whole small bag if not more)

Pour in greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minute

Chicken Salad with Grapes & Papayas

2009-10-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

Healthy Chicken Salad recipe for a girls' potluck lunch.

What to bring?! The hostess was making the soup, salad by Bets and Kristin was bringing cake. So I've chosen to bring Chicken salad with grapes and offered it up with papayas.

Did you know that papaya plant is actually an overgrown herb? I didn't know that either! The best part of papaya is that it's really good for your digestion. It is a natural digestive aid that helps break down protein and cleanses the digestive tracks. PLUS it is packed with nuitrition. It is full of folate, viatmin A, E, carotenoids lutein & it has 33% more vitamin C and 50% more potassium than oranges with fewer calories. Some might call it a "nuitritional masterpeice".

In this recipe, I avoid the mayonnaise and replace it with olive oil and yogurt or sour cream. I got the idea of serving up the chicken salad with papayas from another friend, Andrea, and the salty, savory taste paired so well with the sweet papayas! Plus it was filling but healthy for you. Still there are those who like to have it as a sandwich too. So I brought some thin whole wheat breads... but most of the ladies preferred it with papayas.

Ingredients:
3 stalks of celery finely chopped
1/4 cup red onions finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (can replace with basil or taragon)
handful of baby spinach
20 red grapes cut in quarters
10 medium sized chicken breasts (I used frozen breasts)
1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup olive oil (I used spanish olive oil for flavor)
salt/pepper/garlic powder

Directions:
Finely chop celery, red onions & cilantro and put in a bowl.
Cut chicken breasts into 1/2 inch cubes and put in boiling water until cooked.
In a separate bowl, add chicken, olive oil and season chicken with salt, pepper & garlic powder and mix. (be generous with seasoning here)
Add the rest of the ingredients to the chicken and mix it well with 1/2 cup of sour cream or yogurt.

Place a handful of baby spinach in a pretty bowl. Place the chicken salad on top.
Then cut & peel the papayas into quarter slices and place them along the edge.

You can serve it with rolls so that your guests can make sandwiches out of them or just eat them with papayas as a salad. Enjoy!

Poindexter Party serves Collard greens

2009-10-12T00:55:00.000-07:00

What do you serve 300 guests who are athletes, coaches and just big eaters?

This is the question Kim Poindexter had to ask herself in planning a celebration for her hubby, Anthony.

The answer is 'good ol' home-style southern cookin' and that's how she ended up working with Mel's Cafe in Charlottesville to feed the hungry crowd that came to celebrate Anthony's Jersey Retiring Evening.

The Party?

The party had such great energy from athletes to coaches, fans to family all mingling together and fussing over Anthony. People wore Poindexter jerseys ordered especially for the evening. People also wore fun name tags, which asked 'How do you know Dex?"

Who doesn't know DEX?!

What about the food?

Fried chicken, chicken wings, baked chicken, mac n' cheese, collard greens, green beans, mashed potatos, vege platter, and plenty to drink.

But let's talk about the collard greens.

Collard greens are from the cabbage family and is loaded with the good stuff. It has vitamins B6 and C, carotenes, chlorophyll, and manganese & vitamins B1, B2, and E.

Plus, it's known to help protect against cancer, heart disease, cataracts through it's antioxidant properties.

So it's all good stuff. The only problem is the way it's cooked.

The traditional way is to boil it and simmer it slowly with a piece of salt pork (bacon or ham hock) for a long, long time to smooth out the bitter flavor and soften it. It will simmer until it turns into a highly concentrated broth. But to me, drenching it in bacon or ham hock makes it too fattening.

I boil my collard greens in water first to soften it, drain it out, and boil it again with chicken broth.

Eileen's Collard Greens:

2 pounds of rough chopped collard greens

2 cups chicken broth

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

5 garlic cloves chopped

1 cup chicken breast chopped into tiny pieces

1 can (14.5 oz) tomatos, chopped and drained, save the juice

Boil the collard greens in water then simmer for 30 minutes.

Drain then add chicken broth, chicken breast, garlic and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, add basil, oregano and tomatos and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the juice from the tomatos and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or until it reduces to a concentrated liquid and greens.

That's how this Asian in the south likes her Collard Greens!

Check out what happened hours before the party:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1cHg84zz80

The Raw Bar @ the Martha's Market 2009

2009-10-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

What did they serve @ Martha's Market this year?

What DIDN'T they serve?

Martha's Market is an annual tradition for my friends and I. Last night we attended the preview party to get the first glance of everything, a head start for the serious shoppers. But I was with some serious Foodies and FOOD is what we wanted to see!

As we walk down the levels, you can see the festive energy below getting us all worked up in anticiption. Once down, we headed straight for the bar. Open bars everywhere!

Then we tried to organize so that we could cover all the rows of vendors inan orderly fashion. But when we came across the food tables, it was chaos! We got right down to tasting, shooting, sipping, serving each other...in other words. We got Excited!

My favorite was the gazpacho in martini glass garnished with shrimp and chunks of avocado. It was nice and cool with a little kick to it and the avocado blened well with that kick.

Another impressive presentation was the oyster shooters. It was stacked up on ice shelves lined with oyster shells. Served in shot glasses, they had pureed celery at the bottom, layered with tomato sauce poured over the oyster. I only wish it was a bit more spicy. If they had a side of tobasco and horseradish sauce next to it, it would have been perfect.

All in all, who can complain about an evening filled with friends, shopping galore and gourmet food?-Thanks Kathy Morris!!! (she was in charge of the preview party.)

Health benefits of oysters:

I love raw oysters! The soft, fleshy texture with sweet and salty flavor when paired with cocktail and tobasco sauce is irresistible to me. And to boot, they are packed with vitamins and minerals, and is a high-protein, low-fat, low-cholesterol , rich in zinc treats in your mouth. Did I tell you that they are also considered aphrodisiacs?...slide it down!

But sometimes there are those horror stories about eating bad oysters. Many suggest thoroughly cooking them but I like them raw!

Commercial shellfish is normally inspected by the government so the risk of paralytic shellfish poisoning is extremely minimal... but one can never be too sure.

Dangers of Oyster:

There are the saying that it's safe to eat shellfish in any months that has an "r" in the name, like January, February, March, but not June, July or August. I'm not sure if this holds true all the time. The problem is this bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus which thrive in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast of Florida. You can 't see, taste or smell Vibrio so it's hard to tell whether the oyster you're about to eat is infested with it.

This bacteria can cause vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps and even death. The only way to safe guard against it is to cook the oyster well done.

Let's see, it's October (has "r" in it) and I ate it raw...Man! I'm living dangerously!

Coffee Break

2009-10-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

5th grade Coffee vs 7th grade Coffee

Food, People and Conversation

I went to my 7th grader's Parents' Coffee at Cyndra Van Clief's home. We had lovely parents all interested their child's classes, teachers and news about the school. They served cakes, muffins and bread. The best thing about this coffee break was peeking into Cyndra's pantry. She had all these jars and jars of chutney that she made bycollecting fruits from her trees. She also had a very well stocked pantry just incase the sky should fall...I know that's where I'm going if it should fall!

I also ended up at Fran Darden Carden's 5th grade coffee. Mind you, I don't have a 5th grader. I was just there to drop something off and then got a chance to meet the 5th grade moms and peek in on their food...(OMGoodness! I'm a coffee crasher!)

Fruits I have never before seen presented themselves at this gathering and with lovely presentation too, complete with edible flowers.... But. I bet they don't have Cyndra's chutney!

How to eat Korean Roast Gui (Rossu gui)

2009-10-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

Korean BBQ!

There are so many different kinds of Korean BBQ. There is Kalbi (short ribs) Bulgogi (thinly sliced marinated beef) and then there is Rossu Gui- I think they meant Roast Gui- Gui meaning BBQ. So literally it means Roast Roast. You start with thin slices of beef but thicker than Bulgogi meat. It's unseasoned and fried up quickly with the onions. If you go to a Korean restaurant, they will have it so that you can cook it right up at the table. This is finger food so don't be shy. AND no rice is involved so if you're on a non carbohydrate diet, this is perfect!

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

2009-10-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

Darn my Arthritis!

Eat more Tofu

Lately, I've been suffering from arthritis pains in my hands, my knees and on bad days, in my hips. It's so darn depressing! I was solooking forward to a great year of taking care of myself, eat better and exercise... then BAM! I get hit with the perimenopausal symptoms! By that I mean mood swings, hot flashes, brain fog and chronic pains like arthritis. I had pains on rainy day, humid days and some days for no reason. But recently, a friend of mine (Dean Toriumi) suggested that I try an anti-inflammatory diet. This requires that you give up all simple carbohydrates, (pasta, rice, white bread) sugar, soda, caffine and any unhealthy fats, especially trans fats and saturated fats. I can't even eat potatos, tomatos and eggplants because they are part of the "nightshade" family of plants which contains chemical alkaloid called solanine WHICH triggers pain in some people...probably me. I CAN eat lots of soy products, almonds, 3 essential fatty acids in fish and flax seed, and lots of salads! I know. I AM in the business of salad dressing...how lucky am I?

But after trying it for 2 weeks, I was convinced that the throbbing in myhands have gone and now I've been on the diet for a month and even with this rainy weather, no pain in my knees or hips!!!

So with that, I'm putting up a new recipe that features how I like to eat my tofu with ChiliCha:

Ingredients:

1 box of firm tofu

1 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup chopped garlic

1 cup chopped green oinions

2 cups chilicha

Directions:

Boil a pot of water. Cut the block of tofu in half and place the tofu into the boiling water for about 5-6 minutes. combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix to make the sauce mix. Cut the tofu into small cubes. Pour the sauce mix over the tofu according to taste. (Keep the left over sauce to pour over dumplings or noodles) Mix & toss & Serve!

Chicken Jook Recipe for the Flu Season

2009-10-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

What do YOU eat when you're sick?

When I was just a little girl, my mother asked me...what do you want to eat?

I was ALWAYS sick when I was little (true! ask my siblings!) and so my mother always served me jook- Korean rice porridge.
Recently I took care of a tiny little girl with the flu while her parents were away. I made her chicken noodle soup and she devoured it. - good sign. Then I remembered eating mom's rice porridge and thought 'I should make that next time!'

Koreans aren't the only ones who serve jook (rice porridge) as a cold remedy. The Chinese call it Congee and the Japanese call it O-kayu but all 3 are mostly the same. You can vary it by adding chicken, beef, shrimp or even abalone, my favorite!
With the much anticipated flu season coming up ahead and children coming home sick, I thought I'd share with you my version of the Rice Porridge with Chicken:

Ingredients:

2 cups rice soaked over night

1 cup of chicken breast chopped

1 medium size carrot chopped into small bits

5 cloves of garlic chopped

2 tbsp sesame oil

7 cups chicken broth

green onions chopped

bacon bits

salt to taste

Directions:
Get the pot heated up in med/high temperature. Season the chicken breast with salt & pepper. Add sesame oil and saute garlic, chicken,carrots & garlic together until the chicken is cooked through. Drain the soaked rice and add to the pot. Stir until the rice looks transluscent. Add approx 7 cups of chicken broth and simmer for 30 minutes until the rice is soft. Garnish with bacon bits and green onions. Aaaahhh.

Why Canola Oil?

2009-10-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

Why did you use Canola Oil?

Whenever I'm out doing a demo for my products, ultimately 1 or 2 people come up and ask me about the safety of canola oil. I was confused 'cuz when I first started making my dressings, I used vegetable oil. Then I wanted to use a better oil so I switched to canola oil after some research. Well since then, I've noticed about some bad press about canola oil.

Websites such as Optimal Breathing http://breathing.com/articles/canola-oil.htm have pointed out that canola oil doesn't come from a plant called canola, but from canada. It explains that canola is a genetically engineered plant developed in Canada from Rapeseed plant. RAPEseed plant! That sounds awful!! especially with the word RAPE in it. Rapeseed is part of the mustard family of plants and the site claims that it's toxic to humans and other animals. It tells us that it's been used as insect repellents. It goes on to scare us with cancer, repiratory illness, emphysema and all kinds of other disease that I can't even pronounce!

BUT then, I found other websites that promote canola oil such as Reader's Digest

http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/the-great-olive-oil-misconception--dr-ornish-responds/article45493.html

In the article, Dr. Robert Vogel compared canola oil vs olive oil but warns that all oils are 100% fat so that means lots of calories. He point out that olive oil contains approximately 14% saturated fat, whereas canola oil has much less. Dr. Vogel says that olive oil is a healthier fat than many others, but not as healthful as canola oil or fish oil. He also clarifys that canola oil does not cause everything from heart disease to multiple sclerosis. And FDA and other agencies all agree that canola oil has no adverse effets.

What to believe?!?! Whom to trust??!!

Since Whole Foods has been the grocery leader on health foods with a long list of "acceptable ingredients" guidelines, I went to see what they thought. (Remember, I do sell my products at the local Whole Foods and it was accepted.) This is what they said about canola oil:

Canola Oil: Canola is actually a cousin to cabbage and Brussels sprouts. In fact, it's a variety of rapeseed that's part of the mustard family, which includes those above-mentioned veggies. It's beneficial for heart health thanks to its fatty acid profile and omega-3 and low saturated fat contents and perfect for light cooking, sauces and desserts like homemade mayo or tender cakes

Soycha at the Fall Family Picnic

2009-10-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

Soycha at the Fall Family Picnic

Food was provided by Big Jims, but the salad was PALCHA!