Beverages Archives | Page 3 of 6

Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole

September 16, 2013

I was well into adulthood before I realized that guacamole wasn’t a neon green paste served in a little plastic cup alongside Mexican fast food in the U.S. Fortunately, when friends were in disbelief of my dislike of guac, they took the opportunity to explain the potential of the real, non-processed version. From that point forward, bite by bite, I started trying more and making my own.

Now, I like it chunky, loaded with avocado, onion, jalapeno and cilantro, and I make it every chance I get. With California avocados, that chance comes around much more often than it used to. So this isn’t just a celebration of guacamole, it’s a celebration of living in a placing that is brimming with amazing avocados.

And since we are celebrating, we should make a toast to the drink that goes best with guacamole – tequila! I lived in Kentucky for 10 years, so when it comes to bourbon, I’m pretty educated. We also travel to the Caribbean so I’ve learned a fair share about rum, too.

But tequila? Tequila I have a lot to learn about.

That’s why I was thrilled when Casa Noble sent me some samples to help celebrate this food holiday. I received Casa Noble’s Reposado Tequila which is aged 364 days in French White Oak Barrels. It has won both Gold and Silver in the San Francisco World Spirit competition as well as other numerous awards. (They also make several other award-winning varieties. You can check out those, and their tequila-making process on the Casa Noble website.)

And did I mention how cool their bottles are? Yes, I get sucked in by creative packaging. Especially if it looks good sitting on top of our bar.

After taking a sip, I knew I had lived a sheltered life in terms of tequila. I couldn’t believe how smooth it was; none of that harsh burn that you get from so many tequilas.

There are great tequila cocktail ideas on the company’s website, but to celebrate this day I decided to use the tequila in my guacamole. If you’ve not done this before, it is time to start spiking those avocados. And I know that traditional guac is made with lemon juice, but we are working with tequila here so I dressed it up with lot of lime and salt!

Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 ounces pastured bacon ends, chopped and cooked crispy
1 small tomato, diced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno
3 avocados
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of ½ lime
2 tsp Casa Noble tequila
½ tsp sea salt

Prep

Stir together the bacon, tomato, onion, cilantro, garlic and jalapeno in a medium bowl.

Add the avocado, lime zest, lime juice and tequila. Mash and stir the ingredients together until the avocados reach your desired consistency. (You can also use a mortar and pestle or a food processor.)

Stir in the sea salt and serve.

Disclosure: Casa Noble tequila was sent to me for celebrating National Guacamole Day. I was not required to post about it and I received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts are my own and it is really great tequila!

Grapefruit Moon from Beer Cocktails by Howard and Ashley Stelzer

May 16, 2013

I think it was last year. Or maybe the year before. I was reading one of those food trend articles. You know, the ones that tell us what we will be eating, drinking, making, and demanding from restaurants in the coming year. This particular article was declaring that beer cocktails would soon be in.

I was pretty excited about this prediction. I mean, they were right about cupcakes and bacon, so they must be right about beer cocktails. Yet, I think I’ve only come across one beer cocktail on a menu since reading that article. Perhaps we dine at the wrong places, but considering how our food explorations have increased this year, I’m surprised I haven’t found more.

Just where are these beer cocktails?

Guess what. I found them! And they aren’t at your favorite restaurant. They are in the book Beer Cocktails by Howard & Ashley Stelzer.

I’m now calling this my – drinks of summer – book. It’s filled with 50 beer cocktails and I won’t be surprised if we try them all. It’s a must-have to keep in your bar at home when you want to break out of the sangria and mojito ruts of the summer season. And there are quite a few recipes that will carry you on into the holiday season.You might just want to run out and get a copy now so you can close out American Craft Beer Week with a bang.

The recipes are categorized by beer type – ale, lager, stout, etc. Some are a simple combination of beer and a spirit. Others include fruits, juices, preserves and syrups. Many will make you question – will those ingredients actually taste good together? Yes, they will. Let me prove my point.

I’m crazy for grapefruit. Love it. So when I came across the Grapefruit Moon I knew I had to try it. This time it wasn’t because it has bourbon in it. That was just a bonus.

I’ll admit I was skeptical about the combination right up until my first sip. After that, I was sold. So was my husband. He’s actually hijacked the book for a while to pick out our next drink.

So go ahead and stop searching for those supposedly trendy beer cocktails. Get this book and start making them at home. You can start with the Grapefruit Moon.

Grapefruit Moon

Serves 1

Ice cubes

1 ½ ounces bourbon

1 ½ ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

1 tablespoon simple syrup or maple syrup (I used maple)

3 ounces stout

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the bourbon, juice, and syrup, and shake well.

2. Fill a pilsner glass with crushed ice, and strain the mixture into the glass. Top with the stout, and serve.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review purposes from The Harvard Common Press. I was not required to write about it and I received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts are my own.

Spicy Citrus Cocktail Recipe

January 30, 2013

This spicy citrus cocktail is made with fresh tangerine juice and a splash of sriracha!

The Spicy Citrus Cocktail | Fake Food Free | A spicy rum cocktail made with orange and tangerine juices and a splash of sriracha!

I haven’t made cocktails for the blog in a while. That’s likely because we haven’t had a stocked bar since early last fall. Yes, when you know you are going to move across the country, the half empty bottles in liquor cabinet are the first things you make sure to finish up.

We finally have the basics back and I’ve said all week that I want to make a tangerine cocktail. Citrus season, Super Bowl party – whatever the excuse, I had a mission.
I enlisted my husband’s help and last night he said, “You could put Sriracha in it.” Why, yes, I could put Sriracha in it! I’m a huge fan of spicy cocktails – dustings of chili powder, jalapeno-infused spirits. I was thrilled with the idea.

Now, please excuse my glass rim-dusting skills. I am no expert. You’ll overlook an imperfect rim, once you taste the drink. The hot sauce adds just the slightest spicy flavor right out of the shaker. But I’ll warn you. Don’t nurse this one. The longer it sits the spicier it gets. Cheers!

The Spicy Citrus

Makes: 2 drinks

Ingredients:

2 oz. fresh tangerine juice

2 oz. fresh orange juice

1 tsp raw sugar

1/8 tsp sriracha

3 oz. gold rum

Ice

Raw sugar for rimming the glasses

2 slices blood orange or tangerine for garnish

Preparation:

Add the juices, teaspoon of raw sugar, sriracha and rum to a cocktail shaker. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add a few ice cubes and stir again until well chilled.

Rim two martini glasses with sugar. Strain the cocktail into the glasses. Garnish with slices of citrus.

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Where to Eat in 2013

January 13, 2013

Hello from California!

The move has been made and I’m working on getting comfortable in my new kitchen. I’m excited to start this new year in a new place and to see where my experiences take me and the blog.

I have to be honest. I can already feel things shifting a bit. I still want to cook with all the amazing ingredients that are now available to me, but I’m also in a place where there is some pretty amazing food (and drink) being made by others.

This year, along with recipes you are probably going to find more places dine and events to attend. I also hope to put the focus back on the global aspect of my blog. I have so much more to learn about the cuisines of other countries and it’s time to start trying more in my own kitchen.

Considering we’re already halfway through January, I really don’t want to look back and recap last year. But in 2012 I took part in 2 cross-country road trips, a trip to Toronto, a visit to New York City, a trip to Vegas, a day in Sonoma and Napa Valley and New Years Eve in Santa Barbara. Not to mention our explorations of Kentucky.

So, yeah. I have a few food recommendations for you.

So let’s not look back at the best eats of last year, but let’s look at it as where you need to eat and drink in 2013! These are my picks so start planning your road trip

Kansas City, KS – Oklahoma Joe’s

We moved my husband out to California last September. That was road trip #1, to the north via I-80. What an amazing drive! I want to do it again already.

We didn’t have our food planned out, but left it to tips from friends and popular TV shows along the way. First up, Oklahoma Joe’s in Kansas City. It turns out Anthony Bourdain kind of likes the place too.

I like barbecue, but I’m not all crazy for it. And I don’t understand all the allegiances to different types. I like all of them for different reasons. But, oh my goodness. This food was amazing! My husband and I are still talking about it months later. The meat, the sauce, the hour-long line, the restaurant-in-a-gas-station atmosphere. It was one of the best meals I had all year.

My favorite was the burnt ends sandwich, and the beans were as perfect as they can get. Slightly meaty, loaded with barbecue flavor. I’m usually not a fan of ribs, but I’d order them again in a second.

Salt Lake City, UT – Red Iguana

We had no plan when we got to Salt Lake, but after checking out the FoodNetwork app we found the Red Iguana which had been on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It’s described as pre-Hispanic Mexican, and the big draw? 7 kinds of moles.

I got the Mole Verde. This wasn’t your classic, chocolately mole, but it was delicious. The chicken was so tender and the sauce was full of spicy flavor. My husband got the Mole Negro and this is what I think of when I think of mole – rich, dark, slightly spicy sauce. It was my favorite.

Toronto, Canada – Steam Whistle

In July last year, I made my first trip to Canada. It’s hard to believe I hadn’t been before! And yes, I know. Everyone is telling me that I need to see more places, but I LOVED Toronto. One of our favorite things was the local beer, Steam Whistle. We did the brewery tour, and the bar just happened to be one of the most affordable places to grab a beer so we hung out for a while and enjoyed it.

New York City – Momofuku Noodle Bar

I traveled to New York City in October for the first time since I was in high school. Needless to say, a lot has changed. Mainly that I now have a deep appreciation for good food. I recapped the trip last year, but a round up on where to eat in 2013 wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Momofuku Noodle Bar. It was the first place I went when I got to the city, and I’m already planning to take my husband back this year.

The corn ramen was the special on my visit and it didn’t disappoint. The blackboard lists the farms where a majority of the food is sourced, and with a huge bar for seating it is perfect for dining alone if you are traveling on business like I was.

Sonoma, CA – The Girl and The Fig

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we took our first trip to California wine country. Knowing we would be in Sonoma around lunch time, we did what every food-lover does. We ate at The Girl and The Fig. We made reservations for lunch, as you should too because although the restaurant was only half full when we arrived, every table was taken by the time we left.

We started with a cheese plate and that was good, but the best part of it was the dried fig cake made in house. It was delicious with the cheese.

I had a simple lunch of a tasty grilled cheese, but for me my husband’s meal was the best. The pork belly sandwich with a slightly sweet apple slaw.

Stanford, KY – Bluebird Cafe

If you think a small-town, rural restaurant can’t compete with food-cities around the U.S., I encourage you to go to Bluebird. On a downtown street that barely has one stoplight, this place will amaze you. With locally sourced ingredients and a creative menu that would rival any restaurant in the big city, Bluebird serves Kentucky favorites with a twist.

Our first couple visits were for breakfast where I enjoyed the breakfast fries with smoked gouda sauce. We finally made it for lunch just before we moved – a fried green tomato BLT on a whole wheat sorghum bun. Yes, yum.

Santa Barbara, CA – East Beach Grill

We stayed in Santa Barbara on our final leg of the official move which also happened to be New Years Eve. (This time we took I-40 through the southern US.) Other than the wonderful ocean views, we experienced very little of what this awesome town has to offer. But we did manage to have pancakes on New Years morning. The East Beach Grill was close to our hotel, dog friendly and rumor had it they offered some amazing wheat germ pancakes. The rumors were true. I had a stack of blueberry and my husband a stack of strawberry while we relaxed outside with the pugs and enjoyed the view of the ocean.

Oakland, CA – Bocanova

There will be many more Oakland favorites to come, but I definitely found a place I love with only a few days of being here. Bocanova in Jack London Square has unique cocktails and one fine happy hour. One of my favorite appetizers is the Dungeness Crab Deviled Eggs with Chipotle Aioli.

That about sums it up. Hopefully I’ve shared enough to keep you busy. And full. Recipes will resume soon, but for now I’ll leave you with one of my favorite offerings at our Farmer’s Market. Gorgeous greens with edible flowers. Happy New Year!

P.S. I was having some trouble with formatting on this post. The names of the cities and restaurants are links that will take you to the restaurant website.

Green Tea Bubble Tea

December 29, 2011

My fascination with bubble tea began towards the end of my time as an undergraduate at Purdue. Tucked in the corner, among the shops on Chauncey Hill, a new shop opened. For a while we wondered what this little place was which other students – mostly Asian – were flocking to.

At this point in time, although I was up to my forehead in food and nutrition from an academic perspective, I have to admit I knew nothing of food culture. My husband – then fiancée – convinced me to give it a try and my knowledge of beverages hasn’t been the same since.

I loved the texture and consistency; the almond, coconut and fruit flavors. I loved everything down to the big straws and the chewy bubbles. Simply put, it’s unique; I can’t think of anything like it in the U.S. In fact, most people I know would be turned off by chewing their beverages.

Bubble tea has been difficult to find since then. We were exposed to many more bubble drinks when we traveled around Southeast Asia a few years ago, but I’ve been interested in making my own to compensate for the lack of access here.

So when I was flipping through the cookbook Cooking WithoutBorders by Anita Lo with Charlotte Druckman, the Green Tea Bubble Tea caught my eye. Not only was this my chance to make it, but this version just happens to be a cocktail. And what better time for a cocktail than while ringing in the New Year?

Regardless of whether or not you like bubble tea – or even cocktails – this cookbook deserves some exploring. The fusion Lo creates in her recipes is remarkable. Take, for example, the Barbecued Squid with Edamame and Boiled Peanuts, Chilled Grapefruit and Ginger Soup with Sweet Avocado Mousse or Turkey with Spicy Black Beans in Tofu Dumplings.

The cookbook includes all types of meats from pork to rabbit, but it is the seafood dishes that stand out to me. You’ll find several varieties of ceviche, soft shell crab and halibut. The cocktail section is small, but unexpected and original, from the Celery-Dill Martini to this bubble tea.

In the book, Lo describes the drink as an Asian White Russian. I couldn’t agree more, and White and Black Russians just happen to be some of my favorite cocktails. I searched for green tea powder here with no success. Therefore, I brewed strong green tea and made that into the green tea syrup.

This is a strong, but sweet drink ending with the chewy bubbles. If nothing else, the black bubbles in the bottom of your cocktail will serve as a conversation starter.

Happy New Year!

Green Tea Bubble Tea

From Cooking Without Borders by Anita Lo, reprinted with permission from Abrams Books

For the green-tea simple syrup:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup green-tea powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup boiling water

For each drink:

2 tablespoons black bubble-tea

bubbles, cooked, strained, and

rinsed according to package

instructions

Splash of amaretto

2 ounces vodka

1½ ounces green-tea simple syrup, or

to taste

2 ounces milk

Make the green-tea simple syrup: Whisk the sugar with the green-tea

powder and salt until no clumps remain. Slowly add the boiling water,

whisking constantly until dissolved. Strain if necessary to remove clumps.

Let cool.

Make the drink: Combine the cooked “bubbles” with the amaretto in a

rocks glass and fill with ice. Put the vodka, green-tea simple syrup, and

milk in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the rocks glass.

Serve with a wide straw.

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Expanding My Tea Knowledge: Pu-erh

January 8, 2010

This time of year I find that in order to stay warm I must always have a steaming mug of something in hand. It feels as though if I’m prevented from sipping a warm drink, I risk freezing up into an ice cube entirely.

You know I’m a huge coffee fan, but that doesn’t mean I’m anti-tea. In fact, I find that I must nip the coffee drinking in the bud by midmorning or I may overdo it on the caffeine. Too much of a good thing and all. So this only means that my tea drinking drastically increases in the winter to fulfill this ever present need to sip a cup o’ warmth.

I’m not a tea expert by any means, but I have had the opportunity to try several varieties. A few years ago my when my husband went to Beijing for work, he brought back flower tea and green tea which resulted in my first Chinese tea experience. While visiting Hong Kong in October we drank Jasmine tea with every meal and brought some back with us to enjoy as well.

My most interesting tea experience, however, came about last September, just before we left Brazil. The last few months of my time there I had the opportunity to meet and hang out with a fellow expat. Miranda is from London and married a Brazilian (Paulo) who happens to be from the same area we were living. They had settled there for a year or two while deciding their future plans.

Last summer, instead of a big wedding they set out on a round-the- world trip, and one of their stops was China and a tea tasting house. When we were able to meet after their trip Miranda presented me with this.

A pretty canister of Pu-erh tea. At that point I had never heard of it or seen it before. She let me know about its growing popularity and my excitement about having the opportunity to try it began to grow.

Pu-erh tea (also spelled as puerh, puer, pu-er and pu’er,) comes from the Yunnan Province of China from a town of the same name. It has over 1700 years of history and I’ve learned that it is quite the prized possession especially if it has been aged well which in some cases can be up to 65 years!

It comes in two varieties, sheng which is green and known as raw and shu which is black or sometimes referred to as cooked. Both start out the same way as maocha and then are preserved/processed differently.

For sheng, the maocha is lightly steamed and pressed into tea cakes. The microbes that remain in the tea result in the product undergoing a natural fermentation process as it is aged. Often left to age for at least 8 to 10 years the pu-erh turns from raw to cooked during this time. It is known for becoming smoother and less bitter as it ages.

For shu, the maocha is put into piles, spread out and wetted. Then it is covered to create something similar to a compost pile. From what I’ve read the technique for making the tea in this way is very detail oriented. It must be turned at the appropriate time and frequency to achieve the correct flavor and fragrance. Once the tea is ready, it is lightly steeped and pressed into cakes like the sheng. This method was developed to speed up the process of making pu-erh tea, but the sources I found didn’t indicate just how much more quickly the final product results.

I think it is well established that tea in almost any form is good for us. Well, okay, perhaps not the sugar-laden sweet tea (pronounced swate-teh) that we have in the south. But you know what I mean – oolong, green, black, jasmine, chai – they all have their individual health benefits to offer. Pu-erh is no exception.

Of course, as we often do with most ancient products consumed by other cultures, pu-erh tea has become a bit of a fad weight loss aid. I’m not commenting on that simply because I get tired of how my society must grasp perfectly good, real foods and turn them into money-hungry weight loss campaigns.

I did learn, however, that pu-erh tea has been found to be successful at lowering LDL cholesterol while raising HDL cholesterol (1). In addition, one study found that the tea has antioxidant and lipid-lowering effects and could potentially be used to reduce cardiovascular disorders (2).

However, do keep in mind the studies were done with rats consuming the leaves and extracts of the tea. I always pay attention to this because in grad school I did a research review of green tea. Of course there are health benefits, but most studies used extracts that would be equivalent to drinking 10 to 12 cups a day! Kudos to all the researchers out there who strive to evaluate foods as we would actually consume them.

The good part though is that drinking teas can be good for you overall. That is why I’m such an advocate for eating real, natural food and not worrying about the specific amounts, percentages and benefits. Healthy foods are going to work together to make you healthy overall. It doesn’t have to be so complicated.

So what type of pu-erh tea did I get?

I actually don’t know. Perhaps there is a way to tell by the label, but not speaking any form of Chinese, I’m clueless. Although I would suspect it is shu, as I’m sure the varieties aged the traditional way are likely untouchable regarding price.

I can tell you about the flavor though. The tea has a very rich, dark flavor, almost woodsy and the dark leaf that results as it steeps remind me of coffee grains. The overall flavor is incredibly complex as the production of the tea would indicate.

So if you come across real pu-erh tea, do try it. Not only does it warm me up, but it is very different from any tea variety I’ve experienced before.

Have you ever tried pu-erh tea, or do you have more details about it you can share?

References:

1. Kuo KL et al. Comparative studies on the hypolipidemic and growth suppressive effects of oolong, black, pu-erh, and green tea leaves in rats. J Agric Food Chem, 2005 Jan 26;53(2):480-9.
2. Hou, Y et al. Pu-erh tea aqueous extracts lower atherosclerotic risk factors in a rat hyperlipidemia model. Exp Gerontol 2009 Jun-Jul;44(6-7):434-9.

Other reads about pu-erh tea:

All About Puer Tea from Seven Cups Fine Chinese Teas
Puer Tea: China’s Next Hot Commodity? from TIME.com

A Match Made in Heaven – Avocados and Bananas

July 21, 2009

This post dates back to 2009 when we were still living in southern Brazil. It is where I learned about eating avocado as a sweet fruit and not a savory ingredient. I was taught how to combine avocados and bananas to make fruit salads and shakes. It was long before the avocado-in-everything craze hit the U.S.

I think I’ve mentioned before that around here avocados are eaten as a fruit; sweet, not savory like in many other cultures. You won’t find it on sandwiches, in salads or as a salty condiment such as guacamole. Now I still love to enjoy my avocados the old fashioned way, as I refer to it. However, I’ve been really open to the idea of eating them sweet.

At my husband’s office a popular snack is to take fresh avocado slices, sprinkle sugar on them and eat them as I would apple or peach slices. Other Brazilians have told me they cut it open sprinkle sugar on it, drizzle it with lime juice, and eat it with a spoon. I’ve tried it with just the sugar and you know what? It isn’t half bad.

When I posted about this new-to-me food phenomenon on my ex-pat blog I got a lot of responses about avocados and bananas. Soon after that I went to my favorite little vegetarian buffet down the road and one dish on the salad bar was a bowl of cut up avocados and bananas together.

Banana and Avocado Salad at a Vegetarian Lunch Buffet in Maringa-PR, Brazil

Nani, a Brazilian ex-pat living in Arizona, once commented on my blog that her dad was famous for his Vitamina de Banana e Abacate (banana and avocado vitamin). A smoothie of sorts made with avocado, banana, milk and sugar.

As interested as I was in this drink, it took me a long time to get around to trying it. In fact, I bought an avocado at the market last week and until last night it had been staring at me each time I opened the fridge door. Finally, last night after my run I gave it a try.

Oh my! I have no idea why I waited so long!

I have never had anything so creamy, sweet and slightly buttery. Words simply can’t do it justice. It is the ultimate of healthy, filling drinks. If you don’t like avocado, don’t worry. There is something that happens to the flavor once it is mixed with the banana. Honestly, I’m not sure I would identify it as avocado if I didn’t know it was in there. The best part is that it is full of potassium, monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, protein and calcium!

I froze my slices of banana first because I wanted the drink to be really cold and have a little texture. I also did not add any sugar. The banana was sweet enough. Finally, I used skim milk in my version.

Banana Avocado Vitamin | A shake recipe shared with me when we lived in southern Brazil.

Banana and Avocado Vitamin

One ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1 ripe banana, sliced (frozen if desired)
Milk<

I used an immersion blender and a glass because that is all I have, but a blender would work well too. Blend the avocado and banana well. Slowly add a little milk at a time until you reach your desired consistency. I added about a cup. Pour it in a glass and your ready to enjoy!

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Or you could get involved in some of this Ice Cream Social action being hosted by Tangeled Noodle, Savor the Thyme and Scotty Snacks!

I turned the banana and avocado vitamin into Avocado Banana ice cream for my entry. I don’t have an ice cream maker on hand right now so I made via freezin’ and stirrin’ in my freezer. The fat in the avocado keeps it nice and creamy and a sprinkle of cinnamon on the top adds even more flavor. This might just be the most nutrient-dense ice cream out there!

Is Trying Enough?

May 21, 2009

When visiting DC with my family we found ourselves browsing around the Museum of Natural History at lunch time. I typically don’t prefer cafes connected to large tourist attractions, but unfortunately the café in the museum was our only option in the area so we ate there.

As we entered the line to go in, I was greeted by some running TV screens which stated that the cafeteria used locally grown ingredients. When we got inside I noticed that they were selling organic fruit. Although I don’t consider organic the end all and be all when it comes to my produce selection, and the price was pretty hefty, I did take the offering as a good sign.

Then we got to the drink station. Hello Coke! There was water available under the lemonade (although I’d paid almost $3 for the cup) and some unsweetened iced tea (not brewed) in the fountain so at least there were a couple options.

I complained to my family how frustrating it is that establishments boast about local and organic and yet sell out to soda companies. After my venting, I started to think about why this upset me so much.

Well, we talked a week or so ago about how in-your-face soda is, so that was one thing. The other thing was that they seemed to be proud of their healthy, environmentally friendly food practices, but ignored that when it came to beverages. Then I came back to the thought – Well, at least they are trying.

This then brought me to the question – Is trying enough?

I ask myself this question often when it comes to my food choices. I’m definitely changing – making more environmentally friendly choices, increasing my awareness about where my food comes from and what processes it goes through, and eliminating fake foods from my diet.

I am far from perfect, however. Although, I’m getting closer I doubt I will ever get to the point where every piece of beef I put in my mouth is grass fed and every piece of produce I consume is grown under ideal farming practices. I do see stopping at a famous or historic, local burger joint during my travels in my future from time to time.

It is easy to blame some of this on our society. In order for everyone to make these changes our society and the foods we are offered, say, when we are out to eat need to change too. I take full responsibility for my own actions, but if there is no place around when you are traveling that sells the good stuff you are used to buying at home you are kind of out of luck. While you certainly don’t have to eat fast food, there are times you are forced to make exceptions.

So then I consider if I feel that trying is enough for me, why do I feel the need to be so critical of eating establishments who are not perfect, but trying as well? That doesn’t seem fair.

I’m not always this critical. Usually if there is a healthy option I’m happy. However, as my knowledge grows and I strive to change my diet I find the temptation to be overly critical grows stronger as well.

Despite my attempts to give myself and the places I eat a break, I still wonder if trying is enough. In some cases I think it is. Small changes by many people can make a huge difference. However, if we always use little excuses like – well, I really like that even though it is a fake food or I’m too busy to make my own food – then we aren’t facilitating the changes that need to happen as a society which will result in the consumption of more nourishing, whole foods that we can get anywhere and everywhere.

So right now, I do think trying is enough, but long-term I wonder if I’ll ever reach perfection in this area or if that is even what I’m striving for.

Do you think trying is enough?

Giving Up Soda: Lack of Access Makes It Easier

May 8, 2009

If you follow me at all on Twitter you know that I’m back in the US spending some time with my family. It is a wonderful time of year to be back. My Dad’s garden is green as can be and the strawberries are bright red just begging to be eaten right off the plant.

Every time I’ve returned to the US since living abroad for the last 20 or so months I learn a bit more about how my eating habits have changed for the better. One area in which I’ve made huge improvements is soda consumption, specifically diet soda, and I’ve talked about this some before.

I always considered myself one of those people who would never give up my diet soda. I had the attitude that even if it wasn’t the best thing for me, at least it wasn’t adding calories to my day and extra pounds to my thighs. I could live with that choice.

As my knowledge of the effects of aspartame and the ingredients in sodas grew I was continuously faced with the fact that this was a habit I needed to break. When I made the move abroad the opportunity to reduce and eliminate diet soda from my daily routine had arrived.

Don’t let me mislead you. Soda is being consumed in mass amounts in Brazil. In some areas, I dare say as much as it is the US. The only difference where we live is that there aren’t any fountain drinks; the locals in our area – mostly teens and children – share two liter bottles during their meals and snacks.

What has changed for me is my personal access to it. My habit when living in the US was to buy a 12-pack each time I grocery shopped, once a week to once every two weeks. I averaged about two a day – one mid morning and one late afternoon. Add that to the fountain drinks I had with me each time I took a road trip for work (about once a week ) and that adds up to a lot of diet soda.

Now, I’m in a place where soda is more expensive. Cans are sold individually or in six-packs at the very most. Two liters are available, but I’ve never liked them anyway. After a few months in my new home I found myself only occasionally buying a 20 oz bottle to drink and getting a can when I ate out. (The only place I’ve seen fountain soda is at McDonald’s and it’s not free refills.)

As I drank it less and less I began to truly feel the affects all those chemicals were having on me. It seemed each time I had one I felt sluggish, groggy and a little sick to my stomach. I’m thinking this is likely because my body had a chance to get everything out of its system before my next soda. It wasn’t constantly swimming through my veins.

I finally reached a point where it wasn’t worth feeling bad for a drink and I’ve not only reduced it, but pretty much eliminated drinking soda all together. I can’t say I won’t ever have one again, but if I do, it will be rare occurrence.

So now that I’ve made this change I find myself back in the US. From the second I enter the terminal of the airport I am surrounded by soda of some form and everyone is drinking it. To be honest it is almost difficult not to drink it.

As bad as I know I will feel, the pressure of advertisement and availability are hitting me in the face. I think about all the things that went so well with it before – pizza, Mexican food, salty snacks. I have been tempted multiple times after being home just two days. I’ve had to make a conscious effort not to turn to a soda as my beverage.

This experience makes me realize why many people can’t give it up. I consider myself darn lucky that I was put in a position where I was pretty much forced to reduce my consumption which allowed me to realize the physical effects of my addiction. Had I stayed in the US these past 20 months I may have reduced my consumption a little bit, but it would have been a lot harder.

Even when you know the risks associated with eating or drinking something unhealthy or unnatural it takes an incredibly strong person to resist the pressures of this society we live in, and the constant availability and advertisement which result in cravings. I think this goes for most unhealthy choices. It is not an excuse, it is reality.

I have learned a lot about myself and my eating patterns by giving up soda. I once had the idea that if I gave it up the aspartame would stop affecting my metabolism and weight loss would be easier. Wrong. I now realize how much I used diet soda as an appetite suppressant especially during the afternoon. While I’ve replaced that non-calorie, chemically laden drink with real food containing nutrients, I’ve also replaced it with calories. Yes, I’m better off, but weight loss has become even more difficult.

I won’t lie and say that I notice a major difference in energy levels or vibrancy since giving it up. In those areas, I feel the same, however, now I can identify when I have had one and it does affect how I feel at the time of consumption. Because my system has rid itself of all those substances it now recognizes them as foreign. This is a very good thing because it is foreign. I finally gave my body the opportunity to tell me this instead of suppressing the warning signs by pumping it full of diet soda after diet soda.

Overall, am I happy I gave them up? Of course! Whether or not I lose weight or have increased energy isn’t the important issue in this case. Diet soda was my main source of chemical sweeteners and it is now gone. I know without a doubt I am healthier for it. I want to fill this body with real food and soda is definitely not a real food.

What foods or drinks have you worked hard to give up for improved health, but find that the pressures of society (however you define them) make it a difficult task to accomplish? Have you ever been in a situation similar to mine where lack of access made making a healthy choice easier?

This post will be submitted as part this week’s Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade.

Mango Caprioska & Challenge Reminder

May 4, 2009

I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of Brazilian cocktails. This is simply because, in general, the quality of liquor here isn’t top notch. Well, unless you are drinking Johnny Walker, but that is because it is among the varieties that are imported.

There are a lot of name brand liquors here, but if you check the back label you find they are manufactured in Brazil. To put it nicely, let’s just say that the country does rice, beans, red meat and a myriad of desserts much better than it does alcohol. Of course, limited quality alcohol is a small price to pay for all those wonderful things the country does do well, but it is for this reason that I often stick with beer.

This brings me to that ever popular drink, the Caipirinha made with the sugarcane liquor, cachaça. (Note, it is nothing like the rum of the Caribbean, also made of sugarcane, because it typically isn’t aged). I’ve had a couple of these drinks and I have to say I enjoy the variety of fruits you can add. Both the kiwi and the passion fruit options are great. The one thing I don’t like about the drink is the cachaça.

Before we moved here I enjoyed it, but now I really can’t stomach the smell. You see, the smell of this liquor is the same smell you get when you open a bottle of rubbing alcohol often used to clean the equipment in the gym. It is also the same smell you get when you pull up to a filling station to top the car off with alcool instead of gasoline. So needless to say, I’m not a big fan of sitting down to a drink with the same aroma as all of these things.

Not to put a damper on the Caipirinha, or its rich history, it just isn’t my thing. My advice is that if you drink cachaça go for the high quality (read: more expensive) stuff.

If I do order a cocktail, I lean towards the Caprioska. This is the same drink, but made with vodka instead of the cachaça. During our time at the beach, in honor of the all the mango business going on around here, I treated myself to a Mango Caprioska.

They are easy to make yourself and you can substitute any fruit for the traditional lime. Pineapple, passion fruit, kiwi and mango are all popular here.

Mango Caprioska

Half of a ripe mango, cubed
1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar
Crushed ice
Vodka

Add the fruit and sugar to the glass and mull together. Fill the glass with crushed ice and top off with vodka.

Speaking of mangos, have you entered the Mango Challenge yet? I’ve gotten some great entries so far and it is going to be a tough competition. I can’t wait to see what you can do with mango! The deadline is May 22nd.

I also wanted to address the comments of disappointment I have received and I sincerely apologize that I can’t make this challenge worldwide. If it were simply a book I was giving away or a small item, I would certainly change the rules, but this box is going to be quite heavy to ship. I hope sometime in the near future I can offer an international competition, but right now I have to keep this one for participants with a US address.

You can check out the original announcement for full details, but here are a few highlights.

Be sure to email your submission to lori(at)fakefoodfree(dot)com (I will respond that I received it) and include the following information:

First Name:
Recipe Name:
Blog url:
Blog post url:
Picture: (about 450 x 340 px)

Feel free to use the logo above in your blog post. (If you don’t have a blog, just send your name, recipe and a picture.)

All entries are due by Friday, May 22nd, 2009 at 12:00pm CST.

Older Posts

Newer Posts

Beverages

Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole

Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole

Grapefruit Moon from Beer Cocktails by Howard and Ashley Stelzer

Grapefruit Moon

Spicy Citrus Cocktail Recipe

The Spicy Citrus

Where to Eat in 2013

Green Tea Bubble Tea

Expanding My Tea Knowledge: Pu-erh

A Match Made in Heaven – Avocados and Bananas

Is Trying Enough?

Giving Up Soda: Lack of Access Makes It Easier

Mango Caprioska & Challenge Reminder

Thanks so much for reading!

My New Cookbook published in 2020!

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