The Meaning of Eat

In the past several months, I have turned up the volume on the fitness in my life, including boxing, running, circuit training, etc. It’s been incredibly rewarding and allowed me to look at things in a new way - including food. 

You hear people talk about using “food as fuel” and let “food be your medicine” - which both have value. But as you know I also see food as a gateway to exploring the world, to connecting with people, to enjoying life, and so much more. 

Cooking in particular, for me, is part creativity, part physical labour, part craft, part science, part mindfulness… I could go on. This thing has a lot of parts!

But the fact is, eating is also about giving our bodies what they need. These days, because things like performance, muscle recovery, energy, and overall wellness, are on my mind, I find that I’m looking at food slightly differently. General health is usually a priority for me (with some splurges of course… I am definitely a pro at throwing caution well into the wind when the time is right) but lately I’ve been giving the healthiness of my food even more concerted attention. 

I’m no diet pro, but I have discovered a few tips that work for me, helping me to get as much good food into my body as I can, while still enjoying a multi-faceted, all around yummy eating lifestyle. So I thought I’d share.

1) Hunger is an opportunity, not a threat. I’ve gotten a bit hooked lately on fitness/health info and it dawned on me that hunger is often seen as an opponent. I can understand why hunger might be your foe if you have some serious weight to lose. But have you looked at the food guide lately? We are supposed to be eating a ridiculous amount of fruits and vegetables! Even if you love healthy food, it can be hard to get them all in. So if you keep healthy snacks at the ready, like cut up veggies, a hunger pang can be a chance to get in more of your daily quota. Admittedly you might be craving more than just some cut veggies, but for me, this change of mind-set encourages me to eat more of the good stuff first. And even if you incorporate a small amount of healthy foods into your snack, you’re still making progress.

2) Stock up on vegetables - d’uh. So obvious, right? But I discovered that, as a serial buy-what-I-need-for-dinner-tonight-only type of shopper, I was so often running out of healthy food. I realized that if I stock up and the veggies in my fridge I usually will find a way to eat them. Sometimes this scares me because I’m afraid of wasting food - but my health comes first, and more often than not, if they’re there, I’ll find a way to use them. 

3) Start with the morning. I’ll admit to being a chronic breakfast-skipper - or at least, I used to be. I know, I know, everyone tells you to eat breakfast but at my old agency job I would dash out of the house and grab a huge coffee on my way to the office and that was usually it. These days I know better. If I can find the time, having a small breakfast and coffee at home sets a far better tone for the day - it’s not just better for me physically, it’s better for me mentally! And as long as I’m eating, I think about how I can fit in some fruit and veggies. It may be as simple as adding fresh fruit to my yogurt and granola or, if I don’t have the fresh stuff, sometimes I make a warm compote of frozen fruit and maybe a dash of vanilla (you can make this days ahead by the way) to add to the yogurt. I personally love Ryvita with cream cheese topped with slices of cucumber, tomato, pepper, baby kale, carrot shavings…whatever I have in the fridge. A similar option - make your own veggie cream cheese by chopping up last night’s roasted or grilled veggies, spinach, whatever else you’ve got, really, and mixing it into plain cream cheese. Do this the night before and it won’t take you long to spread on, say, a whole grain English muffin in the morning. Admittedly, these are all small doses but every bit counts, right?

4) Blend it yourself. Sometimes the Jamba Juices of the world come in handy, but I think we’ve all heard that these juices are usually ridiculously caloric and packed with sugar. I’m not a smoothie junkie but sometimes it is just the thing after a workout. My sister gave me a killer tip: buy frozen spinach (the kind that comes in nugget form) and add a few to your smoothie. It adds colour but doesn’t affect the taste. I’ve even added frozen kale (or fresh baby kale for that matter) and found it works well, too. Here’s my favourite smoothie. I like it because it’s got a mix of protein, healthy fats, fruit and even some greens. So I think it’s great post-workout food, and it’s super yummy, too. 

- Half an avocado

- 1 banana

- handful (or more) of frozen mango

- few tablespoons (or more, whatever makes sense) of non-fat, plain yogurt

- couple tablespoons of hemp seeds (protein!)

- few frozen spinach nuggets

- a couple healthy splashes of coconut water to help it blend together (can add more depending on the consistency you prefer). 

Oh, and make sure you blend really well - that’s the secret to avoiding any weird spinach taste, especially if you’re using the fresh stuff.

5) Start with the basics. Again, I’m not an expert in this. But a lot of people ask me about eating organic, gluten-free, or making other radical diet changes. It seems to me that there’s a desire to skip over the basics. My two cents would be this: put the core building blocks in place first. There’s a lot of stuff we don’t know about the science of food, but I think common sense counts for a lot: Work on eating a diverse diet, with as many plants/veggies as possible, some fruit, lean protein, some whole grains, lots of water, as little alcohol, processed foods, and other ‘vices’ as possible… add in exercise, sleep and stress reduction… and try not to take it all too seriously while you’re at it… in my opinion, that’s already a pretty tall order. If you can manage even some of that, it’s going to serve you well. If you’re already doing those things and something still isn’t working, or you want to ‘level up’ and find what is optimal for you, then I get it. But I think a lot of the answer is already right in our faces, and if we start there, we’re going to have a pretty solid starting point to work from. 

And may I add, once again, my recurring piece of advice - enjoy your food. Appreciate it, celebrate it, taste it. That’s what it’s there for.

Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve blogged (and not just re-blogged from the Withrow Market blog), but rather than bore you with the reasons, I’ll just launch into the subject that is the catalyst for this rant. 

Today I was watching Top Chef Canada and a contestant (who shall remain nameless to prevent any spoilers) was facing the firing squad for screwing up. Just as the judges had delivered a few blows and were really getting ready to lower the boom, this contestant spoke up and offered to go home - mainly (it appeared) to avoid hearing the judge’s feedback and being held responsible. It was more important for this person to save themselves from rejection, to avoid the pain of hearing the critique, than to deal with the reality that they failed, and learn from it.

Unfortunately this meant not only was this chef’s fate prematurely sealed, they also missed out on the most valuable prize of all: feedback.

Obviously this is just “reality” tv and I don’t know this person. But here’s what I do know: it can be very tempting to avoid rejection or criticism. The idea of failing can prevent us from even trying, or from acknowledging our mistakes when they do happen. Feedback is scary. 

Like most people, I know this first-hand. There have been times in my life where I’ve avoided hearing criticism, and times when I wish I did more with the criticism I was given. But we live and learn and I try my best to learn from every opportunity. It doesn’t mean the feedback is always accurate, or even fair, but there is almost always something to be gained from hearing it, and it’s worth applying some self-examination and effort to learn and improve.

I’ve written before on the topic of making mistakes. I think that listing my Top 5 Cooking Mistakes was the most popular post I’ve written. That’s probably because we can all relate to messing up in one way or another!

Remember this: If you want to learn how to cook, or you want to cook well, or you want to cook better, you can. But you have to be prepared to make some mistakes.

Unfortunately that means wasting food sometimes, because quite honestly, you’re probably going to make some stuff that sucks and has to be tossed. But then again if you learn to cook, you’ll waste less in the long run because you’ll know how to use up miscellaneous ingredients, how to get creative with leftovers, and you’ll rely less on purchased and processed items that contribute a lot in their own way to food waste and other environmental issues. 

On a personal level, though, you’ll gain lots more. If you release yourself from the pressure of perfection, the kitchen can be a place for experimentation. For trial and error. For creativity, and fun. It can empower you in unpredictable ways. It can be a place to make yourself happy; a way to care for yourself and nourish yourself with good, home-made food. It can also be a way to care for other people - although, honestly, sometimes you’re going to let them down, too - and hopefully the people lucky enough to receive your cooking are supportive as you learn. 

Hopefully as you go, you also find your own style - discovering what makes you happy and healthy and not trying to live up to someone else’s expectations. In my family, my Grandma has always been the pinnacle of a great home cook. Her cooking, and especially her baking, was The.Best.  As a result, I have memories from my younger years in which my mom tweaked certain recipes over and over again, as if to emulate ‘the pro’ version as much as possible, and never being quite satisfied with herself. The truth is, the dishes she cooked that I remember most fondly were simple ones - ones she cooked from the heart, just to feed us and make us happy, not to live up to any internal expectations.

I’ll add one more thing: try to cook, and grow as a home cook, with an open mind. Just because someone has a different approach to food doesn’t mean you can’t learn from them. Or if you get feedback on your dishes, look at it as an opportunity to keep tweaking or improving a dish. (But you might want to take it with the proverbial grain of salt…)

Finally, if you want to read a great, fun book for a little inspiration, try “How I Learned to Cook”. It’s packed with stories by famous chefs that show how their screw ups and other ridiculous experiences brought them to where they are today. 

Today I’m not writing about food - well, not directly, anyway. 

You may recall an interview with my sister, Megan, about the importance of nutrition and food for people who have HIV/AIDs. Well, the organization where she works, the AIDS Committee of Guelph, serves as an important resource for health information such as food and wellness - along with other support tools to help prevent the spread of HIV and reduce stigma and shame for those who have it. 

But their website is craptacular. 

The good news is - they can win a new one. They are currently working hard to win a new website in the Worst Charity Website competition and need votes! Will you help by voting?

Just go here: http://www.worstcharitywebsite.ca/ and choose AIDS Committee of Guelph. Even better - please share with your friends and fellow Tumblrs!!

The contest ends Friday, April 5 - but you can vote once a day until then!

Please read the story below - it gives you a sense of why a little competition like this is so important. Thank you, thank you, thank you! It’s the little things that make a big difference. :)

—

A letter from Megan DePutter

The AIDS Committee of Guelph is competing to win the title of Canada’s Worst Charity Website.  Yes, you read that correctly… we want to be the worst!  Why? Because this title comes with a website makeover worth $20,000!   http://www.worstcharitywebsite.ca/

Why this contest means so much to us

Because of stigma, most people access HIV & AIDS prevention information and support online. Few people feel comfortable walking in the doors of an AIDS Service Organization to have a face-to-face conversation about AIDS. This holds true for people who are at risk to HIV, and those who are living with HIV. Silence and shame are barriers to HIV prevention and support. Having information easily accessible online is a way of overcoming these barriers.

The AIDS Committee of Guelph & Wellington County also serves a wide geographical and rural area, even including Bruce & Grey and Dufferin Counties. For many, our website is their only connection to our agency and their only way of accessing HIV & AIDS prevention and support.

We also would like to have a website that is responsive to mobile devices like smart phones. We want to make sure that the information is available to people when and where they need it. We even created an iphone app, but the app links back to information on the website, which is difficult to read on a smart phone.  Having information accessible on mobile devices is especially important for youth, who are often at risk to HIV, and are most likely to use mobile devices. 

We are not seeking an improved website as a vehicle to raise money. We are hoping to save lives through HIV prevention and also support those living with HIV & AIDS who are living in isolation and in shame.  Our funds go directly towards programming and although we believe that having a new website is a very important issue, we will not be able to afford a new website unless we win this contest.

You can vote once a day, every day, on every device you own, until April 5th. Because we need to expand our network of voters, we ask that in addition to voting, you share this information with your friends, family and colleagues! 

http://www.worstcharitywebsite.ca/

Thank you so much for your support!!

Yesterday my mom (who recently contributed this lovely post to the Withrow Market blog - http://bit.ly/13JAxyD)  showed me a recipe she was planning on trying. It was a recipe for vegan mushroom soup. When I read the recipe, I was aghast - not because it was vegan. Because it was complicated and contained a weird mash-up of ingredients such as soy milk and nutritional yeast. I mean - why? Because every vegan recipe *has* to include them?

A good mushroom soup is about the mushrooms. So I swapped the vegan recipe for another great vegan mushroom soup recipe - one I’ve had at an Oliver & Bonacini restaurant. Its ingredients are primarily mushrooms. There’s not a lot of weird stuff packed into it. It’s simple. The recipe doesn’t even use stock - it uses water. (Want to try it? It’s delicious http://bit.ly/Wxkb9O)

The reason the O&B recipe is so much better is that it lets the mushrooms speak for themselves. Mushrooms, especially wild ones, already have a great earthy, meaty flavour - they don’t need to be cluttered up with a lot of other flavours. The O&B soup isn’t creamy exactly, but I’d rather have a lovely puree than an attempt at tricking the dish into being creamy with soy milk and flour. 

This is my problem with “vegetarian” cooking, or other forms of cooking that have a primary agenda other than creating good food. Distracted by making the food live up to these other qualifications, they frequently fail to respect the basic ingredients - often, the vegetables themselves. 

Vegetarian or vegan meals can be delicious - but I think they’re most delicious when your objective is to make good food. 

My advice for people who want to cook well and observe health goals or other dietary requirements, is to keep your focus on the ingredients. Respect the produce you are cooking with. Know your ingredients and treat them well. Learn how to make them their best. 

(P.S. If you’re wondering, I convinced my mom to try the O&B soup instead - and it was fantastic!) 

In honour of International Women’s Day I would just like to thank all the women who contribute to feeding the world (and feeding me) in so many different ways. 

Thank you to the women in agriculture - on farms and other agriculture businesses, who help make food for us to eat. This includes women who work as labourers in farms and fields around the world, who contribute to feeding the community not only through food production but as critical players in the economy. 

Thank you to the women in restaurants - chefs and all the other women who contribute to making kick-ass food and creating memorable food experiences - and who fight hard in a male dominated industry to do it. 

Thank you to the women who write about food, who share pictures, recipes, ideas, as well as their personal experiences and who have inspired me with their honesty, skill, creativity, talent, and their willingness to tell their own story.

Thank you to the women who are not afraid to speak up, to prove themselves in this industry, to find their place in the spotlight or play a powerful supporting role - whatever that may be. You never know how you are inspiring someone else.  

Thank you to the women who cook for their families - who use food to help other people feel good, and looked after, and nourished. Thank you to my Mom for always putting healthy, satisfying food on the table - and making sure we ate dinner together, at the table, as a family. Thank you to my Grandma for teaching me about the power of food to bring people together, to create memory, to care for others, and the value in cooking with care, practice and precision.

And thank you to all the other women in my life who I have learned from, cooked for or with, who have celebrated with me or comforted me with food in hand, or who have fed me in their own special way. 

If you love Sriracha, make sure you read the recent Bloomburg Businessweek profile: http://buswk.co/YdbtYw

There’s a few gems in this article: One - the beloved ‘Rooster Sauce’ reminds us that the heart of a successful business is a good product. The company never advertises, does little in the way of sustaining even a basic web presence, and yet its business has lasted decades and its fandom tipped over into a mainstream cult following. The moral - make a good product, and marketing matters a lot less. 

And the Sriracha we know and love is not just a good product - it’s memorable. The story explains that counterfeit Srirachas were caught cropping up on the East Coast. How did anyone know they were counterfeit? Because customers started complaining. Remember my recent posts (or other media stories) about customers who couldn’t taste the difference when the make-up of their favourite food products changed? (Heinz beans from China not Canada; Dairy beverage instead of milk; and most notably, horse meat instead of beef?) Well, Sriracha fans could taste the difference between the real thing and a replacement. It’s not just another hot sauce - it is distinct, and it is delicious. 

Here’s another interesting nugget from the article - Huy Fong, the makers of Rooster Sauce, have used only one pepper supplier for the past 20 years. It’s Underwood Family Farms, just outside of L.A. Apparently this (rare) relationship protects the business from fluctuations in the price of peppers and ensures freshness (the chills are ground on the same day they’re picked) but it also restricts production because they are limited to the number of peppers Underwood Farms can produce. 

Apparently that limited production capability is one reason why the makers of Sriracha don’t advertise - but if they did, that farm relationship would be a good angle.