Force-feeding, a family business.

I've heard from many different cultures, religions and backgrounds the same issue: as a kid you're sitting at the dinner table and your mom will refuse to let you leave unless you finish your meal. I have come to realize that this issue is not so much connected to where you're from or to which god you pray at night. If you belong to a family who spends time together in the kitchen preparing food and eating too, you most likely are a victim of the force-feeder mom. It's harsh. If you don't eat seconds that's just disrespectful because you obviously don't like the food. If you don't eat at all because you're not hungry, that's just a dagger through your mom's heart. Might as well tell her you're moving in with the guy you just met last week at ComicCon.
Jokes aside, food and eating are so deeply connected to emotions and feelings. It is almost impossible to separate the smell of a fresh marinara sauce boiling on a pot from the memories I have of my grandma standing over it, waiting for the perfect moment to turn off the heat. Or the creamy taste of a perfectly cooked risotto and the picture of my mother slowly and constantly pouring broth to the arborio rice...patiently anticipating the glorious result of a well cooked meal.

So, for those memories and for the appreciation I have for the wonderful people in my life who have taken their time and put in their love into something edible, I eat. Even if I'm not hungry. I might even have seconds, just to spend more time around those special people and have stories to tell later.

Oui monsieur, more croque si’l vous plait!

Say what you must about French people. They are rude, careless about Americans who don’t speak French when in France (how dare they?), drive like nuts and drink wine with cheese at any time of the day… lots of it! That is just outrageous! Well, I beg to differ mon ami.

I happen to have fallen in love with this idea. Especially after my first encounter with the most amazing culinary masterpiece I have ever sank my teeth into: croque madame. I drool just thinking about the moment I was served this heavenly gift from the kitchen gods. Croque means ‘crunch’, given by the massive layer of grated Gruyere cheese that is put on top of this ham and cheese sandwich before getting baked until golden.  A layer of creamy Béchamel sauce is smothered on each slice of white bread and then a perfectly gooey fried egg is placed on top of it, crowning this king of foods. It was my honeymoon in Paris and I had just fallen in love with a sandwich, how romantic.

Love hurts. I desperately tried to find a replacement once back in the U.S., and after some online research looking for the best French restaurants in town, I took a chance and tried a brasserie on the hip side of town. I had my heart broken when the server brought out their ‘take’ on MY croque madame… an open-faced sandwich with a thick slice of smoked ham, gooey cheese and an undercooked egg. If it weren’t for the lovely waitress to keep filling up my champagne I would have cried. Check out bellow the pics taken from the authentic croque madame and the American version. Oh well, I guess I’m going to have to make my own croque now.  Here’s a recipe if you’d like to venture out and impress some friends or even a date: Croque Madame. I highly recommend it with a plain green salad tossed in balsamic dressing. Serve it with champagne cocktail to go along with it- just because it’s French, why not? Cook, eat and celebrate le joie de vivre!  

Perfectly cooked, baked to perfection!

Hot mess! Add lots of champagne to it! 

How about a quesadilla to help you quit smoking?

Quitting smoking is a challenge, and we all know that very well.  However is not impossible! Many have done it with success and that means you can too. Read on and learn how you can be a success story too.

For some people the hardest step is making the decision and choosing to quit. Letting go of smoking not only has effects on our body chemically, it also means saying goodbye to a practice so ingrained in our daily lives that might seem impossible to live without it.

The experience involved with smoking is very complex, it affects all of the senses and for some people might even have a social meaning. Alcoholic beverage is a common trigger to cigarette smoking and studies have found that it in fact enhances the flavor of the cigarette. In the other hand, the same study has found that some foods may cause the opposite affect and change the taste of a cigarette to a less desirable flavor.

Foods identified by the study as ‘tobacco killers’ are dairy products and citrus fruits, water and vegetables. Other foods shown to enhance the taste of a cigarette are meats, coffee and alcohol.

Smokers are also more susceptible to have wrinkled skin due to free radicals present in the smoke coming from cigarettes. Adding antioxidants to your diet,present in most citrus fruits when quitting smoking can not only help with quitting as mentioned before, but also fight back the free radicals and restore skin integrity.

So if you are serious about quitting smoking and are ready to better your health, next time you think of having a cup of coffee, pick up a glass of orange juice instead. Drink more water, snack on your favorite veggies and have a quesadilla for lunch instead of a steak. Your body and your wallet will be forever grateful!

Tobacco Study: Nicotine & Tobacco Research Journal, April 2007.

F. Joseph McClernon, Eric C. Westman, Jed E. Rose, and Avery M. Lutz

The Effects of Foods, Beverages, and Other Factors on Cigarette Palatability

Royal Wedding Alert! Blame it on Prince William for the extra pounds!

Alright let’s face it…most of us don’t snack on celery sticks right? And when do we snack? Social gatherings anyone? That’s a good excuse for a potluck, but what happens when we have social gatherings more often than the usual holidays? We pack on calories!

Tonight is a great example for this sort of situation. There’s a wedding, a royal wedding! I mean, it’s on another continent for Peter Pan’s sake, but still a great excuse to gobble down fried chicken with beer on a Thursday night.

So here’s my suggestion: record the eight-hour marathon event, get a good night of sleep and watch it after you have a meal. That should save you from getting larger around the hips.

If you absolutely must participate on the festivities and gather with your friends, be mindful of what you’re eating, your pants will thank you tomorrow. Opt for a low calorie menu with snacks such as bruschetta and a fresh veggie tray served with hummus dip. Steamed edamame and low calorie cheeses such as provolone or mozzarella are also good 'skinny' choices. A low calorie drink could be a wine spritzer. Made with white wine and club soda, this beverage not only makes you feel glamorous and royal, but is also a lean choice: one serving has only about 62 calories (fitday.com).

Ok, now let’s cheers to future king of the United Kingdom, be healthy and still manage to keep the same pounds we had before this couple said their ‘I do’s’.  I know I’ll be sleepy at my desk tomorrow, but hey, it’s not everyday that a prince finds his princess. 

My heart beets for you...

What’s your first response to beets? If you’re like most of the people I know, that’s probably not your favorite vegetable in the world! Well, I hope that after reading this post today, you’ll venture out and try this delicious, colorful, powerful, amazing food!

I’ve always eaten beets. My mom used to boil them and serve it cold, sliced thin with lettuce, onions and tomatoes. What a great colorful plate! The taste of it is so versatile; it is somewhat sweet and blends in perfectly with white whine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

My favorite way of eating this delicacy however is raw! Shredded thin and added to cold cut sandwiches…yum! My mouth waters just thinking about it!

Beets are root vegetables and come in varied colors, with the most popular being purple. They are a low calorie food, high in folate, manganese and potassium. Beets can help lower cholesterol since they’re high in fiber- one cup of this food provides 15% of your daily needs (nutritiondata.com).

Its deep color is given by a pigment called betalain, which can stain your clothes, so I don’t recommend wearing your favorite dress while shredding beets!

Remember: different colors in different vegetables or fruits represent different vitamins, therefore an easy way to maintain a balanced diet is to combine all the colors of the rainbow.  Who knows, you mind find a pot of gold after finishing your plate! Eat beets!

Check here for the nutritional value of many different foods: nutritiondata.com

Coffee and you, a romantic and healthy relationship!

We all have those days, no energy, no motivation to get out of bed, not enough sleep... yeah, that's My Monday every week! However, with the magic touch of a button I'm able to awaken the depths of my soul: oh I love you coffeemaker!
The aroma of roasted coffee freshly brewed flows from the kitchen to the rest of the house and works wonders. I'm ready to conquer the world, car keys in one hand and an 18oz mug of coffee in the other!

Coffee has been a beverage used for centuries and all over the world. According to the National Coffee Association of U.S.A, coffee was discovered after goats from a monastery in the Ethiopian highlands chewed on such berries and became so 'spirited' that they didn't want to sleep... party goats...
Since then, the whole world has been taken by the hype and much has been discovered about the health benefits from drinking coffee.

Coffee is rich in antioxidants- who doesn't want  younger looking skin? It also provides varied amounts of caffeine which acts as a stimulant and a diuretic; depending on how the coffee is brewed we obtain anywhere from 72 to 130mg of this powerful liquid energy. An 8oz cup of Joe from Starbucks will provide you about 180mg of caffeine. Check this link to see how much caffeine you're getting in your daily morning routine: Caffeine check up.

It is important to note however, that caffeine can have harmful effects when taken in excess, especially for expecting moms. It is a good idea to skip espresso shots and try to limit the amount of caffeinated beverages or foods when pregnant. Besides the obvious coffee beverages, teas, sodas and chocolate candies can be quite high in caffeine. Therefore, consuming these in moderation is the healthiest choice for the mom-to-be and baby!

To me, coffee is part of my life, a warm and comforting friend who's been there to get me up and prepare me for small and big challenges.... With that said, I lift my morning cup and cheers to you! To a great week ahead and lots of great coffee!