FROM THE COOKBOOK SHELF
Now a Food Network star, she was a former staff member of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Her husband is Dean Emeritus at Yale School of Management where he teaches a variety of courses on the global economy. He also serves on several corporate and philanthropic boards. The Food Network star has just written her 10th and most personal cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey (Clarkson Potter, October 25). If you’re still wondering about the name of this couple, it’s Ina and Jeffrey Garten, married 48 years. Order from Amazon.com.
ABOUT DECORATING FOR HALLOWEEN
It’s now second only to Christmas decorating and it seems that the more gruesome the decorations the better! Personally, I’m not impressed with rest-in- peace signs, skeletons and spiders in a net. Pumpkins are my preference.
When our children were small, we’d not only decorate a large pumpkin but toast the pumpkin seeds. Clarice Moats’ recipe for toasting the seeds is in my cookbook. Since it is no longer available, the recipe follows.
TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
• 2 cups pumpkin seeds (wipe off fiber but to not wash)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or canola oil
• 1¼ teaspoon salt
Combine ingredients and spread out in a single layer in a shallow pan. Bake in preheated 250°F oven for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
MY FAVORITE ALL-PURPOSE APPLE
Although are choices are many, the Golden Delicious remains my favorite because of its versatility. No matter how it is used, it holds its shape without getting mushy.
Early this month Bryan shoppers liked Cinnamon Red-Hot Candy Stewed Apples. To take less time peeling the apples, I invested in an apple peeler to make the job a lot faster! Potatoes can also be peeled with it (helpful at Thanksgiving).
CINNAMON RED-HOT CANDY STEWED APPLES
• 8 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
• 1½ cups water (add Ball Fruit Fresh to water to keep apples from darkening)
• 9-ounce package Brach’s Red Hots
In cast iron pot or Dutch oven combine prepared apples, water and red hots. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium, stirring constantly, until red hots are dissolved and apples are soft but not mushy. Continue boiling until ½ cup liquid remains, being careful not to break up apples. The more concentrated the sauce, the more intense the color and flavor. Serve warm or at Room temperature. Recipe makes 6 servings.
Source: Adapted from Chicago Tribune recipe in 1998.
SMART FAT CHOICES MIGHT SLOW ARTHRITIS PROGRESSION
What’s good for your heart might also be good for your aching knees. High intakes of saturated fat were associated with faster progression of knee osteoarthritis in a new prospective observational study, while consuming more heart-healthy unsaturated fats was linked to slower progression. “Following a healthy diet may be an effective strategy for knee osteoarthritis management, and I clearly more attractive than medications in terms of risk/benefit and more likely to be implementable,” wrote researchers, who included Jeffrey B. Driban, PhD, and Timothy E. McAlindon, MD, both of the Division of Rheumatology at Tufts Medical Center.
Take charge by using oil-based dressings and spreads instead of butter or lard. Eat plenty of nuts, seeds and fish, which are rich in healthy unsaturated fats and other nutrients. Choose extra virgin olive oil, soybean oil or canola oil for dressing, sauces and cooking. Reduce intakes of red and processed meats and foods rich in refined grains, starches and sugars.
Source: Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, October 2016.
GET HAPPIER WITH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
New research (American Journal of Public Health, August 2016) suggests that fruit and vegetables can increase happiness levels. The study followed more than twelve thousand people who kept food diaries, and whose psychological wellbeing was measured. “Happiness benefits” were detected for each extra daily portion of fruits and vegetables consumed, up to eight portions per day.
People who went from consuming eight portions a day experienced an increase in life satisfaction equivalent to moving from unemployment to employment. The researchers think there may be a connection between optimism and the level of carotenoids (a type of antioxidant present in fruits and vegetables) in the blood.
Source: Weill Cornell Women’s Nutrition Connection, October 2016.
TO CEMENT A MEMORY, EXERCISE A FEW HOURS LATER
People who exercised 4 hours after learning something new had better memory retention on the topic when tested two days later than those who exercised immediately or not at all, according to a study from the Netherlands of 72 adults. Researchers suspect that exercising a few hours after a workout may boost production of chemicals that fuel the formation of new brain cells just when the brain is strengthening the new memories.
Source: Consumer Reports on Health, October 2016.