FROM THE COOKBOOK SHELF
Food Anatomy by Julia Rothman (Storey Publishing, October, 2016, paperback/$16.95) is the third book of her best-selling Anatomy series, popular illustrator takes on the one topic everyone has a relationship with: food. Readers who crave Rothman’s imaginative interpretation of the world get their daily allowance of facts and fun With Food Anatomy, starting with an illustrated history of food and ending with a tasting of global street food. Along the way, Rothman serves up a hilarious primer on short-order egg lingo and a mouthwatering menu of how people around the planet serve fried potatoes and what we dip them in. International tours of place settings and cooking tools, breads and dumplings, and spices and sweets are just a few of the delectable curiosities bursting from this culinary cornucopia.
Award-winning food journalist Rachel Wharton lends her editorial expertise to this lighthearted exploration of everything food that bursts with little-known facts and delightful drawings. Everyday eaters and seasoned foodies alike are sure to eat up! Julia Rothman is an illustrator, pattern designer and author. In addition to working for clients such as the New York Times, Target and Ann Taylor, she has her own lines of wallpaper, stationery, fabric and dish ware. She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
WARNING
It might be tempting to use your outdoor grill in your garage but don’t do it! Grillers can die of carbon monoxide fumes. Instead, broil in your indoor oven or on an indoor appliance designed for this purpose.
WHAT’S NEW IN GADGET WORLD
It was new to me that there’s an E-Cloth with blue scrubbing stripes, used damp, removes tough stuck-on-grime and grease on and around stove. The side without scrubbing stripes, used damp, is for general cleaning and light grease and grime. With an E-Cloth only water is used instead of harmful chemicals. For more information about E-Cloths, visit www.ecloth.com.
CONSUMPTION CHANGES SUGARY BEVERAGE TAX
A preliminary study of a tax of one cent per ounce enacted in Berkeley was the first US jurisdiction to pass such a levy, which adds to the cost of sugary sodas, juices, energy drinks and coffee concoctions. Researchers compared trends in purchases by low-income Berkeley residents four months after the tax was imposed to consumption in neighboring Oakland and San Francisco, which had no such tax. In Berkeley, consumption of sugary drinks dropped 21 percent after tax was imposed, even as the other cities saw a 4 percent increase. Berkeley consumers also drank 63 percent more water, according to results published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Source: Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, November 2016.
WORD TO THE WISE
Americans spend billions of dollars every year on unproven arthritis remedies. Everything seems to work for a while, at least in some people, largely because there’s such a strong placebo effect when it comes to pain. Moreover, arthritis pain waxes and wanes, and we tend to blame or credit whatever we are trying at the time. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers help many arthritis sufferers but don’t affect the underlying loss of cartilage. Before taking any supplement for joint pain, consult your doctor for a diagnosis. The pain maybe caused by rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disorder), gout or another condition for which there there’s no reason to think these supplements could help. If you have osteoarthritis, we can’t over-emphasize the importance of losing weight if you are overweight, and exercising to maintain strength and flexibility. Both steps help relieve pain and restore mobility.
Source: University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter, November 2016.
LOSING THE ABILITY TO SMELL
A declining sense of smell, which is natural as we age, can change the way food tastes. This can lead to overeating and under eating, the consumption of more salt and sugar and nutritional deficiencies. Adding colorful foods with varied textures to your plate including crunchy celery, baked sweet potatoes, juicy grapes, may encourage you to eat more nutrient-rich items. If food seems less appealing, pump up flavor with citrus, garlic, ginger, mustard or hot peppers. A poor sense of smell can also create safety problems, so toss refrigerated leftovers after three or four days, keep fresh batteries in your smoke detector if your heater or appliances run on propane or natural gas. And because some illnesses and medications can hamper smell, discuss the problem with your doctor.
Source: Consumer Reports on Health, November 2016.
COMPANY CHICKEN
• 12 pieces chicken (light and/or dark meat)
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1 8-ounce can mushroom stems and pieces, drained (I use a canned-in-Pennsylvania brand)
• 2 cans Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup
• ¼ cup white sauterne wine
• ½ cup water
Flour chicken. Brown in butter. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a 10/15-inch jelly roll pan. Sauté mushrooms in the same butter used to brown the chicken. Spread mushroom soup on chicken. Spoon mushrooms on top. Pour wine and water mixture over all. Bake, uncovered, in 350ºF oven for 1 ½ hours, basting frequently. Recipe makes 6 servings.