Solitary experimentation in the kitchen

One quiet night, a few weeks ago, I was packing up my apartment alone. This was a frequent occurance since graduation with a roomate-less apartment, one that I was starting to really tire of. And when I'm stressed or needing relaxation, I cook. Craving Japanese food and not wanting to dish out the money for my beloved Hokkaido, I decided to make a dish inspired by the little joint, but with my own twist. With my Japanese white sauce nestled safely in my refrigerator door, an exact replica of the restaurant's shrimp sauce, I started chopping. I tossed green and red pepper,mushrooms and carrots in a pan with some water and simmered up, the shrimp boiling in another pot alongside. Without any idea what my mind was planning, I poured in orange juice and soy sauce, sprinkled in ginger (without the fresh root on hand) and a bit of flour to thicken it up a bit. Less than 10 minutes after pouring in the ingredients and adding the shrimp, I had a thick, aromatic concoction. Cous-cous, as you might know, is a very simple procedure, but I sprinkled in pepper, Greek seasoning and more ginger for that flavor. Drizzled with the Japanese white sauce (which you can find in many grocery stores with the Asian products), I was very surprised how much I enjoyed it. My mother would have been proud! I didn't have many people around that night, but I definitely had good wine and good food.

Think Refined Sugar Only Hides in Junk Food and Dessert? Think Again. (Chickspeak.com)

June 15, 2009 by Kristin Larmore, photo property of Chickspeak.com




I’m walking down the well-lit aisles, rows of colorful containers stretched out a narrow expanse. Elevator music serenades me in the background as I round my first corner and hit the canned fruit section on aisle one.

I’m compiling a mental list for a summery salad. I turn around and see the craisins.

“So many healthy, delicious reasons to grab this 100 percent natural snack. Made with real fruit. Cholesterol free, fat free. Good source of fiber. Surprisingly sweet and tangy,” the back reads. “A 1/3 cup serving of craisins sweetened dried cranberries = 1 full serving of fruit.”

“MMMM. Craisins would be good,” I think to myself. “With a few walnuts and some raspberry dressing.” Surprisingly sweet?

Yeah right. That one serving contains 26 grams of sugar. What a downer.

“Only about eight teaspoons per day,” she said to the class with her index finger and glasses down to her nose. You’re only supposed to get about eight teaspoons on a 2,000 calorie diet, around 32 grams, according to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The average person gets far more than that.

Who knew those little cranberries packed more than that?

My nutrition professor conducted a long lecture that day about the dangers of sugar, causing me to want to throw out about every single box of my cereal. The reasonable dosage for cereal, she said, was about six grams per serving. The frosted mini wheats, the Quaker oat squares, resting on my counter had about twice that much. The only thing I was safe with at the time was Crispix and plain Cheerios.

I wouldn’t realize until later how truly sugary my diet was.

It’s almost impossible to avoid; it’s in so many different types of food these days. They tell you not to eat it, yet it’s in many things considered “healthy.”

You think you eat healthy? You think you wouldn’t fall into this category? I thought the same thing. Well, let’s just see. When you’re finished reading this, you might think twice about some of your food choices.

First of all, we subconsciously trust manufacturers with our health; when they say it’s healthy, we believe it. Ok, ladies. I’m going to tell you something that might change your life. Listen carefully.

Just because they say it’s healthy, doesn’t mean it completely is.

The bottom line is not about health, it’s about making money; manufacturers never have and never will have your best interests at stake. Now that might sound a bit cynical, but the reality is we must stay well-informed and smart, not depending on others for information but digging it up ourselves.

I was comfortably sitting in my living room this morning, enjoying my little cup of light French vanilla Yoplait yogurt. It has only 100 calories and no fat. After thinking about sugars all week and recalling some customers at work mentioning the high sugar content, I perused the label. “It couldn’t be that bad,” I thought to myself. “Yogurt is healthy, right?”

Fourteen grams of sugar. I had even added in a few white chocolate chips for a little added flavor. Wow. I almost spit it up. I scoured my kitchen and freezer for more, disgusted at the realization. Even just a fat-free, 100-calorie Minute Maid soft frozen lemonade has 18 grams of sugar. But wait: that’s only one third of the container. And the entire thing is about the size of a small frosty. Who’s eating only one third? So, you’re actually getting 54 grams of sugar.

And those classic, colorfully frozen popsicles your mom used to give you on Saturday afternoons when you were running through the sprinkler aren’t much better. Glad that little frozen treat wasn’t mine…

But the Bacardi strawberry daiquiri mix in the door was. Oops. Thirty grams of sugar in a fifth, only eight ounces, of that little can-sized container of guaranteed hyperactivity. You’d be bouncing off the walls.

I went over to my best friend’s apartment across town to raid her pantry and fridge. This is what I found.

Del Monte sliced pears? Twenty three grams of sugar in a half cup, which is only half that tiny can.

That new V8 V-fusion parading all over the television boasting one full serving of fruits AND vegetables? It’s not so hot: 25 grams in eight fluid ounces. That’s the same amount in a handful of her roommate’s Sour Patch Kids.

And what about the classic Sunmaid raisin? It beats them all: 29 grams of sugar in ¼ cup. That’s more than the 27 grams you’ll find in a serving of full-calorie Coke.

Even the Special K cereals are a threat. But, wait. The front says only 120 calories, two grams of fat, 35 percent daily Vitamin c and 45 percent iron. The minimum sugar you will see, aside from the original Special K with four, is nine grams per serving.

Oh, it’s low in calories and fat. It seems to have vitamins and minerals. It’s advertised as healthy. You grab it off the shelf. Of course, you could probably get away with eating things like Special K because there’s still room for a bit more sugar. Still, you’re probably going to get more than nine grams because the serving size is so small. We all know that!

My friend grabbed the cocktail sauce as a dipper for her shrimp and saw 13 grams per ¼ cup. I don’t know about you, but I would have never guessed. Just because it doesn’t taste sweet, doesn’t mean it’s not.

It’s funny that advertisements never mention, “WARNING: high dosage of sugar. May lead to diabetes, inflammation and aging over time.” Hmmmm. I wonder why? They won’t make as much money that way. If people really read the entire label, they might think twice about buying it. Here’s the reality of the situation: we’re supposed to limit our sugar as much as possible.

A magazine editor of a food, health type publication was on a morning show the other day talking about, coincidentally, sugar. I already had sugar on the brain, but here’s what she said. Sugar can cause better athletic performance and sustain you during a workout, as proven by a study of women who took a sugar supplement and followed up with exercise.

However, she cautioned going over the limit over time leads to quicker physical aging and wrinkles, and health experts say it should make up no more than 10 percent of calories from the diet.

Some people might not care if there aren’t immediate effects, but I’m all about protecting your health in the long-run. It’s just like tanning or caffeine; you’re coasting in the short-run, but it’ll come back to bite you in the face later. And it will certainly show.

Organic Nutrition Ltd, striving to inform about unnatural chemicals and additives in the diet, reiterates that sugar is for one, addictive. It contributes to dental deterioration, heart disease, damage to the pancreas, liver and adrenal glands, hypertension, anxiety, fatigue and the list goes on. It can even aggravate PMS symptoms.

This is what I learned in health class. It contributes to diabetes in adults by keeping blood sugar levels elevated. But the pancreas already can’t make enough insulin to control glucose levels. Sugar doesn’t necessarily cause diabetes like a lack of exercise or obesity, but it irritates it.

I mean, let’s face it. Sometimes you’d be better off just eating the chocolate and cookies instead of reaching for the popsicles. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s true. You might have to spend a few more calories and fat, but you could definitely make up for those during the rest of the day. Once that sugar’s in your system, you can’t go back.

My Slim-a-Bear ice cream sandwiches have 10 grams of sugar, and I believe my friend’s packaged cookies had only about 8 grams per serving. At least you’re not hitting the 20 range.

One suggestion? Be open to some sugar-free products. Sure, the sugar-free ice cream might taste a little funky, but try sugar-free, instant chocolate pudding. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

“The average American now consumes approximately 115 pounds. of sugar per year. This is per man, woman and child,” Organic Nutrition Ltd. warns.

It’s scary, really. We need to start keeping track of the sugar we’re consuming because it adds up fast. We might be in a little over our heads, don’t you think?

Kristin Larmore is a recent graduate of Appalachian State University and hopes to write for a food publication, along with becoming a food critic and running her own winery in the future.

Scent is the Strongest Sense Tied to Memory: Herbal Tea Helps You Step Back Into the Past (Chickspeak.com)

June 4, 2009 by Kristin Larmore, photo property of Chickspeak.com

The power of a simple smell. Think about the scent of your ivory bath soap in the shower, the lingering scent of your boyfriend’s cologne on your shirt, the smell of a pint full of strawberries not even touched. My favorite, though odd, is the clean dryer sheet odor left on my t-shirts and jeans. I suck in the warmth until it is seemingly gone.

But why? Why is smell so important?

Out of all the senses, it has proven to invoke some of the strongest memories. Every time I put on perfume, a collection of experiences while wearing it comes rushing back from some distant crevice of the brain.

Sometimes I want to laugh, sometimes I want to cry, sometimes I just feel sentimental. They revisit last goodbyes, warm summer nights under the stars or deep conversations I never wanted to end.

It’s almost like an emotional healing in a way. The steamy aromas of a hot drink or even broth awaken your sensations and uplift the spirit. There’s something, for me at least, about being able to experience this through the nose and mouth, through smell and taste.

The hot, moist air envelops the nerves in my neck, chest and head, carrying me to a state of relaxation. It’s almost like taking a mental aromatic bath. A peppermint tea reminds me of solitary movie nights with candles and blankets in a cozy apartment, while rich hot chocolate relives those childhood days of winter’s snow to melt off the cold. The gingerbread takes me right back to Christmas Eve after Christmas Eve of a plate full of spicy cookies near the burning fire. I’m sitting with my family in our favorite room in the house.

I’m sure, even if you don’t like tea, there’s one certain warm aroma, whether it be from coffee, soup or even cider that really hits home for you. What are you drinking when you’re sick in bed, which usually brings down your spirits? For me, it’s either a warm bowl of soup or a cup of hot chocolate or tea.

What about the smell of freshly cut basil, ginger or mint from the garden? There’s nothing more refreshing than a vibrant herb. What’s even more appealing about herbs when compared to a simple coffee bean or cocoa bean is they fulfill and renew not only the emotional capacity, but the mental capacity, as well.

So you’re happy and content in reliving those memories, but also alert and ready for the day or, on the other end, soothed and ready for bed. And imagine all the combinations of scents that can come about in tea. Of course, tea is typically advertised as a general medicinal agent, but what if you could pick a tea that was geared toward your specific dietetic needs and metabolism?

Some help you relax and wind down, others boost energy and stimulate the mind, while still others restore an overall healthy body, catering to your individual needs at the same time. You can rest your head in a floral bouquet, cure a hangover to wake yourself up, indulge in deliciously minty milk chocolate steam without inhaling all the calories or stimulate loving feelings with potent aphrodi.

Or imagine even digging into an aromatic cup of Neopolitan ice cream, strawberry chocolate and vanilla all infused into one sip? Yum.

Proprietor of Homegrown Herb and Tea Sarah Richards sells just such teas. She has been running her business in Portland, Maine, for three years using only organic products with absolutely no preservative or additives of any kind. Just like any other product, the closer you get it from the source, the better. Sadly, manufacturing always seems to take away some of the nutrition, so boxed grocery store tea is much more pulverized and processed than Richards’ blends.

According to Homegrown Herb and Tea’s website, the attempt is to keep herbs as whole as possible. The components of a plant- the flowers, seeds, roots and leaves-contain protective resins to hold in medicinal oils that pack not only healing, but flavor.

Her business stands firmly on the belief that natural, homegrown teas reap many more health benefits. The focus is on each individual’s metabolism of an herb, as different bodies are unique. So flip the common phrase around: “It’s not business, it’s personal.”

This mindset originated from an ancient Indian ideal called Ayurvedic healing, with the belief people fall under one of three doshas or biological energies. A deficiency or imbalance of a person’s unique dosha is what causes illness.

Though a seemingly foreign ideal, Richards believed so deeply in it that she quit her job as a teacher with full benefits to pursue a tea apothecary, much to the dismay of her family and friends. As others in her area began to see the health benefits, however, her business only improved.

Such passion for health makes for a fulfilling, memorable life. Why couldn’t we spread the herbal tea message, as well?

For more information on fresh, homegrown herbal tea and Richards’ apothecary, visit the new website. You can step back into those long forgotten memories with just one single smell or just one simple sip of tea.

Kristin Larmore is a recent graduate of Appalachian State University and hopes to write for a food publication, along with becoming a food critic and running her own winery in the future.