Salt Licked and School Lunch

If you already read yesterday's NY Times Dining section, you likely expected me to post this blog. Such a given, how could I not? The feature article of the section, "Throwing the Book at Salt," sheds light on the newest food-health campaign to hit the American public. Welcome to the war on salt and high-sodium diets waged by NYC's Health Commissioner, Dr. Thomas Frieden. We've banned trans-fats from NYC menus, thank goodness, and we're onto something new. Hidden sodium in packaged, mass-produced food items is the culprit and has been on the chopping block with health professionals and nutritionists (myself included) for years. Similar to hidden sugar, sodium can be found lurking in any number of unsuspecting foods that you eat every day. The issue isn't likely the salt (hopefully a moderate amount) you're using to cook with or the dash of salt you're sprinkling over a meal, it's all the things we eat without realizing what exactly is in them. It's these items that contribute over 80% of our sodium intake. Here are a few crazy stats to consider: recent research found that by 2000, men were consuming 48% more sodium than they were in the 1970s and women, 69% more. Currently, the daily rec for sodium is 2,300 mg -- about 1 teaspoon of salt. Most Americans are consuming double that. Feel constantly bloated and parched...well, now you know why in part!

Where can you find excess salt? Anywhere and everywhere - even in healthful products like Kashi's Heart to Heart Honey Oat waffles (2 waffles contain 15% of your daily sodium rec). Your big red flags are going to be canned soups, many of which contain 1000mg or more of sodium per serving, frozen dinners, packaged snacks, canned tomato sauces, cold cuts and bottled dressings to name a few. Here's a few other shockers...

1 cup of Kellogg's Raisin Bran contains 17% of your daily rec and 1 Thomas's plain bagel has 20%. My favorite, 1 measley packet of fast food ketchup contains 5%. Ok, so it's only 5%, but who seriously uses only 1 packet!? Let's try 4-5 for most of us.

So Dr. Frieden is wanting food manufacturers to curb the amount of salt they add to food in hopes of lowering our overall consumption of sodium. Definitely an uphill battle, but something that definitely requires attention -- a diet high in sodium impacts high blood pressure and heart disease among other health issues.

What actually struck me most in the entire piece, was the last line: "Diet is an incredibly complicated business". An incredible statement, because it is indeed, but it really shouldn't be. What we eat, what comprises our "diet", was never intended to become all tangled up with business, mass food production, food lobbying and farm subsidies. Of course that's the natural outgrowth of capitalism and a growing population. When we eat real, basic, fresh food, whole ingredients...surprise, surprise, we're healthier and hopefully happier than ever. Just thought I'd throw in my two shakes of salt. What do you think?

photo credit: Tony Cenicola, The New York Times

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Finally...a quick note on another NY Times report, actually a blog post, yesterday -- on how one of Obama's White House chefs, Sam Kass, is seeking to overhaul the School Lunch Program. Finally! Here's a quick excerpt from Tara Parker Pope's WELL blog post:

"In May, over a meal of locally-produced beef and barley soup, Mr. Kass lamented the sorry state of the National School Lunch Program, which provides low-cost or free lunches to schoolchildren. He noted that what gets served up to kids is influenced by government agricultural subsidies. As a result, he says, meals served to students are low in vegetables and disproportionately high in fat, additives, preservatives and high-fructose corn syrup. (He also links the high consumption of sugary foods and food additives to learning difficulties and attention deficit disorder, although the medical community remains divided on that issue.)"

Fingers and forks crossed people...

Food Fight in the White House

Though the inauguration is now a week behind us, the throw down that's been stirring in the White House kitchen is just starting to simmer down...and I'm not talking "Iron Chef". There's been quite a bit of chatter and chiding the past few months over how President Obama and his family would change the way the White House, and a good portion of the U.S., eats. Renown and pioneering chefs like Alice Waters, Tom Colicchio, Danny Meyer, Ruth Riechl and one of Obama's favorites, Rick Bayless, formed the 44th Prez's informal "kitchen cabinet" and have been urging a new focus on sustainable, organic, seasonal and local foods...along with a vegetable garden to be planted behind the White House. Incredible, reforming idea, but as it turns out, it's not so new. Former President Bush's executive White House chef Cristeta Comerford has been focusing on organic and seasonal foods for years and has been chosen to stay on as the Obama's main chef. Regardless of which chef is at the helm, I'm very hopeful that the Obamas' love for great food and for good health will have an impact on our society -- encouraging Americans, particularly children, to take a closer look at what we put on our plates. Yes, I realize I write on this topic often (citing the words and writings of Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Mark Bittman and the like), but if the political shift can take another turn towards fresh, wholesome food over the next 4 years, that'll be quite an accomplishment.
Photo credit: Flickr.com - by Whipped Bakeshop

Soup's on

Baby, it's freaking cold outside! With temperatures in the teens and single digits this past week, I've been avoiding the elements as much as possible and have been cooking up some serious soup...my go-to comfort food when the weather's chilly. I have to say, these two soups are damn tasty -- they're wonderfully hearty, packed with nutrients and flavor and they're crazy simple and speedy to make when you're strapped for time and want a quick, cozy meal. Hope they warm you up a little.

Minestrone

This might be my favorite soup, or rather, stew of all time (excluding my mom's infamous split pea soup). I adapted this soup from my mom's old recipe. Basically I throw a ton of vegetables in along with kidney and white cannelini beans, tomatoes, a little vino and a good parmesan rind (the key to a richer flavor). The soup tends to get more 'stewy' after a day or two when all the flavors meld, that's when you know it's really ready to eat. Can't go wrong with a good, thick pot full of flavorful winter veggies!

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

3-4 carrots, chopped

2-3 celery stalks, chopped

1-2 zucchini, chopped

1 small bunch kale or spinach *optional

2 baby red potatoes, cut into small chunks

1 28oz can whole tomatoes *(I'm a big fan of San Marzano)

16-24 oz low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock *depending on how big your pot is and how much you want to make

1 parmesan cheese rind

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup macaroni elbows

1/2 cup dry red wine or sherry

extra parmesan or pecorino romano cheese for grating

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil on medium-high, add garlic cloves and cook about 30 seconds. Add beans and mash just slightly, allow to cook about 2 minutes. Add in carrots through chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Add in parmesan rind and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 45-50 minutes. Add in macaroni and wine and allow to cook another 10-15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and parmesan rind. Serve with grated parmesan or pecorino romano.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

I typically make this soup with seasonal winter greens like escarole or kale, but I decided to experiment this go-round, leaving the greens out and pureeing the soup in hopes of a thick, hearty finish. It was a great call, though I'm always up for a steaming bowl of old-school escarole and white bean soup. Try toasting up a garlic crouton or two to top off the soup, I think they'd make for the perfect finisher drizzled with a little of the chili oil and some shredded pecorino romano.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans white cannelini beans, rinsed and drained **if you've got the time, soak dried beans overnight and use instead of the canned ones, they're generally cheaper, creamier consistency and way tastier (and soaking them first helps ward off the unwelcome flatulence that often occupanies bean-heavy dishes). The soup make take longer to cook if using dried, soaked beans. Simmer with stock, adding additional stock if needed until beans are throughly cooked and then puree.

48 oz (1.5 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt (extra to taste) and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 tsp red chili flakes *extra for serving

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and extra for serving

chili-garlic oil for drizzling

In a heavy-bottomed large stockpot, heat olive oil and medium-high and saute garlic about 30 seconds. Add in beans, broth, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 45-60 minutes until beans become soft. Add parmesan cheese to soup and puree in food processor in batches. Pour back into stockpot and serve hot. Drizzle with olive oil studded with red chili flakes and a bit of minced garlic (flavored oil can be made up to a week in advance). Sprinkle with extra parmesan or pecorino romano.