The Food That Fits: November 2011

Friday, November 18, 2011

Holiday Gift Ideas...From Foodie With Love

It's beginning to look a lot like....the time of year when you are wondering what to give some of your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers and teachers. How about first embracing a quote from Edward Stanley from The Conduct of Life? "Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness." What better way to show someone you care than to give them something that might enhance their love or pleasure of food as well as their health?

A foodie wish list and gift list for ideas that keep on giving with many meal moments and benefits beyond the holidays:

kitchen gadgets/small appliances that you couldn't live without; personalize with a note explaining why you love it (some of my favorites: frother, hand-immersion blender, grater/microplane and salad spinner)
fruit of the month home delivery

basket of citrus fruits and a citrus hand juicer (you can find at Crate & Barrel; I also find them at antique and thrift stores, restore them and gift them)

gift card to your favorite restaurant noting what particular menu items you enjoy
gift card to a specialty food market and a note sharing if you have favorite items
hand-made coupons for recipes or meals that happen to be your specialty
subscription to a food or cooking magazine such as Eating Well, Cooking Light, Vegetarian Times, Cook's Illustrated or Bon Appetit
jar with shelf-stable dry ingredients for a recipe, the recipe and a note detailing what ingredients the recipient will need to buy on their own. Perhaps add a card with special recipe instructions or a fond memory detailing why the recipe is special to your and your family.
reusable cloth bag or basket with fresh seasonal produce or a gift certificate for one month of a home delivery produce service (Berkshire Organics in the Berkshires of Massachusetts)
jar or basket of walnuts and a nutcracker

box of loose or packaged tea and a one-cup teapot

Food or cookbooks that you have found inspirational or interesting, some specific suggestions:

Food Rules by Michael Pollan
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
The Town That Food Saved by Ben Hewitt
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell

A DVD food drama or documentary, some titles include:

Like Water for Chocolate
Julie and Julia
Tortilla Soup
Forks Over Knives
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (maybe not such a great title for a gift but very inspiring!)

home-made name place cards done in calligraphy or kid-art
set of glass storage containers which can be used for mixing, storing, baking or freezing without the concern for chemical leaching into your food
a compilation of your favorite recipes on a DVD or flash drive
cookbook and a cookbook stand

ceramic pots with seeds for growing herbs or potted starter herb plants
Uncommon Goods is a company with many interesting products, some food-minded items include:

Food Flashcard game
Foodie Fight game
Mobile Foodie Survival Kit
Food Face Plates
Construction Plates and Utensils

Funky lunch bag and a safe water bottle

kitchen linens - tablecloths, pot holders, dish towels, place mats
copy of The Food That Fits by Lori Reamer (wink, wink!)

It truly is in fashion these days to give and receive gourmand goods, culinary concoctions and foodie finds. I would love to hear if you liked any of my ideas or if you have any "gifts that fit" that you would like to share with The Food That Fits.

P.S. Note to my fashionistas: Do not fear, my wish list includes fashion items too:

It appears as though I seek comfort in my food and in my fashion! May you be content in all your food and fashion choices this holiday season!

The Food That Fits

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Movie Commentary: Forks Over Knives

At the risk of sounding like I have become the "diet documentary diva," I happen to be on a roll with viewing some interesting food documentaries. Perhaps, I have fallen prey to the likes of Amazon and Netflix marketing - "if you liked this, you might also like..." sorts of stuff but I find this pairing to be the equivalent of telling Pandora who I enjoy musically and having them use their music genome to find similar sounds.

Perhaps not readily apparent from the movie logo, the "knives" reference is a surgical tool or scalpel, not a steak knife. After viewing this film, it could have synonymously been entitled "Broccoli Over Bovine" or to put it bluntly, "Plants Over Animals." Surely, Forks Over Knives creates more curiosity...where is this director taking us? The theme of this movie is to convince you that if you choose plant-based whole foods over animal foods you are less likely to need surgical interventions or die from a variety of diseases of affluence.

The film provides compelling information that might leave you cancelling your order for the Meat Lovers Pizza with extra cheese and placing one for a Veggie Lovers sans the cheese.   I am almost certain that my Meat Lover's audience, has stopped reading this post at this point and will not be rushing out to see the film. I do think that for any readers that have dabbled with thoughts of vegetarianism or have felt themselves moving along the plant-animal continuum that this film might have a strong impact on you and may have you, yet again, re-evaluating what's for dinner tonight. Such is the case with my husband and I. How do we best love and enjoy food together while attempting to stave off health problems that tarnish the romanticized visions we have for a future filled with travel and freedom from responsibility as well as illness? The plant-based way sounds as though it might provide the best hope at our romanticized future.

While Forks Over Knives is far from consensus among experts, I think it is well worth your viewing.  Consider reading Denise Minger's in-depth post,; while critical, it is written very well, albeit lengthy. Denise Minger is a blogger who is interested in setting the record straight on controversial nutrition topics. She is a raw food follower, but does not impose her lifestyle on her readers. She shows tenacity in her willingness to look into the scientific literature and draw her own conclusions or justify her healthy skepticism.

I praise Denise for a much more thorough look at Forks Over Knives than I have undertaken. Call me a simpleton but I am still impressed by the documentary and where it has led me and I am swayed to head towards broccoli and away from bovine.  Since viewing this movie over a month ago, I have read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell (where was I in 2006 when this first hit the news and book shelves?) and I am currently reading The Food Revolution by John Robbins (son of the founder of Baskin & Robbins who decides not to pursue his family fortune and preach food and respect for animals instead). My husband and I have barely eaten animal protein in the past month. We have hankerings when passing the aroma of some old animal-based favorites, but nothing that a grilled portobello sandwich can't solve.

I must clarify that I am all for accuracy and want to have as well as deliver accurate information but sometimes in our current world, a little dogma helps us to listen & perhaps inspires us to change. I am a mid-western gal that was raised on a beef cattle farm & once thought nothing of eating 2 grilled brats in buns. That was Lori of yesteryear -call this the equivalent of a fashion trend that will never see the likes of my wardrobe again. I rather like my last few months of self-imposed exploration. And, while I often deliver moderate advice, I think there is a time and a place to deliver and receive stronger advice. I think we see a whole lot of moderate progress from our moderate advice.

Please consider viewing Forks Over Knives.  And, if you haven't already, please consider reading The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and The Food Revolution by John Robbins.  After you experience them, please let me know if you are compelled to question the animal to plant ratios in your own diet.  I tip my hat and my plate to plants!

The Food That Fits