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| Power Style Wellness Connections |
Fit It In:Fresh is Best
By Marlee Mitchell
I just finished a book about food that so engrossed me I couldn’t
put it down. What food book did this? Alice Waters and Chez
Panisse written by Thomas McNamee.
Alice Waters is the owner/chef of the world famous restaurant,
Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, Cal. I have had the pleasure of meeting
Alice, and used to frequent Chez Panisse in my college days. I
knew many people who worked there throughout the years. It is a
fabulous restaurant. Alice is considered by most to be the pioneer
of a movement to use local, regionally produced and sustainable
foods. She promoted Farmers Markets in the Bay Area in her
dedication to promoting freshness, and largely, organic produce and natural meats,
poultry, fish, and seafood. The menu at her restaurant changes daily, based on what
inspires the chefs that day and choices are created with food that is fresh and available
that day. Sometimes her salads are made with greens picked just hours before.
Her belief in cuisine is simple: she advocates that the fresher the ingredients, the more
simply prepared, the better the true experience of that ingredient. The flavor, colors,
and textures are truly experienced by the diner, thus needing less coverage of the
heavier sauces.
Alice has contributed to the growth of an international movement promoting much of
her same beliefs and values called Slow Food, www.slowfoodusa.org. The organization
was started in Italy by Carlo Petrini, soon after Italy’s first McDonald’s opened. We have
local chapters in Louisville and Lexington.
I hope you will feel inspired to get out and about to our local farmers markets. Go and
experience the harvest, the bounty of our dedicated growers. Talk with gardeners and
farmers, learn about the different fruits and vegetables, and the history of the heirloom
varieties. Go with a clean palate, a blank sheet, the excitement of being able to create
your menu based on what’s out there. Smell the ingredients; feel the firmness of the
apples, the scent of the pears. Think about everything, how it will taste, smell and feel
when you first bite into your creation.
Consider peeling and slicing your favorites and putting them into Ziploc bags. You can
do this with squash — especially the winter selections. Blueberries, strawberries…most
berries freeze well. Chop your ideal herbs and put them in ice cube trays with water
and use when needed. The internet is full of recipes and suggestions for preserving,
freezing, and using a variety of ingredients. Look up that soup recipe you’ve been
dying to try. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages and rapinis, and many other great
greens are all at their peak in the Fall.
A great resource for cooking vegetables is The Greens Cook Book by Deborah
Madison. Be mindful that many cultures use vegetables in their cuisine much more
than we do, such as Indian and Asian stir frys and curries, dals and soups.
Enjoy the Harvest! Embrace the bounty!
Marlee Mitchell (marleemitchell@iamtodayswoman.com) chef, started finding ways to fit
more nutritious food into her life after her battle with cancer.
By Marlee Mitchell
I just finished a book about food that so engrossed me I couldn’t
put it down. What food book did this? Alice Waters and Chez
Panisse written by Thomas McNamee.
Alice Waters is the owner/chef of the world famous restaurant,
Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, Cal. I have had the pleasure of meeting
Alice, and used to frequent Chez Panisse in my college days. I
knew many people who worked there throughout the years. It is a
fabulous restaurant. Alice is considered by most to be the pioneer
of a movement to use local, regionally produced and sustainable
foods. She promoted Farmers Markets in the Bay Area in her
dedication to promoting freshness, and largely, organic produce and natural meats,
poultry, fish, and seafood. The menu at her restaurant changes daily, based on what
inspires the chefs that day and choices are created with food that is fresh and available
that day. Sometimes her salads are made with greens picked just hours before.
Her belief in cuisine is simple: she advocates that the fresher the ingredients, the more
simply prepared, the better the true experience of that ingredient. The flavor, colors,
and textures are truly experienced by the diner, thus needing less coverage of the
heavier sauces.
Alice has contributed to the growth of an international movement promoting much of
her same beliefs and values called Slow Food, www.slowfoodusa.org. The organization
was started in Italy by Carlo Petrini, soon after Italy’s first McDonald’s opened. We have
local chapters in Louisville and Lexington.
I hope you will feel inspired to get out and about to our local farmers markets. Go and
experience the harvest, the bounty of our dedicated growers. Talk with gardeners and
farmers, learn about the different fruits and vegetables, and the history of the heirloom
varieties. Go with a clean palate, a blank sheet, the excitement of being able to create
your menu based on what’s out there. Smell the ingredients; feel the firmness of the
apples, the scent of the pears. Think about everything, how it will taste, smell and feel
when you first bite into your creation.
Consider peeling and slicing your favorites and putting them into Ziploc bags. You can
do this with squash — especially the winter selections. Blueberries, strawberries…most
berries freeze well. Chop your ideal herbs and put them in ice cube trays with water
and use when needed. The internet is full of recipes and suggestions for preserving,
freezing, and using a variety of ingredients. Look up that soup recipe you’ve been
dying to try. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages and rapinis, and many other great
greens are all at their peak in the Fall.
A great resource for cooking vegetables is The Greens Cook Book by Deborah
Madison. Be mindful that many cultures use vegetables in their cuisine much more
than we do, such as Indian and Asian stir frys and curries, dals and soups.
Enjoy the Harvest! Embrace the bounty!
Marlee Mitchell (marleemitchell@iamtodayswoman.com) chef, started finding ways to fit
more nutritious food into her life after her battle with cancer.