Part One : Chapter 4 : Food and Kitchen Safety

I'm hoping that this chapter was taught separately, in a classroom rather than a kitchen, and involving no food whatsoever. It's not the most appetizing of chapters, and for the readers' sakes, I'll gloss over some of the details layed out here. I learned about food-borne illnesses and food contamination, as well as pathogens, and danger zones. However, the most important rule I took away from this part of the chapter is that foods must be kept, heated and cooled at the correct temperatures in order to prevent unsavory things from occurring. Ingredients cooked in advance should be cooled slowly, but within a 4-hour period of time, and when reheating foods, they must be reheated in the shortest amount of time possible without compromising the doneness. What I didn't know before I read this chapter is that food CAN actually be reheated more than once, as long as they are handled properly during the process. Here I was thinking, once I heat something up, I can't use it again after that!

Another lesson that I've touched upon in the past is the proper way to thaw something from your freezer. My method of choice is in refrigeration...it's a slow process, but someone's gotta do it! That just means transferring your frozen item to the refrigerator and allowing it to thaw over the next 24-48 hours. If you are in a hurry, you can certainly thaw it under running water, but it's best if the water is under 70 degrees, allowing the item to thaw without shocking it with heat. It's possible to cooking something while it's still frozen, but be sure that it is a small piece - otherwise, it will be overcooked on the outside, and still frozen on the inside. No one wants to cut into a frozen chicken breast!

The final part of this chapter touches on the subject of kitchen safety, including health and hygiene. As we all know, we should wash our hands after working with raw meats, use separate cutting boards for meats, and other ingredients, and keep a generally clean working environment in the kitchen. However, did you know that the chef's jacket is double-breasted, creating a double layer of cloth as protection against steam burns, splashes and spills? That also means that the coat can be rebuttoned on the other side, in order to hide massive spills that could occur. The chef hats are meant to contain hair, but also absorb sweat, something no diner wants dripping into their entree!

My biggest takeaway from this chapter is the way I will organize my refrigerator from now on. The chapter talks about storing things appropriately, meat going on lower shelves to avoid drippage onto innocent vegetables, and keeping things that must be the coldest in the back of the fridge, while leafy greens and herbs can stay towards the front, where they'll be kept cool, but not freezing. I will definitely be taking these ideas to heart as I unpack the next load of groceries that I bring home. A cool veggie is a crisp veggie!

MonaVie: Get Your Daily Dose!

When I sat down with Dawn McGee, an independent distributor of MonaVie products, it was with an open mind that I listened to her story. Twenty-five years ago, she took a ski trip with friends, and came back with significant knee injuries that created the need for surgery, on multiple occasions. After the most recent procedure, doctors recommended a daily dose of glucosamine to help her joints, but they came in a large pill format, and it was inconvenient. She just never got around to it.

One day, she walked into her salon for a manicure, and saw a lovely bottle sitting on the counter. Thinking she was going to have a nice glass of wine with her spa treatment, she settled in for a relaxing afternoon, but what she learned was that this bottle held something other than wine. Instead, she was inspired by the tastes in the juice that came pouring into her glass, full of berries (including Acai), fruits, and best of all, glucosamine along with many of the vitamins and minerals we never get enough of on a daily basis. Now she drinks MonaVie every day, for better-feeling joints and muscles, but she's not just a drinker, she's also a distributor.

MonaVie operates by word-of-mouth advertising and independent distribution around the globe! Dawn realized that not only could she pay for her own supply of MonaVie products by sharing them with others, but she liked working for herself, and was doing really well. She seems thrilled to share her experiences as a marketer for the brand, but also her personal feelings as well. She truly stands behind the product that she recommends, and that goes a long way in this market where everyone needs a review or a referral to trust a product.

These products are sold in many denominations...you can buy one bottle, or go so far as to have a monthly shipment automatically sent to your door. In order to drink the recommended daily amount, you would need to order a case per person per month. But, however you find yourself supplementing your diet with this nectar, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Dawn explained to me that the fruits we eat today don't hold as many nutrients as they did in, say, the 1950's. For instance, we would have to eat a ridiculous amount of peaches in order to be getting the nutrients equivalent to one peach eaten in 1950. Our soils have been so depleted in the last 60-or-so years that no one is getting what they need from our produce anymore. The ingredients in MonaVie are sourced from all over the world, and because the fruits grow in the wild, which means that Mother Nature takes care of re-energizing the soil, making sure that the essential vitamins and minerals do not become depleted.

The Health Juices come in five flavors: Essential, Active, Pulse, (M) Mun, and Kosher. The Pulse blend focuses on nutrients needed to make for a healthy heart, and contains enough plant sterols that the FDA says it may reduce cholesterol. The (M) Mun blend strengthens the body's immune system, while the Active blend (Dawn's drink of choice) focuses on joint health and can also protect against free radicals. The Essential blend is just that...the essential juice for your health in general, and if you're kosher, you can get those same benefits from the final, Kosher blend.

MonaVie also offers a range of weight control products, energy drinks, and they even have a gel packet that offers a quick jolt of Acai for a burst of energy and vitamins. Dawn gave me a few of those to try since my allergies have been acting up, and it was quite a refreshing shot. It's fresh, tasty, and it feels like you are putting something good in to your body when you have it.

You can contact Dawn about purchasing some MonaVie at your convenience, via her website, MVAcai. She'll also be doing a tasting this Thursday and Friday at Smuggler's Notch Ski Resort, in Vermont. If you are going to be in the area, stop in and say hi to Dawn, try some of her products and give it a shot for yourself. Tell her that all of us here at Mise En Place say hello!

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. 

Happy Holidays!

From our home to yours, we wish you the happiest of holidays for you and your loved ones! (Hope your dinners were as delicious as ours!!!)

Good Eatings!!!

Part One: Chapter Three: The Basics of Nutrition and Food Science

In this chapter, I learned about the basics of nutrition, and how they can be applied to the culinary arts. It is imperative that industry experts impart their knowledge on customers and consumers alike. The knowledge of fats, carbs, proteins, vitamins and minerals can play an integral part in the building of a menu that can offer health benefits to its diners. Portion control is another big factor. 

In the next section of the chapter, I learned about the basics of food science. The effects of heat on starches and sugars, different forms of heated cooking, and even emulsifiers hold a place in this category. All cooking is really science, as the effect of one thing on another causes the outcome of the finalized dish. In baking, this science is even more important, since the exact amounts of diffferent ingredients interact to make either the perfect moist cake, or the dry crumbly one that goes right into the trash! 

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It's been a busy week, full of getting ready for the holidays, and wacky changes in weather that are causing my allergies to act up! Apologies for not writing more this week, but we'll get back on track soon! Congratulations again, to elle.dub, for winning the Share the Health! Popchip giveaway! Happy holidays to all my readers, enjoy the weekend and if you find a particularly fabulous dish, comment and let us know about it!

And the winner is....

Well, the Share the Health! Popchips giveaway has come to a close, and I've drawn a winner! Drum roll, please...

elle.dub, please step forward!!! You are the proud winner of a case of Popchips, in your choice of flavors!

Please email me at meredith53@gmail.com to claim your prize! Include your name and address, and your holiday shipment of Popchips will be on it's way shortly!

Thanks to all who entered. I hope to bring you another giveaway in the very near future! Stay tuned!!!

Healthy and Fresh

I finally got my act together and planned a menu for the upcoming week. It was a necessary evil, as I just found out we'll be having my in-laws in house for Christmas Eve, as well as Christmas Day, so I had to have a plan! While I was at it, I planned out the rest of the week as well. Be sure to click over to the Current Menu tab to check it out. With all the holiday plans and get-togethers, it's been hard to find time to eat a meal at home. I'm looking forward to a whole week's worth of them!

I really wanted something healthy, and full of fresh ingredients for tonight's dinner, but I had some chicken breasts in the fridge that I needed to use, so I built my meal around that. I opened Tender by Nigel Slater, knowing I'd find exactly what I was looking for, and in fact, I did.

This simple recipe of warm chicken, served over a bed of swiss chard, green beans and tomatoes is as fresh as fresh can be! I didn't open a single jar, or bottle, aside from the olive oil...everything came from the produce department! My first order of business was to get a few pots of water boiling on the stove, and then I set to prepping my ingredients. I purchased rainbow chard, because it's just so pretty, and I separated the leaves from the stems, chopping both in anticipation of cooking. I also trimmed the green beans while the water was beginning to boil.

I finely minced a small shallot, and mixed that with some lemon juice, chopped mint, a pinch of salt and olive oil in a container with a top. I shook it all together until it was emulsified, and set it aside to dress the salad.

As the water in my two pots began to boil, I heated my grill pan and seasoned my chicken breasts. A little salt, a little pepper, and a little chopped rosemary goes a long way! I cooked the chicken quickly, until both sides were golden with wonderful-looking grill marks, but I left it a bit undercooked. Instead, I placed the meat on a plate, and covered it with a bowl to keep the heat in, allowing it to continue cooking as it rested. 

While the chicken rested, I cooked the green beans in one pot, and the chard stems in the other, for about 3 minutes. With 30 seconds left, I added the chard leaves to the pot while I drained the green beans. The beans and the chard (stems and leaves) got tossed in a bowl with the tomatoes, and the dressing I made earlier. At this point, I sliced the chicken breasts into about 4 slices each, and placed them atop the salads, with a bit more dressing. It made for a beautiful plate of healthy, fresh food. Sometimes, it's wonderful to sit down to a summery meal on a cold winter's day, and while I used more wintery vegetables, the resulting dish was bright, light and made me wish for spring!

Now that dinner is done, I can tuck into Chapter 3 of The Professional Chef, and write about that a bit later tonight. 

I also want to remind everyone that there's still time to win a case of Popchips! I've only got one entry so far, and you can't win if you don't enter! Be sure to scroll down to the prior post, entitled Share the Health! and comment in order have a chance at winning! The contest ends on Wednesday night, so be sure to comment ASAP!!

Share the Health! Popchips Holiday Giveaway

Think of a chip…that hasn’t been fried. Okay, got it? Now, think of a chip…that hasn’t been baked either. Can you think of any?

Enter…Popchips! A healthier, more delicious alternative to chips, and snacking as a whole! The process starts with potatoes, just plain potatoes, which are then added to a little heat and pressure…this makes each potato slice, well, “Pop!” There is no fake anything, this product is all-natural, and tasty to boot!

Popchips have no trans fat, no saturated fat, fewer calories and more chips per serving than other products on the market. And, believe it or not, they are even improving the product as we speak! By August 2012, Popchips will have an average of 30% less sodium than they have now (280mg). I love a company that is constantly improving upon a good thing, to make it even better for their consumers! These chips are even kosher and vegan-friendly!

That’s why I think this is a perfect time of year to talk to you about them! Now is the time of year when we go to parties, and host parties, and snack on all sorts of delicious treats made by friends and co-workers…but, to what end? We only realize after the holidays are over that there are a few extra pounds we now have to shed at the gym. But, what if there was a snack that you could bring to a party, that was delicious, and fun…but also, guilt-free?! No one has to KNOW they are guilt-free, because they don’t taste it, but you’ll feel better about snacking at a party with these on the table. Choose between Original, BBQ, Sour Cream & Onion, Cheddar, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Salt & Pepper, Parmesan & Garlic, Jalapeno and Chili Lime. Yum!

Thankfully, I’ve made a few friends over at Popchips and they’ve offered to host a giveaway to one of my lucky readers, for a case of Popchips, in the flavor of their choice! All you have to do is comment on this post, telling us where you’ll be bringing Popchips this holiday season. Once I’ve chosen a winner (at random), I will post that here, and also send an email to the winner to get their full name and shipping address. (Unfortunately, this contest is limited to residents of the United States. Apologies to all of my international readers…I’ll organize something for you guys as soon as possible!)

There can only be one winner of this giveaway, but I am working hard to bring more and more contests to the site, and I’m really excited to get them going. So, leave your comment, and let us all know how you’ll use your case of Popchips this holiday season! One lucky reader will be enjoying them clear through to the new year! And the rest of you, you can all get them at your local grocery store chains. For specific locations, check here.

Pick up your Popchips, and … SHARE THE HEALTH!!!