Last night i was lucky enough to reunite with an old high school friend, who is a culinary chef. I discovered much about the way in which a passion for food can span across many professions. I often think that nutritionists must be the only career that loves to analyze food and think about food, but i fail to give credit to the chefs who make masterpieces with food and help people fall in love with food.
Our conversation helped me realize that culinary cooking is much different than the cooking classes I take in my education at Bastyr University. But especially in Seattle, culinary cooking is becoming more advanced with incorporating nutrition aspects. Many restaurants are having to prepare gluten free items and be knowledgeable about food allergens and additives. As my friend stated, the two hot topics in the culinary world are locality and simplicity. This sounds very similar to themes across my nutrition education. I think in the future, it will be important for nutritionists and chefs to "share notes." At least that is what came up in our conversation, because we need them to make the food taste delicious and they need us to educate them on how to make food health promoting. Even with the economy, people are still choosing to eat out and I always think people will make room in their budgets for good restaurants.
Overall, when people have a passion for food, amazing things come of it. For my chef friend, he loves his job, because the food he makes will always be apart of the memory that his customers make in his restaurant. I love my career, because food holds so much emotion for people, and i want to help my clients heal from negative emotions around food and gain control over their nutrition.
I encourage anyone with a passion for food to study what aspect intrigues them, and cultivate it into a career. Food is love, sorrow, happiness, grief, and memories are made with it many times a day. There is so much work to be done in the growing field of nutrition and cooking, and i feel so privileged to be apart of it.
Just for fun, check out to search for local cooking school in your area!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Simple Mango Salsa
So lately my creative juices haven't been very apparent in the kitchen. Stress about finals could be a reason for that, and that i just don't have the time to cook an ellaborate meal. However, last night i made mango salsa for a potluck at school today, and was very satisfied with my beautiful creation of colors and flavors. The best part was how easy, simple, and yet relaxing it was to prepare it in the kitchen last night.
Today at the potluck, i was asked about the recipe. I kinda chuckled to myself because I thought, "why would someone want a recipe for something as simple as mango salsa?" I realized that anything that is created in the kitchen, deserves to have pride behind it, whether it be simple or ellaborate. Also many times people underestimate how simple salsa can be, or perhaps a recipe gives them security that they are making it right. For me, it is a lesson and a reminder to myself that things can be simple. Just because i am studying nutrition, doesn't mean i have to always cook meals that reflect my knowledge. Sometimes i just want to pop open a can of beans, mix some salsa into it and still have it taste good. Well I accomplished my goal of making something that tasted good and allowed me to be humble in the kitchen.
For now here is my Simple Mahgo Salsa recipe:
1 large mango, cut into chunks
4 medium roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
Juice from a lemon and lime
1 bunch cilantro
1 cup of prepared organic valley salsa (any prepared fresh salsa will do)
I can of organic black beans
pinch of salt
See . . i told you it was simple!
Enjoy your food in any form!
Today at the potluck, i was asked about the recipe. I kinda chuckled to myself because I thought, "why would someone want a recipe for something as simple as mango salsa?" I realized that anything that is created in the kitchen, deserves to have pride behind it, whether it be simple or ellaborate. Also many times people underestimate how simple salsa can be, or perhaps a recipe gives them security that they are making it right. For me, it is a lesson and a reminder to myself that things can be simple. Just because i am studying nutrition, doesn't mean i have to always cook meals that reflect my knowledge. Sometimes i just want to pop open a can of beans, mix some salsa into it and still have it taste good. Well I accomplished my goal of making something that tasted good and allowed me to be humble in the kitchen.
For now here is my Simple Mahgo Salsa recipe:
1 large mango, cut into chunks
4 medium roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
Juice from a lemon and lime
1 bunch cilantro
1 cup of prepared organic valley salsa (any prepared fresh salsa will do)
I can of organic black beans
pinch of salt
See . . i told you it was simple!
Enjoy your food in any form!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Teaching turns into learning moments
This Spring Quarter, I was able to be a Teacher's Assistant for a cooking class at Bastyr University called Therapeutic Whole Foods cooking. I was thrilled for the chance to be a TA, mostly because i loved the class so much when i took it and now i was getting the chance to experience it again, but this time by shopping for the weekly menu and tasting the student's food each week.
The quarter is coming to a close, and I can honestly say that i got so much more out of being a TA for this class than i thought i would. Moslty because i opened my mind to listen to the messages that my body was giving me about the food i was tasting. In the end i think the students in the class taught me something about the way i was experiencing food.
A few things i learned about myself through this experience was how i learned about the importance of shopping for a cooking class. First of all, so much more fun to venture around PCC and collect items for the weekly menu than grocery shopping on my limited and small budget. I think that i have realized that i don't shop for myself the way i should, with my senses and listening to my hunger cues.
The most important thing i discovered this quarter was how food tastes differently based upon who is cooking it and the kind of intention and thought that goes into it. The class is set up so that each station prepares the same meal with the same ingredients. Myself and the cooking instructor sample the menu items from each station. There were so many times when the soup of one group tasted completely differnet from another, or the consistency of the bread was different based upon if they used egg yolk or egg whites. I loved getting the chance to share in the hard work and effort of each group and sit down to share their meal as a community of eaters and food lovers. I felt honored that they had prepared the meal and that i was to share it with them. This quarter i started eating some meat, after not having it for about a year. One day i just felt that my body was craving it and the students had preparred some organic grass fed lamb. We were doing a class on elevated needs and i couldnt help but think how my meat-deprived body was needing some elevated nutrient. There could be no better time than that day to allow my body to benefit from the nourishment of the love and nutrients the students had made that day. Since then, i have been trying all the food the class has prepared as a way to honor the messages in my body as well as the efforts of the chefs.
I think it is important to always pay attention to the way food tastes and feel in our body because of the love and intention behind it. I encourage you to begin seeing each meal this way and eat therapeutically even if you were the one who cooked the meal!
Happy cooking!
The quarter is coming to a close, and I can honestly say that i got so much more out of being a TA for this class than i thought i would. Moslty because i opened my mind to listen to the messages that my body was giving me about the food i was tasting. In the end i think the students in the class taught me something about the way i was experiencing food.
A few things i learned about myself through this experience was how i learned about the importance of shopping for a cooking class. First of all, so much more fun to venture around PCC and collect items for the weekly menu than grocery shopping on my limited and small budget. I think that i have realized that i don't shop for myself the way i should, with my senses and listening to my hunger cues.
The most important thing i discovered this quarter was how food tastes differently based upon who is cooking it and the kind of intention and thought that goes into it. The class is set up so that each station prepares the same meal with the same ingredients. Myself and the cooking instructor sample the menu items from each station. There were so many times when the soup of one group tasted completely differnet from another, or the consistency of the bread was different based upon if they used egg yolk or egg whites. I loved getting the chance to share in the hard work and effort of each group and sit down to share their meal as a community of eaters and food lovers. I felt honored that they had prepared the meal and that i was to share it with them. This quarter i started eating some meat, after not having it for about a year. One day i just felt that my body was craving it and the students had preparred some organic grass fed lamb. We were doing a class on elevated needs and i couldnt help but think how my meat-deprived body was needing some elevated nutrient. There could be no better time than that day to allow my body to benefit from the nourishment of the love and nutrients the students had made that day. Since then, i have been trying all the food the class has prepared as a way to honor the messages in my body as well as the efforts of the chefs.
I think it is important to always pay attention to the way food tastes and feel in our body because of the love and intention behind it. I encourage you to begin seeing each meal this way and eat therapeutically even if you were the one who cooked the meal!
Happy cooking!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Worshiping My Solar Plexus
The Sun has been vibrantly out in Seattle the past week . .only to hide behind the clouds this weekend, but these past few days of no sun hasn't affected me a bit, because lately i have been having a craving for another type of solar energy . . . .
About a month ago i started my obsession back up with Mangoes. To me they are the most loveliest fruit and have been such a great addition to my morning yogurt with bananas, also a yellow food. ( notice the color scheme) Corn season couldn't have come any sooner. I have been eating corn in many different ways. We had a corn-roasting party at midnight a few weeks ago over our fire pit in the back yard. I also introduced my two friends to roasting over the barbecue while we were at the lake cabin. They didn't believe me that you could keep the husk on the corn, place it on the BBQ, and trust the rest to the grill . . turned out crunchy and sweet. My boyfriend and I have used our oven to cook the corn, and last night at a BBQ we enjoyed some boiled corn. In fact, i recall that at the BBQ last night, while everyone was eating the hot dogs and sausages, my plate looked a little unbalanced: Corn on the cob and a corn salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. I finished up the leftover corn while others got seconds on the meat! Also last week, while working at the juice bar, I felt very drawn to the pineapple, snacking on pieces throughout the day! I have always been a big fan of bananas for breakfast, but this last week, i have been craving them in the afternoon before my daily workout! Lastly, i have been eating a lot of jack fruit which is a sweet tropical fruit that I ate a lot of when i was in Vietnam ( see the picture above).
So anyone notice a pattern here? It's definitely staring at me like a big sun shinning in my eyes . . . . yes, i have been obsessed with yellow color foods! Now normally, this would concern me a little, except for the fact that i bought a book last week that confirms my behavior as normal and totally appropriate if we look to the vibrational energy of the food i am eating. According to Deanna M. Minich, Ph.D., C.N. and her book: Chakra Foods for Optimum Health, the vibration of food interacts with our internal vibration so we should eat foods that have the vibrational food that we are lacking in. Low energy yellow foods can both stimulate and balance the solar plexus charkra which represents fire, inspiration, accomplishment, and self-esteem. This chakra liberates energy and carbohydrates. I feel that i need to stimulate this chakra within my own life because of my digestion problems and my high need for intellectual stimulation among other things. This chakra is the one most people in American need help balancing!
Healthy low glycemic food that will sustain the Solar Plexus are legumes, hummus, broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables, barley, oatmeal, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts,nut butters, apples, berries, cherries, and yellow, tan, and golden foods like pineapple, plantain, corn, ginger, yellow squash, lentils, amaranth, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and cornmeal.
I encourage anyone with an interest in how foods can improve their energy to check out Deanna's website at www.foodandspirit.com for more information!
Okay off to eat some sunny yellow eggs for breakfast!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Studying and Coconut Dreams
Today was a very productive day which needed to happen in order to perserve my sanity for upcoming finals week. However, i was not as sucessful in catering to my nutritional needs. I know that when i get busy and start working on a project, i can actually feel my body's sympathetic nervous system being turned on. I have never been one of those people who "snack" a lot on bad junk food while trying to study. Oh no, I am the opposite, letting my mind run wild, rapidly writing my papers, and not much thought on the needs of my stomach.
This of course isn't the first time i have realized my extreme nature surrounding my forgetfulness about eating while doing homework. I know that food is fuel for the brain, but just can't simply stop myself and cook up something in the kitchen. I did however have a delicous coconut smoothie with blended cashews from a new restaurant by my house, called Thrive. http://www.generationthrive.com/. It was the perfect addition to studying, because it was cold, creamy, and I could sip on it while i divulged myself in my readings. Coconut is a great source of saturated fat for vegetarians and in traditional chinese medicine, it can help clear the effect of summer heat and quenches thirst. Cashews are in fact the nut with the least amount of fat!
Most importantly it brought me back to my trip to Vietnam last summer. It has almost been a year since i took my first trip overseas and indulged in all the tropical fruits the country had to offer. We drank coconuts morning, noon, and night, mostly because of the abundance of them and their ability to quench our thirsts when it felt like 150 degrees outside. My favorite memory was heading to the local market on old bikes, and having another coconut craving, we had to tie the coconuts to the back of our bikes. The locals got quite a laugh at our attempts to be "tourists" at the market and willing to try and bike ride home on a rusty old bike loaded down with coconuts. We definitely had some "junk in the trunk" that day!
So I was highly satisfyed with my drink today that brought back such vivid memories. Perhaps if I dont think i have time to stop and eat while I'm cramming for finals, i can try to surround myself with a particular food that evokes a memory of happiness, relaxation, and comfort. Happy Studying!
Angie
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