Oven Bake Your Crab Cakes !

Everyone who loves crabs loves crab cakes. But as delicious as they are they are still a fried food, and as we all know, fried food is not the best for anyone’s diet no matter how good of a cook you are. The rumor is that if you are a really good cook and fry your foods at the proper temperature, that the oil does not seep into the food but rather makes everything crisp….guess what, it is still fried food!

Now don’t get me wrong, I love a nice crispy fried crab cake as much as the next person, but I also need to watch what I eat from time to time. So I love crab cakes, but this summer has already wrecked my diet enough with all the BBQ’s and my brother-in-law's outdoor pizza oven, so the solution...OVEN BAKE THEM!

No one ever thinks to oven bake crab cakes and most people like to go out to a restaurant and pay top dollar to get some. Either people say that they are too hard to make or that they don’t want to cook indoors in the summer. Well, since I am not slaving over a hot flame to make these and instead I am just putting the oven on, it really does not seem like a big deal to me. I have to admit that some of the crab cake recipes I have seen are very complicated, but mine is not.  In fact, when baked in the oven, it leaves very little to clean up. Needless to say this is a lot healthier than frying them in oil. I have the recipe for crab cakes in my cookbook (Loving Food Again) which are fried, but the recipe is still the same minus the corn starch.

To make them, just take your favorite crab cake recipe, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, bake them at 400° for about 15 minutes. In my oven they came out crispy and a nice light golden brown. Since all ovens cook differently, and if you notice yours aren't that color, pop the broiler on high for a minute or two and that should do the trick.

Oven Baked Crab Cakes

(The Crab Cakes shown above are Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free and Soy Free with the exception of the Spicy Old Bay Mayonnaise on the side of the dish)

Do they taste the same?  You bet. I had the world’s foremost critic on crab cakes try them out…my wife. In fact I don’t know anyone who loves crab cakes more than her. When she was done eating them her only words to me besides yummy were “what, no more?"

So go ahead and oven bake ‘em…and maybe save a little extra on your waistline and in the meantime, make your heart happy.


Resources:
Loving Food Again (the cookbook): http://lovingfoodagain.com/

Man-Myths Debunked!

This is what we will call an “Everything Else” article on the blog. I mean the blog is called Food Living and Everything Else and I have certainly spoken about food and living, so I find myself writing about something in the “everything else” category today. The reason, because I read a few articles lately about what women think about men and top 10 lists like “what your man does wrong” and quite frankly it annoyed me. So here we go……

When it comes to the Men, women seem to have a lot of untrue factoids floating around in their heads as to what we are all about. A good amount of this information is actually inaccurate and is really just a bunch of myths perpetuated over decades of movies, television and other women talking bad of their own personal relationships gone wrong to other women. I mean sure, there are always a few bad apples in the bunch, but as a whole men are not that bad, and certainly not the marriage fearing, cheating, inarticulate morons these top 10 lists you see in magazines make us out to be. Yes, we are clueless when it comes to figuring out what women want for their birthdays and have no idea what to actually say when our significant other asks “do these jeans make me look fat” (and BTW; that is a loaded question!) or “didn’t you even notice my new haircut?” In all honesty, that is not because we do not care, just that we are less observant and we tend to say things first and worry about the consequences later. As opposed to women who are typically very detail oriented and are always thoughtful of what the outcome their words may have after they have said them. Heck, those are two of the greatest things about women to us. It is why women can decorate and make a beautiful home, have the itinerary for every vacation ready before we leave and give us a pat on the back for the most menial of tasks, like mowing the lawn.

So what are some of these untrue factoids I refer to?...I am glad you asked. Here are some that should sound all too familiar to women everywhere: men have a fear of commitment\marriage, men do not communicate, all the good ones are taken (I guess that means only the bad ones are left), all men cheat, nice guys are boring, men are intimidated by smart and successful women, guys aren’t thoughtful

Come on, these are all movie clichés at best. Let’s break this down:

Men fear commitment: really?? There are an awful lot of us out there who are married and we didn’t have to be dragged down the aisle to the altar to get that way. I have all but three single friends out of at least thirty. I for one am married and recall, I asked her.

Men do not communicate: this is wrong. Men do communicate, we just do it with less words and a bit slower than women. Seems it has now been scientifically proven that women can process 20,000 words a day compared to men who can process only about 7,000 (a study conducted by Louann Brizendine at the University of California). Apparently this is biological and is said to start at the fetal stage. This on top of the fact that women have four times as many brain cells connecting the right and left side of their brain which allows women to solve problems on multiple levels, where as men rely mostly on the left side of the brain. Which is really just scientific jargon for saying “our brains are wired different”. I guess sometimes we are just at a loss for words but, that does not mean we were not listening, don’t care or are not communicating. Just give us a little longer and we’ll get to the conclusion, just a bit slower than you.

All the good ones are taken: totally bull…. My three friends I spoke about earlier who are all single are all awesome guys. Women are just not looking in the right place or are looking in all the wrong ones. This can be said for both men and women of course, but men do not go around saying “all the good women are taken.” Here is one thing you shouldn’t do to meet a great guy: going out to bars and clubs to pick up. Why? Because just about everyone you meet has at least a buzz going on and liquor is a false truth serum. It makes guys flex more, like a male peacock showing his off his feathers to get a mate. One reason for this may be that we fall into the trappings of the media and think every guy has to be macho, arrogant and built to be to be with a woman, which typically translates into moronic behavior on our part. Very similar to the issue women have with the media showing how every woman is skinny, has the best hair, best complexion and is perfect…none of us are perfect!

All men cheat: no, some men cheat, as do some women. Sure people cheat, but out of all the people I know who are married or are in relationships I can count only TWO, and one of those was a woman. There are also many factors that may contribute to this: one partner neglects the other one for too long, one partner (or both) is just not happy with the other anymore, they just are not meant to be. So if you hear your friends talking about so and so who was cheated on remember, there are two sides to every story. Personally, I believe that if the relationship is that bad you should get out and do it the right way with honesty and not by cheating.

Nice guys are boring: I guess I missed the memo on this one. Just because a guy seems polite and is more down to earth, as opposed to the other guy who is bragging about windsurfing in Calli or his future plans to climb Everest, does not mean he is boring. I consider myself a nice guy, but that does not mean I didn’t play Hockey for 22 years, that I am not a really great skier or don’t want to go to Mexico for a second very romantic Honeymoon with my wife. I know lots of nice guys who are not boring, and on the other hand I know a lot of guys who are body builders and only think about protein shakes and working out and have no clue how to enjoy life….now that is pretty boring!

Men are intimidated by smart and successful women: please….my wife does the bills and I can barely add. If not for her supreme budgeting powers we would be living in the gutter because I would think it is OK to buy a new golf club every day. She has an amazing professional career and can think circles around me. On top of that, I could care less who makes more money in our house. Hey, make as much as you want. And if it is that much of a paycheck, I’ll stay home and drive the kid to school, clean the house and make dinner every night. Stay at home Dad, I WELCOME THE IDEA OF THAT!

Guys are not thoughtful: heck, no one told me…from the day I met my wife I have been drumming up ways to surprise her on almost a daily basis, and I do so with a lot of planning and detail. Even the day I proposed to her was a series of events that took a lot of thought to make it happen the right way. But it is not just the “going for broke” type attitude that makes a man thoughtful, in my opinion it is actually the little things. Things like pulling out her chair, asking her if she wants something from the kitchen when you are both watching the tube and you are going in for a snack, or even telling her to take a break and go to the SPA. So between the big and the small we are thoughtful and most guys I know are like this. If there are guys who aren’t, get with it... women like when you are thoughtful and even the smallest gesture never goes unnoticed!

I am sure there are a lot of woman out there who are going to read this article and scream bloody murder. But before you crucify me and try to debunk all that I have outlined, know that I also agree that is not easy to find the right guy. Yes, there are loads of guys, but a relationship that ends up in marriage is something that has to be a perfect fit for two people. People who are complete opposites or totally alike who get married and make it work have that one thing in common if nothing else, that they fit and are right together. Needless to say, love both ways is a must. So if you are in dating hell and cannot find the right fit, it may be time to rethink your strategy on where to meet the right guy.

But please don’t take this article as the last word on man-myths debunked. Besides the scientific facts, and to confirm that the rest of the man-world thinks as I do, or somewhat agrees, and also believes that these “man-myths” that women think are not true, I went on a little fact finding mission by way of some interviews with random people at the Galway Hooker Pub on 36th street in NYC. I asked men to read the list I outlined above and tell me what they thought of it and to isolate one thing that particularly irked them. I also asked women to read the list and tell me if they thought it was true or not when it came to men. Here is what they said and what I found out:

MEN (Cody): found the entire list to be inaccurate but particularly had issues with # 3 (all the good ones are taken). He explained that he is a really nice guy and feels as though he has been stepped over a few times because of it. He had a specific experience in mind when telling me this and went on to say that the girl ended up picking the other guy, who was a real jerk.

MEN (Dustin): had something very similar to what Cody said above but had issues with # 2 on the list (men do not communicate). He said that we certainly do and said that communicating in a relationship is very important.

MEN (Joe): Joe agreed that the majority of the list was false but also admitted he himself is not the greatest of communicators in his relationship. He found the last one on the list to be utter bull (guys are not thoughtful). He said he is always doing little things here and there for his wife and does it without her asking. He knows she appreciates it and she tells him all the time he is very thoughtful.

WOMEN (Katie): she found the list to be mostly untrue. She did think that men fear commitment and that men are intimidated by smart women were true though.

WOMEN (Kristen): she said the list was basically all false except she felt as though men are intimated by smart women to be true.

WOMEN (the Bartender, Brianna): her thought was that the entire list is utterly untrue. She went on to say that she believes that these stereotypes come about and continuously perpetuate because of people always talking about the BAD things that happened in their relationships. Her theory is that someone will always have a story that can fit right into any one of the items on the list, so the list will forever be the stereotype. She also said that there are lots of bad apples out there but, they are both men AND women.

So it seems both men and women agree that these stereotypes are mostly just myth and not fact. Sure, some guys agreed that they are not expert communicators and I even had a guy admit that he was a nice guy and was in fact pretty boring. But for the most part, they see the list as magazine hype used to sell copies. I was actually more surprised by the women who looked at the list. Every time a woman read the list there was the same reaction, they laughed. One woman even said that if guys were like this we would all be the spawn of Satan.

So there you have it, man-myths debunked…for the most part. What’s your take on the list of man-myths? Write a comment, I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Gluten Free Bisquick (Zucchini Pie)

About a week ago, before I went to Ohio to attend a family wedding, a mysterious package showed up on our doorstep. My wife opened it, probably thinking it was a pair of shoes, and there it was, a box of Betty Crocker’s new GLUTEN FREE BISQUICK, and was I ever excited! OK, maybe to you this is not the most exciting product to get in the mail, but to me this is something I have been awaiting for a long time. As soon as I found out the product was coming out, I was told by the great people at Betty Crocker that I would receive a box of it as soon as it was released so I can cook up a storm and do a review. So there it was. I just had to wait until I got back from Ohio to cook something. Needless to say, every biscuit and pancake I saw while in Ohio made me think of my lonely box of GF Bisquick waiting at home, and let me tell you, there are a LOT of pancakes and biscuits in Ohio!

So finally home I was with box in hand, but what to make first? I had to figure that so many other great writers and bloggers like myself must have gotten a box from Betty to make some food and do a write up, so I opted to go with a classic, and my all time favorite right off the box of Bisquick from when I was a kid that my Mother used to make all the time….Zucchini Pie…

Sure, Bisquick can do biscuits, pancakes an even be a topping for casseroles, but I have always been a huge fan of zucchini pie. Yes, it is loaded with fattening Parmesan cheese but I am also squeezing in my veggie intake, and besides that it just tastes great! So with great anticipation I set out to recreate my Mom’s Z-Pie recipe (which just about everyone has) so I can make my daughter Gia very happy...and myself of course.

We all know that gluten free flours do not behave like regular gluten containing flours but, since this is a name brand product that has been on the store shelves for years, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt even though this was my first outing with the new product and follow the recipe line for line with no variations. Already thoughts were going through my head when it was baking that it was not going to be moist enough or worse yet, hard and crumbly, which is the problem with a lot of gluten free baking. One thing for sure, the house certainly smelled like the same old pie my Mother made baking away in that oven. 30 minutes later and out of the oven to cool for about 10 minutes and sitting there the pie sure did look exactly the same. 10 minutes gone, time to dig in!

The verdict…SUCCESS! There really was no difference between this new gluten free version of the zucchini pie and the regular gluten containing one. I am so very pleased with this product thus far, as was my daughter Gia who loved it. I still have to make other items with this GF-Bisquick to determine if it will work for all foods (pancakes, biscuits…etc) and I have to admit that this pie does use 4 eggs and a lot of Parmesan cheese which may help to keep it moist. But I cannot deny that the pie rose as it was supposed to and came out with the same exact texture as well.

Since making this pie I see that my local Wegman’s already has it on their store shelves. I suggest that if you are Celiac or Gluten Intolerant you must run out and get a box of this mix, if anything just to make the zucchini pie. Here is the recipe (which is no secret) and a delicious looking picture. After you try it write back to me and tell me how you liked it!

Zucchini Pie (Gluten Free)

Ingredients:
o 3 Cups Zucchini; diced
o 1 ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
o 1 cup onion; diced
o 1 tbsp Parsley
o 4 Eggs; beaten
o 1/3 cup light Olive Oil
o 1 cup Gluten Free Bisquick

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Add all ingredients together and mix well.
3. Grease a 9" pyrex pie plate, add mixture and smooth out the top.
4. Bake at 350°for 30 minutes.
(this is a moist pie so do not expect a knife to come out clean and dry like you would test a cake)

Delicious Gluten Free Bisquick Zucchini Pie

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Resources:
Betty Crocker (Bisquick): http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/bisquick/default.aspx
 
 

Gluten Free Luncheon and Celiac Awareness Event hosted by Schär USA: NYC

A few days ago I was invited to the Schär Luncheon\Celiac Awareness Event in NYC that took place on July 20th at Espace. Schär is a well used product in our house as the food line is all gluten free and a blessing to my wife and daughter, so I was thrilled to be a part of this event. And where the event did revolve around food (which I will get to in due time) the focus was on Celiac Awareness.

For the event, Schär enlisted the help of Dr. Alessio Fasano who is probably the most well known Doctor in the field of Celiac Disease and the director of Celiac Disease Research at the University of Maryland. He brought a good amount of levity to his material while going through his power point presentation, which in my opinion a professional is always a useful tool in keeping people interested in the content, and I found his presentation very informative. I learned a lot from his time at the podium which just goes to show you, as much as we think we know about the condition which ails us or our loved ones, there is nothing like the teachings of a trained professional. This is especially true of someone when that person is passionate and caring about his work and genuinely cares for the health of others. He pointed out some already well known facts, but he also enlightened us on other new findings as well as the economic impact Celiac Disease has on our health care systems in untested patients vs. mass population screening for Celiac Disease, and the figures he presented quite frankly where staggering.

After Dr. Fasano was finished with his presentation members of the Schär team spoke including: Hannes Berger, the President and CEO of Schär USA and Ann Roland Lee, the Director of Nutritional Services for Schär USA. They spoke about the company and its impact in the European market, Schär’s plans for expansion within the U.S., concerns about nutrition in gluten free products and even mentioned upcoming products which I think will do very well on the gluten free market. Two of these products were: new freezer section type breads and frozen ready-made sandwiches. I was also very impressed with the company’s take on Celiac Disease and its impact on our health and overall well being, as they seemed very caring and less like a company just looking to add dollar signs to their bottom line.

Anne Roland Lee (Director Of Nutritional Services, Schar USA)

Hannes Berger (President and CEO, Schar USA)

Now onto the food and people.

John Rarrick of Bulls Eye PR put together quite an event for Schär. He enlisted the help of a well known NY Chef named Jason Munger, who was one of the chefs at the recent 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards at Avery Fisher Hall in NYC. He also invited a fine list of “who’s who” in the media community which included people from Celiac Organizations, newspaper journalists and some big names in the social media world of blogging (like me!)...OK, I am not the biggest fish in the pond here but, it was very rewarding speaking to fellow bloggers who have actually read my blog….self accomplishment, satisfied!

Jason Munger put together a fantastic menu of all gluten free dishes, everything from the hors d'oeuvres to lunch. I myself do not have Celiac Disease nor am I Gluten Intolerant (my wife and daughter are GI) but, I have to say that all of the food was great, and it must have been like a breath of fresh air for the other participants of the day who do have one of these two issues to be able to eat whatever they wanted at an occasion and not have to second guess ingredients or cross contamination. Jason’s menu looked like this:

Passed Antipasti: Mixed Mezze, Assorted Bruschette, Mini Artisanal Pizzas

First Course: Baby Arugula Salad

Main Course: Herb Crusted Fluke with Fusilli, Stuffed Breast of Chicken

Desert: Tiramisu

All menu items were made using Schär products and everything was delicious…trust me, I ate just about everything. Which just goes to show you that gluten free food can taste great. And as you all know from what I say on the blog and in my cookbook (Loving Food Again), is that “there is only one kind of food and that is great food!”

Chef Jason Munger

The short list of bloggers and great people who I had the pleasure to meet were Gluten Free Mike, who I was actually seated next to during lunch, and is well known for his product and restaurant reviews in the gluten free world. Kelly from Celiac Chicks, who I had laughing when I told her that meeting her for me felt like I was meeting someone famous, as I follow her blog avidly. Jennifer North, who is a Director of Development for the NFCA. Lorna Shafir, who is the Director of Consumer Outreach for Kettle Cuisine (a product my daughter just loves). Ilise Ratner, a Certified Health Coach. And Rachel Begun, Nutrition Communications Consultant and a fellow blogger. Every one of these incredible people offers up something different and each conversation with them was as unique as their jobs. Yet there was one thing that makes us all the same, and that is our interest in Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance and working to improve people’s lives that must face it day to day. To be honest, I hope there is another occasion soon where we can all meet again because the amount of time spent at the event was simply not enough.

Resources:
Dr Alissio Fasano: http://www.celiaccenter.org/

Schär USA: http://www.schar.com/us/

NFCA: http://www.celiaccentral.org/

Bulls Eye PR: http://www.bullseyepr.com/

Jason Munger: http://www.jbfawards.com/chefs.html

Celiac Chicks: http://www.celiacchicks.com/

Kettle Cuisine: http://www.kettlecuisine.com/

Ilise Ratner: http://www.go-with-your-gut.com/?2fc0af00

Rachel Begun: http://glutenfreerd.wordpress.com/

Day-cation!

"Wow, I’m beat, this week was murder. I worked late every night, got home only to go right to bed because it was so late and didn’t spend any time with my family…You know what, tomorrow I am taking the family on a Day-cation!”…Clearly this topic needs little explanation after my opening. But just to make it clear to anyone who has no idea what I am talking about; a Day-cation is a day out doing fun stuff with your family, friends or special someone. Not every day stuff mind you. It is a day with no chores, no “honey-do list”, just an all day event where you and yours go someplace relatively local and enjoy yourselves without a care in the word...just like vacation.

This is no novel idea and I am sure many of you do this or something similar now. But, when my family does it we really see it as a mini day vacation. We clear the schedule, gas up the car and go! The abandoning of all other responsibilities makes us feel like we really had a day to ourselves without worry. Let’s face it, we all need this from time to time. It is the perfect way to recharge our batteries (so to speak) and get back on track with life. The only real choice to make is where to go. We are lucky enough to be smack in the middle of one of the most beautiful states, NJ (there is a reason it is called the Garden State people), and are within driving distance of everyplace from NYC to Philly. One of our favorite things to do is to go local, as New Jersey has so many beautiful sleepy towns and party towns alike.

Recently we took a trip to one of our all time favorite places to take a day-cation that is only 25 minutes away from our house, which is Lambertville and New Hope. If you live by us you are probably familiar with these places already, if not, here is the scoop. Lambertville NJ and New Hope PA are basically right on top of each other. They are separated by the Delaware River and are just steps apart from each other by way of a small bridge you can walk or drive across. These areas both have very similar offerings (restaurants, coffee houses, shopping) but each has a little something “area specific” which sets apart. The Lambertville side is more historic and has a wide array of antique shops and coffee houses. The New Hope side is a lot more colorful in that is has more in the way of restaurants, hang outs and one of a kind quirky shops that cater to the contemporary and adventurous shopper alike. Here are some highlights from our trip…….

A view down Main Street in New Hope

A really cool outdoor \ indoor Bar and Restaurant

(Misting Fans) How they keep you cool at some outdoor bars in the summer

Half in and half out of the ground shack on Main Street

Spending time with your family (friends, loved ones) is an invaluable part of life. Making time to take a day-cation may be just what you need to get the stress out of your life and put you back on track for the Monday to Friday grind. I have found that it is these spontaneous getaways that bring the most enjoyment and happiest memories I will ever have. So put down the day planner, black berry and the honey-do list, find a place to go and GO!.....enjoy your day-cation…send me pics!

Resources
Historic Lambertville NJ: http://www.lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org/about.php3
New Hope PA: http://www.newhopepennsylvania.com/

Spicy Hominy Chili (Winner of the Le Creuset Recipe Contest)

Congratulations to Jennifer Rodriguez of West Jordan Utah, she is the winner of the Le Creuset Recipe Contest!

Jennifer’s recipe was one of many chili recipes submitted into the contest, and while all of them were great entries Jennifer’s stood out because of her addition of HOMINY in the chili. I also like the fact that Jennifer’s recipe was basic.

Sometime cooks add way too much to chili, making it hard to pinpoint the flavors which make chili truly outstanding as a one pot meal. I am a big fan of being able to taste your food and always say “simpler is better,” and this recipe is true to exactly that. I am actually a big fan of chili and my favorite elements of chili are meat, beans, tomatoes, onions and cumin and I like to actually taste these layers of flavor. As opposed to other chili’s with too many ingredients (or worse, the canned kind) where all you taste is a big spicy pot of tomato sauce….no bueno!

Her addition of hominy to this dish adds another layer of flavor and texture you would never expect in chili. I have to admit that I did not have much experience with hominy before this and had to do some research about the product (because I must know all things food…my curse). So for all you East Coasters out there, such as myself, who have no clue as to what hominy is, here you go...

Hominy is a corn product created by soaking white or yellow corn kernels in scalding water that is mixed with a solution, such as slaked lime. The soaking forces the kernel to expand so the hull and germ split. This allows the kernel to be easily removed so that the remaining corn substance can be dried. After it has been dried, the whole kernels are soaked in water and a solution mixed with limestone to expand the kernels, which are then boiled, creating a soft puffy food product referred to as Hominy.

So there you have it! Basically it is big, soft, chewy corn that tastes a lot like Masa Harina to me. And yes, I have had chili with corn in it before, but corn does not taste like masa harina. Masa harina is what is used to make 100% fresh soft corn tortillas, so the hominy in this chili almost makes you think you are having a “chili taco bowl”…what’s not to like about that?! I see myself using this product a lot going forward. In fact I have already stocked my pantry with quite a few cans of the stuff.

So without further ado, may I present Jennifer’s winning chili recipe:
 
Spicy Hominy Chili
Ingredients:

• 2 tsp Canola Oil
• 16 oz Ground Beef
• 1 cup Sweet Onion; chopped
• ¾ cup Green Bell Pepper; chopped
• 2 tsp Garlic; minced
• 1 tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• ¼ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
• ½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tbsp Tabasco
• ¼ cup Tomato Paste
• 15 oz. can Red Beans; drained
• 15.5 oz. can Golden Hominy; drained
• 14.5 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1 cup Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
• 3 tbsp Cilantro; chopped

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.

2. Add beef to pan and cook for 6 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan. Sauté for about 4 minutes or until onion has started to soften.

4. Stir in chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; cook for about 2 minutes.

5. Stir in Tabasco, tomato paste, red beans, hominy, diced tomatoes, and beef broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

6. Serve with sour cream, cheese, and cilantro.

RECIPE OPTIONS:

Option 1: There are thick and there are thin chili recipes out there and it is the topic of much debate for some, this is a thinner chili. I however like my chili on the thicker side, so to accomplish that for this particular recipe I just added ½ tsp of cornstarch at the end and let it come to a boil for about 30 seconds while stirring. You can also accomplish this by adding less chicken stock to this recipe, the ratio of which is up to you.

Option 2: If you want to kick up the “smoky” flavor of this dish, add 1 tsp of Smoked Paprika.

This is why people love chili so much. It is a one pot meal that you can add your own personal touch to. If you don’t believe me, just ask the bevy of people who participate in the chili cook off competitions every year!

Side Note: this recipe is Gluten Free. I used Goya products and the company has a listing on it’s website that tells you which of thier canned products are gluten free. Both hominy and red beans are on that list. As always though, it is wise to check all ingredient labels on products when you buy them as manufacturers have the right to change their ingredients at any time..so be safe.

Here are some seriously yummy looking pictures I took of Jennifer's chili when I made it:

DIETS…and your failure to succeed

Have you ever gone on a diet, lost a good amount of weight, only to put it all back on again? Or in a worst case scenario, put on even more than when you started? Well I am here to tell you why and the answer is quite simple, it is because all diets fail!

Diets are a gigantic waste of anyone’s time and there are a million of them out there. They can range anywhere form the “Low Fat Diet” to the “Pizza Diet.” Regardless of the kind of diet, they will all fail. Before I can explain why diets fail it is better that I explain what the word “diet” means to me. People (dieters) see the definition of the word diet to be: limiting your food intake and depriving your body in order to loose weight. In my opinion, this is wrong. My definition of the word diet is: to follow a specific healthy eating regiment…that’s it! This requires a “lifestyle change.” This means to change your eating habits to healthy ones for long-term health and long-term results.

The reason diets fail is because of a word in the actual definition, “depriving.” Depravation is a sure fire way to fall off the wagon when dieting. When a person is depriving themselves from having all of the foods that they enjoy they are surely going to be tempted when their bodies start to crave them, hence setting themselves up for failure. After about a week of going cold turkey without a “ham, egg and cheese on a roll” I am sure a trip past Joe’s Deli on Fifth is going to be a tough place to walk by, especially if that was your favorite breakfast item. I myself am guilty of the deprivation type diet from past endeavor and trust me, there was a lot of falling off the wagon-binging afterwards. So if my theory on why these diets fail is true, then how does a person succeed in the race to reduce inches from ones midsection? This can be summed up in a two part answer,” making the right choices” and “eating more.” “What did he say, eat more?!” That’s right, you heard me.

Clearly I don’t mean you are going to loose weight by eating a cheeseburger from McDonalds every two hours (although this would be nice). Instead I mean eating smaller, healthier meals 4 to 6 times a day. When I say “healthier” I am referring to the “choices” part of my statement above. If you have a choice between the Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing or Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges you should not be choosing the Outback Cheese Fries. And BTW, the Outback Cheese Fries are on the Men’s Health Magazine’s “20 Worst Foods in America” list (seen here: CLICK HERE). Also, making the healthy choice is not always the boring choice. A little cooking know-how and all of your meals could be exciting and delicious. And even if you cannot cook, there is always a healthy option on most fast food places menu.

Now let’s deal with portion control. Healthy food is great but, three bowls of healthy food in a sitting is still fattening. Portion control and frequent eating throughout the day has actually been shown to raise your metabolism. The reason for this is because the more frequently you eat the more active your metabolism is burning more calories. If you deprive yourself (skip meals) then your body basically protects itself from starvation by storing excess calories as fat (you can read about this here: CLICK HERE). I am also not saying eat 6 of the same meals a day. A well rounded diet is always necessary for good health. Here is an example of one of my days to give you an idea of what this type of eating regiment looks like:

• 6AM - Breakfast:
• Yogurt with a banana
• Coffee (although it is not as healthy as tea, I am not depriving myself here).
• 12:30PM – Lunch:
• 
  
  Leftovers from a healthy dinner the night before (e.g. a chicken burger or chicken breast with quinoa or string beans).
• 3PM – Snack:
• An apple or grapes
• 7PM – Dinner:
• Grilled Flank Steak with a mixed greens salad and asparagus.

As you can see I eat 5 times a day instead of 6 times a day, but since I get home late every night I do not feel the need for another healthy snack after dinner. We make plenty of dinner so it can carry over to lunch for the next day at work. It is healthy and I avoid temptation while at work (like the “dirty water hot dog guy” where I would most likely inhale 3 of them with extra red onions, sauerkraut and ketchup). Alos, I get bonus points here as I save some cash during the week. This constant stoking of the fireplace keeps my metabolism revved up by eating healthy food in sensible portions that my body needs. What is really cool about this is that I am never thinking too much about food since I eat so often. Another big danger of the deprivation-type diet (while at work or at home) is that when you skip breakfast and now it is lunch time you are famished and people tend to order way too much food than they can eat and eat it all anyway. This is clearly where the expression “your eyes are too big for your mouth” came from.

What I am describing above pertains to people who have 20 or so extra pounds they want off, or are just looking to make a “lifestyle change” so they can control their weight and health in the LONG RUN. Also, exercise is big part of a healthy lifestyle and it goes hand in hand with proper diet for promoting good all around health. I am not saying we all should go out and join the gym, although it is smart because it keeps you motivated. But, you can at least take a long walk during the day, take the stairs all the time instead of the elevator or even do an at home yoga video in your own living room.

As far as clinically having to go on a diet because your doctor says you need to, well that is a must. If he is telling you this you are overweight and it is a danger to your health. At this point he should be referring you to a professional nutritionist. One who will help create a diet that will look a lot like my above outline, which will allow you to cut back on unnecessary fat and calories (like soda, chips with dip, cake...etc) and to eat healthy during a necessary fast.

Parting note: I am a big fan of eating healthy. I also believe that the deprivation type diet is useless. However, there are times where I allow myself to give in to a little “bad” when it comes to eating. I see it as my reward, if you will, for eating as healthy and sensible as I do. I am practically an angel Monday through Friday, but when the weekend comes I am the first one to say “yes” when a buddy suggests cheeseburgers and beers at TGI Friday’s. I do not care to deprive myself of one of my favorite food combos of all time. I allow myself this for enjoyment and so that I don’t “fall off the food wagon” myself. Hey, you have to splurge sometime!

Resources:

Men’s Health.com: http://www.menshealth.com/men/nutrition/smart-dining-out/avoid-these-foods/article/8a5a2585951b6110VgnVCM20000012281eac/20

Epigree (all about metabolism): http://www.epigee.org/fitness/metabolism.html