On Mortality and Healthy Eating

A couple of weeks ago, I experienced a very uncomfortable situation. I found a lump. I’m very happy to report that it turned out to be nothing serious, yet for about three days, I wasn’t sure that the outcome would be so positive. There are truly life defining moments that we all experience over the years, such as the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, or even a fabulous vacation. Yet thinking about your mortality, even for a short period of time can be incredibly uncomfortable.

During that time between my discovery and the test results, I spent many hours contemplating my past, present and future. I thought about my family, my business, my friends, and my lifestyle. And what I realized during this introspective journey was that life is really incredibly short. I realized that I have not taken enough time to be joyful, that I had not spent enough time taking care of myself, and that I had not told the people that I care about most, how much they are loved.

In fact, on my way driving home from the doctor’s office, my hand instinctively dialed the phone number of a good friend that I had not spoken to in two years. Hearing her voice helped calm my nerves and the fear of the unknown, at least for a little while.

My husband was my rock during those 72 hours and drove back from our Bend store to be present during the tests and discussions. Friends expressed their support and offered their prayers. My employees at both stores were sympathetic and accommodating. It was that support and encouragement that made me strong.

It’s funny, but it was during this time of crisis, that I thought mostly about my diet and how it affects my health. Many of you that know me, realize that I am probably not the healthiest eater in the world. The reasons for this are many. First, I am always on the go and not always able to eat the way I should if I wasn’t so busy (I know this is a very common excuse, but I’m sticking to it!). Second, I really like food that tastes good. Actually, I really love food that tastes great. In my humble opinion (which has so recently been reinforced) is that life is too short to eat foods that taste bad.

So, what foods taste great? Well, certainly those that contain ingredients that may not be so healthy when consumed in large quantities, such as cream, butter, red meat, anything with chocolate, pastries, fried chicken and biscuits, bread, bacon, ice cream, French fries (I agree with Julia Child in her assessment that McDonald’s has the best fries) and potato chips.

Please don’t get me wrong. I do understand that I cannot eat these foods everyday, nor would I want to. No, these foods are truly those that should always be enjoyed in moderation. Yet when I get the French fry craving, I don’t feel too bad about satisfying that urge.

Too often, when we read about health trends in food and cooking, we are given lists of things that should be eliminated from our diets or removed from our shopping lists and cupboards. I believe that is simply the wrong approach.

When I thought about the potential road to treatment and recovery that I might face, I thought not about eliminating things from my diet, but instead, what foods and recipes could I add to my diet that would not only taste great, but also enhance my health options. In my profession, I read a lot of cooking and lifestyle magazines. I also spend a great deal of time reading cookbooks, watching the food network, and researching recipes and cuisines on-line. Yet most of my resources do not address this concept of adding foods to our diet that will help us be more physically active, maintain or improve our health, and help us as we grow older.

I do know that there are resources that do address the issue of diet and what foods help fight cancer, but these sources often present the information in very rigid terms. We are told what not to eat and not what we can add or supplement to make our diets healthier, yet still be full of flavor.

We know so much more today about foods and cuisines from around the world. The cuisine and culture of a population plays a dynamic role in the health of those individuals. The Mediterranean diet, for example, with it’s use of olive oil, nuts, seafood, red wine and leafy greens, is know to reduce the risk of heart disease. The Japanese diet that also includes fish, fresh vegetables, along with soy and limited consumption of breads and other non-complex carbohydrates, also offers health positive advantages. The good news for all of us is that with today’s supermarkets, farmer’s markets, and specialty stores, the availability of the ingredients used in these and many more global cuisines are readily available.

So how does one go about creating an inclusionary diet that give us the health benefits we need, with the taste I crave? It’s actually not that difficult. Start with some of the foods I already love, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, salmon, chicken, lean pork and lamb, nuts of all kinds, spicy olive oils, tangy vinegars, yogurt – (especially Greek yogurt), red wine, dry-aged cheeses such as aged pecorino and parmesan, beans of all kinds, and then simply include those items on my shopping list.

The next step is to make the cooking fast and simple, so that dinner can be on the table quickly and without stress. The trick in doing this successfully is to prepare some of your ingredients in batches in advance, freezing portions for later. You can do the same thing with complete meals, making your own frozen dinners.

One of the favorite recipes from our Confident Cooking Series, fits this bill perfectly! It’s a quick and easy way to steam fresh or frozen salmon, in neat little parchment paper bundles. The most difficult part is the task of cutting up, mincing and grating your fresh herbs and vegetables, but after that, the packets go together quickly and the cooking time in your oven is only about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish. You can also prepare your bundles of fish and veggies completely in advance and either store for a day in your fridge, or place in Ziploc bags and freeze for up to one month. [View Recipe]

I will continue in my quest to include new foods and flavors in my shopping cart and menus that will not only provide great flavor, but also offer health benefits. At the same time, I will continue to enjoy some of my favorite foods – in moderation, of course. I hope to share my discoveries and recipes with my family, friends and students in a way that encourages us all to think about our health and our enjoyment of fabulous foods.

Confident Cooking Graduation, Ashland - 12/16/08

Shop Locally for a Healthy Community - A Letter to our Friends

The following is a Letter to the Community of Ashland, Oregon in the Rogue Valley. It was published December 4, 2008 in Vol. 19, No. 2 of the Sneak Preview. While this letter was addressed to the Ashland Community, the importance of shopping locally, not just during the holidays, but year-round, is an important decision that each person has an opportunity to make, where ever they may live.

Dear Friends,

You have a choice to make this holiday season. your vote will decide the fate of our local communities and our way of life here in the Rogue Valley. Each of you will make decisions that will affect your friends, neighbors, family members, colleagues and more.

We all understand that our economy has experienced an unprecedented decline. Too many folks in our communities are facing unemployment, mortgage foreclosure and a loss of retirement benefits.

It is a time of worry about the future, and a fear of what may come. And although many of us feel that there isn't much we can do to affect the big picture, we each have an opportunity to affect our local communities with the choices we make this season.

All of us are affected, and as local business owners, we feel the pain in numerous ways. All of us who have chosen to open shops and restaurants, or provide services in the Rogue Valley have made those decisions because we love our Valley with a passion that cannot be matched.

We open our doors every day to serve the people who work and play here. Our businesses provide jobs that keep our local economy turning. And many of our companies collectively make up the small town charm and uniqueness that we all treasure.

Since most of us will be spending fewer dollars on holiday gifts this year, I want to appeal to you on behalf of local business owners, by asking all of you to make the decision to shop locally.

Your support will make the difference. If each of us in the Rogue Valley invested $100 in the local economy by shopping local businesses, the result would be an impact of more than $28 million in our community ... $4 million more than if those same dollars were spent with big-box retailers.

Your support could be the deciding factor in whether a business succeeds or fails. And each time a business fails, the community suffers. Each vacant shop or storefront in our downtown area means more jobs lost, downtowns that turn into ghost towns, less dollars and volunteers to support nonprofit organizations, fewer children in our schools creating less dollars coming in to provide for a quality education, and more stress on our local economy.

Where you choose to buy your holiday gifts, the ingredients for your holiday feasts, or what restaurants you choose for holiday get-togethers are the most important decisions you may make this season.

Your choice to visit and support local businesses over large corporations and national chains is vital to the health of our community. And a healthy community is one of the greatest gifts of all.

To all of you who choose to shop and dine locally, we are deeply grateful. Please accept our best wishes for a happy holiday and a prosperous new year.

Sincerely,

Steve and Allyson Holt
Allyson's Kitchen
Downtown Ashland, Oregon

Local Catering in the Current Economy

Our Ashland Deli Manger, Jody Hupp, was interviewed by local newschannel KDRV 12 about the effects of the current economic downturn on local catering businesses. While the nationwide trend has definitely impacted local businesses, the trend towards do-it-yourself home cooking has kept customers interested in our Confident Cooking Series. Surprisingly, in our Bend Location, the demand for Allyson's Cooking Classes has greatly exceeded our expectations and continues to grow. For that, we want to offer a gracious "Thank You" to all our loyal customers.

[Watch video here]

2008 Best of Bend Award

Wow! Now this is exciting! We are so happy to be a part of the Bend Community, but this is a completely unexpected welcome gift. Allyson's Kitchen would like to thank all our customers and cooking school students for their support.

Allyson's Kitchen Receives 2008 Best of Bend Award

U.S. Local Business Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., October 27, 2008 -- Allyson's Kitchen has been selected for the 2008 Best of Bend Award in the Kitchen Accessories category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA)

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Local Business Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Local Business Association
Email: PublicRelations@USLBA.net
URL: http://www.USLBA.net

Ancient Comfort Food - The Tagine is Featured in the Medford Mail Tribune

From the ancient Arab marketplace to gourmet emporiums like Allyson's Kitchen. It's the unlikely path of the tagine, the signature slow-cooked and heavily seasoned dish of Morocco that lately has been embraced by adventurous American gourmets.
...
Traditionally made of clay, tagines allow liquid to slowly evaporate, condense on the chimney-like lid and reinfuse the food with moisture, leading to incredibly tender meat.

- Food Editor Sarah Lemon, Mail Tribune
read more at mailtribune.com/alacarte

This week the Medford Mail Tribune featured an article on Tagine Cooking, a slow-cooked cuisine of Morocco and the ancient Arab world. The word "tagine" does not only refer to a style of cooking, but to the actual cookware most commonly used, the Tagine. The Tagine is a conical shaped piece of cookware that allows foods to be slow cooked, efficiently using the foods own juices to keep it moist and delicious. Allyson was asked by Mail Tribune videographer, Jim Craven, to explain some of the meanings of "tagine," and show the differences in some of the tagine vessels used to cook this ancient cuisine.

Allyson is also teaching a Hands-On Moroccan Cooking Class this Sunday, Oct, 26 in Ashland. for more information visit our Cooking Classes Schedule for Ashland, or call our store at (541) 482-2884.