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We are constantly being told what we shouldn’t eat, what we should eat or how often we should or should not eat it and with the hundreds of diet regimes (backed by celebrities with amazing figures) it’s a wonder how we mere mortals know how to feed ourselves at all!

A confusing topic that comes up quite often is eating beef and other red meats. It might be that we struggle with this one because it’s just so tasty and there aren’t many people who won’t salivate at the mention of a juicy beef steak. But the conflicting recommendations available on the Internet, in magazines and on TV about eating beef means it has become a guilty pleasure with the health conscious to the ordinary families may choose to cross it off the food list altogether or spend hours working it off at the gym.

“Eating beef on a daily basis is bad for you and it sits in your stomach rotting long after you have eaten it. Red meat contributes to heart disease and is full of unhealthy fats.”

Sound familiar?

Let me suggest to you that eating red meat can be a healthy option and you could actually eat a nice steak daily if you like. You see, the key to a healthy diet is simply about moderation and getting the right balance. Eating red meat is not so much a problem; it is what else is on your dinner plate and the quality of the beef.

Avoid: Red meats that are processed and contain additives E.g. Burgers, frozen meats, SPAM (yuk!), etc
Instead: Choose fresh cuts of organic beef from cattle that is pasture-raised

Avoid: Eating bread with beef For example, Hamburgers
Instead: Serve fresh salad and vegetables with beef. These contain enzymes which break down fatty deposits.

Preparing a healthy Steak meal is simple:

1. Purchase some fresh organic beef from a trusted retailer
2. Grill or fry in own juices to however you like it
3. Add a good portion of any of the following fat busting foods: Asparagus, Beets/Beetroot, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Cucumbers, Garlic Lettuce, Radish, Horseradish, Tomato.

If you want to keep it healthy but add more flavor to your steak? During cooking, just add crushed or chopped garlic, crushed peppercorns, rosemary, mixed herbs or other herbs and spices. Alternatively, marinade the steak beforehand cooking using your own mix of herbs and natural yoghurt. Delicious!

Other Resources:

Beef Choices (PDF at beeffoodservice.com)

Technorati Tags: beef, cooking, recipe, red meat, steak

Italian Parma Ham and Other Recipes

Emilia-Romagna stretches from the Ligurian border in northeastern Italy to the Adriatic Sea. As the name indicates, historically it was composed of two regions, Emilia and Romagna. It may be the only region of Italy named for a road, one constructed by the Ancient Romans almost 2200 years ago. It is one of the most prosperous regions of Italy with strong agricultural, industrial, and tourist economic activity. Its total population is about 3.9 million.

Emilia-Romagna produces a very wide variety of pasta, fruits and vegetables, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cheese, and fresh and cured meats. Two of its biggest stars are a cheese, Parmigiano Regianno, and a ham, Prosciutto di Parma. Parmesan cheese as it’s known in English, was mentioned by the famous Italian author of the Fourteenth Century, Giovanni Boccaccio. We review it below. Parma ham, as it’s known in English, is an uncooked ham that is dry cured for at least ten months. Usually it is served in very thin slices, often as appetizer with melon.

Bologna whose population is about 375,000 is the administrative center of Emilia-Romagna. It is the home of the first university in the Western World, founded in the 11th Century. Bologna is also considered the capital of Italian gastronomy, in spite of its unfortunate association with a low-quality sandwich meat. Another city of interest is Rimini, a resort center on the Adriatic Sea with a population of 135 thousand.

Emilia-Romagna devotes about 178,000 acres to grapevines, it ranks 5th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 125 million gallons, giving it a 4th place. About 57% of the wine production is red, leaving 43% for white. The region produces 18 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine and 1 DOCG white wine, Albana di Romagna. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. In fact, while this wine was the first white wine to be accorded the DOCG designation in Italy (1987), many feel that Albana di Romagna does not deserve such an award. (I have never tasted this wine, and from the reviews that I’ve read, I’m in no hurry to taste it.) About 21% of Emilia-Romagna wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Emilia-Romagna is home to more than four dozen major and secondary grape varieties, a few more red than white.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Malvasia and Trebbiano. The best known strictly Italian white varieties are Albana (source of the DOCG wine) and Pignoletto.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the only widely grown international red grape variety. The best known strictly Italian red variety is Bonarda. The Italian red varieties Barbera and Sangiovese are found elsewhere, including California.

Before reviewing the Emilia-Romagna wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Gelato di Parmigiano, Parmigiano ‘Ice Cream’, which includes heavy cream and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, suggested as an appetizer.

A more traditional dish is Scaloppine di Vitello alla Bolognese, Veal Scaloppine all Bolognese, which also includes Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, as well as other local specialties Prosciutto di Parma and balsamic vinegar.

For dessert (as if the ice cream wasn’t a dessert) try Torta Bonissima, a Honey and Nut Pie.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Donini Lamberti Trebbiano-Chardonnay IGT 2005 12% alcohol about $8 (liter)

Everybody has prejudices. I approached this bottle with several of them. It seems to me that a liter of wine is usually too big, accentuating quantity at the expense of quality. Given the economics of the wine industry, I am usually reticent to purchase a bottle for $8, which would be $6 for a regular-sized bottle. And finally while Emilia-Romagna is often known for its red wines, it is not particularly known for its white wines, with an unfortunate exception, the DOCG wine Albana di Romagna, discussed above. And now to the actual wine.

The first time that I drank this wine I found that its taste was one of green apples, dominating everything else but still light on flavor if not unpleasant. It didn’t really accompany the food, a breaded chicken cutlet in sweet and sour sauce with potatoes cooked in chicken fat. As the wine aged a bit, (it takes a long time to finish a liter if you don’t care to drink very much at a time) it got better instead of worse. I have read that 3.5 million bottles of this type wine are produced yearly. I understand that it is popular in fish restaurants along the Adriatic Sea. I’d love to find out for sure. Final verdict, not bad for the price.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a cooked, unpressed semi-fat hard cheese made from raw cow’s milk. It is encased in a thin, yellow rind. This cheese is finely grained and very flaky. Its taste is delicate and fragrant, and frankly wasted with a wine of this quality.

Italian Kitchen: Noodles with Parma ham and Parmesan
Noodles with Parma ham and Parmesan (Tagliatelle al crudo e Grana). A different way to serve parma ham.

Broccoli and Parma Ham Quiche
I hope you understand that this is an Asian kitchen, where it would be easier and simpler to stir-fry.

Tenderloin of pork wrapped in parma ham
Tenderloin of pork wrapped in parma ham. As served in Cheltenham last Monday with pork.

Parma Ham, Goats Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Salad
Arrange the sun dried tomato segments around the outside. Tear up the Parma Ham and add onto the cheese.

Parma Ham Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Goats Cheese
Once stuffed, wrap the parma ham around the chicken and place into another oiled baking tray.

Technorati Tags: Italian, parma ham, recipe, recipes, uncooked ham

Kangaroo Pouches (Hot Sandwiches)
 by: LeAnn R. Ralph

Use your imagination to fill these hot sandwiches. The recipe makes 15 or 16 sandwiches. Leftovers can be used for snacks and to take to work for lunch.

Sandwich Pouches

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 package dry yeast (or 2 teaspoons bulk yeast)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry oatmeal
4 1/2 to 5 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients. Knead for a couple of minutes. Dough will be a little soft and sticky.

Divide dough into balls the size of small eggs.

Filling

Use what you like for the filling. I have used slices of summer sausage, thin-sliced ham, cotto salami, smoked turkey breast, dried beef. For the cheese, I have used cheddar, colby, and mozerella.

Assembling the Kangaroo Pouches

Roll dough to approximately 6 inches wide by 8 inches long. Place a slice of meat and a slice of cheese slightly below the center of the dough. Drizzle a few drops of Italian salad dressing or a scant teaspoon of spaghetti sauce over the cheese. I have also used a scant teaspoon of sour cream or blue cheese salad dressing.

Bring the top part of the dough over the filling and seal the edges by rolling up the dough toward the filling.

Place sandwiches on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Some of the cheese may melt out of the Kangaroo Pouches, but in that case, when you serve them, scoop the melted cheese on top of the sanwiches.

Serve with a salad or other fresh vegetables.

Yield: 15 or 16 Kangaroo Pouches

Note: My husband loves to take to these to work and heats them up in the microwave for lunch.

About The Author

LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the farm books "Cream of the Crop (More True Stories from Wisconsin Farm)" (trade paperback, Sept. 2005); "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm" (trade paperback 2003); "Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam" (trade paperback 2004); "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Interviewing Family Members and Writing Oral Histories" (e-book 2004).

Technorati Tags: boneless smoked ham, ham, Leftover Ham Recipes, recipe, smoked spiral ham

Great Ideas For Easter Meals

Spring has sprung, Easter is just around the corner. One of the most celebrated holidays is Easter and part of the reason why this holiday is loved is the food associated with it. If you are hosting an Easter dinner with your friends or family this year, here are some good tips for some delicious Easter recipes.

Maple Syrup Ham and Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

One of the most requested types of food to eat at Easter is ham and you can sweeten up the taste of it by adding some tasty maple syrup. While your store bought maple syrup should work, try to purchase maple syrup that is 100% pure and not made from corn syrup. Adding pure maple syrup will add a sweet, delicious taste that your friends and family will love.

You can easily accompany your maple syrup ham with some tasty sweet potatoes smothered in miniature marshmallows. Sweet potatoes will be your maple syrup ham’s best friend. For an extra treat, add miniature marshmallows and you will definetly get some smiles from children and adults alike.

Easter Bunny Cookies

Even though chocolate bunnies are pivotal to Easter, cookies can also be an excellent treat. Just like Christmas cookies are fun to make and yummy to eat, so are Easter Bunny cookies. Most grocery stores, discount stores, and craft stores sell Easter Bunny cookie cutters to make your favorite chocolate chip or sugar cookie into some fantastic Easter Bunny shapes.

Easter Egg Cup Cakes

Easter Egg cup cakes are an awesome way to add enthusiasm to the holidays for your children. Easter Egg Cupcakes are an easy and fun way to bring color to any Easter dinner dessert. Instead of using cup cake holders, try to use small waffle cones to hold your cup cake mixture. Once baked, add coloring, sprinkles, candy, etc. to your creation.

Easter Bunny Carrot Cake

Easter Bunny carrot cake is an awesome way to add color and excitement for the whole family. What goes better with bunny rabbits than carrots and a yummy carrot cake goes with any Easter dinner. You can easily purchase a carrot cake and decorate the top by hand. Many people create their own frosting adding food coloring to color the carrot cake to look like an Easter egg.

Easter Cocktails

For those adults that like to top off their dinner with a delicious alcoholic beverage, there are many colorful cocktails that compliment the mood of any Easter dinner. For example, certain liquors come in various colors such as grenadine for rose, blue Curacao for cerulean and mixing clear liquor with assorted fruit juices for multicolored Easter drinks. For those that prefer a cocktail sans the alcohol, it’s easy to add color to your event with a host of fresh fruit smoothies, just by adding fresh fruit with cream or milk. Some people even add some yogurt to the mix.

If you are looking for a great way to enjoy your Easter this year, follow the above Easter recipes.

By: Christine Steendahl

What’s for Christmas Dinner?
Mom relief - Another traditional Christmas dinner choice is Ham. There are a lot of similarities with this type of traditional dinner around the world.

New England Boiled Dinner
I like using the thickest ham dinner steak I can find, as it will have a small bone and a good sized bone with some fat to make the flavor come out better.  It’s great with boied potatoes.

Asparagus Ham Dinner Recipe
Try the Asparagus Ham Dinner recipe from Recipezaar.com.  Find recipes for country ham and ham leftovers here.

For the Love of Food » Savory Ham - Christmas Dinner
Savory Ham - Christmas Dinner - recipes.  Go here for finding some savory ham recipes.

Technorati Tags: easter, holidays, honey baked ham, mail, maple syrup, marshmallows, order, recipe, sweet potatoes