ROSH HASHANA LOOMS LARGE ON THE HORIZON
Most years, by this point in Ellul, most butchers have raised their prices so high you need to take out a second mortgage to buy. Here in Queens, this year there seems to be no big jump in prices. What’s going on your hood?
We are fortunate here, because a new Glatt supermarket (full size with ample parking) opened and the owners are blowing meat and chicken off the shelf with their “come on in and look around” prices.
This can only be good for the rest of us in this area as we can shop without wondering if there will be money left over to buy tomatoes.
It is our hope that this sort of restraint in pre holiday pricing is being seen all over the country, although we expect not.
Happy shopping.
GARBANZO EXTRAVAGANZA FOR YOUR LABOR DAY PICNIC
1 can of chick peas (garbanzos, nahit, chichi, etc)
1 6 ounce bag of baby spinach
1/2 medium red onion finely chopped to yield about 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Adobo spice with pepper to tase
In a large bowl toss together chick peas, onion and spinach
Pour vinegar into a small bowl. Using a whisk, slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly, until combined.
Season with Adobo.
Pour dressing over salad.
Toss well to coat.
Chill and serve.
Enjoy!
A LITTLE CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR THE HEART??
Chocolate Can Help Prevent Heart Failure
August 17/London/Press Association Mediapoint — An occasional chocolate treat can help prevent heart failure in older women, research suggests.
One or two servings of good-quality chocolate a week reduced the risk of middle-aged and elderly women developing the condition by almost a third, a study found.
Scientists looked at the association between chocolate and heart failure in almost 32,000 Swedish women aged 48-83. Moderate chocolate consumption significantly reduced heart failure risk, but the protective effect lessened as more or less was eaten.
One or two 19-30g servings a week led to a 32% risk reduction. This fell to 26% when one to three servings a month were eaten, while one serving a day or more showed no benefit.
A typical chocolate bar weighs around 100g, but the amount of healthy cocoa solids it contains varies greatly.
Dark chocolate can contain as much as 75% cocoa, while standard milk chocolate may have 20% or less. Antioxidant plant compounds called flavonoids in cocoa are believed to protect against heart disease and high blood pressure.
The study authors pointed out that chocolate eaten in Sweden tends to have a high cocoa content. Although 90% of chocolate consumed in the country is milk chocolate, it consists of around 30% cocoa solids. The lack of benefit from eating chocolate every day was probably due to the extra number of calories consumed, said the researchers. This in turn could lead to increased weight and higher blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart failure.
“You can’t ignore that chocolate is a relatively calorie-dense food and large amounts of habitual consumption is going to raise your risks for weight gain,” said study leader Dr. Murray Mittleman, director of the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston.
“But if you’re going to have a treat, dark chocolate is probably a good choice, as long as it’s in moderation.”
The findings are reported in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Heart Failure.
Heart failure occurs when damage to the heart means it can no longer pump blood around the body efficiently. Sufferers may feel tired, breathless and find themselves unable to climb hills or stairs.
Around 68,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed in the U.K. each year.
Commenting on the research, U.S. expert professor Linda Van Horn, from Northwestern University in Chicago, said, “Those tempted to use these data as their rationale for eating large amounts of chocolate or engaging in more frequent chocolate consumption are not interpreting this study appropriately.
“This is not an ‘eat all you want’ take-home message, rather it’s that eating a little dark chocolate can be healthful, as long as other adverse behaviours do not occur, such as weight gain or extensive intake of non-nutrient dense ‘empty’ calories.”
From the August 30, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A NON-KOSHER PRODUCT. BE ADVISED- THIS IS NOT A KOSHER PRODUCT! SEE OUR COMMENTS AT THE END.
Spicing up a Middle East import
Americans’ growing love affair with hummus prompts Baba Foods to get creative with flavors
By KATIE STEINER Contributing writer
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 9:48 p.m.
In Anis Ben’s native country of Tunisia, hummus is a traditional recipe that is considered a staple at any meal.
“In the Middle East, they would laugh at putting pumpkin in hummus,” Ben said.
Fortunately for Ben, owner of Baba Foods, Americans love flavored hummus, including his company’s pumpkin flavor.
Back when Baba Foods began business in 1998, hummus was considered a novelty item found in health food stores or stocked with other “ethnic” foods in grocery stores.
But in recent years, hummus has become a popular item for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. According to The Associated Press, hummus now annually brings in $325 million in sales.
That’s because hummus is a snack that provides some healthy benefits; it’s an excellent source of fiber and protein. And the olive oil that is added for flavor is heart-healthy.
Traditional hummus is a combination of chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Baba Foods takes that traditional recipe and adds some spice to it — or avocado, or artichoke, or olives.
“In the Middle East, they don’t want to try something new,” Ben said. “Here, you can be more creative.”
Ben came to the United States for college and, after graduating, worked for a Lebanese company that made hummus. When the company was struggling, Ben decided to open his own company, and Baba Foods was born.
Ben and his partner, John Brothers, started off with four or five flavors of hummus. Now they have more than 20.
The two most popular flavors, “Avocado and Cilantro” and “Fresh Cilantro and Jalapeño,” were the first ones Baba Foods introduced, along with “Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil.”
The fall season brings two specialty flavors into the rotation: Pumpkin, of course, and peanut butter.
Baba Foods reaps a lot of its income from farmers markets around San Diego and other parts of Southern California . The company also sells its products at Costco stores in Southern California and Arizona.
Because Baba Foods has many regular customers at farmers markets, Brothers said it’s important to keep coming up with new products.
“I see the same faces week in, week out,” he said. “So we have to be creative, we have to stay on top of the hummus. We don’t want to get stagnant.”
So what’s in the works at Baba Foods? For starters, a zesty lemon-flavored hummus.
With Ben’s creativity and Brothers’ background as a chef, the two are constantly experimenting on new flavors. They are also looking into a shipping option for Baba Foods customers, so the delicious hummus Californians have come to love can reach across the country.
“We want to keep it simple,” Ben said of his hummus. “But we also want to always try to be creative.”
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Keep in mind, California is home to the pineapple-lox pizza, too! Pumpkin hummus? Peanut butter hummus? BLASPHEMY!!
This is one product line that frankly we don’t care if they ever go kosher or not. Puhleeze!