Tuesday Revews-Day

Tuesday Reviews-Day: The Complete Idiots Guide to the Coconut Oil Diet

Tuesday Revews-Day

I first encountered some of the health benefits of coconut milk back when I was designing the drink that would become the Miracle Mocktail and looking for a dairy alternative. Almond, soy, and even rice milk had their detractors but coconut milk was just phenomenal in it’s many uses. I was amazed at how coconut milk (via the coconut oil content) was used to combat illness, including reducing the viral load of HIV patients! Ever since then I’ve appreciated Thai-style curries all the more, and when I needed a lactose-free option for heavy cream, coconut milk has worked a treat.

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When I was given the chance to review the Complete Idiots Guide to the Coconut Oil Diet I was more than a little intrigued–after all, I thought I understood the healthy benefits of coconut oil and coconut milk, but an entire diet around a vegetable-based saturated fat? I wondered how that was supposed to work.

Without putting too fine a point on it, the simplest way of enacting this “diet” is just to replace the other vegetable oils with coconut oil where appropriate. It helps if you like the smell of coconut in your food (the flavor is often lighter, but since flavor is comprised  of both smell and taste, it will obviously have an overall impact), but if you prefer a milder presentation, there are refined versions (designated RBD for refined, bleached, and deodorized). Aside from those smart substitutions, there are four more encompassing protocols presented in the book, each with a different take on how coconut oil–either through direct consumption or by cooking with it–can influence your health.

I admit, even as much as I enjoy food science, the in-depth chemical analysis and component-by-component play-by-play included in the book made my eyes cross a bit, but it’s great that they included it for those who want to know more about the Medium-Chain Triglycerides that make up coconut oil and how this variety of saturated fat can be healthful. They also discuss the earlier opinions about saturated fat in general and the rise it gave to soy and corn oils, for instance, and we all know how the trans-fat hydrogenated oils blew up in the face of our collective health.

The last third of the book or so is recipes that do a lovely job of showing how versatile coconut oil can be in day-to-day cooking. We tried out a few of these recipes with overall positive results.

Lamb Madras, p.200

Lamb Madras, p.200

We love going out for Indian food, almost as much as we like making it at home. The Lamb Madras can also be made with beef, and it’s spicy sauce is fabulous for cooler nights. Served over rice I also tried out the Paleo naan recipe that had been floating around–it worked, more or less, but it needed quite a bit more liquid using the coconut flour I opted for instead of the almond.

Filipino-Style Pork and Noodles (Pansit), p.196

Filipino-Style Pork and Noodles (Pansit), p.196

Pansit (Filipino-Style Pork and Noodles) reminded me a lot of Pad Thai with the mix of flavors and garnish of peanuts.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Soup, p.226

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Soup, p.226

But it was the Vegetarian Butternut Squash Soup that really surprised me! What I though might be a run-of-the-mill squash soup really got a boost from the coconut oil and it made for the most velvety soup I’ve had that wasn’t roux-based!

Luau Chicken, p.188

Luau Chicken, p.188

Finally, the Luau Chicken was the only recipe we tried that didn’t quite live up to expectations. The chicken, itself, was fabulous lightly dredged in seasoned flour and pan-fried in coconut oil–that I would do again in a heartbeat, though I’d probably opt for boneless thighs over the bone-in whole chicken the recipe calls for–and even the sauce for it was tasty, but the amount of coconut milk called for both to finish the chicken and to cook the spinach in was excessive and made for a very messy, soupy dish. Still a great meal, as paired with the sweet potato you see above, but I’d definitely hold back on the coconut milk if I were to make this one again.

The book also includes recipes for personal care items using coconut oil–everything from conditioner to deodorant!

While I still maintain that “Diets” aren’t a good option for lasting change, I can definitely get behind the increased use of coconut oil in place of other oils. And with its increase in popularity leading to greater availability, the ease of that substitution is also increased. I consider The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Coconut Oil Diet anything but idiotic.

***I was provided a copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Coconut Oil Diet for purpose of review. No other compensation has been received and all opinions expressed are my own.***

Tuesday Reviews-Day: The Fondue Bible

Tuesday Revews-Day

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Whether for Girl’s Night Out, birthday, anniversary or New Year’s Eve, there’s nothing that carries the same feel of anticipation than heading to the local fondue restaurant for a several-hour dinner. Fondue is the ultimate communal meal–instead of everyone concentrating on their own plates, there’s a mutual point of interest about what’s in the pot, and the waiting for each item to cook (or cool down enough to bite into) invites both conversation and relaxation.

Back in the 60s, the fondue set became a standby of housewarming and wedding gifts, and with many people fascinated with kitsch and mid-century throw-backs, I think the fondue pot is making a comeback for home use. I received one a few years ago as a Christmas present, but admit that it hasn’t seen the heat of a flame very often and spends more time in it’s box that on the table.

Getting the chance to review The Fondue Bible, though, gave me the chance to dust off the fondue set and give it a place of prominence on the table for a couple of gatherings and a relaxed mid-week supper.

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Because it lends itself so well to party grazing, I started off with a cheese fondue for one of our local game nights. The Edam Tarragon Fondue (p. 32) was a nice combination of the more traditional cheeses with the almost sweet tarragon, especially with the grainy mustard added. It went excellent with sausage puffs, chicken breasts, apples and carrots. As for the leftovers, those were fabulous as an impromptu quesadilla filling when melted inside of tortillas.

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Another night we went for the sweet with a cocktail-inspired B-52 Chocolate Fondue (p. 198). In addition to the dark chocolate, Kahlua, Cointreau, and Irish Cream I used coconut milk thinned with a bit of lactose-free 2% in place of the heavy cream and it worked fabulously. Into this we dipped strawberries, fresh-cut pineapple chunks, and cubes of homemade (gluten free) pound cake. Some of our guests also went for the salty-sweet combo by dipping rice crackers and salty popcorn into the gooey chocolate.

With my current fondue pot I usually use sterno-style gel fuel but it tends to get way too hot for cheese and chocolate fondues. Behold, the power of the humble tea light as this is plenty to keep a couple cups of melted cheese of chocolate liquid enough for dipping without risking scorching the whole pot (the center does tend to get a little stuck, but at least that’s easy to clean up).

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The gel fuel worked wonderfully for the Quick Asian Hot Pot (p. 138), though, doing an excellent job of keeping the broth (I made lamb broth since I had some lamb ribs on hand from a different meal) steaming hot for the duration of our dinner. While it looks like a lot of work, there really wasn’t much more to it than the prep for any stew or soup–the bits and pieces were just laid out prettily on a platter instead of tossed into the soup pot. And the remaining portions were tossed together on the stove to prepare soup for lunch the next day.

We didn’t dip into the oil fondues–that many forks in boiling oil makes me a little nervous, truth be told–but maybe I’ll get braver as they do look just as delectable as the book’s other options. The Fondue Bible includes 200 recipes, loads of gorgeous photographs, and plenty of pairing ideas as well as dips and sauces that could easily go with any other meal, not just your fondue fest. I have a feeling my fondue set is going to be getting much more use, now, with so much inspiration at hand!

A Tale of Two Vodkas: The Taste-Off

Tuesday Revews-Day

When it come to clear spirits, vodka is not my go-to. I enjoy a drink’s flavor, after all, and the hallmark of a good vodka is more-or-less the absence of flavor. (Not that good vodka tastes like nothing, it’s just subtle notes that you really have to taste for–most days I just don’t want to have to work that hard!) But as much as I like gin, a good vodka comes in handy when gin’s herbaceousness would be out of sync with the rest of a drink. Which is why I agreed to participate in tasting challenge Purity Vodka posed to self-proclaimed “world’s best tasting vodka,” Grey Goose.

Premium vodkas are distilled to within an inch of their cogeners; Purity Vodka is distilled 34 times (compared to a single column-distillation of Grey Goose). 34 sounds like excess–can you really taste the difference? Could I?

There was also a flash drive with some more information and the whole thing was tied up in a purple bow. I thought it was a wedding present, at first, it was so nicely presented. And we know I'm a sucker for good presentation.

There was also a flash drive with some more information and the whole thing was tied up in a purple bow. I thought it was a wedding present, at first, it was so nicely presented. And we know I’m a sucker for good presentation.

Purity sent me this really spiffy tasting kit with faux calla lilies and lined with a purple cloth, with two petite tasting glasses and an airline bottle of each Purity and Grey Goose vodkas. The Swedish-made Purity is obviously confident in their quality to send not only their own samples but that of the competitor as well. And while many people prefer their vodka ice-cold, Purity encourages this tasting be done at room temperature, so that’s what I did.

I started with the Grey Goose, and when you’re tasting spirits it’s important not to judge based on that first sip as the alcohol is interacting with whatever you last tasted. So wait until that second sip to make any decisions about whether you like it or not. What I noticed about the Grey Goose was that it had some definite hard edges, a slight burning at the back of my mouth, and a thin, angular mouth-feel.

Prepare to be tasted!

Prepare to be tasted!

The Purity, on the other hand, really impressed me with how smooth and round it feels in the mouth and while there’s a bit of tingle under my tongue, there’s no burn at the back of my mouth. I’m still not sold enough on either of them to switch my mixed-drink preferences to vodka, neat, but I can see the Purity vodka making for a better base spirit in many cocktails where you the flavors of the drink to flow easily around.

Granted, Grey Goose might still make for a bracing martini, but I’d use Purity over GG to make my layered cocktails in a heartbeat.

If it wasn’t obvious, I was sent the sample of Purity Vodka for the purpose of review. A while ago (the original event was last summer)–it got lost in the wedding shuffle, so my apologies for that. Nonetheless, all opinions expressed are my own as well as any factual errors there might be. We here at Scraps of Life encourage everyone to drink responsibly and never drink and drive.

Tuesday Reviews-Day: The Healing Herbs Cookbook

Tuesday Revews-Day

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I’m a big believer in the idea that what we eat affects our health far beyond just what it does to our waistbands. After all, haven’t I spent the last year avoiding many so-called healthy foods after discovering just how un-helpful and even harmful they were to my body? The results of that experience have led to a much happier day-to-day existence with a lot less pain and discomfort, I’m happy to say!

That’s why I was so keen to take a look at The Healing Herbs Cookbook by Pat Crocker. I already knew, for instance, that ginger is good for an upset stomach, that turmeric and nutmeg were naturally anti-inflammatory, and that clove was a topical analgesic (just try eating a ham that’s been studded with a few too many and you, too, will experience its numbing qualities!). Crocker has included quite the dossier on a number of similar herbs and spices if you’d like to learn more about them, or you can just skip ahead to the recipes.

Speaking of the recipes, she does note that the jury’s still out on whether the beneficial properties of any given herb or spice are hindered by cooking them. I tend to agree with her, though, that fresh herbs or dried spices make great additions to a meal and if there’s a chance they can improve your health, all the better! And to help you pinpoint the best options at any time of the year, each chapter is organized by season.

Vegetable Sushi with Wasabi Mayo

Vegetable Sushi with Wasabi Mayo Dip

Concentrating on the winter recipes (for obviously reasons), the first one to catch my eye was the Vegetable Sushi with Wasabi-Mayonnaise Dip (p.63), Sushi is one of our favorite meals when we go out and I’ve made some at home, as well, so I was confident this would work out well. Intended as a starter, with a side of seaweed salad it made a light-yet-filling supper. I ended up making one roll for each of us for supper but diced the rest of the vegetables and shredded the nori sheets to make sushi bowls with the leftovers. The sweet potato was the stand-out ingredient in this recipe.

The rest of the rice and veggies made a tasty nosh when combined in a big bowl. I snacked on it all weekend.

The rest of the rice and veggies made a tasty nosh when combined in a big bowl. I snacked on it all weekend.

The Cheddar Cheese and Root Soup (p. 77) was a wonderful dinner option on a cold, drizzly evening. The healing herb in this soup (dried ginseng root) can be a hard to come by, but it turns out the be a great soup even without it.

Cheddar Root Soup

Cheddar Cheese and Root Soup

Straying into the fall recipes, the Roasted Squash and Pepper Salad (p. 88) is a bit of a stretch to the salad name, but we’d never paired roasted red bell peppers with acorn squash and the combination was surprisingly tasty. Even though I skipped the high-FODMAP red onions, it made a great side-dish and looked very pretty in it’s dish–a good candidate for a fall or winter pot-luck, I think!

the colorful Squash and Red Pepper "salad"

the colorful Squash and Red Pepper “salad”

Had I not just made a seafood pot pie, the Vegetable Pot Pie with Sweet Potato Topping (p. 114) would have definitely made it on our list, and I’m looking so forward to many of the spring and summer recipes when those vegetables are back in season. While I appreciate the additional information on the healing properties of the plants featured in the book, I have to say I was more impressed with the wealth of creative vegetarian meal options it includes.

[I received a copy of The Healing Herbs Cookbook for purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own.]

Holiday Hooch 2014: a Gifting Guide

Tuesday Revews-Day

Oh it is that time again, folks. Time to answer the question of what to give who and when. I’ve said it before and I’ll very likely say it again, wine makes a fabulous gift both for close friends and casual acquaintances (providing they drink, of course). Now, we all have favorites that we like to share, but just in case you’re looking for something different to try, here are a few bottles I’ve recently had the opportunity to sample.

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[yellow tail] is always a good wine for its price point and the Big Bold Red is a a good, solid table wine. Flavors of rich fruits and a bit of spice make this a very easy-drinking wine that will pair well with most rich, hearty meals and was especially tasty with grilled steak the other night.

The Calling was a new brand to me but hails from the Alexander Valley in California. We’re not usually Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers, but we paired The Calling’s Cab Sauv with baked ziti and it blended perfectly. So if you’re heading to a big Italian-style feast for Christmas Eve, this is the bottle to bring. Their Chardonnay features fruity notes of melon, lemon, and nectarine as has been aptly described as luscious. Pair it with rich, buttery seafood dishes.

For something a bit more festive, the Eppa SupraFruta Sangria is just what you want for a casual gathering of friends, tapas optional. Super-fruits are still very in right now, so would  make a great gift for the wine drinker who likes to infuse even cocktail hour with a dose of power-foods. The red sangria includes pomegranate, blueberry, blood orange, and acai juices, while the white includes mangosteen, peach, mango, and blood orange again. It also features certified-organic grapes, which explains why I saw it prominently displayed at our local Whole Foods.

And for the countdown to 2014, a little bubbly would not go amiss. While French Champagne is still highly regarded, Prosecco is a wonderful alternative (as we’ve already discussed). The Enza Prosecco pictured would be wonderful for toasts at midnight while carrying you through to mimosa’s in the morning to start the year off right. They say eating 12 grapes is an old Italian tradition for predicting which months will be sweet–I wonder how that counts if you drink them?

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So maybe you’ve got friends who are more cocktail-oriented than wine. While I would suggest a bottle of Velvet Cinn for those friends, sometimes you want something other than a bottle to gift. In that case, I have two books that might just fill that need.

From the same pen that brought us Savory Pies, Greg Henry has now turned the sweet cocktail trend on its ear and compiled and created 100 savory cocktails recipes that run the gamut from sour to umami and all points in between. In fact, that’s exactly how the book is organized, with cocktails that share tingling taste-buds buddying up in the pages. A pleasure to read, Henry’s Savory Cocktails features plenty of newsy notes throughout the book and, as befitting a professional photographer, gorgeous photos of the cocktails as well.

Fashionable Cocktails

On the other end of the spectrum is The Fashionable Cocktail, 200 recipes compiled by Australian fashion journalist Jane Rocca and accompanied by the delightful watercolor illustrations of Neryl Walker. If you’re expecting cocktails inspired by fashion icons and wardrobe staples, you’re shopping in the wrong store. Instead, Rocca categorizes the cocktails she’s collected from bars in Melbourne, Syndey, and New York City bartenders by the type of girl most likely to drink them. Chapters include The Vintage Girl, The Luxe Label Girl, and The Hipster Girl, to name just a few.

Bottom line? As long as the gift comes from the heart, it will always be in good taste.

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

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I received the above-mentioned books and bottles for purpose of review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.