Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Friday, April 3, 2015
Frequently Asked A Year of CrockPotting Questions
Frequently Asked Questions sections always seem so impersonal to me, but after a year, I can honestly say that most days I answer the following questions. At least once.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for sticking with me throughout my year-long challenge! If youd like to see all of the recipes from 2008 in order, here they are.
If youd like the Table of Contents for the entire site (there are over 600 recipes), here you go.
This is the 1st "Frequently Asked Question" post Ive written. Ive also written Part 2 and a Troubleshooting post.
How do I print out recipes?
At the bottom of each recipe there is a small "print recipe" button. Click on that, then choose your desired font size. You can decide to omit all of the pictures.
What happened to all the food?
We ate it, and shared with friends and family. We now have a very nicely stocked freezer.
Whats up with the gluten free?
My youngest daughter has Celiac, and we have decided as a family to all eat gluten free while at home. If you are gluten free, please check all food labels yourself. Food manufacturers change ingredients often, and without warning. If you do not need to worry about gluten, ignore my notes and use the food brands you are comfortable with. You can read more about our gluten free story, here.
Do you travel with your slow cooker?
Yes. Bringing along a slow cooker when traveling ensures that your food is allergen-free and also saves a ton of money.
Did you save money this year?
No. We spent a lot on groceries this year because of the nature of the challenge. I cooked much more food than our family needed, and tried fancier ingredients/spices than I would have in a normal year. I figured this would happen and budgeted accordingly. Most people save a bunch of money by using the slow cooker, though. Heres an article on how to save money by using the slow cooker.
How much weight did you gain this year?
8 pounds. Thank you for asking.
Was your family annoyed at you?
No, not at all. My family is and always has been incredibly supportive of all my endeavors. This really turned into a family project. My kids, husband, parents, brother, grandparents, father-in-law, and friends have all given recipes or recipe ideas. Theyve also enjoyed eating the food!
How did you get on the Rachael Ray Show?
I emailed the show.
Why are the comments moderated? Did you get a nasty commenter?
Sort of. A reader got me on a bad day and I didnt like what he wrote (he said that my food looked like slimy green poop and that I should take a photography class). He was right---the photo was horrid, but it still hurt my feelings. Ive had the moderation on since, and Im happy with it because I need to actually read (more carefully than before) comments and respond to questions.
Do you have any resolutions for 2009?
Yes. Id like to stop biting my nails, complete Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, get the side yard rocks moved to where they should go (or get Adam to do it), start and maintain a blog for Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life, begin a garden gnome collection, and not stress out so much.
Im worried about the not stressing so much.
How do you come up with your recipes?
I have the best readers in the world, and they send me new recipes every day. Ive got a ton bookmarked that I havent been able to test out yet. I also read a bunch of food blogs through BlogHer and watch Food TV. I also make stuff up. Sometimes it doesnt work.
I need to cook something for a group of people and it needs to be super-easy.
Taco Soup. Its always a hit.
Will you keep the site up?
Yes. It will live on in cyberspace, and Ill update about once a week indefinitely.
What kind of slow cooker do you use?
updated 11/12: I now use the Ninja Cooking System full-time. Here is a write-up about the Ninja, and here are the other slow cookers I recommend.
Are you going to still use your slow cooker(s) a lot?
Yes. I will continue to use my slow cookers probably daily (maybe almost daily), because thats the only way I really know how to cook! My kids are looking forward to me making some of their favorites again (especially brown sugar chicken, fish chowder, and 5-layer brownies), and I have a bunch of other recipes saved Im dying to test out.
I also woke up to this last week, and am desperate to crank it up:
The Crock-Pot Trio. Thank you, Santa!
Will there be a book?
Yes. Make it Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking will contain over 300 tried-and-true gluten free slow cooker recipes, and will be published by Hyperion. It will hit bookstores everywhere on October 13, 2009.
But thats not my question!
Email me. contact AT stephanieodea DOT com
Thank you. Thank you for helping me to make 2008 one of the best years of my life. I could not have persevered without the daily hand-holding from all of you. My eyes well with tears when I go through and read the heartfelt comments youve left----you are all truly amazing.
Thank you so much. Happy New Year. 2009 is going to rock. I promise.
xoxoxo
steph
Need more? Read Frequently Asked Questions, Part II!
Read more »
Happy New Year!
Thank you for sticking with me throughout my year-long challenge! If youd like to see all of the recipes from 2008 in order, here they are.
If youd like the Table of Contents for the entire site (there are over 600 recipes), here you go.
This is the 1st "Frequently Asked Question" post Ive written. Ive also written Part 2 and a Troubleshooting post.
How do I print out recipes?
At the bottom of each recipe there is a small "print recipe" button. Click on that, then choose your desired font size. You can decide to omit all of the pictures.
What happened to all the food?
We ate it, and shared with friends and family. We now have a very nicely stocked freezer.
Whats up with the gluten free?
My youngest daughter has Celiac, and we have decided as a family to all eat gluten free while at home. If you are gluten free, please check all food labels yourself. Food manufacturers change ingredients often, and without warning. If you do not need to worry about gluten, ignore my notes and use the food brands you are comfortable with. You can read more about our gluten free story, here.
Do you travel with your slow cooker?
Yes. Bringing along a slow cooker when traveling ensures that your food is allergen-free and also saves a ton of money.
Did you save money this year?
No. We spent a lot on groceries this year because of the nature of the challenge. I cooked much more food than our family needed, and tried fancier ingredients/spices than I would have in a normal year. I figured this would happen and budgeted accordingly. Most people save a bunch of money by using the slow cooker, though. Heres an article on how to save money by using the slow cooker.
How much weight did you gain this year?
8 pounds. Thank you for asking.
Was your family annoyed at you?
No, not at all. My family is and always has been incredibly supportive of all my endeavors. This really turned into a family project. My kids, husband, parents, brother, grandparents, father-in-law, and friends have all given recipes or recipe ideas. Theyve also enjoyed eating the food!
How did you get on the Rachael Ray Show?
I emailed the show.
Why are the comments moderated? Did you get a nasty commenter?
Sort of. A reader got me on a bad day and I didnt like what he wrote (he said that my food looked like slimy green poop and that I should take a photography class). He was right---the photo was horrid, but it still hurt my feelings. Ive had the moderation on since, and Im happy with it because I need to actually read (more carefully than before) comments and respond to questions.
Do you have any resolutions for 2009?
Yes. Id like to stop biting my nails, complete Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, get the side yard rocks moved to where they should go (or get Adam to do it), start and maintain a blog for Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life, begin a garden gnome collection, and not stress out so much.
Im worried about the not stressing so much.
How do you come up with your recipes?
I have the best readers in the world, and they send me new recipes every day. Ive got a ton bookmarked that I havent been able to test out yet. I also read a bunch of food blogs through BlogHer and watch Food TV. I also make stuff up. Sometimes it doesnt work.
I need to cook something for a group of people and it needs to be super-easy.
Taco Soup. Its always a hit.
Will you keep the site up?
Yes. It will live on in cyberspace, and Ill update about once a week indefinitely.
What kind of slow cooker do you use?
updated 11/12: I now use the Ninja Cooking System full-time. Here is a write-up about the Ninja, and here are the other slow cookers I recommend.
Are you going to still use your slow cooker(s) a lot?
Yes. I will continue to use my slow cookers probably daily (maybe almost daily), because thats the only way I really know how to cook! My kids are looking forward to me making some of their favorites again (especially brown sugar chicken, fish chowder, and 5-layer brownies), and I have a bunch of other recipes saved Im dying to test out.
I also woke up to this last week, and am desperate to crank it up:
The Crock-Pot Trio. Thank you, Santa!
Will there be a book?
Yes. Make it Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking will contain over 300 tried-and-true gluten free slow cooker recipes, and will be published by Hyperion. It will hit bookstores everywhere on October 13, 2009.
But thats not my question!
Email me. contact AT stephanieodea DOT com
Thank you. Thank you for helping me to make 2008 one of the best years of my life. I could not have persevered without the daily hand-holding from all of you. My eyes well with tears when I go through and read the heartfelt comments youve left----you are all truly amazing.
Thank you so much. Happy New Year. 2009 is going to rock. I promise.
xoxoxo
steph
Need more? Read Frequently Asked Questions, Part II!
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Frequently Asked A Year of Slow Cooking Questions Part II
Ive gotten a slew of related questions the past few months, and while I absolutely LOVE answering questions (I really do, dont read this with sarcasm. The idea of actually helping real, breathing people in any way I can is exhilarating---please dont ever feel like youre bugging me with any of your questions. I promise if youre asking, somebody else already has. :-) ) I figured it might be helpful to round up some of the recent most frequently asked.
Part I of Frequently Asked A Year of Slow Cooking Questions is located here.
and see: Slow Cooker Troubleshooting
1) How do you keep your slow cookers clean?
I use Adam. HA! No, really, Adam is pretty much the slow cooker washer guy. Hes an expert you know, one of his first jobs was washing dishes in the kitchen at the local hospital.
For the most part, Id suggest emptying the stoneware as soon as you can. If you have leftover food, scrape it into a tupperware or some other sort of storage container. This isnt mandatory, you can certainly store the food safely in the fridge in the stoneware, but it is NOT recommended to reheat in the stoneware in the crock for leftovers, so you might as well clean it out on day 1.
If you have baked on gook, the absolute best way to get it off without ruining your manicure (HA! on the manicure. Although you can get a pretty nice pedicure...) is to fill the stoneware insert with hot water and add a tablespoon of dishwasher powder.
Then float a fabric (dryer) softener sheet in the water and let it soak overnight. Then wash in the dishwasher, or by hand in the morning as usual. If you do not have the dryer sheets, a gollop of liquid fabric softener will do the trick, too.
DO NOT ever put a hot stoneware into your sink and fill it with cold water. It will crack. And then youll be super sad.
As for the slow cooker base with the heating element, do NOT fill it with water, ever. Make sure to read the pamphlet that comes with your particular slow cooker for the manufacturers suggested cleaning technique, but what I do is use a very slightly damp paper towel to wipe out any dribbles or a clorox wipe (I puffy heart love clorox wipes).
2) Whats the difference between a Crock-Pot and a Slow Cooker?
Nothing. Crock-Pot is a brand name of the first type of slow cooker, formally under the Rival label. There actually isnt such thing as a "crockpot"----although many people do call their slow cooker a "crockpot." There are many manufacturers of slow cookers on the market. These are the ones that I happen to use in my own home kitchen.
3) What size slow cooker should I buy?
It depends on what you are interested in cooking, and your family size. Slow cookers work the best when they are 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. The recipe times are for this amount of food---if your pot isnt full enough, the food will cook faster and might burn. If its a bit too full, your food will take longer to cook than the suggested cooking times.
Before my year-long challenge, I had 2 slow cookers that I used for everything: a 5.5-quart Smart Pot and a 1.5 quart mini crock I got at a Black Friday sale at Walmart for $4.95 (score!) These pots served my family of 4 quite well until I started this challenge.
I then upgraded to a 6.5 quart eLume (I was given it from Crock-Pot), and that is now my new go-to. I also like the Hamilton Beach Set and Forget, especially the locking lid---its fantastic for potlucks and travel. These are the slow cookers and accessories (hand mixer, pyrex/corningware inserts I happen to use in my own home kitchen.
For a family of 2-3, buy a 2-4-quart
For a family of 3-5, a 5-6-quart
For a large family, or for entertaining groups of people, opt for a 7-8 quart slow cooker
I adore my Little Dipper, and use it quite often for dips, fondues, and even as an air freshener!
4) What if I only have a huge slow cooker? Can I still make recipes that call for a smaller size?
Yes. Its super easy. Simply insert an oven-safe dish (Pyrex, Corningware, etc.) into your large stoneware, and load the ingredients into the dish.
This will create a smaller cooking vessel inside of your slow cooker. Then cover and cook like normal. It will take a bit longer for the dish inside to get up to temperature, but your food will cook just fine.
If you are cooking a dish (chicken, for instance, which has the tendency to dry out) and the recipes calls for a 4 quart, but you only have a 6 quart (this is an example...) put the ingredients into your slow cooker, then put a layer of foil or parchment paper down near the food to help trap in the steam and moisture near the food. Then cover and cook like normal. This is also a big help if your slow cooker has one of those super helpful (now this is sarcasm..) "vent" holes in the lid or in the side of the stoneware insert.
PLEASE BE CAREFUL when removing the foil or parchment paper at the end of the cooking time. The steam will be quite hot and will shoot out. Keep small children far away.
5) Are all of your recipes gluten free? What about the ones in the book?
Yes. We happen to be a gluten free family, because my 4 year old has been diagnosed with Celiac, which is an intolerance to gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye). The book is completely gluten-free, and all the recipes on this site have been made gluten-free. PLEASE! read all labels carefully on your own, because manufacturers are known to sometimes change ingredients with little-to-no warning.
If you are not gluten-free, simply ignore my notes and use the ingredients you normally would use when cooking for your family.
Want more info on going gluten free? I wrote about our journey a bit, here, and there are links at the bottom that will be helpful.
6) Do you peek while slow cooking?
Yes. I am not the best at following rules, and I often taste, stir, and poke at my food while its in the slow cooker. Ive heard from reliable sources that you can lose up to 20 minutes of valuable cooking time each time you peek, but I have not noticed that to be the case. Peeking and tasting makes me feel like Im doing something, and it makes me happy. I like being happy.
That said, if you are baking with your slow cooker, or are making a layered casserole such as lasagna or tamale pie, try not to peek until the very end of the cooking time, so moisture doesnt escape. And DO NOT peek on the yogurt recipe---keep the valuable heat inside.
7) How come you arent posting every day anymore?
Because my year-long challenge is over! Im currently slow-cooking baby number three, and am working on some other freelancing commitments, along with trying my hardest to give my children more of me than they got last year. I am still completely infatuated with my slow cookers and use them VERY regularly. Id be absolutely lost without them.
8) Have you seen Julie & Julia? Not yet! It looks like a group of my friends will go together next week. I cant wait.
I hope this helps, some! If you have other questions, let me have em in the comment section. xoxo steph
related topics:
Frequently Asked A Year of Slow Cooking Questions, Part 1
Slow Cooker Troubleshooting
My New Years Resolution
Alphabetical Recipe List
Holiday Recipe List
Help! My Slow Cooker Cooks Too Fast!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Vesanto Melina Co Author Of Becoming Raw Addresses Controversial Questions Concerning Raw Food Nutrition
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Vesanto Melina
Saturday night I was fortunate to hear Vesanto Melina discuss some very important issues about raw food vegan diets. Besides Becoming Raw, Ms. Melina has co-authored Raw Food Revolution Diet, Becoming Vegan, Raising Vegetarian Children, Food Allergy Survival Guide and The New Becoming Vegetarian. She has taught nutrition at the University of British Columbia and at Seattles Bastyr University. In short, shes spent most of her life studying and writing about plant-based nutrition so she is truly an expert in this field.
In her talk, she discussed 4 controversial questions about raw food diets:
(1) What contributions do plant enzymes make to digestion?
(2) Are cooked foods toxic?
(3) Can we get enough vitamin B12 from plant foods or from the production of B12 in your intestines?
(4) Can raw food diets reverse chronic disease?
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| Vesanto Melina (right) lecturing at a vegan potluck in Santa Rosa, California |
Most raw foodists regard the preservation of enzymes as the holy grail. It is believed that the enzymes found in uncooked food can work together with the enzymes produced by the body itself to more efficiently digest food. This may reduce the amount of enzymes the body has to produce allowing it to preserve its energy for other activities. Raw foodists often experience high energy which many attribute to the consumption of raw food enzymes. I myself have experienced high levels of energy when on a raw food cleanse (when I go completely raw for 1 month) followed by extreme fatigue when I consume my first cooked meal after my cleanse.
Contrary to these beliefs, Ms. Melina says that enzymes are not the core reason for the benefits of a raw food diet. She claims the science shows that food enzymes can provide some initial digestion which can begin when food is chopped, juiced, pureed and chewed, but the amount of enzymes in food is much smaller than those produced by the body. Because of their relative quantities, some experts feel that plant enzymes do not play a significant role in human digestion. However, she gave two important examples where plant enzymes are critical in providing health benefits and therefore the foods should be not be cooked to obtain maximum benefits. These are myrosinase and alliinase.
Myrosinase is an enzyme found in raw cruciferous vegetables iike broccoli, kale, cauliflower, bok choy, brussels sprouts, etc. These veggies all contain important sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates. Myrosinase allows the conversion of glucosinolates to isothiocyanates which are bioactive metabolites known to trigger other enzymes in the body to prevent and fight cancer. But unfortunately myrosinase is deactivated at 140 degrees F. Bottom line, if you cook cruciferous veggies more than lightly steaming them, you may lose much of their cancer fighting abilities!
Allinase is an enzyme found in raw garlic and onions and other vegetables in the allium family. Other vegetables in the allium family include chives, green onions and leeks. Allinase converts an organosulfur compound found in allium vegetables to allicin which has many powerful properties. Allicin is known to have anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial and antiparasitic properties. It also is known to help lower cholesterol, thin blood and reduce inflammation associated with arthritis. Unfortunately, allinase is destroyed by heat. If you let garlic sit for 10 to 15 minutes after crushing or mincing it before it is cooked, it allows sufficient conversion to allicin and it can withstand some amount of cooking. However, depending on the heat and amount of cooking time, much of the health properties of the garlic may still be lost.
Are Cooked Foods Toxic?
Ms. Melina believes, as I do, that there is no need to eat a 100% raw diet. See my post on Raw Food Diet - How raw do you need to be? Many foods can be boiled and steamed and still provide important nutrients. However, she discussed some of the harmful effects that cooking can have:
Carcinogenic by-products
I remember seeing the first infrared burner on BBQ grills thinking that they should just call it the "cancer feature". These burners can grill meat over 700 degrees F!
Ms. Melina discussed the health damaging by-products that can be formed when foods are subjected to very high temperatures. HCAs (heterocyclic amines) are generated when animal products like meat, poultry, fish and eggs, are barbecued, grilled or fried. Consumption of HCAs can increase the risk of colorectal, stomach, pancreatic and breast cancers. Grilling veggies does not produce HCAs.
PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are generated from grilled or charred meat, poultry, fish, grains, sweets and fats. An example of this is burnt toast. Like HCAs, PAHs can damage DNA and PAHs have been linked to cancer. AGEs (advanced glycation end products) are formed when proteins are cooked with sugars without water. Browning is an indication of AGEs, such as browned meats, bread crust, cookies, etc. These have been linked to accelerated aging, impaired immune systems, heart, nerve, eye and kidney diseases as well as diabetes. Acrylamines form when foods high in carbohydrates and low in protein are subjected to high cooking temperatures exceeding 248 degrees F. This is extremely bad news for all of you potato chip and french fry lovers! Consumption of acrylamines may also be carcinogenic.
Vitamin and Mineral Loss
Besides forming carcinogenic by-products, Ms. Melina pointed out that as much as 50% to 80% of vitamins can be lost in the cooking process and 30% to 40% of minerals can end up in the cooking water (so use it to make soup!). By eating foods raw, you will get the optimal amount of vitamins and minerals.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals, or plant chemicals, are what gives plants their colors and many other characteristics. When consumed, they have numerous health benefits, many of which are lessened by the cooking process. But this is not always the case. Some phytochemicals increase with cooking. For example, studies show that the availability of the phytochemical, lycopene, increases when tomatoes are cooked. It is believed that cooking breaks down the cell wall. A list of vegetables and what effect cooking has on their phytochemicals can be found on pages 49-50 in Ms. Melinas book, Becoming Raw.
Vitamin B12
Like many other well regarded nutritionists, Ms. Melina also agrees that you cannot possibly get enough vitamin B12 from plant food or from the production of B12 in your intestines. Vegetables purchased today do not contain B12 producing bacteria (as they are free of dirt) and the B12 produced in your body is done further down the intestine beyond the point the body is able to absorb and utilize it. Raw food vegans must supplement as they do not eat fortified foods. Vegetarian formulated Red Star nutritional yeast is also a good source of vitamin B12 but she still highly recommends supplementation. By the way, if youre not supplementing and havent gotten into trouble yet, its because your body is extremely good at recycling vitamin B12. But eventually it will catch up with you and deficiency can cause some life threatening health issues like megaloblastic anemia and severe nervous system problems. Fatigue, depression, confusion and irritability are symptoms of B12 deficiency.
Ms. Melina also recommended supplementing with vitamin D (her own vitamin D levels were woefully low despite her visit to sunny Hawaii) and perhaps DHA omega 3.
Can Raw Food Diets Reverse Chronic Disease?
There is scientific evidence that raw food diets can reverse some chronic diseases. Specifically, they have been shown to offer significant benefits for those suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and those who are overweight or obese. There is suggestive evidence that a raw food diet may also provide protection against cancer and should be a good supplemental treatment to those who already have cancer. It is also widely acknowledged that raw food diets have the potential to prevent and reverse cardiovascular disease due to the high content of antioxidants and phytochemicals. The caveat here is that without B12 supplementation, there is an increase in homocysteine and therefore an increased risk of heart disease! Supplementation with vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids is also required. And finally, there is also strong suggestive evidence that raw food diets can prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes. (See my post where my friend Kannan prevented type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome with a raw food diet). Ms. Melina also indicated that there were instances of people with type 1 diabetes who responded favorable to a raw food diet. The above vitamin and fatty acid supplementation is also recommended to achieve the benefits of protecting and reversing all the mentioned disorders.
In Summary
To summarize, Ms. Melina thinks that "Raw Rocks" as she states in her book. There are many advantages to raw plant consumption as it can help us obtain and maintain a healthful body weight and protect us from many diseases. Raw plants contain high amounts of compounds that are good for us and fewer compounds that make us sick. This contributes to the ability of this food regimen to reverse some chronic illnesses.
However, she does not feel that the majority of benefits from a raw food diet come from living enzymes and their ability to significantly contribute to digestion. She also points out that several critical nutrients can not be derived solely from raw plant sources, especially vitamin B12. And, Ms. Melina feels that there is an important place for cooked plant foods in our diet and does not think that people need to be 100% raw.
A big thanks to Vesanto Melina for a wonderful lecture and discussion on this very important topic!
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