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| "He who has health has hope -- and he who has hope has everything..." - proverb
Finer Points
November 2005 Question of the month Q: I see summer fruits in the store, like watermelon...is it okay to eat those now? A: Good question! When it's cold out, or transitioning into cold weather, foods like canteloupe and watermelon, which are considered to be "cold, cooling" in nature, are contraindicated. Save those for the middle of summer when you need them! Instead, choose cooked peaches, cooked cherries, cinnamon and nutmeg to help your body adjust to winter -- even if you live in Florida! Quote of the month "Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all..." Yesterday, while I was at Whole Foods, they were advertising "order your organic turkey now..." And it occurred to me that I needed to get ready for the big event (and I don't mean the neighborhood Turkey Bowl football game). As much as I like watching the parade, what I am really talking about is... The Food! Who among us doesn't love this holiday? Who doesn't look forward to a private moment in the kitchen to steal a nibble of skin? We all have our food rituals and family rituals. In our family the litany includes "Uncle David, cut the turkey!" Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude. A time of laughing, a time of eating, a time of getting together with family and friends and toasting good health and good fortune. Above all, Thanksgiving is the time of eating. So what are you eating? Thanksgiving foods are endemic to American Folk history. Our American ancestors ate these foods be cause they were available to them in the Northeastern United States in autumn. It is not coincidental that the foods we eat for Thanksgiving are also the foods necessary to prepare and nourish a person's body for winter. Let me introduce to you the concept of Chinese Culinary Medicine. What we eat reinforces or opposes what we do to heal ourselves. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs work well, and should be supported with foods which follow similar treatment principles. Foods, like medicines, have specific actions in the body, and we can be made aware of these - and we can use them to our advantage. Much of folk medicine historically views food as medicine - and many foods we enjoy today began as medicinals. We eat watermelon to cool down a summer fever and chicken soup for flu... The very turkey on your table strengthens your blood, warms your body, and prepares you for a season of cold weather. One hundred years ago, this type of meal protected you from the hard elements. Those of us who have lived in colder climates know that winter sometimes feels as though it ages us. Perhaps that's why all those sunbelt dwellers appear younger to us. Even cars age better in warm climates! We can take good care of ourselves by feeding our bodies, nourishing ourselves, with the foods that can be medicinal for what ails us. Let's give new meaning to stuffing the bird: every mouthful of turkey has the medicinal quality of warming the body, nourishing your digestive system, circulating blood, strengthening the blood and expelling cold. The actual stuffing, mostly wheat, can nourish the heart, strengthen the blood and have a calming effect. Yams, sweet potatoes are thought to strengthen the lungs, the digestion and the blood. It is also, according to Traditional Chinese Culinary Medicine, good for strengthening the yin and the semen. For a couple trying to conceive a baby, Sweet Potato Pie seems just the dessert! (recipe below...) Cranberries have the unusual medicinal quality of helping your body to digest meats and fats. Plus, when mixed with orange peel, in cranberry sauce, they provide a very strong digestant. Pumpkin pie strengthens the blood and lungs. It is thought to help bronchial asthma. When you cook for your family or friends - cook with the intention of nourishment. Cook with love and life in your heart - for what is in your heart will enter their stomachs. Bon Appetit! Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Whole wheat pie crust (purchase or make your own...) Prepare crust in a 9-10" pie pan. In a large bowl, beat together all other ingredients except whipped cream. Beat thoroughly, preferably with an electric mixer. Pour into pie shell and bake in a preheated 375 degrees over for 45-55 minutes. Cool before serving. This takes one hour to prepare and another to bake. Serves 6-8 happy people. | |
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