Forty Two

Is this the proverbial half-way point? I think it is...

Happy Halloween! Saturday morning arrived in all its wonder. I fantastically had NOTHING to do! After a run and some job research (does Ina Garten need a personal assistant?), I went over some of my notes to see if there were any tips I had left out!

Here they are:

- If you are in the market for a juicer, there are two types: the centrifuge juicer is best used for apples, carrots, beets, etc., while the green star (or masticating) juicer is better for greens (kale, spinach, etc) and wheat grass. If I had to pick one, I'd go with centrifuge.

- Syria is an almost entirely self-sufficient nation food wise (our headmistress just returned from a 5 day research trip).

- Apricots are delicious with cardemon seeds

- Tapas are traditionally bitefuls of food, while Raciones can be slightly larger portions

- Ferran Adria, head chef of El Bulli in Spain (and molecular gastronomy master), is said to be one of the most innovative chefs in the world. El Bulli has been named the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine the last 4 years in a row.

- October in Alba, Italy is truffle season. Its on my list of things to do in life!

- 5% of bottled wine is spoiled by a tainted cork

- Store walnut oil and hazelnut oil in the fridge, because they are more likely to go rancid. Also, buy them in small containers because they go bad quickly.

- A good general rule: Foods (and Wines) that are grown together should be eaten together.

- The brown vs. white rice debate: after boiling, they both have the same vitamin content and they both have the same GI (Glycemic Index- how quickly the carbohydrate digests and releases glucose into your blood stream). Equally nutritious, eat the one you think tastes better!

- Eating foods with a low GI is key for prolonged, "slow release" daily energy

- Another kitchen staple: sea salt. Perfect for sprinkling on salads, breads, meats, and so on for a great burst of flavor.

- Some stores sell "Jam sugar", which is regular sugar with added pectin (what makes jam set). We do not use that here, because it can often make the jams set too much. But, feel free to try it!