Just Foodies

Emperor, Fish and I

As most of us know the fatty acids contained in fish are considered critical for a healthy body and mindm but if you've been eating fish either canned or fresh you might have more in common with this guy than you ever would've guessed. So, what exactly do you, the health conscious fish eater have with the first Qin Dynasty emperor? Simply put, mercury.

The early Qin Shi is thought to have died from mercury poisoning after consuming mercury laced tonics in his fruitless effort to become immortal. Unless you want to retry his fateful immortality experiments it is important that you make informed decisions on the amount and type of fish you consume.

Although there are very specific guidelines given by the FDA that track average mercury levels in commonly eaten fish that you should look at, a simple rule you can follow is to eat fish at the bottom of the food chain. Although the mechanism by which mercury accumulates in fish contains several variables such as location, diet and levels of fatty tissue, in general fish that eat other fish will contain higher levels of mercury than fish that don't.

Take for example the diet of swordfish versus sardines, the FDA cites the mercury concentration in swordfish at 0.976 parts per million compared to sardines at 0.016 parts per million. As you could guess the diet of a fish that has a sharp pike attached to is generally predatory with its staple diet including octopus and mackerel, compared to the sardines, who often have no teeth at all and instead filter feed plankton. The same comparison can be done with shark and anchovies, with similar results.

Besides diet, another important factor that contributes to mercury levels in fish is the average life cycle of the species. The longer a fish has lived the greater the chance for high levels of mercury accumulation.

This information is especially important for women who are either pregnant or could become pregnant in the future. Just as in fish, mercury levels in humans can take years to naturally dissipate once consumed, potentially causing harm to a fetus.

So next time you are looking for a fishy treat, remember two things, mercury won’t make you immortal and do your best to always eat fish with short life cycles at the bottom of the food chain.

Taza Chocolate – Chocolate Mexicano

 At my local Whole Foods I spotted a type of chocolate I’d never seen in ready to eat form before, Stone Ground, Organic Chocolate Mexicano with added Cinnamon. Delicately packaged in wax paper, this chocolate is, as you can imagine delicious and yet is distinctly different from the classic Hershey’s milk chocolate bars many of us grew up with. Each portion of the wheel shaped chocolate block contains subtle earthy flavors along with a perfectly balanced splash of cinnamon so that neither of these flavors overpowers the satisfying texture and taste of the chocolate. The texture must be imparted from the stone ground process used to create it, with a grainy texture that doesn’t melt in your mouth as conventional milk chocolate would and instead provides a satisfying crunch 

While delicious as an on the go treat, this chocolate is also made to quickly and easily dissolve into any hot beverage for an intense chocolate infusion. I put two portions of a wheel into my morning latte and was very pleased with the results imparting a complex sweetness along with a mild and pleasant hint of cinnamon.

As a added bonus this chocolate is certified organic, with the only 3 ingredients being cocao beans, cane sugar and cinnamon. This treat can be purchased directly from the Taza website. While Taza Chocolate on its site advertises a feature to track the exact process by which your exact chocolate bar was made through a tracking number on the bar, my bar contained no such code. If the bar you purchase does contain a tracking code, the site provides every imaginable detail of the process that took the original cocoa beans to the finish bar, including maximum roasting temperature, the specific grower and even who wrapped the packaging. Even without this advanced tracking this bar chocolate definitely provided a delicious, unique and versatile experience.

  

Sweet Potatoes an American Tradition

[8:02:36 PM] brian: Potatoes have long been a staple food and can be used in nearly every course as a complement for meat, vegetables or even sliced with a little bit of salt to make delicious french fries. If you love potatoes and haven't given their delicious and nutritious sibling the Sweet Potato, also commonly known as "Yams" a try, you are seriously missing out.

If you've taken part in the American tradition Thanksgiving, you've undoubtedly seen sweet potatoes served along with that golden turkey. Often served with a heavy topping of sweetener  such as marshmallow or honey to bring out a caramel like taste and texture, yet this is only a single way to serve sweet potatoes and far from my favorite. Besides the delicious taste, sweet potatoes keep well when protected from light are durable and can quickly be prepared as a delicious snack or meal.

You can find sweet potatoes in almost every grocery store that would stock potatoes, and while they are a bit more expensive than a normal potatoes, they bring unique flavors and textures that can add complex sweetness and starchiness to any meal far beyond a normal potato.

When purchasing sweet potatoes there are some key things to look for in order to pick perfect potatoes. Skin color is generally a good indication of the flavor that the potato will have, lighter skin indicates less of the distinct sweet potato flavor, with a flavor more like a regular potato, while a darker skin sweet potato will have a darker orange flesh which will provide a smooth sweet taste when cooked. Besides skin color you should choose potatoes that are free of mold and damage, with the potato feeling firm and heavy when picked up with smooth not wrinkly skin. You should also be aware that potatoes and sweet potatoes when frozen or chilled can develop "hardcore" which is a tough center that cannot be softened even with intense cooking.

Once you've purchased your stock of sweet potatoes you can use them interchangeably anywhere you'd use normal potatoes, including complementing steaks, stews and fries, often adding a delightful and complex savory sweetness to the dish. Although there are many exotic new recipes involving sweet potatoes, some of the best and my favorite are the traditional classics:

Sweet Potato parmesan garlic baked fries

This recipe is a favorite of many college students I know because it is simple, fast and cheap.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 Large Sweet Potato, thinly sliced as desired
Olive Oil
Parmesan cheese
Powdered Garlic
Medium pan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Wash sweet potato in warm water
Slice sweet potato thinly to ensure even cooking
Oil cooking pan with olive oil to prevent sticking
Spread sweet potato evenly over pan to ensure even cooking
Sprinkle Parmesan over sweet potatoes as desired
Sprinkle powdered garlic over sweet potatoes as desired
Cook for 20-25 minutes or until browned and crispy

Enjoy!

Be sure to check back for more sweet potato recipes, we'll be adding them as we discover them.