Health | Page 2 of 8 | The Rambling Epicure

Simple Sustenance: Summer Indulgence — Cardamom-Infused Mango Milkshake

Published by Renu-Chhabra + Monday, June 10, 2013 Permalink 0

Ponder well on this point: the pleasant hours of our life are all connected by a more or less tangible link, with some memory of the table.–Charles Pierre Monselet

Summer afternoon and a glass of cold milkshake! Mango milkshake. Something I am always ready for. Why wouldn’t I be? It brings back memories of my childhood — fun and comforting memories.

Growing up in India, summer meant boxes of mangoes showing up in our house throughout the season. Not just one or two varieties, but several of them. Different sizes, tastes, and textures to relish, and we all had our own favorite.

It was the summer fruit to indulge in — messy but syrupy sweet and wonderfully juicy. Most of all, it was fun to sit around the table; and enjoy this tropical fruit and celebrate the season.

And with such abundance pouring in, we were treated with mango ice cream, mango custard, mango salad, and not to forget mango milkshake, the simplest of all for warm summer days. Simple because it can be put together in no time.

Its creamy texture and sunshine yellow color always lifts my spirits. Simply said, it’s a happy reminder of my childhood. Little moments that enable us to travel miles away!

I have accented the mango shake with cardamom in this recipe. Cardamom, as I call the soul of Indian desserts. Just a hint of it makes the recipe sing fragrant notes. A little goes a long way; otherwise it gets bitter. Like we say, “Too much of a good thing can be bad.”

I used honey as sweetener, but you can use sugar or agave to taste. The amount will also depend on the sweetness of the mango.

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What we’re reading at The Rambling Epicure

Published by Jonell Galloway + Sunday, April 28, 2013 Permalink 0

Click here to catch up on your food-related reading for this week:

food art exhibit in Valencia, Spain
3 books more filling than food
is French cuisine a victim of its own success?
Monsanto doesn’t want you to know what you’re eating
can eating healthy actually save you money

and much more.

Jonell Galloway: Mindful Eating: Farmers, the Land, and Local Economy

Published by Jonell Galloway + Monday, April 1, 2013 Permalink 0

Mindful Eating: Farmers, the Land, and Local Economy

by Jonell Galloway

Many times, after I have finished a lecture on the decline of American farming and rural life, someone in the audience has asked, “What can city people do?” “Eat responsibly,” I have usually answered. Of course, I have tried to explain what I mean by that, but afterwards I have invariably felt there was more to be said than I had been able to say. Now I would like to attempt a better explanation.

I begin with the proposition that eating is an agricultural act. Eating ends the annual drama of the food economy that begins with planting and birth. Most eaters, however, are no longer aware that this is true. They think of food as an agricultural product, perhaps, but they do not think of themselves as participants in agriculture. They think of themselves as “consumers.”

—Wendell Berry, The Pleasures of Eating, Center for Ecoliteracy

The Times They are a-Changin’: Move Towards a Local Economy

After a few very difficult years, we are now only starting to talk about the importance, and even necessity, of maintaining and supporting a local economy. This is important not only to our health and taste buds, but also to our vital economic self-sufficiency. It is perfectly in line with the concept of Mindful Eating, and, by definition, involves local farmers as well as others who contribute to eating and drinking.

Were the twelve apostles guilty of overeating at the Last Supper?

Published by Jonell Galloway + Friday, February 22, 2013 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway

For over a millennium, the portion sizes in paintings of The Last Supper have gradually increased. A recent study at Cornell University demonstrates that ever-increasing portions are no recent phenomenon. Click here to read the study. The painting below is by the Italian artist Duccio, from 1308-1311 A.D. “Note how the size of the food, bread, and plates on the table compare with the size of the heads of Jesus and his disciples,” compared to later versions of The Last Supper.

Local vs. Non-local Food: The Arguments

Published by Jonell Galloway + Saturday, January 12, 2013 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway

I think we got spoiled by eating cheap food from all over the world. That put us out of sync with nature and skewed the price of local produce and products vs. produce and products from distant places, leading us to waste what we once had held precious because it was seasonal and local and therefore rare. Slow Food USA and Josh Viertel were right in fighting for fair wages for our own farmers and trying to lead us back to a way of eating that is in line with nature, which of course means paying a little more, but improving our health and local economy.

There are many more arguments to be put forth. Let’s talk about it: the pros and cons, your experiences, your convictions, etc. We’d love to get a big discussion going here.

Click here to watch Building a Slow Food Nation, outlining the history of Slow Food in the U.S., and including Josh Viertel’s view.

What we’re reading: bread pots, bad cooking myths, how the French Revolution changed food history, gourmet vegetarian

Published by Jonell Galloway + Thursday, December 20, 2012 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway

Click here to find the best in current food news and trends in the world of real food, Slow Food and mindful eating.

Simple Sustenance: Fall Greetings — Pumpkin Sage and Sunflower Seed Spread

Published by Renu-Chhabra + Tuesday, October 16, 2012 Permalink 0

by Renu Chhabra

Crunchy leaves; a coolness in the air;
Rich deep colors and branches so bare.
Clear starry skies; a harvest moon bright;
Pumpkins, haystacks and scarecrow’s delight! — Teri Anderson

The calendar says fall has arrived.

Pumpkins greeting you at every store front. I can almost hear them sing joyous notes of fall’s arrival, but the weather here in California is in a different mood.

It is reluctant to let summer go. It is still holding on to its one wing.

What we’re reading today: GMO labeling, Nancy Hachisu – Japanese Farm Food, Chocolate is Healthy

Published by Jonell Galloway + Monday, September 24, 2012 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway

Click here to read our roundup of today’s international food news.

Weight Loss Challenge: Eat Smaller Portions

Published by Jonell Galloway + Thursday, September 13, 2012 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway

Eating smaller portions is not always as easy as it sounds.

In restaurants, they invariably serve portions much larger than you would take if you were serving yourself. I decided a long time ago that I would eat until I felt full, and not feel guilty about leaving the rest. My husband and children often end up eating the rest or taking it home in a doggie bag. I often solve this problem by ordering two starters and no dessert, which is a somewhat less noticeable way to go about it.

Simple Sustenance: MarketDay in a mid-September California farmers market with Renu Chhabra

Published by Renu-Chhabra + Wednesday, September 12, 2012 Permalink 0

by Renu Chhabra

Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization.–Daniel Webster

These are the colors of California farms — rich and vibrant!

Summer vegetables are brimming with freshness, and the abundance! Everywhere I set my eyes, there is something that draws me to it. I can’t control myself; I want to shoot every colorful heap I see. I guess it’s the temptation to enjoy them, visually, later? After all, it is a feast for the eyes.