*A MIDDLE EASTERN PANTRY*
Recipe: Moroccan Chickpea Stew

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May 20, 2012

I always find it strange when Americans tell me they think Middle Eastern food is “exotic.” Perhaps this is because I’ve been eating it since I was 12 years old. Or, more likely, it’s because I lived in a Middle Eastern country for two years and nearly forgot what a decent cheeseburger tastes like (don’t even get me started on bagels and pizza).

But the main reason I don’t understand why Americans are so puzzled by Middle Eastern food is that it has such a similar flavor profile to our pseudo-European cuisine: We have BBQ, they have kebab. We have donuts, they have zalabiyah (fried dough balls soaked in syrup). We have macaroni and cheese, they have macarona fil forn (baked macaroni with béchamel). Granted, French fry sandwiches are pretty odd, and I doubt most Americans would be interested in the ubiquitous Middle Eastern breakfast of fava beans (ful) and pita. (Personally, I find this much preferable to syrupy French toast and greasy bacon.)

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*A CHEESECAKE ALTERNATIVE*
Recipe: Cashewcake

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May 14, 2012

I love cheesecake—madly, deeply, unabashedly. In a perfect world, I could eat an enormous slice of cheesecake every day without becoming obese and developing Type 2 diabetes. But if we Americans have learned anything in the past decade, it’s that cheesecake has consequences. (So does invading a Middle Eastern country on the pretext of eradicating WMD, but the verdict is still out on whether or not we’ve learned that lesson.)

Roughly one out of every three adult Americans is obese. One out of every six American children is obese. Not overweight. Not chubby. Obese. Given this, it’s not surprising that roughly one out of every three adult Americans has prediabetes and one in twelve already has diabetes. In fact, diabetes is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. What’s the number one leading cause of death? Heart disease. And what are some of the major risk factors for heart disease? Diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

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*THE PERFECT WEEKDAY BREAKFAST*
Recipe: Vegan Overnight Oats

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May 4, 2012

Unless I am camping—in the middle of the Canadian wilderness with a steaming mug of freshly-brewed Starbucks coffee that my dad handed to me as I emerged from a dew-covered tent into crisp mountain air and shafts of golden light coming up through the evergreens—I am not a morning person. I don’t like waking up or getting up. I’ve gone so far as to develop this unfortunate coping mechanism where I snooze my alarm in my sleep; try explaining that one to your boss.

Naturally, it follows that I’m not a breakfast person. I like breakfast food, yes, but at 6:30 AM when I’m simultaneously trying to put lunch together, apply makeup, and find clean clothes on the floor of the closet that passes for my dresser, food is uncharacteristically the furthest thing from my mind. I spend much of the rest of the day thinking about food, but at that moment I’m the opposite of hungry, whatever that would be in this context.

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*THE DOCTOR’S ORDERS—A Morning Tipple*
Recipe: Fried Onion Sandwiches

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April 29, 2012

This week we have a special guest post written by my aunt, Ingrid Nelson, who is a doctor in New York City. I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I did! Keep a lookout for future “Doctor’s Orders” posts.            -Chloe

My grandpa Phil started every day with a small glass of vodka. Just enough, my mother explained, to fortify him for the day. When she told me this I was skeptical. Phil’s morning tipple, I thought, was a very bad sign, a prelude to a day of excess and a life of wantonness and waste.

But I’ve learned that I was wrong. A tipple in the morning is a pretty common way to start out the day for many people. Take my Albanian patients, for example. Some tell me that they wake up and have a glass, a small one, of raki, and then go off to their their jobs feeling refreshed and invigorated. I was skeptical again… but I’ve interrogated their spouses, children, and friends who generally report that the man (almost always a man) in question is a reliable and trustworthy relative—hard-working and competent.

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*THE NEGOTIATION OF EATING*
Recipe: Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Yogurt

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April 20, 2012

Creating a recipe—or even choosing one—requires a considerable amount of negotiation. For most of us, flavor may carry the most leverage, but there are many other concerns to bring to the table (excuse the pun)—health benefits, preparation time, sustainability, environmental impact, cost, etc. As an example, here’s a story about how I came up with this week’s recipe: Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Yogurt.

Let me begin by explaining my insatiable and uncontrollable fixation with French fries. When I sit down to order lunch at a restaurant, I automatically rule out every dish that does not come with fries. Sometimes, I won’t even bother ordering a sandwich for appearances’ sake—I’ll just get a mound of fries and maybe a side salad to assuage my guilt. I often wish that I could transfer this obsession to a food item that does not lead the list of foods that cause weight gain. Why can’t I crave carrots instead?

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