Top Ten Links of the Week: 9/17/10 - 9/23/10

1) BBC: UN Holds Key Meeting on Food Prices
Today in Rome, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is gathering, “sparked by global fears about high food prices.” Among their concerns: the Russian export ban due to recent drought, riots in Mozambique over high grain prices, and the continually rising price of grain-currently at a two-year high.

2) Food Politics: A Decent Food Safety System: Will we ever get one?
Marion Nestle explains how politics shapes and hinders U.S. food policy, and wonders if we will ever get it right.

3) MOMA: Counter Space: Design + the Modern Kitchen
A new exhibit at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art explores how the kitchen influences politics, design, pop culture and vice versa. The images curated here are captivating, even on the website. I can’t wait to see them in person.

4) Jezebel: Why Should Home Cooking Be Women’s Work?
Jezebel takes a reasoned and level pick axe to the arguments in a piece that calls for a return to “feminine cookery.” In the Daily Mail op-ed, writer Rose Prince blames feminism for obesity, fast food, and Gordon Ramsey. Hey, now that’s going one step too far.

5) NYT: Our Towns — Fresh Vegetables Where Fast Food Reigns
A low-income Long Island community embraces its new farmers’ market, made possible by by local revitalization and sustainable agriculture groups. “‘There seems to be this perception that low-income communities don’t have the same needs and interests when it comes to food, and we do,’ said Clara Gillens-Eromosele, one of the leaders of the Roosevelt revitalization group. ‘We’re not looking to have more fast food in our community. We’re looking to educate people about alternatives.’”

6) Boing Boing: Four Reasons Why High Fructose Corn Syrup Is Probably Not the Devil
Balanced take on why HFCS is no reason for dietary panic. But the over consumption of sweeteners could, in fact, be...Satan.

7) FDA Won’t Require GM Label on Salmon
Salmon: the new mystery meat.

8) Slate: How Can the FDA Tell Whether GMO Fish Are Safe?
It’s all just fish parts, right?

9) Serious Eats: A Preliminary Canned Tomato Taste Test
Bloggers from Serious Eats’ pizza-focused sister Slice tasted a bunch of tomatoes, ranging in price from $0.99 to $12.39, and rated them in categories, like sweetness, acidity, texture, and color. The results: spendy does not equal a good tomato.

10) BBC: Why Do So Many People Like Toast?
A study by Cardiff University found that when we smell the chemicals released as the sugars in the bread caramelize, our memories of childhood are triggered. Nutshell: toast reminds us of home.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
HuffPo: 6 Biggest Food Myths, Busted
From eggs to microwaves, Eating Well’s Joyce Hendley challenges some of the conventional wisdom about food and cooking.

How Stuff Works: 10 Most Common Fast Food Ingredients
This list of the most ubiquitous fast food components contains many of the usual suspects (sodium and HFCS) and a few rogue entries I did not expect.

Gothamist: Sandwich Shop Turns Health Dept. “B” Lemon into Lemongrade
It’s all in how you spin it!

Slashfood: World Record Mac’N’Cheese
I’m bringing the world’s biggest spoon!

The Kitchn: 6 Ways to Tidy Your Pantry in 10 Minutes
Another awesome list of tips from the The Kitchn.

AND ALSO
Craftzine: Maker Faire CRAFT Demo Profile: Tugboat Printshop

If you’re a DIY geek in the New York City area this weekend, you must check out the World Maker Faire, hosted by Make Magazine at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, NY. There will be demos, exhibits, and amazing wonders of the old-school and high-tech to behold.

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Veggie Might: Easy Tomato Sauce

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

For years I avoided making my own tomato pasta sauce based on several misconceptions:
1) Jarred sauce is fine
2) Making homemade tomato sauce is hard
3) You have to be Italian with instinctual sauce know-how

Let’s debunk these one at a time.

1) Jarred sauce is fine if you like bland sauce and don’t mind spending just as much time and effort “perking up” what comes out of the jar as you would making a batch from scratch. Plus, jarred sauces are high in sodium and preservatives that keep the smiling at you on the shelf for a good long time. They can also get expensive.

2) Making homemade tomato sauce is hard if you think chopping is hard. The rest is putting stuff in a pot and stirring. Really! Now what you put in the pot takes a little thought and alchemey, but there are recipes and gurus out there to guide you. Find one you like and make it your own. Before you know it, you’ll be making sauce without a recipe, just like an Italian auntie.

3) You have to be Italian with instinctual sauce know-how like I am Italian. There is not a twig or bit of Latin bark to be found anywhere on my Anglo-Saxon-Scots-Irish family tree, and I wear long sleeves to the beach. But I finally got over the fact that the absence of a sauce gene and an Italian nana shouldn’t stop me from kicking out some great sauce. My pal SL, her mama, and her Zia Stella would be proud.

My easy tomato sauce is so simple and pretty fast. You can make it with canned or fresh tomatoes, and it only takes about 40 minutes. You can cook the pasta while the sauce simmers. It’s ideal for a weeknight supper and keeps well for leftovers and lunches.

I made two versions of this sauce and both were delicious. You can mix and match ingredients and essentially choose your own adventure. Herbs can be swapped out based on your personal preferences or what you have around the kitchen.

Version 1: Fresh tomatoes and balsamic vinegar made a chunky, sweet sauce with loads of flavor. I used a 1/2 tbsp less sugar for this version, since balsamic vinegar is much sweeter than other vinegars, especially as it cooks down. The rosemary got a bit lost, but it was still quite delicious.

I forgot to peel or remove the seeds from the fresh tomatoes, and it wasn’t too much of an issue, but I recommend you do both of those things for a saucier sauce. Peeling tomatoes is so easy. Just drop the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds, remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and allow to cool. Then pierce the skin with a knife and the skin will peel right off.

Version 2: Canned diced tomatoes with red wine vinegar made a tangy, bright sauce that really highlighted the fresh rosemary. This sauce is gorgeous over sauteed vegetables and whole wheat pasta.

So that’s it. Cast away whatever crazy notions have been keeping you from making your own sauce and be Italian.

~~~

If you like this recipe, you may enjoy:
Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca
Pasta with Eggplant, Zucchini, and Mushrooms
Tomato Sauce II:Light Lidia’s Tomato Sauce

~~~

Easy Tomato Sauce

Serves 8

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes (or 2 lbs fresh, diced + 1/4 cup water)
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)
1 1/2 tbsp sugar (or 1 tbsp if using balsamic vinegar)
1 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tsp fresh, chopped)
2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed (or 1 1/2 tbsp fresh, finely chopped)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook together for about 4 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent. Add oregano and rosemary to onion and garlic and cook for another minute or two.

2. To the vegetables, add tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, and sugar. Stir well, combining all flavors. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes up to 1 hour, adding water, a tablespoon at a time, if necessary. (I only added water when I used fresh tomatoes.)

3. Serve over your favorite pasta and vegetables, top with fresh basil or parsley, and share the story of how your zia from the old country taught you how to make sauce.


Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
52 calories, 1.8g fat, .75g fiber, .75g protein, $.64

Note: This recipe can be made with canned or fresh tomatoes. Cost was calculated based on recipe made with canned tomatoes.

Calculations
1 tbsp olive oil: 120 calories, 14g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.08
1 large yellow onion: 52 calories, 0.3g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.65
6 cloves garlic: 25 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.07
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes: 132 calories, 0g fat, 6g fiber, 6g protein, $3.00
1 tbsp tomato paste: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.62
2 tbsp red wine vinegar: 6 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.26
1 tbsp sugar: 67.5 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.04
sugar, granulated, 3 tsps: 45 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.03
1 tsp dried oregano: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.08
salt and pepper to taste: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.04
TOTALS: 417.5 calories, 14.3g fat, 6g fiber, 6g protein, $5.15
PER SERVING (totals/8): 52 calories, 1.8g fat, .75g fiber, .75g protein, $.64

Trading Butter for All the Broccoli in China: Getting Healthy Takes Practice

Making her CHG debut, please welcome today's guest blogger, Amy Dickenson. Amy is an actor, writer, producer, and mom to the cutest baby girl in the five boroughs.

Forty. Forty is the new 30, right? Well, in my house, 40 is starting to look like the new 60. My gorgeous husband and I have recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol—hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, to be fancy, like certain cheeses which I love and will never be able to eat again.

Photo: Jami Dwyer via Flickr

Let’s jump in the Crisco Time Machine. It all started 18 years ago when our courtship took a decided slant toward biscuits slathered in butter and jam. Have you ever tasted butter? It’s like a miracle married to a unicorn wrapped in a rainbow. Much like its cousin, bacon, which is a miracle married to a unicorn dipped in chocolate, butter’s not so good for your arteries. But it was the early ‘90s and we didn’t know about cholesterol and vegetables back then. Did we?

Back in the time machine to August 2010. My cholesterol is 254. WHAT? I am not a high-falutin’, pin-stripe-wearin’ banker chugging scotch, smoking stogies, eating aged porterhouse steaks with my big wig partners, guffawing over “that deal” that made “lots of money” while flashing my newly laminated AARP card. I am a working mom. I eat veggies. I make sure my family gets a salad at least once a day. So, what gives? And why is my husband’s blood pressure 180/2 million?

My husband (let’s call him Adam) and I do not agree all the time (shocking) but we do agree on one thing: We want to be around for our baby daughter’s graduation from college. And her wedding. And her babies. And their graduations from college. Even if she doesn’t get married or go to college, we want to be around to lament those things.

She is worth all the broccoli in China. And I know they have tons, because, let’s face it, nobody ever eats that side of bright green buried under the General Tsao’s chicken. I imagine the Great Wall as an agricultural implement built to contain the cruciferous invaders from the steppes of central Asia. They must love it as much as I do.

Photo: La Grande Farmers' Market via flickr

Our daughter, however, loves broccoli (a secret point of pride), and for now, she needs us to make it for her. Time to act.

Adam’s doctor put him on the First Line Therapy diet. Mine gave me a prescription cholesterol reducer, a pharmaceutical of the most common side effects reported are headache, muscle pain, abdominal pain...variety.

One of the scariest side effects I read about is birth defects. Since Adam and I are “not not trying” to have another baby, the meds are sitting on my desk, looking forlorn while I debate whether to take it. Or I could give this First Line Therapy diet a try too.

Adam and I are fly-by-the-seat of our pantsers, not planners. I love to cook, but I have been known to open the freezer at 5 pm and stare blankly for three minutes before I reach directly above it for the takeout menus. (OK, the restaurant numbers are in my cell phone.)

How do two nonplanners plan to be healthy, live longer, and learn about nutrition on a diet that requires grocery shopping in advance of the moment we might need said ingredients?
I started by reading the cute little binder Adam got from his doctor. It has menus, recipes, and tips like pretty much every other diet book. I thought, “Hmmm. This looks really great.” And I said to Adam, “Babe, this is really great.” And then I put down the book and we ordered chicken ceasar wraps with feta from Zorba’s. Because you can have fat-free feta on this diet. (Zorba’s doesn’t have fat-free anything.)

Oh I needed a PLAN. I gave myself a goal of meal planning for three days. My mind can grapple with Sunday, Monday and Tuesday just fine. I didn’t want to get too ambitious and hope for a week.

First Line Therapy (FLT) is basically the reduced-carb, high-veggie, lean protein, healthy fat diet that we have all read about, tried, and maybe succeeded at. It’s similar to the South Beach approach or the Mediterranean diet…or Weight Watchers if you do it right.

You aim for a set number of calories per day within a certain set of food groups. For instance, Adam can eat 2000 calories a day, and this is how they break it down:

Servings per Day
3–4 “Category 1” veggies (the green leafies, the zucchinies, the tomatoes, the peppers, etc.)
2 legumes
1 dairy
3 concentrated proteins
2 fruits
4 healthy oils
1 nut
1 grain
1 “Category 2” veggie (the yummy orange ones)

You can read more about FLT here, where people are dangerously perched on two-wheels or here, where they weigh giraffes. I prefer the giraffes.

Among the many challenges of embracing FLT is that it’s kinda pricey. They recommend you eat what they call “medical food,” which includes Ultra Meal 360 Plus shakes with delicious "Selective Kinase Response Modulators,” twice a day and take a variety of supplements. You can indulge in medical chalklate, medical chalkberry or medical chalknilla flavored shakes, which you mix with cold water. Or you can get purse-friendly bars in flavors approximating fudge or apple cinnamon. (We have yet to try the apple cinnamon bars or strawberry shake flavors.) If there is a cookie variety, they are holding out on us.

“Medical food,” in combination with the cost of fresh produce, was looking a little forbidding until we looked at our daily Starbucks intake—$10 easy for both of us, which adds up to over $3600 a year. If we cut that out, along with our takeout habit, we could maybe swing this thing.

I comparison shopped at our local grocery store vs. the health food store vs. the farmer’s market. A head of lettuce at our grocery store costs around $3. I never used to buy a head of lettuce that I’d have to cut up and WASH and spin and hang to dry. It’s like doing laundry. Especially when have these cute little plastic boxes of cut up, triple-washed lettuce. But, they’re $4.99 a box. And, if truth be told, we usually throw away about 1/3 of it when the purple leafy things get all slimy. Hmmm… I see savings in my salad spinner.

The farmer’s market had locally grown lettuce for (drum roll please) $2! And it doesn’t come in those plastic shells which I always feel guilty about buying and tossing. So, not only am I supporting local growers, I can get my green on too? I’m sold. Or least sold on Wednesdays. Because that’s the only day the farmers market comes to my area.

To fill out the week, I decided to go for Romaine hearts at my grocery store, saving roughly $4 a week. Over a year, that’s $200. Which means I can buy those fancy Omega-3s FLT recommends we take. Or the “Medical food,” which is $50 a canister for 14 servings. OUCH, but remember the lettuce. Remember the lettuce!

Here is my 3-day plan:
Breakfast: a medical food shake, plus 2 eggs – anyway you like ‘em
Snack: fruit with a nut butter (Almond butter is pricey, but a little goes a loooong way. Plus, you can only have 1 tbsp.)
Lunch: here’s where the planning kicks in…yesterday’s dinner leftovers
Snack: another fruit
Dinner: a recipe from Adam’s cute binder and a salad
Snack: another medical food (This stuff is pricey.)*

Sunday’s dinner was turkey chili from the book (surprisingly delicious); Monday’s dinner was salad with grilled chicken breast; and Tuesday’s dinner was turkey and bulgur with peas (also yummy).

Not only did we have plenty of chili for lunch, I actually froze two servings for another day. The bulgur recipe looks like it might be another loaves and fishes story. I have never cooked bulgur, which I had to get at my health food store, but it was only $4 for a bag that will last me until the Buffalo Bills win a superbowl.**

Now I have to take a deep breath because today is Wednesday. And I have to plan again. But I did it THREE DAYS in a row. And I think I can, I think I can, I think I can… I talked to my doctor about Adam’s FLT diet, and he asked how it was going. “Well, it’s challenging, figuring out how to cook and plan and get all the food groups in.” He said, “That’s what it is. It’s practice.”

Hmmm... Practice. I can do that.


*According to the American Heart Association, in 1995, the last yearly figures they publish, there were 1,460,000 angiograms performed at an average cost of $10,880 per procedure. This resulted in 573,000 bypass surgeries at an average cost of $44,820, and 419,000 percutaneous transluminal (balloon) coronary angioplasties (PTCAs) at an average of $20,370 each. The total bill in 1995 was $50 billion, or $137 million per day―$5.7 million per hour. The total annual cost of cardiovascular disease in the United States, including medications and disability, is approximately $274 billion per year. And that was in 1995. When we were slathering butter on our biscuits. Good grief.

**Adam and I proudly hail from Buffalo, NY.

If you dug this article, you may also dig:
How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off: 10 Rules to Live By
Weekly Meal Planning for Singles, Couples and Working People
Why Weight Maintenance Is Harder Than Weight Loss, and How to Help It Along

Ask the Internet: Do You Use a Slow Cooker?

Readers, you have installed Greek yogurt as Queen and Supreme Ruler of Mayofreeland and avocado as Prime Minister. Soft, spreadable cheeses and sour cream are their trusted advisers. Enemies of mayo rejoice!

For this week’s question I took a look deep inside (my kitchen):

Q: My mother gave me a slow cooker many years ago, at my request. I use it to make beans, collards, and oatmeal. Up to now, I’ve been fairly content with my alternating shining success/burning failure within this repertoire, but I’d like to expand. (And avoid setting off the smoke detector when I’m not home.)

Do you have any good vegetarian slow cooker recipes or resources? How about general slow cooker tips for expediting mealtime?

A: CHG readers, it’s all you today! The comments await your sage advice. Thank you!

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

Janice's Glazed Carrots

Please welcome Cindee Weiss, writer, comedian, and dear friend of CHG, who is here today to knock our socks off with deliciousness. And today on Serious Eats: Top-Crust Peach and Cardamom Pie: the most delectable way to ease the transition from summer to fall.

Hello kind readers! It's nice to be back in the cozy and delicious world of Cheap Healthy Good, as I am in the throes of the Jewish High Holidays. Equal parts celebratory and somber, Fall is peeking in, and there's holiday food. OH THE FOOD! It's not gourmet, or fussy, or experimental.

It's also not a meal one takes lightly. When the appetizer is chopped liver on challah or rye bread, you know that this will be a meal that demands attention. What follows after the chopped liver is something I crave starting in early September: brisket, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, and salad.

Much like Thanksgiving, we celebrate the Jewish New Year with a meal that's traditional, comforting, and just plain delicious. I have eaten this exact same meal for almost 40 years. I wouldn't change anything. It's home on a plate.

For today's recipe, I give you Janice's (my mom) Glazed Carrots. It's a simple recipe, and when paired with a savory meat dish, the results are sublime. Traditionally, honey is used in the Rosh Hashana meal to signify a sweet New Year. Jan is not a honey gal (she's extremely sweet though!), so pure maple syrup is our sweetener of choice.

A belated L'shanah Tovah, to you CHG! May your year be sweet, peaceful, and delicious!

~~~

If you dig this recipe, you may also enjoy
Carrots and Zucchini with Garlic and Ginger
Honey-Glazed Roasted Carrots
Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes

~~~

Janice's Glazed Carrots

Photo © John Kernick for Food & Wine 

Serves 6
3 pounds carrots, sliced on the diagonal into 2–3 inch pieces (you can also use baby carrots left whole)
8.5 ounces (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) kosher 100% maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Salt and nutmeg to taste

Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350º F.
2. Place carrots in a roasting pan. Add OJ, maple syrup, vanilla, salt to taste, a pinch of nutmeg and toss. Dot carrots with butter.
3. Bake 1–1 1/2 hours, until carrots caramelize and are tender when poked with a knife.
4. Enjoy with brisket, mashed potatoes, and loved ones.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
304.5 calories, 5.2g fat, 7g fiber, 2.3g protein, $2.07

Editor’s Note: Prices for maple syrup vary wildly. Your cost may be different depending on the brand you choose.

Calculations
3 pounds carrots: 546 calories, 0g fat, 42g fiber, 10.5g protein, $3.36
8.5 ounces maple syrup: 945 calories, 1.125g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $8.49
2 tablespoons unsalted butter: 280 calories, 30g fat, 0g fiber, 2g protein, $0.30
1/2 cup orange juice: 56 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 1g protein, $0.25
1/2 teaspoon vanilla: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
nutmeg: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
TOTALS: 1,827 calories, 31.1g fat, 42g fiber, 13.5 protein, $12.46
PER SERVING (totals/6): 304.5 calories, 5.2g fat, 7g fiber, 2.3g protein, $2.07

Saturday Throwback: Learning to Love the Foods You Hate: A Guide for Frugal Eaters

Every Saturday, we post a piece from the CHG archives. This one is from April 2009.

Up until a few years ago, the list of foods I loathed was a long one. It included, but wasn’t limited to: spaghetti squash, broccoli, asparagus, red cabbage, ginger ale, cauliflower, radishes, lentils, beans, Brussels sprouts, fennel, eggplant, anise, scallops, figs, and of course, the dreaded mayonnaise. The list goes on (and on), but you get the idea: growing up, I wasn’t exactly a daring eater.

I still hate mayo. I will ALWAYS hate mayo. George Clooney could serve me mayo wrapped in chocolate bacon on a gold-plated re-issue of Who’s Next, and I would throw it back in his face. But my opinion’s changed on most of those other foods. These days, I’ll gladly scarf a floret of cauliflower. Brussels sprouts hold a special place on my dinner table. And eggplant? Well, eggplant is my favorite thing ever, aside from the panda song from Sifl and Olly. (In fact, you could say I’m drunk on eggplant mystery.)

Granted, part of it is just me aging. At 31-years-old, my palate’s matured a little, and my tastes now lean more toward savory than sweet. The other part, though, can be directly attributed to recent changes in my lifestyle.

See, a few years ago, I resolved to learn to cook, to eat healthier, and to better manage my money. As it turned out, vegetables and legumes were vital to making this work, since they’re exponentially cheaper than meat and much more nutritious than most starches. So, I had to confront my fears. I had to expand my produce repertoire beyond corn, carrots, corn, and carrots.

These strategies helped. I learned to tolerate, and even love, a lot of foods I had longstanding issues with. Try ‘em for yourself, and please add your own suggestions to the comment section.

Make it unrecognizable.
Case study: Eggplant
Seedy, mushy, and horrifically purple, eggplant appealed to me about as much as a drug-free colonoscopy. Then, in 1997, my friend H hid it in her homemade tomato sauce. And … revelation. Soon, I was on to eggplant dips, eggplant pastas, and finally, plain ol’ broiled eggplant. The trick was getting the image of the vegetable out of my head, and forcing me to associate it with otherwise good food. I suspect it would work beautifully with any vegetable that could be pureed or furtively included in a sauce (butternut squash, bell peppers, etc.).

Use it in a recipe with foods you love.
Case study: Brussels sprouts
As far as I was concerned, Brussels sprouts were tiny, bitter cabbages that masochists ate when they ran out of bigger bitter cabbages. Little did I know that slathering them in Parmesan would provide a delicious gateway into healthier, simpler preparations. See also: Red Cabbage (ew) with Honey (nice), Apples (yay!), and Bacon (king of cured meats). It's actually quite scrumptious.

Try it in an ethnic dish.
Case study: Broccoli
Broccoli: looks like trees, tastes like butt, right? Yeah, I used to think like that, too. But in high school, Ma ordered Chicken and Broccoli from our local Chinese joint, Da How. Suddenly, it was broccoli: looks like trees, tastes like HEAVEN (with garlic and brown sauce). Sometimes, a food is more appealing when its paired with flavors you’re not necessarily accustomed to. Like bean sprouts on top of Pad Thai. Or peas stuffed in a samosa. Or tomatillo sauce spread across an enchilada. Pick a cuisine and start experimenting.

Cook the best-reviewed recipe you can find featuring that food.
Case study: Cauliflower
Most aggregate recipe sites like Epicurious, Food Network, and All Recipes have sophisticated rating systems with which home cooks can evaluate any dish. If you’re feeling ambitious, plug an ingredient into one of their search engines. Then, prep the recipe with the best overall reviews. For example, Ina Garten has a Cauliflower Gratin that’s received an average of five stars from 132 people (which is outstanding). I’ve tried it myself, and without exaggeration, it changed the way I felt about cauliflower. I just … I just didn’t know it could taste that good. Now, stuff like Roasted Garlic Cauliflower and Curried Cauliflower Soup with Honey are making regular appearances in my mouth.

Understand you don’t have to eat it the way your Ma (or Pa) prepared it.
Case study: Spaghetti Squash
Across the country, millions of Irish-Americans loathe vegetables because growing up, produce was boiled beyond recognition and then forced by threat of death into their reluctant maws. But take heart, my freckled brethren! It doesn’t have to be this way. Did you know carrots can be roasted? And broccoli rabe, sauteed? And spaghetti squash, combined with red sauce, mozzarella, and pine nuts to create something COMPLETELY DELICIOUS? It’s true. So, love your Gaelic Ma. Embrace her. Call her often. Just … try to forget her cooking. It’ll make this whole process much easier.

Try a dish with a subtler incarnation of that food.
Case study: Tarragon
This one’s a little difficult to explain, so here’s an example: I despise anise. Even thinking about its black licorice flavor makes my tongue curl. Recently though, I discovered a White Bean and Tarragon Soup that I quite like. Tarragon, like fennel, possesses traits similar to anise, but it’s much, much subtler. In the soup, it was complemented so well by the other ingredients, I didn’t even taste the hate. Maybe I'll feel the same way about anise someday. Think of this principle like salsa: you start out mild, and work your way up to medium and hot varieties.

Give it just one more shot.
Case study: Beans
For some inexplicable reason, I always assumed I hated beans. As a kid, they looked funny to me. And in my six-year-old brain, funny-looking food = bad food. It wasn’t until I grew up, sacked up, ate one and didn’t throw up, that they became a regular part of my diet. (Okay, hummus helped.)

If you truly hate it, let it go.
Case studies: scallops, figs, radishes, mayo
Scallops will never be my thing, no matter how fresh they are, how well they’ve been prepared, and how many times I try them. Figs, radishes, mayonnaise – still disgusting, as well. (Which, did I mention I hate mayonnaise? I did? Oh, good.) Sometimes, a certain food just won’t do it for you. And it’s okay. Just move on to the next one.

And that’s it. Readers? Suggestions?

~~~

If you like this article, you might also dig

• Picky, Picky: Frugal, Healthy Menu Ideas for a Fussy Crowd
• 10 Foods You Should Always Splurge On
• Touch of Class: 10 Thrifty, Healthy Ingredients to Improve the Quality of Your Meals

(All images courtesy of NatalieDee.com. Go there now.)

Top Ten Links of the Week: 9/10/10 - 9/16/10

1) Food Politics: This Is Good News? UN Says 925 million People Are Chronically Hungry
2) NY Times: Ranks of Hungry Shrink, but Remain Large
Ten years after the world’s wealthiest nations promised to reduce hunger by half in 15 years, there has been .5% decrease in the number of hungry people around the globe. But experts say the situation is not hopeless. “While all the movement in terms of aid is in the right direction, [Jacques Diouf, the director general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization] said, the pace needs to be accelerated.”

3) Food Politics: Corn Refiners Ask FDA to Replace “HFCS” with “Corn Sugar”
Big Corn wants a little rebranding for HFCS, I see. Be sure to check out Marion Nestle’s reader updates on the etymology of corn syrup’s moniker. It shows how susceptible we are and always have been to marketing.

4) Lifehacker: Budweiser, Balsamic Vinegar and How Expectations Affect Our Views
Hold up! We fall for marketing because of brain science. Behavioral economics professor, Dan Ariely, explains how our brains use information to make decisions and form opinions with a fascinating experiment with Boston students as his lab monkeys. My guess is the balsamic was a improvement on a classic.

5) The Minimalist: The Food Processor: A Virtuoso One-Man Band
Mark Bittman dedicates a love song to his food processor. Tonight, I’m going sprinkle some rose petals around the kitchen, turn down the lights, and put on some soft music while my Cuisinart and I make sweet, sweet poblano hummus.

6)Chow: How Do You Get Rid of Fruit Flies?
7)Lifehacker: Capture Fruit Flies with a Cup and Apple Cider Vinegar
Dueling fruit fly remedies: which one works best? You be the decider.

8) Science Daily: Only 5% of Americans Engage in Vigorous Physical Activity on Any Given Day
The report also states, “The most frequently reported moderate activity was food and drink preparation.” If we’re not exercising, at least we’re cooking.

9) The Kitchn: Best Way to Keep Greens Fresh? The Bath Towel Method
I can’t wait to try this. My tried-and true-salad spinner just bit the dust, and I’ve been enjoying the space it vacated.

10) Chow: Hazmat Investigates Exploding Sauerkraut
High school science class gets explosivo and requires a visit from HazMat. What was the most fun you ever had in science class?

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Food Politics: Department of Talmudic Investigation: Define Candy
For the love of taxes, someone has to draw the line between candy and cookies. The differential ingredient is flour, but as you might guess, it’s not that simple.

Jezebel: The World’s Smallest Cow
Jezebel: World's Tallest Dog Meets Smallest Dog
A banner week for cute and extremely sized animals!

NY Times Diner’s Journal: The Baker’s Apprentice: Peach or Apple Pie
Food writer Emily Weinstein gets a pie-making lesson from Sarabeth Levine of New York’s Sarabeth’s Kitchen. Luckily for us, she shares what she learned.

NYTimes The Curious Cook: For Old Fashioned Flavor: Bake the Baking Soda
Mmm...apparently lye makes good pretzels as well as soap and drain cleaner. Or just use toasted baking soda.

Unplugged: 3 Tips for Efficiently Stocking the Fridge
via The Kitchn
Save money on food and electricity with these oh-duh reminders.

There I Fixed It: So Is this Food Full of Iron?
Brilliant! Where was this hack during No Stove Month?

AND ALSO

National Maritime Museum: Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010

Let's feel small together.


Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!