Which Food Culture Are You From?

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are”. Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1775-1826; French gastronomy writer)

What are your favourite foods and associated memories? Let’s say you enjoy eating and preparing Italian dishes. This is far different though to thinking and identifying as an Italian. If you are unsure as to the true nature of your food culture, then examine your behaviour when under pressure. Psychologists state that under stress we revert to the familiar. Out may go noble aspirations and in come the takeaways, packet biscuits, or microwaved frozen slab.

Allergies: Why You May Be Allergic To the 21st Century

Among the industrialised nations, health statisticians predict that those who are children now will be the first generation that has poorer health, more obesity and a shorter lifespan than their parents. With the many benefits of affluence and education in such countries, how has this tragic state developed?

Maria Middlestead - Clinical Nutritionist, Auckland. Call (09) 418 5422

Bean Burgers

Makes 12
(No gluten or dairy)

Even people of otherwise refined sensibilities commonly exhibit a murmuring pleasure from food eaten messily by hand with primal juices dripping. These burgers can be fried, baked or barbequed. Consume sedately as patties – accompanied by salad or mixed steamed vegetables – or serve on toast or buns. Offer an assortment of stack-your-own components: lettuce, tomato, gherkin, cooked onion and mushrooms, mustard, relish, aioli or Green Herb Dressing (see The Shape Diet).

Nutty Date Muffins

Makes 18
(No gluten, dairy or cane sugar; with options for peanuts/legumes)

Incorporating both salty and sweet notes, these tender morsels can progress from dreamy-eyed intention to serving platter in just 40 minutes. Serve in advantageous pairings with soup or salad for an enthusiastic reception at dinner; or for brunch with eggs, tofu Scramble (see Recipes), stuffed mushrooms, or fruit salad. Any left-over muffins can be enjoyed for lunch the next day.

Tropical Pudding

Serves 6
(Vegan; no gluten, flour, dairy, eggs, soy products; with option for cane sugar)

Too often desserts compete with rather than complement the meal they accompany. Large servings of heavy, fatty concluding courses made sense in an era gone-by when filling food could be scarce and energy expenditure was high. Being able to offer lots of rich food was also the designer-label-equivalent of its day: it displayed your wealth.

Satay Soup/Stew

Serves 3-4
(No gluten or dairy; with options for nightshades, legumes, cane sugar and protein sources)

A budgeter’s salvation; an easy to digest, historically validated, therapeutic meal choice; and a creative cook’s plaything: soup caters to many needs. This one is so thick the stock can be lessened to turn it into a one-pot stew with the addition of noodles, or served alongside rice. Note the other variations as below. Also to its credit is the use of several spices now linked with improved immunity and cardiovascular health (see HEALTH STORE for my report: The Heart of the Matter: Significant Strategies for Preventing – and Repairing – Heart, Arterial, Stroke and Other Cardiovascular Damage). The spices and every other ingredient are available at the supermarket.

Sicilian-Style Pasta

Serves 3
(Vegan; no gluten, dairy or legumes)

Sicily is at the bottom of the Italian boot. Due to its hot, dry climate and relative poverty its dishes use little meat and focus on an abundance of sun-ripened tomatoes. Savoury dishes are flavoured with dried fruit, nuts and sometimes a touch of chilli pepper. Meals are bulked up with lots of pasta and seasonal vegetables. The sauces that may accompany them are thickened with some of the starchy water left from cooking pasta.

Garlic Potatoes/Kumara (Sweet Potato)

Serves 4
(No gluten or legumes; with options for dairy and nightshades)

The brief, unassuming ingredient list to this recipe belies the succulent result. The trapped-in steam from the initial covered phase of cooking infuses the vegetables with garlic flavour. The uncovered cooking phase then evaporates the water and leaves tender, flavourful vegetables.

Spinach Fritters

Serves 3-4 as a main
(No gluten, dairy, legumes or nightshades)

Spinach is one of the top providers of antioxidants. There are thousands of these minute defenders, which have ensured the survival of plants throughout centuries of shifting and challenging conditions. When animals and humans eat plants they are similarly protected.

Miso, Leek and Lentil Soup

Serves 3-4
(No gluten, dairy, or nightshades; with protein options)

In the early 80s I started preparing and serving sushi at cooking classes and food demos. Many people looked terror stricken as the seaweed-wrapped parcels came their way. Some would refuse to try it, while the daring approached the process as if they might never see their loved ones again.