Forget pomegranate — are clove martinis the next thing we’ll see on cocktail menus now that cloves have been dubbed the “best antioxidant spice” in a research study published in the latest issue of Flavour and Fragrance Journal? The study found that cloves have high levels of phenolic compounds, and rated highly for antioxidant properties including the capacity to give off hydrogen, reduce lipid peroxidation and reduce iron.
As for a healthy way to cook with cloves, check out this tasty-sounding chickpea curry.
March 17, 2010
Week before last I became a vegetarian. Ok, not really, but I had four vegetarian meals, which is more probably than, like, ever, in one week.
1st veg meal: I had some pseudo-vegetarian friends over for dinner (I prefer to call them “just plain fussy”) and struggled to find a main entree chic enough for a dinner party. A friend suggested some cheese-nut patties smothered in tomato sauce, but I knew it wouldn’t be appealing looking on a plate. I ended up making a mushroom, artichoke and spinach lasagna recipe I found on epicurious.com and it was delicious and hearty (good enough to make again).
2nd veg meal: I made those cheese-nut patties my friend had suggested. And, despite its rather unappetizing name — yum! And close enough in terms of texture and taste that G. was thoroughly convinced there was ground meat in it.
3rd veg meal: Had brunch in my ‘hood at vegetarian eatery and juice bar Pulp Kitchen with a girlfriend. I spent a long time choosing a dish (honestly, I really, really wanted some bacon) but settled on the PK Sandwich (avocado, roasted tomato and spicy crispy tofu) — I figured it’d be a safe choice and not something pretending to be something it’s not (aka tofu posing as eggs).
4th veg meal: Lunch date with a true vegetarian friend (not like the fusspots I had over for dinner) at Camros Eatery — kale salad, lentil patty and red rice ball. Tasty, filling and I felt nice and healthy afterwards!
All of these veggies, though, left me majorly craving bacon. And so I had a spaghetti carbonara the other day, and now I want to order this Bacon Freak Cookbook. Don’t you just love its tagline, Bacon is Meat Candy? It includes recipes from well-known chefs, including Rick Bayless, plus it has a chapter on desserts (chocolate bacon martini, anyone? How about a bacon-grilled s’more?)
Sounds pretty genius to me.
March 9, 2010
Forget pomegranate — are clove martinis the next thing we’ll see on cocktail menus now that cloves have been dubbed the “best antioxidant spice” in a research study published in the latest issue of Flavour and Fragrance Journal? The study found that cloves have high levels of phenolic compounds, and rated highly for antioxidant properties including the capacity to give off hydrogen, reduce lipid peroxidation and reduce iron.
