Food 10

This is 88.9 KUCI in Irvine!

I’d like to say that anything said on this show in no way reflects the views of the University of California Irvine or the UC regents.

Oh look the listeners are back.  Well I suppose You’re here for another episode of Food for thought, well guess what?  I have some stuff but I refuse to tell you about it!  You could ask and plead but no, I’ll carry it to my grave ahahahahahahaaaa!  Okay I’m just joking This is food for thought on 88.9 KUCI and this is a show about various foods, and things.  I’m Greg the host.  Anyway last week we talked about stress fighting foods, and Trader Joe’s, as well as a bunch of other stuff too.  Now as usual here’s the stuff for this week.

LA Greek Fest!

There’s a Greek Festival in LA coming up were there will be Greek food, and pastries, and music, and dancing and a lot of other aspects of Greek culture.

It will be from Fri Sept 10- Sun Sept 12^th Fri 5pm-11pm Sat 1pm-11pm Sun 12pm-10pm.  For more info visit the website at http://www.lagreekfest.com/.

Black Rice Is Cheap Way to Get Antioxidants

Study Shows Black Rice Is Good Source of Healthy Antioxidants and Vitamin E

Aug. 26, 2010 -- Inexpensive black rice contains health-promoting anthocyanin antioxidants, similar to those found in blackberries and blueberries, new research from Louisiana State University indicates.

Supposedly just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful or blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants, so if berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran?"

Researchers from Louisiana State University analyzed samples of black rice bran from rice grown in the Southern U.S.

They say black rice bran would be a unique and inexpensive way to increase people's intake of antioxidants, which promote health.

Black rice is rich in anthocyanin antioxidants, substances that show promise for fighting cancer, heart disease, and other health problems, researchers say.

Some food manufacturers could use black rice bran or bran extracts to boost the health value of breakfast cereals, beverages, cakes, cookies, and other foods.

For those of you who for some reason don’t know what black rice is Black rice is at least defined by Wikipedia as one of several black-colored heirloom plants producing rice variants such as Indonesian Black Rice, Forbidden Rice. High in nutritional value, black rice is rich in iron. Unlike other black rice from Asia, it is not glutinous or rough. This grain is high in fiber and has a deep, nutty taste. Black "forbidden rice" is so named because originally it was considered the Emperor's rice and was literally forbidden for anyone else to eat it. It is a deep black color and turns deep purple when cooked. Its dark purple color is primarily due to its high anthocyanin content. Besides the antioxidants it has a relatively high mineral content (including iron) and, like most rice, supplies several important amino acids.
In China, noodles made from black rice have recently begun being produced. At least one United States bread company has also begun producing "Chinese Black Rice" bread. It shares the deep tyrian color of cooked black rice.

Black Rice vs. Brown Rice

The most widely produced rice worldwide is brown. Millers of rice remove the chaff, or outer husks, from each grain to make it brown.

White rice is made when rice is milled more than is done for brown rice; the bran is also removed,

The bran of brown rice contains high levels of one of the vitamin E compounds known as "gamma-tocotrienol" as well as "gamma-oryzanol" antioxidants.

Many studies have shown that these antioxidants can reduce blood levels of LDL "bad" cholesterol and may fight heart disease.

So black rice bran may be even healthier than brown rice.

He and his colleagues also showed that pigments in black rice bran extracts can produce a variety of colors, from pink to black, and may be a healthier alternative to artificial food colorants that manufacturers now add to some foods and beverages.

He writes that several studies have linked some artificial colorants to cancer, behavioral problems in children, and other adverse health effects.

Currently, black rice is used mainly in Asia for food decoration, noodles, sushi, and pudding, and some of the researchers say they would like to see it eaten by more Americans.

Black rice bran could be used to boost the health value of foods, such as snacks, cakes, and breakfast cereals, the researchers suggest.

Exotic fruits that are now in season

There are plenty of exotic fruit but I’ll just go over two.  Two examples that I thought of for exotic fruits are dates and dragon fruit. Dates can keep in refrigeration for years and are available year-round, but the freshly harvested fruits, which started showing up last week, are far superior in texture and flavor, and are one of the great seasonal treats available at Southern California farmers markets.  

Most distinctive is the Barhi variety, picked at what is known in Arabic as the khalal stage of maturity, when it is yellow, firm and crunchy, with a flavor of coconut, sugarcane and cinnamon. Most of the leading date varieties, such as Medjool and Deglet Noor, are high in tannins at this stage and thus too astringent to eat with pleasure. But when properly mature — that is, bright yellow, without any greenish tinge — Barhi has just a touch of astringency, which complements its sweetness.

If small brownish dots are starting to appear on the fruit, that's not rot but a good indication of full maturity. If yellow Barhis are left on the kitchen counter (not in the refrigerator), they will gradually soften, like Hachiya persimmons, and arrive at the rutab stage much appreciated by Middle Easterners and date connoisseurs. These fruits are amber or light reddish brown, soft, moist and delightfully free of stringy fibers, so that eating one is like biting into a caramel cloud. They can keep in refrigeration for several months and still taste good, but as the moisture seeps out, a pocket develops between the fruit and the skin, which turns brittle and is best peeled off, if you don't mind getting your fingers sticky.

The Barhi's flavor is "mild and extremely delicate, rich yet not heavy or cloying offshoots of the variety were imported from Basra, Iraq in 1913. It is grown on modest acreage in the Coachella desert for shipping khalal fruits to Middle Eastern and specialty markets during the brief season, September and early October. Rutab Barhis, which should be refrigerated if kept for more than a day or two, are too delicate for commercial shipping (even mail order is dicey), so farmers markets are the best source.

For pride in the quality of his Barhis, no one beats Robert Lower of Flying Disc Ranch, in the aptly named community of Thermal, where it was a mere 119 degrees Tuesday. His vendor Christina Kelso will have yellow Barhis and soft Medjools starting next Wednesday at the Santa Monica farmers market, and soft Barhis in two weeks.

In the Middle East and North Africa, where dates are native, there are many nonastringent varieties that are sold in the firm khalal stage, but here in the United States, Barhi is the only such variety grown commercially. There are a few nonastringent varieties of American origin, however, such as the yellow-skinned Mariana, likely a seedling of Halawy from Indio that is grown exclusively by Doug Adair of Pato's Dream Date Gardens, who sells at the Alhambra farmers market and by mail order. In a few weeks he will also offer dark purplish red khalal fruits of the prized Black Sphinx variety, which originated near Phoenix before 1920, as well as soft Barhis and Medjools.

Good yellow and rutab Barhi dates are widely available at farmers markets from Bautista Family Organic Date Ranch of Mecca, which sells at Torrance, Long Beach Marina, Hollywood, Santa Monica Wednesday and many other venues, I’ve even seen dates being sold at the farmer’s market next to UC Irvine though I’ve never really checked whether or not this particular variety is sold at the stand but I’m pretty sure it is. Bautista has also started to bring rutab Khadrawy and Honey dates, both of which have soft, melting, caramel-like flesh.

Pitahaya, or dragon fruit

Specialty farmers have grown pitahayas for close to a decade in California, but they're still rare enough that many shoppers stop and gape at Pedro Gallardo's display of the large, flaming-pink spineless cactus fruits. Native to Central America, and widely grown in Southeast Asia — where they are known as dragon fruits — pitahayas, depending on the variety, can have white, pink, or magenta flesh, the latter so phantasmagorically saturated that you'll think that you're back in the 1960s. Embedded in the flesh are little black seeds, crunchy and edible, similar to a kiwi's.

The flavor also varies by variety and ripeness, from sweet to sweet-tart to bland. Generally it is pleasant and refreshing, reminiscent of watermelon with a vegetal note, but not as spectacular as the appearance. The price — $8 a pound at a recent market, for specimens that range from a half-pound to more than a pound — is high enough so that most people probably won't make a staple of this fruit, but it is worth sampling and buying occasionally.

Gallardo, who owns an acre of pitahaya in the De Luz district of Fallbrook and also draws on the larger planting of his neighbor Henri Gerwig, sells at 25 farmers markets, including Huntington Beach, Torrance, Santa Monica Organic, Hollywood and Long Beach Marina.

9 Tasty Alternatives to Peanut Butter

We're the last people to knock good ole PB&J, but maybe peanuts are banned from your diet or from your kids' school. Or maybe, like us, you're just looking for a greater spread of options when it comes to sandwich and toast toppings, cookie ingredients, and things to pair with jam and chocolate. We explored the possibilities, scoured the grocery stores, and gathered a panel of kids and Epicurious editors to taste-test nine peanut butter alternatives. Our mouths are dry, our bellies are full, our hands are sticky, and we're ready to share our results!

The completely addictive winner of the peanut butter taste test
Please note that some of these spreads contain peanuts or are processed in a plant that contains peanuts or tree nuts, so be sure to check labels carefully if peanuts must be avoided due to an allergy.
Woodstock Orchards Unsweetened Apple Spread
Some kids, and teenagers that have tried this have remarked upon the "refreshing bursts of fruity flavor" in this robust apple butter, which is made from just apples and apple cider, while others liked the "tangy aftertaste." Kids that try it apparently seem to love the strong cinnamon flavor and said they'd eat the spread instead of peanut butter. Meanwhile, the adults liked this spread on its own but preferred it paired with peanut or almond butter.
Naturally More: What Peanut Butter Should Be
It’s kind of like an amped-up peanut butter, which also contains flax oil, wheat germ, egg whites, honey, and cane sugar. Younger crowds would find it good if peanuts are your thing especially the "yummy" strong peanut-y flavor of this product. The adults liked the roasted peanut flavor and the crunch of flaxseeds, but the amount of work (and mess, and dry-cleaning bills after a major spill) required to mix the layer of oil into the dry layer of spread underneath was, according to some critics, But that’s what you get for wearing dry clean only clothes, but I never wear dry clean stuff hahaha!!!! I laugh at your puny dry clean fabrics that shrink in a washing machine!!!
Woodstock Farms Natural Almond Butter
this "thick and strong" spread "really tastes like almonds.  Avid almond fans, agree to its supreme nuttiness, while some find its flavor "mild but good." Some of the older crowds found it a little too bitter and sticky, but overall we thought it would make an excellent peanut butter substitute.
Nature's Promise Organic Almond Butter
It can be described as "sweet and gooey," while some find it similar to other almond butters — also described as smooth, creamy, and with a strong almond-y flavor.  It’s got a simple, natural flavor.  Adults found it quite thin, sticky, and a little grainy preferring other brands, though adults have found that on bread with jam, this one would certainly taste good.
Nature's Promise Natural Cashew Butter
This "so creamy and so nutty" spread got the "yum" thumbs-up from William and Sanger, while Olivia agreed that it was "very cashew-y and clean-tasting," and Henry summed it up as "pure cashew goodness." The adults thought the texture was a little too runny, most likely due to the safflower oil in it, but we agreed it would be good on toasted bread with jam.
Woodstock Farms Natural Cashew Butter
Olivia thought this one "tasted more fruity" than the Nature's Promise cashew butter, and the adults also found it rather sweet — we thought it would be good in cookies. Henry gave it a big thumbs-up: "Very nice — made me want to dance!" But William and Sanger found this one far too oily. "That's all I taste," Sanger remarked.
I.M. Healthy Honey Chunky SoyNut Butter
"Mom, if you gave that to me I would throw it out," said William. Some of the adults agreed, deriding the "spackling-like texture" of this spread, while others liked the soy flavor, combo of salty and sweet elements, and crunchy bits of soy nuts. Henry agreed about the "nice crunchy texture," and Olivia said the sweet, candyish flavor "tastes like Halloween!" The good news is that this one is peanut-free and made in a peanut- and nut-free facility, "safe for schools," dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Better'n Peanut Butter
This spread, which is made with defatted peanut flour and has 85 percent less fat and 40 percent fewer calories than regular peanut butter, was recommended by an adult we know who was following the Weight Watchers diet plan. With all due respect to those adults who love it, the editors in our office found the texture floury and thought it was "way too sweet, like super-sweet peanut candy." Sanger thought it was "too thick," but both Olivia and Henry called the texture light, creamy, and smooth, and Olivia gave the flavor a "Yay!"
Natural Sunbutter
Henry thought this spread tasted like a combo of peanuts and almonds, while Olivia called it "nutty" and "zangy." Sanger was equally impressed: "Guess what?! I like this more than my regular butter. Creamy and light and yummo." Guess what?! The adults agreed. While we wouldn't cut peanut butter out all together, we loved this slightly sweet, creamy spread made from ground sunflower seeds, cane juice, and salt. And it's processed in a peanut-free and tree nut-free facility. Zangy, indeed.

Real 'True Blood' Beverage for Humans: Wanna Sip?

Vampires are everywhere these days – Hot, attractive bloodsuckers are haunting endless books, television shows, and films.

If the popularity of True Blood and the most recent Twilight film, Eclipse, is any indication, vampires are here to stay -- for eternity.

The whole vampire frenzy (which I believe comes from the fact that with all the expectations parents, and society has vampires are viewed as perfect since they’re smart, strong, good looking, and never grow old) naturally gets people thinking about drinking blood – I don’t really care that much about it but I did find a cool article online that inspired me to talk about this subject on my show

Here's what I found out about drinking blood.

There's a product called Blood Energy Potion that costs about $5 a bag. It's supposedly the world's first synthetic blood beverage, has a fruit punch flavor, and features "four hours of energy" via the iron, protein, caffeine, and electrolyte cocktail. The makers say Blood Energy Potion has a similar nutritional makeup to real blood, as well as the same color, look, and consistency of blood. It's even sold in a resealable transfusion bag style pouch.

For those who like the real stuff, enter human hematophagy, or the drinking of blood and the manufacturing of foodstuffs and delicacies with animal blood. Of course, some people consider drinking (or eating) blood to be taboo like in certain religions that don’t allow any consumption of blood.  On the other hand in some cultures it’s fine to consume blood like with the Maasai in Eastern Africa, and places like Britain, and some Scandinavian and Asian countries.

Then there are Sanguinarians ("Vampiric people"), who describe themselves as "human beings with a compulsion, or need, to consume blood." Most Sanguinarians say they have a physical craving for human blood exclusively, and go so far as to arrange for human "donors" who voluntarily supply them with fresh blood.

If you aren't as disgusted or weirded out about blood and therefore still curious about drinking blood, please remember that doing so poses risks, especially regarding drinking human blood (just a drop can carry and transmit hepatitis, AIDS, malaria, and/or STDs).

Blood is rarely consumed in it’s raw form.  Blood is most commonly used, and consumed in the form of blood sausages also know as Black pudding or blood pudding, which are eaten in this form in alot of countries that don’t have a taboo on consuming it like in parts of Europe such as Britain, Ireland, Finland, and Germany and parts of Asia.  There’s also Blood soups which are eaten in some Asian and Scandinavian countries, Blood tofu, and even weirdly enough blood pancakes that are eaten in Finland.  Consuming blood is also part of the traditional diet for Maasai people.  So Sanguinarians are a rare group of people since they drink blood raw.

Would you ever try drinking blood?

WORLD CHOCOLATE DAY - September 4th 2010

Can you actually make a whole day dedicated to chocolate?? Well there are actually quite a few days that let you celebrate chocolate. There is Chocolate Day on July 7th and National Chocolate Day on October 28th. There is also World Chocolate Day on September 4th. So you have a least three wonderful days to indulge. Take your time. Eat slowly and as much as you like. Just blame it on the day!!!

Why not join in on World Chocolate Day on September 4th. World chocolate day is an annual event, with various events organised in different countries. The world day started first in 2003 and now events are organised annually on September 4th. The day itself was chosen because it is the birth date of the World Chocolate Day founder, the Italian, Valeria Lo Iacono.

Easter and Christmas have always in their own way, been unofficial days when chocolate is sold on a mass scale, but they are not times of the year when people buy and eat chocolate for the chocolate itself. Valeria Lo Iacono proposed September 4th to do just that.

For those of you that don’t know how to observe the day here’s Three you could do on September 4th:

1. Take a box of chocolates to work for your colleagues
2. Take a box of chocolates to the local old people’s home.
3. Indulge yourself (and your partner) in chocolate.

Chocolate is kind of a general term for a number of raw and processed foods produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC. The majority of the Mesoamerican peoples made chocolate beverages, including the Aztecs, who made it into a beverage known as xocol?tl, a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water". The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor.

After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted, and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground to cocoa mass, pure chocolate in rough form. Because this cocoa mass usually is liquefied then molded with or without other ingredients, it is called chocolate liquor. The liquor also may be processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Unsweetened baking chocolate (bitter chocolate) contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, combining cocoa solids, cocoa butter or other fat, and sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids.

Cocoa solids contain alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Some research found that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure. The presence of theobromine renders it toxic to some animals, especially dogs and cats.

Chocolate has become one of the most popular food types and flavors in the world. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes have become traditional on certain holidays: chocolate bunnies and eggs are popular on Easter, chocolate coins on Hanukkah, Santa Claus and other holiday symbols on Christmas, and chocolate hearts or chocolate in heart-shaped boxes on Valentine's Day. Chocolate is also used in cold and hot beverages, to produce chocolate milk and hot chocolate.

Around three quarters of the world's cacao bean production takes place in West Africa.

Diving more into it’s history Chocolate has been used as a drink for nearly all of its history. The earliest record of using chocolate dates back before the Olmec. Archaeologists have found evidence of this from chocolate residue found on ancient pieces of pottery.

Documents in Maya hieroglyphs stated that chocolate was used for ceremonial purposes, in addition to everyday life.  The chocolate residue found in an early ancient Maya pot in Río Azul, Guatemala, suggests that Maya were drinking chocolate around 400 AD. In the New World, chocolate was consumed in a bitter, spicy drink called xocoatl, and was often flavored with vanilla, chili pepper, and achiote (known today as annatto). Xocoatl was believed to fight fatigue, a belief that is probably attributable to the theobromine content. Chocolate was also an important luxury good throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and cacao beans were often used as currency. For example, the Aztecs used a system in which one turkey cost one hundred cacao beans and one fresh avocado was worth beans. South American and European cultures have used cocoa to treat diarrhea for hundreds of years. All of the areas that were conquered by the Aztecs that grew cacao beans were ordered to pay them as a tax, or as the Aztecs called it, a "tribute".
Until the 16th century, no European had ever heard of the popular drink from the Central and South American peoples.  It was not until the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs that chocolate could be imported to Europe. In Spain it quickly became a court favorite. In a century it had spread and become popular throughout the European continent.^[16] To keep up with the high demand for this new drink, Spanish armies began enslaving Mesoamericans to produce cacao.^[17] Even with cacao harvesting becoming a regular business, only royalty and the well-connected could afford to drink this expensive import.^[18] Before long, the Spanish began growing cacao beans on plantations, and using an African workforce to help manage them.^[19] The situation was different in England. Put simply, anyone with money could buy it.^[20] The first chocolate house opened in London in 1657.^[20] In 1689, noted physician and collector Hans Sloane developed a milk chocolate drink in Jamaica which was initially used by apothecaries, but later sold to the Cadbury brothers in 1897.^[21]
Chocolate in its solid form was invented in 1847. Joseph Fry & Son discovered a way to mix some of the cocoa butter back into the dutched chocolate, and added sugar, creating a paste that could be moulded. The result was the first modern chocolate bar.
For hundreds of years, the chocolate making process remained unchanged. When the people saw the Industrial Revolution arrive, many changes occurred that brought about the food today in its modern form. A Dutch family's (van Houten) inventions made mass production of shiny, tasty chocolate bars and related products possible. In the 18th century, mechanical mills were created that squeezed out cocoa butter, which in turn helped to create hard, durable chocolate.^[22] But, it was not until the arrival of the Industrial Revolution that these mills were put to bigger use. Not long after the revolution cooled down, companies began advertising this new invention to sell many of the chocolate treats we see today.^[23] When new machines were produced, people began experiencing and consuming chocolate worldwide.

Now here’s a chocolatey recipe for you.

Chocolate Mocha 

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup milk
3 tbsp semisweet chocolate chips
hot coffee

In saucepan, combine water, sugar, and cocoa. Simmer mixture over medium heat 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and add milk in a slow stream, beating vigorously, until well combined. Add 3 Tbsp chocolate chips. Continue to heat until chocolate is completely melted, but do not boil. Divide mixture among 4 heatproof glasses and then fill with hot coffee. Add whip cream and chocolate chips
There is a chocolate festival taking place in Fountain Valley but the event is Nov. 5-6, instead of on Saturday for more info on this visit the website at http://www.occhocolatefestival.com/. There’s also another one more closer to Chocolate day but it’s in San Francisco from Sept 11-12.

Now go ahead, enjoy your chocolate fix. All DAY Long!! On World Chocolate Day tomorrow Saturday September 4.

And that’s all I’ve got so that’s the show for today thanks for listening!  Not you have two choices, you could either stay tuned for the OC show next or you could tune in to another station, or I guess you don’t have just 2 choices since you could also switch to your CD player or i-pod or just turn off the radio, and keep driving or watch TV.  Any way you choose I’m done talking for today, talk to you next week bye!