What is Celery Root?

One does not pass celery root in the produce section of the grocery store and pause to admire its attractiveness.  Quite the opposite, if you ask me, as celery root is one of the least attractive of vegetables.  It may actually be downright ugly.

I know, I know, those are harsh words, especially for a food that is not only tasty, but is loaded with tons of nutritional necessities.  And, for those of you, like me, who are trying to cut back on those dreaded carbohydrates, an excellent replacement for potatoes.

Pop Quiz:

                What Is Celeriac?

               

a)      a recently discovered planet in our solar system

b)      an arthritic condition found in aging rock stars

c)       a word describing a hilarious haircut

d)      another name for Celery Root

If you chose d, then you would be correct and win this fabulous prize:

Celery root is low in calories and high in flavor.  With only 9 carbs per serving (less than half as much as a potato) this is a great way to get your spuds in without the weight gain (or glucose spike).

Celeriac also offers these nutritional benefits:

·         good source of fiber and protein

·         high in manganese

·         no cholesterol

·         high in vitamin C and calcium

·         low sodium

·         nice source of iron

So how can you eat this root veggie?

Anyway ya want to.  Use celery root to replace any of your potato recipes, from soups to chips, casseroles to fries.  Grate it raw and add to salads; bake it or eat it mashed.  As I did in this absolutely delicious video:

Next time you’re in your local grocery store and pass by a gnarly lump of ugliness is the produce section, stop and grab some celery root.

You’ll be glad you did.

Until next time…

Peace,

Mike

livelife365

Cooking With Mom

I have just returned from a long trip across the country, which actually began with a wonderful trek over the Pacific to Maui.  From there, after a brief stop in Northern California to repack and refamiliarize myself with my home, I was off to New England.  I stopped in, again, very briefly, to visit my family, and then was off to Ireland for two weeks, on business.

After a very successful stay in Northern Ireland, I returned to New England, where I stayed at my mom’s house.  We hung out, had a good time, but I complained about how I could not find any decent vegetarian food while on the Emerald Island (lots of good beer and deep-fried potatoes, but a dearth of healthy green, leafy types of foods; and very poor Italian recipes).

I informed my dear old ma that I was dying for some pasta, made with a very healthy tomato-based sauce.  She said that she had a bunch of jars of spaghetti sauce in her cupboard that I could drizzle over some pasta.  I asked if she felt like making one of her famous tomato sauces.  She replied, “I have all the ingredients, but don’t have the time nor desire to make that time-consuming sauce much anymore.”

“Hmmmm,” I replied.  “How about I whip up my own marinara sauce, one that tastes amazing and only takes a mere thirty minutes to create?”

She said, “Only if I can hold your camera and film it.” (Totally fabricated).

Here is the delicious and amazing result:

30 Minute Marinara Sauce (Cooking with Mom)

I am now at work on editing an outtakes video from all the film footage I tossed out after creating this wonderful vid.  My mom is not only a good sport, but an excellent cook who taught me everything I know about healthy eating and cooking.  I hope that this is only the start of many more "cooking with mom" videos.

Enjoy and manga!

Until next time...

peace,

Mike

livelife365

The Essence of Garlic

Want your house to smell like an Italian restaurant? Or a Mexican casa? Or the narrow streets of Chinatown? How about an Irish pub or Middle Eastern market? Here’s what you do: take a pan and set it atop a hot flame, pour some extra virgin olive oil into it, then take a bulb of garlic and bust out a clove.
Okay, maybe bust out ten cloves, then remove the skin (here‘s an easy way to remove the skin from a clove of garlic), chop, slice, dice, or just toss in the whole clove, and wait. In a few minutes your house will fill with the unmistakable aroma of garlic sautéing, and then, if your salivary glands are functioning properly, your mouth will water and then your brain will send a signal down to that mouth and instruct it to utter:

“Mmmmm, that smell! Whatcha cookin’?”

Garlic, a member of the onion family, has been around for thousands of years. It is a basic component in many dishes in just about every country on the planet. Being a lover of Italian cuisine (have you tried my mom‘s lasagna?), I am conditioned to carry gum or mints with me whenever I dine out due to the pungent aftertaste of garlic in most Italian cooking. Yes, garlic has a strong taste, smell, attitude. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, garlic’s sometimes overwhelming “attitude” is what makes is such a standout addition to not just Italian cooking, but as I mention earlier, just about all cooking. From spicy Mexican meals to stir-fry Asian fare, garlic mingles easily with tomatoes, ginger, onions, and my favorite, olive oil.

Still, some people shy away from this caustic clove, afraid that once ingested, or even touched, they will be forever labeled “Mr. Garlic Breath.” And while having a nickname that calls attention to foul smelling fumes emitting from your pie hole is not pleasant, it surely is not enough of a liability to keep you away from making garlic a part of your everyday dietary routine.

Here’s a video where I talk more about the benefits of garlic, as well as demonstrate an easy way to remove its skin:



The addition of garlic spices up marinara sauces, salsa, hummus, and hundreds of other dishes. It also has many health benefits and has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Among the claims:

* helps prevent heart disease
* lowers cholesterol and high blood pressure
* fights cancer
* combats the common cold
* regulates blood sugar levels
* works as an antiseptic

While the health benefits of garlic are not all medically proven or approved, one claim I’m sure we can all agree with is:

GARLIC KEEPS VAMPIRES AWAY!!

(and that’s a good thing!)

The next time you’re grocery shopping, grab a few bulbs of garlic and chop away. Sure, your hands and breath and hair and shirt and house and backyard and entire neighborhood will reek from garlic, but you will also, no doubt, have cooked up a tasty dinner that will make those same neighbors' mouths water and their brains send signals to those salivating mouths, inspiring them to utter:

“Mmmmm, that smell! Whatcha cookin’?”

Garlic.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike