JLoeats.com

my hands out of the cookie jarrrrr…”
-gym class heroes

what is it about fatty foods that coats my tummy with a warm hug???

what is it about the milk chocolate mousse in that tiny tiny cup at oliver & bonchini’s that just makes me so happy? i’m sure we’ve ALL been there many many times, “i’m going to eat my feelings” “one more pint of ice cream please” “a cupcake is like a special tiny cake just for me” and “i just need something sweet, it’s been a long day…”

hahaha, and i love how culinary chef’s work hard to creatively feed people, while pastry chefs just handle the pure indulgent side of eating… mmm, not fair! hahahaha…
all the chocolate, fruit, sugar, and fatty fatty happiness in one bite,…just one more…three,…or five.
dang… MMMmmmm.
and what is it about foods that we shouldn’t eat that temp us to eat even more of them? Is it simply the fact that they are bad and shouldn’t be had, that makes us want it so much more? are we having the adam and eve apple tree conversation or is there more to it??

scientifically speaking though, when you eat sugar, it physically throws your cycle a lil out of wack and your insulin levels change and you end up craving more sugar to complete the digestive cycle… (more on this later, with the correct terms and definitions, haha)

but actually i believe that when your body craves certain foods, it tells you what you actually need. It’s the process of learning to listen to your body’s cravings in the right way that is the hardest part. For instance, if you’re craving fried chicken, you probably need protein and fat in your system, and choosing the right kind of protein and fats to fulfill that craving is where you have the control. And thus the power is in learning which Fats are GOOD (organic saturated animals fats with no growth hormone and no anti-biotics are GOOD), and which are not so good (most PROCESSED plant oils, with poly and mono un/saturated fats are not so good for u, and ones that are used to cook with, especially when their smoke points are raised to toxic levels), and which are the lesser of two evils you should use to cook with (olive oil should be eaten as is, and not cooked with, and if you’re deep frying, using peanut oil is “safer” given it’s higher smoke point, and you don’t use it after it turns brown and yucky – that’s when you disgard it properly)…ETC…and i don’t care what anyone says about margarine –it’s toxic. don’t eat it. you’ll live longer if you eat unsalted organic butter by the pound.

For instance, my baby sister grew up eating a TON of fruit every single day. my mom would always cut up piles and piles of fruit for her in a plate and she would unconsciously work her way through the entire pile while doing homework. and now that she’s all grown, i have been noticing that she’s been eating a lot of candy lately. and most teenagers go through the gum phase if they’ve ever had braces -i went through it too, it’s part of the itch that needs to be scratched when your entire jaw line is being moved around — but her candy phase has carried her well past her removal of her orthodontic devices.
i think her body is used to the amount of fructose she grew up with and now that she’s older and making more of her own choices in what to feed herself, she been fulfilling her sugar intake with candy, because it’s simply easier to access. I was craving an apple yesterday at the movies, and all i was surrounded by was the mall food court and the buttery smell of the concessions AREA. — there was no fruit or market in sight! i had to run around to find the cirtic acid, fibre, and vitamin C that my body was craving and what i found was a $3.99 cup of fresh squeezed OJ. d-d-dang, talk about cheap foods that are loaded with crap, vs. access to good foods that are offered at a much higher price.
and you know what that means, malls that are filled with our youth today, are like high fructose corn syrup temptation cities of consumption… HA! and just picture all the vending machines at schools across the nation.

and we all know that high fructose corn syrup = evil, bad, toxic yuck. :P (i don’t care how cute that commercial is on tv with the couple on a picnic sharing a popsicle and “talking” about how it could be a smart option, and that high fructose corn syrup isn’t so bad for you….blah!! look at the end of the commercial! who’s paying for that ad?!…well, i do like the fact that the commercial is asking consumers to be aware of what they are eating and to get the facts right!! yay!! finally a conversation about this in the media!!!)

high fructose corn syrup was invented as a solution to the over farming and excess production of corn. (which is actually a hyper offspring of the aboriginal crop maze — read about this is in michael pollan’s ‘omnivore’s dilemma’)
you as a consumer have so many choices in super markets and local farmer’s markets to choose wisely, and all the ads and placement of the food in the aisles are designed to confuse you further, to make you stay in the store longer, and conveniently place all the bad stuff loaded with processed stuff at eye level. – So, where is your food coming from? how far has it travelled? what is the ingredient list on the back of the package? and what the heck are these ingredients with all these scientific names?!
chances are, if you don’t know what the scientific name is — and it doesn’t sound like a vegetable, it’s probably some sort of artificial something, some sort of added colour to enhance the appearance of the product, and or is most likely a preservative that keeps the product from dying if ever caught up in any type of storm (ever hear that saying that if you find a can of spam after ten years and it looks like it’s been through a couple hurricanes, then it’s still safe to eat? yeah… there’s a reason for that).
So ask yourself, do you still want to eat it? and should you be eating it?
What’s the harm right? Food is Food! — well, you decide.

It’s all about balance, it’s all about choice, and it’s all about awareness.
It was like the time in 2nd grade when i was hanging out with my friend liz at lunch time and the four food groups poster had fallen down, no one else was in the room so we both ran over to pick it up and looked at it. And to our surprise, on the back of that poster said, “paid for/supported by the dairy farmers of canada” . WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT?!!?!??! i was confused even at the age of 7, as to what that meant.
and even today — the FOOD PYRAMID in american schools. who’s putting out that info, ask yourself, and then look it up, you’d be surprised too. (especially to the fact that it probably wouldn’t be easy to find the answer either… )

Sooo, what i go by is,
how does this feel in my mouth, in my body, what is my body asking for in terms of calories, macro-nutrients: carbs, proteins, fats, micro-nutrients: vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants?

Ever notice how veggies feel in your mouth when you eat them? How you feel after you eat them?
and How your body responds?
your body doesn’t lie.
even through all the confusion of what people should and should not eat in terms of a healthy lifestyle, ‘experts’ and moms alike all agree on the same thing — you can never get enough of fruits, veggies, water, and exercise, in all of its forms, whole and true.

Hence, how does one make fruit & veg appealing to the mass public??
I’ve been very intrigued with this idea since i started learning about food. And any chance that i get when i go out to eat, i order the vegeatarian option at restaurants. To me, that is the mark of a great chef. some one who can mix it up, match and cook veg so that it’s new, exciting, nutritious, and yummmmmmm yum. :)

I used to cook meat like nobody’s business for all my friends, team mates, and colleagues in college, and to my surprise, i was always really annoyed yet excited whenever anyone told me that they/he/she was vegetarian. Like it wasn’t hard enough to cook for 40 plus, but man, “now i have to make even more special dishes for the few vegetarians in the houuuuse with dietary needs??? ok. fine, bring it on. HAHA…” and now, it’s my pleasure, it’s my job, and it’s at my best interest to find and search for the best vegetarian options. Because in my mind, everyone should be a “vegetarian” first, and learn to fit all the other stuff in in different priorities and adjust portions of proteins, fat, and carbs.

I noticed tonight that when i bit into my veggie plate full of: chickpeas, fava beans, parm cheese, feta cheese, tomatoes, roasted root veg, a couple ounces of white basmati rice, one roasted brussel sprout cut in half, two hunks of watermelon, and a corn souffle…
is that i take forever to chew through all the goodness that is in every bite.
i also had a mushroom soup, a tuna tare tare molded on top of cut up avocado dressed with ginger dressing, and a cranberry-apple cider drink (floating chucks of apple included)
YUM. wholesome and healthy eating CAN BE SO YUM, so wholesome, and filled with the goods ;) i feel as though i’m actually FEEDING myself, my whole body, my system, and replenishing myself with nutrients and little happy soldiers running down through my digestive system knocking bad stuff out of the way.
*Doesn’t it just feel so good to take care of yourself when you eat nothing but veg every so often!?
i hear it all the time, “what do you feel like eating??”, “ugh, i just want a fat salad today…”
and don’t get me wrong, i definitely have my days where i want nothing but steak and potatoes and a glass of wine, but most of the time i usually feel like eating veg now whenever people ask me what i’m in the mood for. :) (well it’s veg or SAUCY saucy rice, or some sort of asian soup noodles. ha ha! somethings never change…)
– and unlike fat, proteins, and carbs in which i’m actually able to inhale because that stuff just slides right down my throat since my body is used to sorting through all the stuff in between,
I take forever to chew through my greens, just like a cow, just like a rabbit, and i actually like it that way. :)
Studies show that the more you chew your food, the more saliva you produce which helps in the speed and the start of digestion.
i feel as though i can fully appreciate the mouth feel and density of what i’m eating when i’m chewing like a cow, no? Lol.
hahaha my friends always make fun of how much time it actually takes me to eat a salad, no joke it can take me up to an hour – even if there’s no good conversation going, and like any other dish, you can always tell how good a chef is by how they prep veg and how clean a salad is when it comes out of a kitchen.

but of course… i do start and end my night with my week’s worth craving of the chocolate mousse cup…and yes it feels so good to be bad sometimes and indulge in what i want, but DOESN’T IT FEEL SO DAMN GOOD TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND INDULGE IN WHAT YOU NEEEEEEDDDD while BEing GOOD TO YOUR SYSTEM TOO?!??! :)
MMMM, foodgasmmm… ughh…
*siighh, i feel so good whenever i eat at O&B’s.
yes it’s expensive, but what an investment on myself! :)

so, in the end, yes it’s about making yourself happy, but who can be happy when they get sick and are unhealthy all the time?
…i agree. :)

take care my beauties,
and eat an actual apple once in a while ;) it’s not so forbidden as you think…

and hopefully this week i’ll bring myself back to my very own, Auberge du pommier.
paix,
-J