Five Flavors Kitchen

Coffee, the new health food!

Airport Joe, Guatemala City, April 2011

I will refrain from saying I told you so, but the evidence keeps piling up! Another study finds that coffee is actually good for you! The Harvard School of Public Health just published a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine which finds that coffee consumption seems to reduce incidence of depression in women. They found that women who drank 2-3 cups of coffee a day were 15% less likely to develop depression compared to those who drank 1 or fewer cups.

The association between coffee drinking and reduction of depression makes sense from a Chinese medicine standpoint. Coffee affects the Liver in Chinese medicine and the Liver plays a major role in patterns which result in depression. Even from a biomedical perspective the liver is responsible for breaking down compounds which are then reassembled to form other ones like hormones and neurotransmitters. If this process is sluggish, well there's got to be some effect.

To treat depression we often "move" and "nourish" the liver. Coffee stimulates the Liver/Gallbladder system. People often find that a cup of coffee in the morning keeps their bowls "regular". This is because coffee stimulates the gallbladder to secrete bile. So we can we can see that one has to be careful in the dosage of this stimulating substance. We might want to move the Liver, but probably not to Kansas. People who are sensitive to caffeine should be more cautious. Unfortunately, the study didn't find decaf to have any effect on depression.

Those concerned with calcium loss with coffee should note that studies only fine a loss of 2-4 mg per cup. Coffee is a diuretic so be careful to drink enough non-caffeinated liquids to make up for this. Dark roast coffee has less caffein and acids than lighter roasts - so surprise, that expresso after dinner will affect your sleep less than regular! See grandma was right!

The NYC Cupcake Taste Test - New York (National Cupcake Day)

                                                Aunt Virginia's Birthday (Cup)Cake

Ok, so the Huffington Post published a piece on LA cupcakes in honor of National Cupcake day (or at least one of them) today December 15th. For those of you in NYC there still time to check out some of these locations reviewed in this Yelp review.

Cupcakes can be considered tonifying - but be careful to get the smaller varieties. Too much of a good thing can cause things to get mucked up - we don't want to go into evil dampness here, but know it's a real possibility if you have too much of the sweet stuff. That's why cupcakes are so great. They come in mini's - perfect for a taste test!

National Lager Week - Top Five Beer Cocktails at Epicurious.com

via www.epicurious.com

Happy December! According to all the listings, the second week of December is "National Lager Week".

For most of us in the continental US this timing of this is a little misplaced. This is because it's cold outside and generally we want to consume warming foods and beverages to balance this environmental stress. Beer, even though it has alcohol - usually considered warming, is mostly consumed icy cold. Additionally, the hops are bitter which has a draining action. In the winter we generally  want to build not drain. 

Does this mean we have to forgo this holiday altogether? Of course not - we just have to make sure we balance things. Try drinking your beverage closer to room temperature and have it with food. The nature of beer with it's fermentation by-products can actually create a condition of "Damp Heat" if consumed in excess. So moderation is the key here. 

Mixing your beer with other items can also change the effects of your beverage. Epicurious has an interesting mix of beer cocktails. The most warming of these would be the "Shandy" made with ginger ale - the ginger would also active as a digestive as well along with the hops. 10001 Cocktails also has a beer cocktail with cinnamon schnapps and sambuca called an "Aftershock Surprise." I have no idea how this would taste, but the cinnamon and sambuca would make the drink much more warming and would benefit digestion - good to have before or with a meal! (Perhaps some reader would make the sacrifice and test this recipe!)

Sam Adams has a winter lager and a bunch of other interesting info at http://www.samueladams.com/index.aspx

 

 

Ice Cream and Heart Pain

Frozen Treat, Lima Airport, May 2010

The ancient Chinese physician and alchemist, Dan Hua, held that there were 9 types of heart pain. When I first heard this my immediate response was "Wow, only 9 types, really?!". There are over 5 million Google hits for "heartache" and over 2 million for "heartbreak songs". I guess Dan Hua bunched a lot of things together.

Ice cream is a classic for  heart injury.  Ice cream  insulates and soothes, and ice cream is very cold.   In acute situations of heart heat we can appreciate the anesthesia. Ice cream, though, is kind of like a triplicate pharmaceutical prescription. One needs to understand it correctly for it to be used without risk.

First know that there is no strict prohibition of dairy in Chinese medicine. Dairy generates fluids, is neutral in nature and has an affinity for the heart, lung and stomach. The problem with ice cream is that the addition of cold with the already Yin nature of the dairy can slow things down a lot. While this is good for heart heat (read chill pill) it can create problems with digestion. Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, writes a great essay on the subject of dairy. Click here to see. The bottom line is, if you have a Phlegm condition, Dampness, weak digestion (or in English a common cold, for example) hold off on what acupuncture students call "congealed Phlegm." Frequent ice cream intake may cause some imbalances as well.

Generally, most people (unless lactose intolerant) can tolerate a little ice cream without ill effect, especially when it's hot out (and in)! Just so you know, though, a lot of people will disagree with this. So in an effort to balance this somewhat unpopular viewpoint, I would like to direct your attention to a politically correct ice cream source. Guerrilla Ice Cream  - gotta love it!

 

Guerrilla Ice Cream: A New Cart With Flavors Inspired by Social Movements

via newyork.seriouseats.com

Sweet Dreams Bars

Sweet Dreams Bar , June 2010

Welcome to summer, the season of the Heart. It is an exuberant, dynamic and creative season and sometimes things get a bit hectic, projects, things in general - we tend to get revved up.  Nothing like a good snack to calm things down a bit.

If the heart is overheated or taxed you can get insomnia. These bars, eaten in moderation, can be just the snack you need. They are best for the the more deficient types of insomnia as they are sweet and nourish Yin. The chocolate also has some bitter qualities, though, so the recipe can do a little for the heat clearing as well. In TCM using sweets for agitation is thinking a bit outside the box. Traditionally the bitter flavor drains "heart heat" -   that sensation of agitation we get when we get excited or anxious or get generally over the top. Bitter greens, for example, are great for clearing heart heat. But here, once again we see how chocolate can cure anything! Besides, there is more to the heart than bitterness.

This bar is vegan, gluten, dairy and, depending upon the type of chocolate you use, sugar free. It is also a "raw food" recipe which in this case is good because cooking adds heat to things in terms of it's energetic profile and with insomnia we don't want to heat things up.

Anyway, sweet dreams are made of this:

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of chopped dried apricots

1.5 cups of dried longan berries (available at chinese herbal stores like Kamwo in Manhattan. An organic variety is available through the Crane Herb Company at 1-508-539-1700.)

3 cups of walnuts

1/4 cup of hemp seed powder

About a 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup finely chopped unsweetened chocolate or chocolate chips

Directions:

Place fruit in a food processor and pulse until you get a paste then empty the contents into a mixing bowl.

Next pulse the walnuts until you get a fine meal - you don't have to clean the processor between these two steps.

Mix all ingredients except the coconut together until everything is uniformly distributed.

Place plastic wrap, waxed paper or foil in a small square baking pan and spread a thin layer of coconut over the wrap. 

Place the nut fruit mixture in the pan spread a thin layer of coconut on top and cover with another piece of wrap, paper or foil and flatten out to about 1/2 inch thick.

Refrigerate to make cutting into bars easier.

Hangover Helpers

Wine Vessel - Late Shang (13th - 11th century B.C.), Shanghai Museum

Alcohol has a long and honored history in China of perhaps more than 4,000 years. Huangjiu (wines) and Baijiu (distilled spirits) are produced in a great assortment of varieties with many including Chinese herbs to have some medicinal effect. Alcohol itself is considered warming and is said to "invigorate the blood". This warming action along with alcohol's affinity for the Liver creates a energetically rising action with consumption. Some are critical of this effect, calling it a "false yang". Admonitions against alcohol are not an intrinsic part of Chinese medical theory, however. It is good, sometimes, to get lifted a bit and maybe moved. The problem arises when those friendly spirits turn out bad and carry our qi for too long and too far, maybe even further than Kansas, where the landing is hard. Like Dorothy, we wake up the next day confused and with a pounding headache.

The easiest way to way to cure a hangover is to not get one in the first place, but ahhh the allure of the spiritual world is great and some of those cocktails are just so pretty...(hmmm another post,perhaps :)). Fortunately there is an extensive literature available on the prevention and cure of the hangover.

First the mechanism of a hangover - From a TCM perspective alcohol creates a condition of heat in the body and stimulates the Liver. A little heat is not so bad, but when you get a lot of heat the body starts producing dampness in large amounts to basically put the fire out. This dampness then interferes with our digestion, making us nauseous and muddleheaded. A lot of alcohol stimulates the Liver to such an extent that it becomes like a little frozen rabbit, stuck to the point where just can't to anything causing a whole cascade of systemic failures to take place. From a biomedical perspective ethanol creates dehydration and impairs the liver's ability to supply glucose to the body and brain. Alcohol also reduces the body's supply of detoxifying agents like glutathione to help get rid of the toxic compounds into which alcohol breaks down. Additionally, some types of alcohol contain compounds called congeners that make hangover symptoms more pronounced. These congeners are found more in darker and sweeter spirits like bourbon, red wine and liqueurs. Yes, it's true. Vodka with a twist will probably give you less of a hangover than an equal amount of Jack Daniels.

Ok, we'll cut to the chase. Hangover management has four distinct phases: before drinking, during drinking, after drinking and the next day.

Before:

We've all heard not to drink on an empty stomach, but the selection and quantity of food is important to gain the best benefit. Carbs and a little fat can effectively protect the stomach lining while slowing the absorption of the alcohol. The Mediterranean trick is a tablespoon of olive oil before a night out on the town. I recommend a little good bread dipped in an oil flavored with basil. Basil acts as a digestive. Avoid anything with pepper which could cause problems later! Cheese and crackers can also work or a little guacamole with chips.

During:

Hydration is the key here. Try to alternate between alcohol and non alcoholic beverages. It's best to stay  away from high sugar mixers as that will increase your knowledge of  insulin reactions in a way you really don't want. A small mount of bland carb and fat type foods during the evening can also help, but limit the hummus or seven layer bean dip. Large size legumes are thought the stimulate the Liver and the Liver is probably getting enough stimulation. Neither a little food nor some hydration will prevent intoxication given sufficient consumption, but they will make things easier the next day.

After:

Before you go to bed you want to take the opportunity to counteract some of the toxic effects of the evening's beverages. Please note that some of the toxic effects of drinking are beyond the scope of this blog, though a clearer head will help you put those metaphorical fires out. Anyway you know that you are going to get or already are dehydrated, so drink water or one of those electrolyte replacers/sports drinks. if you are among the many who can't stand the taste of the major commercial varieties try making some yourself.

Ingredients:

1/2 to 1 cup fruit juice - I recommend  papaya or something with banana, orange is a thought, but some might find the acidity irritating

1/2 tsp. sea salt

8 or 9 tablespoons sugar, or preferably 6 or 7 tablespoons maple syrup or 7 to 8 tablespoons honey

2 liters water

Mix and chill. Do it now so it will be ready when needed.

Some people swear by a glass of milk which will give you sugar, fat and some amino acids to help re-establish brain function.You might also consider a banana or some tomato juice to replace the potassium and b vitamins lost. Avocado is also high in potassium. Keep it bland and keep it light.

After:

The day after remedies are numerous.

What we're looking for in a recipe is something which hydrates, addresses nausea, relieves pain, reestablishes electrolyte and glucose levels, detoxifies and soothes the liver. Most of the more famous remedies address a lot of these at once.

Menudo: This is the classic Mexican hangover cure, a long simmered stew made from tripe, tomato sauce, corn, and seasoning. There are many recipes available. Here the tripe (stomach) benefits the stomach while the tomatoes build fluids. The recipe reestablishes electrolytes and the spiciness helps disperse the dampness while kick-starting the body back into action. Raw onions, frequently used as a topping, are often used in Chinese medicine to treat headache and nausea.

Eggs and grits or bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches are frequently among the top listed hangover cures. The potential mechanism of this is the high ratio of amino acids, which are thought to replenish those lost and help with tissue and cognitive repair. Energetically this sort of meal is very grounding which can be very helpful if all the energy is banging around the inside of your head.

Marmite and Vegemite are are spreads made from brewers' yeast extract and is high in b vitamins and if you among the "love it" group can be helpful over dry toast.

Mung beans and mung bean sprouts are good detoxifying agents and cool an overexcited liver. the sprouts make a good garnish for the menudo and any egg dish.

If you want to try the Elvis route try a peanut (or other nut) butter, banana and bacon sandwich. Again the heaviness of this is going to help settle your energy back down. The magnesium in the banana will help relax those blood vessels contributing to the headache and body aches. Bananas, bacon and wheat all benefit yin and yin is what you want to build back after all that dehydration.

Rice pudding, especially if prepared with cardamon and cinnamon is soothing. Rice nourishes the Spleen and Stomach while the  cinnamon and cardamon aromatically transform the damp and settle your stomach. You can also try the "Deconstructed Arancini" from my previous post.

If your stomach can't handle anything solid try one of these liquid remedies.

"Hair of the Dog" - some swear by this. If you're going for this one I recommend the Bloody Mary or beer. The tomato juice in the Bloody Mairy, is high in potassium and generates fluids, the celery will help lower rising Liver Yang and the spices will help disperse dampness. Beer has a lot of b vitamins.

Chrysanthemum and Kudzu tea - a classic Chinese herbal remedy, chrysanthemum clears hear and lowers rising Liver Yang while the Kudzu (ge gen), generates fluids and relaxes the muscles.

Miso soup - a standard in Japan where they know a thing or two about drinking. Miso soup prepared with some chopped chives will help expel toxins out of the exterior of your body while hydrating and providing easily assimilated proteins.

Smoothies - here you want a combination that is soothing, sweet and packs electrolytes. Try banana, coconut milk, maple syrup and some nut butter. 

The really nauseous can make a tea with lemon and orange or tangerine zest. Sip slowly in small amounts.

It is often recommended to avoid coffee as the caffeine  will further contribute to dehydration. Of course, you could just drink more water with your coffee. Red Bull and flat cola are also frequently in the remedy lists.

So there you have it - just the tip of the iceberg, but enough to be of use. If you have any favorites not covered here please add a comment.

Happy New Year everyone and whatever you do avoid the hot fudge omelet. It really doesn't work.

Rice: comfort and joy (and hangover remedy #1)

Deconstructed Arancini (rice balls)

If you have a cold or cough  or are lactose intolerant stop right now. This is not for you and the damp among you proceed with caution. This is comfort food and comfort food has a tendency to make you damp. It slows you down, which is sometimes a good thing. A lot of stress comes from running around and trying to do the unreasonable. Dampness says "now you just slow down and relax and yes, get comfortable." It takes the edge off. I think we all know people who need to be just a little more damp. :) Carbs in general boost serotonin production. The carbs up insulin which in  turn down regulates amino acids except for tryptophan which is the precursor to serotonin.

This recipe is as close to the warm and fuzzy mac and cheese  feel that the gluten free can get. This is the deconstructed rice ball. Arancini, as they are known in Italy, are laboriously constructed morsels made from rice, cheese, eggs and some seasonings usually stuffed with any number of things ranging from still more cheese to ground meat, peas and even shrimp. The ingredients are assembled into little balls, rolled in bread crumbs and fried. Making these takes just about most of our natural lifetimes so I came up with a easier version and one that even accommodates various dietary restrictions. 

Rice, especially white rice, has become a much maligned grain since the advent of low carb diets. Not to get involved with the whole debate here  - but I just want to point out that a lot of people use white rice as their dietary staple and are not overweight. Still, brown rice does have more nutrients and fiber and both basmati and brown varieties are considered to be in the medium glycemic index scale while white rice is on the high end. (Glycemic indexes are a bit misleading, though, as food combinations change the overall glycemic index. Rice and something else has a different GI than rice alone).

Rice is neutral in temperature and nourishes the Spleen and Stomach. White rice especially, is very digestible and is often used as a convalescent food either on its own or in a soup or as a congee. You may also see red rice that has more of a heart affinity or even black or purple rice which also benefits the kidneys. All varieties of rice have roughly the same caloric content - about 170 calories per 1/4 cup of uncooked rice. Rice and rice flour are gluten free. Recipetips.com has a nice nutritional profile of various types of grains including rice.

This recipe can be made in advance and baked later or it can be frozen and heated up as needed.

Incgredients:

3 cups of cooked rice on the moist side

1/2 pound ricotta cheese (there are some good arguments for using full fat, but use whatever you like)

1 beaten egg (optional)

1/4 cup grated parmesane or romano cheese (again vary accoring to what you like)

Shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

breadcrumbs (optional)

paprika (optional)

chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:

Combine cooked rice, ricotta, parmesan, parsley and beaten egg. If the mixture is dry you can add some milk. The egg makes the finished product a little firmer and will help the squares hold together when sliced. It will be just fine though without the egg, howver. Parsley is good to help with digestion and also helps mitigate the dampness of the dish.

Grease the bottom of a casserole - about a 1 and 1/2 quart, but you can vary the size with changing the amount of ingredients. This is a very flexible recipe. If you're opting for the breadcrumbs sprinkle a little on the bottom and sides of the casserole to coat. Spread a layer of the rice mixture on the bottom. Cover this layer with a thin layer of shredded or sliced mozzarella or any of the option listed below. Spread a layer of the rice mixture over this middle layer. Spread a little shredded cheese over the top with maybe a little paprika and some bread crumbs if you're using them. Paprika is a good addition as it helps disperse some of the dampness created by all the cheese and makes it pretty.

Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for about 20 to 30 minutes until all the cheese is melted and the rice is heated through.

Variations:

Roman style rice balls, suppli al telefono, are filled with stewed meat and cheese so you can use some meat combination in the middle. You can add more aromatic spices if you're really concerned about the dampness or if you like aromatic spices. Actually, whatever you like with rice can go in the mixture or the second layer - shrimp, vegetables, prosciutto, whatever.

Rice symbolizes prosperity and good fortune and thus makes a great New Year's food. The combination of carbs with fat also makes it a good hangover food. Add the Hoppin John to the middle layer and you've got a number of bases covered.