Frederick Law Olmsted

August 27, 2023August 27, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

There are beautiful urban parks and gardens all over the United States. If they date from the late 1800s, odds are they were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, or one of his students. Olmsted grew up in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of a successful retailer who loved to look at ‘scenery.’ Young Frederick was taken along on many trips through the New England countryside in his youth. A brush with poison sumac damaged his eyes so badly that he could not attend Yale University. The next 20 years of his life might seem aimless to the casual observer, but Olmsted was storing up valuable experience as he farmed; plied the China Trade; hiked in Europe; did under-cover investigative reporting about slavery in the US South; authored books; edited a literary journal. In 1857, he became superintendent of Central Park in New York City. There was not ‘central park’ then, just an idea to create a public space. That year, the residents of Seneca Village and other small communities were removed so that a park could be built. Olmsted and English landscaper Calvert Vaux entered a competition for the development of such a park. They won, and Central Park, NYC became an urban jewel. The valuable organizational skills learned during the project were useful when Olmsted was put in charge of the US Sanitary Commission during the Civil War. He established practices for service men to stay fit and healthy, among them the use of hospital ships. After the war, Olmsted’s company was the go-to American landscaping firm. From public spaces [the Emerald Necklace, Boston] , to university campuses [UC Berkeley], to planned communities [Mont Royal, Montreal, QC], to private estates [Biltmore, NC], to the US Capitol grounds in Washington, DC — they did it all. In Chicago alone, Olmsted designed two parks, the campus of University of Chicago, part of the city’s parks and boulevards chain, and the grounds of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Until his death on 28 August 1903, Frederick Law Olmsted worked to promote parks for all people as well as conserving natural wild spaces. A fine legacy which we should all embrace.

Olmsted’s designs were influenced by English country gardens, and our breakfast also makes a big nod to the English countryside. The dinner choice is due to his extensive work in Chicago, where his workmen might have eaten the iconic hot dog for lunch on the job.

Cottage Breakfast w/ Sausage: 135 calories 3 g fat 5 g fiber 6 g protein 18 g carbs 24 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB I wanted a breakfast that evoked a cottage in the English country-side, so here it is: fresh fruit, whole-grain bread, a bit of meat. The pan muffins are very good.

1 pan muffin* ½ c. raspberries one 30 calorie chicken breakfast sausage Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Take one griddlecake from the freezer the night before and let it thaw. Cook the sausage in the microwave or warm it in a non-stick pan along with the griddlecake. Dish the berries, brew the hot beverage, pour the smoothie. What a sweet and easy meal.

*PAN MUFFIN each: 71 calories 2.5 g fat 1 g fiber 2 g protein 11 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium These are a dandy little bread to add to a breakfast plate. You will see them in Roman Breakfast and in Cottage Breakfast with egg

1 cup dry Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain hot cereal mix 1¼ cup buttermilk/soured milk	Combine cereal and milk in a small bowl. Let sit 10 minutes.
1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup sugar 1 two-ounce egg	Cream butter and sugar, then mix in the egg.
1 cup unbleached flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda	Add dry ingredients and cereal/milk mixture. Stir until just combined.
2 Tbsp batter for each pan muffin**	Portion batter onto a flat-bottomed pan or hot griddle spritzed with non-stick spray. Cook on both sides.

**HINT: I prepared 8 griddlecakes from the 10-grain muffin batter, cooked and froze them. I made the rest into muffins to eat on Slow Days.

Chicago Hot Dog: 272 calories 16.4 g fat 2 g fiber 11 g protein 14 g carbs 36 mg Calcium PB GF This is the real deal: every single flavor found in a Chicago bun, without the bun. Delicious and satisfying, wherever you live.

Two 100-calorie all-beef hot dogs [Hebrew National reduced-fat] 3 oz fresh tomato, sliced in 8 wedges 2 oz dill pickle spears, you should have 2-5 pieces of pickle celery salt 2 Tbsp chopped onions, raw 2 tsp relish [neon green relish is traditional] 2 ‘sport peppers‘ OR 3 pepperoncini, sliced in two ¼ tsp poppy seed yellow mustard

Cook the hot dogs any way you want. In a wide, shallow bowl place the hot dogs in the center. Place pickle slices along side and between the hot dogs. Now arrange the tomatoes around the edge. Sprinkle it all with celery salt, especially the tomatoes. Dollop with relish and distribute the onions all over. Arrange the peppers on top and drizzle with mustard. Add the poppy seed. Wear your favorite Chicago team jersey and tuck in to the dinner.

Saint Bartholomew

August 23, 2023August 28, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Bartholomew is listed as one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, and that is the only time he is mentioned in the Bible. [Most Americans hear the name first in the Dr Seuss book The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.] He was born in Cana [the place where the water-into-wine wedding was held], and, as a witness to Jesus’ life, Bartholomew traveled widely to spread the Gospel. He preached in Parthia and Mesopotamia. Tradition tells us that Bartholomew voyaged to India, leaving behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. At last he went to Armenia, where he met a horrible, gruesome martyrdom, 24 August 70 CE. There is another gory event that is associated with this saint: The Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1587. From the early 1500s, the protestant followers of Jehan Calvin, called Huguenots, were growing in numbers and influence. The Roman Catholic leadership and the Royal Family were growing annoyed and fearful. In an attempt to end the Wars of Religion that began in 1562, a marriage was arranged between the daughter of the Catholic Queen Mother [Catherine de Medici] and the Calvinist Queen’s son, the future Henri IV. So many protestants came to Paris for the celebration, that Catholics began to fear an insurrection. Early in the morning of 24 August, Catholic soldiers began to assassinate high-ranking Calvinists. All day long, gangs roamed the streets, slaying Huguenots left and right. The movement spread to the countryside, and more killing followed. A low estimate said that 5000 died in Paris alone, and tens of thousands more around the country in the following two weeks. August 24 was not a good day for Bartholomew or for religious tolerance. Be kind. Be tolerant.

Saint Bartholomew is the Patron Saint of Butchers. Ugh. At Smithfield Market in London, the Butchers’ Guild held a fair on August 24, from 1133 to 1855. Fresh meats of all kinds were featured, especially beef [this is England, after all] and pork. Apples were consumed as well — dipped in honey, or drank as cider or mead. Naturally, our meals today involve pork, and apples, and beef.

Apple-Pork ScrOmelette: 151 calories 8 g fat 1 g fiber 13 g protein 7.4 g carbs 46.4 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the eggs and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Pork and apples are such a fine combination that they should be part of a yummy breakfast.

1½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid to store in the ‘fridge for next week. 1½ oz apple 1 oz raw pork, ground or minced tenderloin 1 leaf fresh sage, sliced thinly crosswise dab of prepared mustard 1½ oz melon Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Mince the apple, leaving the skin on it. Put apple and crumbled sage in a saute pan spritzed with cooking spray. Cook over medium for 45 seconds, then add the pork. Cook until pork is cooked and apple is soft. Whisk the eggs and pour over apple-pork-sage. Scramble until done to your liking. Plate with the fruit and plan to do something nice for someone today.

Pot Roast Plate: 269 calories 6.6 g fat 3 g fiber 28 g protein 18.5 g carbs 24.6 mg Calcium PB GF You might have enjoyed a pot roast with the family for Sunday dinner, and since that was a Slow Day, you ate a lot and enjoyed it. Would you believe that you could have the left-overs for dinner on a Fast Day? Yes, you can! Low in fat, high in protein, delicious: this meal checks all the boxes. [At Denny’s, this meal clocks in at 400 calories with 20 g fat; at Culver’s, it is 700 calories with 27 g fat] HINT: After preparing the full recipe, I portioned the meal and froze individual servings for quick future meal preparation.

4 oz braised beef bottom round 3 oz carrots, cooked with the beef 2 oz small red potatoes, cooked with the beef 2 oz small [boiling] onions, cooked with the beef 2 Tbsp beef gravy, from the braising liquid

IF USING LEFT-OVER POT ROAST: Slice the meat. Mass out the vegetables to the stated serving size. Either heat everything in the microwave or put into a pan with a tight lid and some water to warm on the stove-top. A steamer basket is another way to re-warm this meal. Serve with heated gravy and have a feast fit for Saint Bartholomew’s Day. IF STARTING FROM SCRATCH: get 4 oz of sliced rare roast beef from the deli section of the supermarket. Put vegetables in a pot with the gravy and 1/2 cup water. Top with a lid and simmer until almost tender. Lay the beef on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until only a little liquid remains in the pan. Plate it all and pour the pan juices over everything.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

30-calorie chicken breakfast sausage	1.5 two-oz eggs + cooked spinach
10-grain Cereal ‘pan muffin’	garlic + Thai fish sauce
raspberries	scallions + melon
	Thai hot chili sauce
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

two 110-calorie all beef hot dogs	cucumber + tomato + dill
poppy seed + tomato + dill pickle spears	romaine lettuce + smoked salmon
onion + celery salt + green hot dog relish	hard-boiled egg + olive oil + honey
yellow mustard + ‘sport peppers‘ or pepperoncini	red wine vinegar + optional: sourdough rye bread
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Summer Soups

August 20, 2023August 16, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Warm, comforting hot soups are what we want in the winter, but have you tried soups in the summer? It is true that eating spicy food can help to cool the body on a hot day. Cool soups, with vibrant flavors, can be a delightful alternative to cooking or grilling. The best known summer soup is Gazpacho from Spain. Another famous cold soup is Vichyssoise, a hot French soup, made cold in New York City. And then there is Borscht. Ask anyone in eastern Europe, and they will tell you that their nation invented the soup. Most recipes are for a hot soup, but some cooks serve Borscht cold in the summer. Try a Summer Soup, one or more of them will end up in your warm-weather menus for years to come. And if you have a garden or a CSA share or access to a great Farmers’ Market, soups are a fine way to use fresh veggies.

A cool-as-a-cucumber soup starts off the day, and a well-seasoned noodle soup from Thailand makes a great meal at day’s end.

Cucumber Soup with Melon: ¾ cup serving = 78 calories 0.5 g fat 4.5 g fiber 11.5 g protein 8 g carbs 106 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the plated items only, not the optional beverages. PB GF The soup is lovely as is, but if you want to add more food, add a 1.5-oz slice of ham from the deli. Food value for ham: 68 calories 3.6 g fat 0.5 g fiber 7 g protein 1.6 g carbs 10 mg Calcium. Add optional beverages, and you have a cool, delightful meal to start a Summer day.

makes 3 cups. 4 servings of ¾ cup each
two 8” cucumbers [total weight = 21 oz]	Slice off both tips of the cucumber and remove half of the green peel. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Dice the cucumber.
2 oz mint leaves	Chop the leaves coarsely.
Piment d’esplette [or paprika or Aleppo pepper] salt & pepper to taste	Add these to taste to a food processor. Run the machine until the cucumber is very finely chopped.
200 grams/ 7 oz Fromage Blanc OR plain Greek yogurt	Add cheese/yogurt and run the processor to combine. Adjust seasonings.
8 oz canteloupe melon	Scoop into 8 Tbsp-sized balls
	Portion soup, garnish with two melon ball per serving
Optional: 1.5 oz sliced deli ham	Roll slice and plate next to bowl of soup.
Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Thai Shrimp and Noodle Soup: 272 calories 2 g fat 4 g fiber 26 g protein 37.6 g carbs 82 mg Calcium PB This soup is superb, whether on a hot summer night or in the winter. HINT: serves 2. Invite a guest or save for a lunch later in the week. This soup is wonderful and spicy and filling.

6 oz raw shrimp, shelled, tails removed	Thaw shrimp in a bowl, then strain liquid from bowl into a 1-cup measure, adding water to bring volume to 1 cup. Put shrimp into a pan with the liquid, and simmer until opaque. Remove shrimp and cut in half cross-wise if large.
46 gm rice vermicelli noodles [that’s one small ‘bundle’ of noodles]	Bring shrimp-water to boil, add vermicelli, cover and take off heat. After 4 mins, drain, saving cooking water. Rinse and reserve noodles.
2 pinches crushed red pepper 1 Tbsp Thai fish sauce 2 Tbsp lime juice 2 tsp sugar 1 Tbsp Thai green curry paste	Put shrimp-water and these ingredients in a pan together. Warm while whisking to combine.
2 oz carrots, grated 1 c. spinach leaves, loosely packed	Coarsley chop spinach after measuring. Add carrots. Add spinach. Simmer until veggies are tender.
2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 oz grated carrot	Add shrimp. Serve soup warm or cold with garnish of chopped scallion and grated carrot.

Battle of Verneuil

August 16, 2023August 15, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

French army on the right, confronts the English at Verneuil.

The Hundred Years’ War blurs by the students in history class — too many names; too many battles. Unless you have a dog in the fight, it matters not. But some battles stand out to me: Crecy in 1346, Agincourt in 1415 [made memorable by Shakespeare], and Verneuil. As at Crecy, my mother’s ancestors fought at the Battle of Verneuil. It took place in Normandie, France in 1424. In those battles, the English were trying to establish their dominance in the province that had belonged to their leader, William of Normandy, three and a half centuries ago. Once again, the English were outnumbered. Once again, the French were defeated. The French army was a combination of French knights, infantry, and archers, 1000s of Scots, and calvary units hired from Milan and Lombardy. This polyglot assemblage lead to poor communication on the battle field and a lack of unity with the attack. I try to imagine my ancestor, Gerard d’Harcourt, the 44-year-old only son of his noble family, with a wife and two young sons at home. He would have gone into battle on that hot August day in head-to-toe armor. Since dawn, while the two armies had been maneuvering into position, Gerard sat locked in his metal suit, without much food or water since breakfast. The battle finally began at 4 pm, and when it was over, [only?] 1600 English had died, compared to 7262 combatants on the French-Scots side. Gerard was one of them, along with his first cousin Jean VIII, Count d’Harcourt and leader of the French army. Less than 30 years later, hostilities ceased. Too late for Gerard and Jean.

A foraging army might well have found cepe mushrooms in the woods of Normandy to add to breakfast, and rabbits would have provided a welcome stew at dinner for those who survived the ‘bloodiest battle of the Hundred Year War.’

Cepe Omelette: 139 calories 9 g fat 1 g fiber 10 g protein 6 g carbs 46.7 mg Calcium PB GF Cepes [aka: ceps, porcini] are a divine mushroom. Like many good foods, they exist in a brief moment of time and must be savored in the moment. True, they can be dried for later, which is a real plus. But today we will be Zen-like and enjoy them now.

1½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ½ oz [1/3 cup] sliced, raw cepes ¼ tsp butter parsley, chopped salt & pepper 4 cherries Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

In a non-stick pan, melt the butter and spritz well with cooking spray. Whisk the eggs with parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook the mushrooms in the butter until tender [1 minute?] and pour in the eggs. Let the bottom of the eggs get firm, lifting the edges to let the raw egg run underneath. Either flip the eggs to cook on the other side, or leave the upperside soft when you fold and plate it with the fruit. With or without the optional beverages, this is a rare Summer treat.

Rabbit Pie: 275 calories 6.6 g fat 4.6 g fiber 25.6 g protein 27.5 g carbs 77 mg Calcium PB Rabbit is a common meat in recipes the world over. It is high in protein and low in fat. And yes, it does taste like chicken. You could substitute.

2 oz mushrooms 4 oz chicken stock 2 tsp potato starch 0.55 oz [1 slice] ham from the deli 3 oz rabbit meat ¼ cup onions, chopped big pinch dried thyme big pinch savory salt + pepper 1.5 oz carrots ½ Arnold Multi-Grain Sandwich Thin OR a 4” circle cut from whole-grain bread

If the rabbit is uncooked: Cut it into bite-sized pieces and quickly cook in a saute pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Remove the meat. Chop and cook the mushrooms in non-stick spray, but do not evaporate all of the liquid they give off. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and the stock to the pan along with the mushroom juices and ¼ cup water. Simmer to cook the onions. Whisk in the potato starch and the seasonings. Continue to whisk over heat until the potato starch is dissolved. Cook at a simmer until the liquid measures ¼ cup and is thickened. Add the rabbit meat, ham, and the mushrooms. Simmer for a few minutes and taste for seasonings. Pour and scrape into an oven-proof dish. Top with the Sandwich Thin. Bake at 350 F for15 minutes. Cook the carrots. Plate the meal by first putting the Sandwich Thin on the plate, then covering it with the rabbit-mushroom mixture. Pour any extra liquid so that it is soaked up by the bread. Plate the carrots to complete the meal.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

2 cucumbers = 21 oz + cantaloupe balls	1.5 two-oz eggs
mint leaves + piment d’esplette/paprika	apple + melon
fromage blanc or plain Greek yogurt	1 oz raw pork
Optional: 1 oz sliced deli ham	dried sage
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

rice vermicelli + raw shrimp	4 oz pot roast of beef
carrots + scallion + Thai fish sauce	boiling onions
lime juice + Thai green curry paste	carrots + beef gravy
fresh or frozen spinach + sugar	small red potatoes
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Ernest Lawrence Thayer

August 13, 2023August 10, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

The only poem that Ernest Lawrence Thayer ever wrote became one of the most beloved and oft-quoted set of lines in American literary history. What was it? Surely you know of Casey At The Bat! Thayer was born on 14 August, 1863, in Lawrence, Massachusetts to a family in manufacturing. He went to Harvard, where he joined the two famous humor societies: Hasty Pudding Club and Harvard Lampoon. Another member of those groups was William Randolph Hearst. When Hearst took over at the San Francisco Examiner, he hired Thayer to write a humor column for the paper. At the end of his two-year stint, the parting column in 1888, was a poem about a self-important baseball slugger who is humbled for being prideful. The poem went unnoticed until it became part of the act of a vaudeville performer later that year. “Casey” caught the popular imagination and rumor was rampant: was Mudville a real place? was Casey modeled after a particular ball player?? Thayer maintained that it was a work of pure fiction, although two towns actually claimed to be Mudville. Mike ‘King’ Kelly, from the Boston Beaneaters team, stated for years that he was the original Casey [one would brag about that???]. Nobody doubts that “Casey at the Bat” is everyone’s favorite baseball poem. My favorite rendition of it was by our older son when he was in 4th grade. He chose the poem as his entry in the school’s poetry recitation contest, and practiced long and hard. The audience and judges loved his changing inflections as he shouted “Strike One!!” contrasted with the echo’s whispered “Fraud.” He won the competition and was asked to repeat his performance on the school house steps on the last day of school. It was a triumph and his parents were proud.

Although baseball was invented in the United States, it involves countries around the world. Baseballs for the US market were once manufactured in Haiti [on a grand scale, but for a pitiable wage], and at the other end of the Island of Hispaniola, players from the Dominican Republic have been stars in the Major Leagues. The Japanese love baseball, and several top-notch Japanese stars play on American teams. Our breakfast is from Haiti and our dinner is from Japan.

Haitian Chicken Bake: 131 calories 5 g fat 1 g fiber 13 g protein 8 g carbs [6 g Complex] 43 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF The Haitians love to eat their ‘pates’ [pronounced ‘patty’], spicy fillings in puff paste dough. Here is the filling alone is used to jazz up some eggs at breakfast.

1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp chicken pate filling** 1.5 oz pineapple Optional: blackish Haitian coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

NB: Prepare the chicken pate filling in advance and freeze or refrigerate it. Whisk the egg with salt and pepper, then whisk again with the meat filling. Pour into an oven-safe dish which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes. Portion the fruit and brew that Haitian coffee. Zut alors! A taste of Hispaniola!

**chicken pate filling = 1 cup ‘pate’	Prepare a mise en place. You will be adding ingredients at rapid intervals, so do the prep now.
1 habanero pepper	Cut pepper lengthwise and scrape the seeds out of one half. Chop both halves.
Chopped pepper ¼ cup chopped onion 2 tsp garlic, minced	Spritz a non-stick skillet with non-stick spray. Saute the pepper, onion, and garlic 3 mins until tender.
½ pound ground chicken	Add chicken and cook 5 mins, stirring often.
¼ cup shredded carrot	Add carrot and cook for 2 minutes.
2 tsp no-salt tomato paste	Add tomato paste and stir constantly 1 min
2 tsp lime juice 1 tsp cider vinegar	Pour in lime juice and vinegar and stir.
1 Tbsp chopped scallion 1 Tbsp chopped parsley 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves ½ tsp pepper ¼ tsp salt 1/8 tsp ground clove 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg	Add scallion and all the seasonings. Stir, take off heat, and cool to room temperature. Run it all through the food processor.

>Use in omelettes, bakes, quiches, crepes. >>Wrap in wonton wrappers >>>Roll out purchased puff pastry and cut into 20 squares. Use 1 Tbsp filling per square, seal edges and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Miso Salmon: 242 calories 9 g fat 2 g fiber 29 g protein 12 g carbs 37 mg Calcium PB GF Having heard of this over and over again, I asked our son for a recipe. So easy! So good tasting! You will have left-over sauce for flavoring a soup or another fish dish.

4 oz salmon filet, skinned 2 Tbsp miso sauce** 5 spears asparagus OR 3 oz broccoli

Place the fish on a small plate and paint one side with some miso sauce. Turn fish over and repeat. On medium-high, heat a well-seasoned cast iron pan or a non-stick pan and add a spritz of cooking spray. Cook the fish on one side for 4 minutes while painting the up-side with more miso sauce. Turn the fish to the other side, paint with the sauce, and cook 4-5 minutes longer, depending on the thickness of the fish. Test for doneness by cutting a small slit down to the middle of the filet to see if it has changed from deep pink to opaque pink color. Cook the asparagus, brush it with some of the miso sauce and plate.

**Miso Sauce: makes 6 Tablespoons 33 calories/Tablespoon 2 Tbsp white or yellow miso 2 Tbsp mirin 1 Tbsp sake or sherry 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil Stir together to combine.

Rin-Tin-Tin

August 9, 2023August 8, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Publicity still for the actor Rin-tin-tin.

“YO!!! Rinty!” was the call when Rin-Tin-Tin was sent into action during the TV show “The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin” in my youth. The plots centered around a little boy and his German Shepherd dog who had been adopted by an outpost of US Cavalry men, resulting in all sorts of interesting activities taking place in the American West of the 1800s. But the tale of the real dog started in World War I. Lee Duncan, an American soldier fighting in Lorraine, France, found a female dog with her puppies in a ruined German-forces kennel. He took the starving family back to base and got permission to care for them. After the war, Duncan adopted a male and a female, and took them back to America. He named them Rin-in-tin and Nannette after the little dolls made by French children, though he swapped their sexes. The female died and was replaced by a puppy from a friend of Duncan’s. The 1-year-old male, Rin-Tin-Tin, and the puppy ended up in southern California where Duncan worked for a sporting goods store. On the side, he was a hunting guide and trainer of hunting dogs. Rin-tin-tin was very athletic and well-trained, so Duncan would enter him in competitions at dog shows. Once, the dog was filmed scaling a wall almost 12 feet high. Duncan got the idea to put Rinty into films — inspired by another German Shepherd in movies — so he and the dog visited many fledgling studios. A new outfit named Warner Brothers signed them up, producing a movie written by Duncan for Rinty, called Where the North Begins in 1923. The dog was paid $1000 per week and a young scriptwriter named Daryl F. Zanuck was in charge of penning most of the 26 films the dog starred in for Warner. Like many stars of the time, Rin-tin-tin retired in 1930, when ‘talkies’ became popular, silenced by advancing age and audible off-stage commands. He died on 10 August, 1932. Rin-tin-tin’s puppies from Nannette lived on, trained by Duncan, and appearing in a few subsequent films — but not the aforementioned TV series.

Our breakfast begins the day in France, just as the Star Dog’s life began there. For dinner, a California cook-out of ‘hot dogs.’

Charcuterie Scramble: 190 calories 12.5 g fat 0.5 g fiber 13 g protein 6 g carbs 72.5 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Left-overs from a charcuterie board can be parlayed into a nice breakfast.

1½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ¼ tsp Dijon mustard ¼ oz chevre cheese 1/8 oz/ 1/2 tsp bleu cheese 3 slices/ ¼ oz pepperoni slices 1 oz grapes Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories]or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Slice the pepperoni into thin slivers. Cream together the cheeses and mustard, then whisk thoroughly into the eggs. Pour them into a hot pan spritzed with cooking spray, and strew with pepperoni. Cook as a scramble or an omelette. Plate with the grapes.

Hot Dog & 4-Bean Salad: 302 calories 12 g fat 3.6 g fiber 20 g protein 18.6 g carbs 103.5 mg Calcium GF PB Hot Dogs and summer salads go together, even for Fasters. This meal is very straight-forward, assuming the 4-bean salad has already been prepared.

1 Hebrew National reduced-fat hot dog [<110 calories] 1 deviled egg* ½ cup 4-bean salad** 2 oz tomato slice, broiled with ½ Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Grill or pan-cook the hot dog. Prepare the deviled egg. Slice the tomato to a thickness that weights 2 oz. Top the tomato with cheese and broil it. Plate it all with the 4-bean salad. Simple food at summer’s end.

*Deviled Egg: 80 calories 5 g fat 0 g fiber 8 g protein 1 g carbs 36.6 mg Calcium PB GF Old favorite, updated.

One 2-oz egg, hardboiled, peeled prepared yellow mustard 1 Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese Yellow Sriracha or New Mexico green chilis in a jar paprika or sumac

Slice egg in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolk and mash with a fork on a plate. Add cheese and savory liquid, and mash until well blended and of desired consistency. Spoon back into the divot of the egg white and sprinkle with paprika or sumac.

**FOUR-BEAN SALAD: makes 8 cups ½ cup= 99 calories 4 g fat 3 g fiber 3 g protein 14 g carbs 29.5 mg Calcium ¼ cup= 49.5 calories 2 g fat 1.5 g fiber 1.6 g protein 7 g carbs 14.7 mg Calcium PB GF

2 cups fresh green beans 2 cups fresh yellow[wax] beans 2 cups canned kidney beans 2 cups canned garbanzo beans 1 cup onions, chopped ½ cup cider vinegar ½ cup sugar [experiment with less] ¼ cup olive oil

Cook the fresh beans until tender. Drain and rinse the canned beans. Combine with the onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together the vinegar, sugar and olive oil. Toss with the vegetables and refrigerate 4+ hours. Keeps for days in the ‘fridge.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg = US large + pineapple	1.5 two-oz eggs
Haitian chicken pate filling: ground raw chicken	Cepe mushrooms
lime juice, Habanero pepper, onion, garlic	butter + parsley
carrot, tomato paste, scallion	cherries or peaches
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

salmon [wild-caught is better]	rabbit meat + portobello mushrooms
white or yellow miso, mirin	ham + onions + herb savory
saki or sherry wine [not ‘cooking wine’]	Arnold Sandwich Thin or similar
soy sauce asparagus or broccoli	carrot + thyme
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Star-crossed Lovers: the Princess & the Herdsman

August 6, 2023July 16, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

My mother told me that there are seven basic plots in literature, and one of them is the story of the “Star-Crossed Lovers.” This plot centers around two people who are in love yet fate intervenes, in one way or another, to keep them apart. Shakespeare coined the term, implying that one’s astrology [one’s stars] controlled one’s destiny. In mythology there are star-crossed lovers, and one such famous pair is found in the 8th century Japanese story of the Princess and the Herdsman. The tale is the origin of the Tanabata or Star Festival, celebrated in Japan since the Edo Period.

Altair and Vega, separated by the Milky Way.

Orihime 織姫, the daughter of Tentei 天帝, the emperor of heaven, was a skilled weaver of silk. Her father set her to work daily, weaving fabric to clothe the other gods. She was proud of her role in the cosmic order, but she was lonely. Across the Heavenly River [the Milky Way], she could see a herdsman [of cows or sheep, according to various tellings] named Hikoboshi 彦星. He too was lonely, and one day he called to the lovely maiden. They struck up an unlikely friendship, and yearned to meet in person. Seeing that his daughter was unhappy, Tentei arranged the marriage of the pair. The happy couple spent so much time canoodling that the gods’ clothes were getting shabby and the untended animals were trampling gardens. Now the emperor was unhappy. He banished the pair to opposite sides of the River with the admonition that if they did their jobs well, they could be reunited on day each year on the 7th day of the 7th month. [Yes, that would mean July, and sometimes it is celebrated then, but with calendar reform it became 7 August.] We can see them in the sky today as the stars Altair and Vega, two parts of the shape called the Summer Triangle. And indeed, in early August, the lovers find themselves on the same side of the Milky Way, having crossed on a bridge made by sympathetic magpies. They must have done their jobs well.

The breakfast of light, airy pancakes would suit any princess. The dinner is the food of the people on the streets — or the pasture. Somen noodles are a typical food to eat during the festival, said to represent the flowing waters that divided these true Star-Crossed Lovers who really are stars.

Japanese Souffle Pancake Breakfast: 223 calories 6 g fat 1 g fiber 16 g protein 32 g carbs 132 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the pancakes and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. Here is a delightful breakfast treat. Dear Husband was most pleased. HINT: One batch serves 3 people, if each person has 3 pancakes.

3 souffle pancakes* 2 turkey breakfast sausages @ 30 calories each 1 plum [two halves], fresh or canned in light syrup OR sliced strawberries Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Japanese Souffle Pancakes: each of 10 pancakes: 45 calories 1 g fat 0 g fiber 3 g protein 8 g carbs 42 mg Calcium

4 egg whites [6 Tbsp]	Keep egg white refrigerated until ready to be whipped.
Set griddle to a medium-low setting – you want them to cook slowly..
2 egg yolks [2 Tbsp] 1½ Tbsp milk 4 tsp/10 g wh3 4 tsp/10 g white flour ½ tsp baking powder	Mix egg yolk in a bowl with milk. Sift the flour and baking powder into the yolk mixture and mix well.
Cooled egg whites ¼ tsp cream of tartar	Take egg whites out of the ‘fridge and add cream of tartar. Whip egg white until foamy.
5 g sugar 10 g sugar 10 g sugar [scant 2 Tbsp total]	>Add sugar to egg white, whipping until fine bubbles form. >>Add more sugar and continue to whip. >>>Add last sugar and whip until foam is shiny and soft peaks form.
	Gently fold 1/3 of meringue into egg yolk mixture. Add another 1/3 meringue, and carefully fold. Pour yolk mixture into the meringue bowl and carefully mix it all together with a rubber scraper spatula.
Cooking spray + smear butter	Drop 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter onto griddle, then top with an additional dollop on top of each pancake [to add height] and cook it for 3 mins.
	Flip them over and cook for 3 mins or until both sides are browned.
	Serve as described below.

Prepare the batch of Souffle Pancakes. Cook the sausages. Cut the plum in thirds. Plate the 3 pancakes and place a piece of plum on each one. Drizzle with syrup from the can of plums. Place the sausages on the plate and enjoy the lightest, fluffiest pancakes ever – like eating a cloud.

Yakitori: 285 calories 9 g fat 4.5 g fiber 21 g protein 23 g carbs 117 mg Calcium PB These skewers are a popular street food in Japan, and we will serve them with buckwheat noodles. Quick and easy.

Serves 2: 5-6 skewers	Soak bamboo skewers 30 mins.
¼ c. lower-sodium soy sauce 2 T. mirin or sushi vinegar 2 T. sake or dry sherry 1½ tsp. granulated sugar	In a small pot over med-high, bring these to a boil. Lower heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, 5-7 mins. **if using sushi vinegar, reduce sugar to ½ tsp
	Take off heat, let cool. Save out 2 T. sauce.
½ # chicken thigh meat, cut in 1″ pieces – NEED 24 pieces ½ bunch scallion, all parts, cut in 1″ pieces – NEED 18 pieces	Fold each chicken piece in ½ and thread on a skewer. Thread on a scallion piece. Continue so each skewer has 4 meat + 3 scallion.
Vegetable oil	Preheat grill 5 mins to med-high. Lightly brush grates with oil. Grill skewers, turning at whiles, 4 mins. OR BROIL
	After 4 mins, begin brushing skewers with sauce after each turn. Keep grilling 4-5 mins until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken registers 165°F
	Arrange skewers on a platter. Brush with more sauce.
Toasted sesame seeds	Sprinkle with seeds.
sesame noodles	Serve with sesame soba noodles.

Sv 2
1 oz soba buckwheat noodles	Cook noodles in boiling water 4-5 mins, stirring a bit so noodles don’t clump
	Drain into a sauce pan, saving the water. Rinse soba under cold water, tossing to remove starch.
1 cup cabbage — bok choy or napa	Finely shred cabbage, and simmer until soft but not limp.
1.5 T soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 2 tsp rice vinegar or sushi vinegar ¾ tsp sugar black pepper	In a medium bowl, whisk these together. **if using sushi rice, use only ¼ tsp sugar Set aside.
PAM spray 2/3 c. green onion, cut in ½” lengths	Heat a skillet over med-high, and spray with cooking spray. Add green onions. Cook, stirring, 15-30 secs.
Soy-vinegar mixture	Add and cook 30 secs.
Cooked noodles cooked cabbage	Add noodles and cabbage, toss until heated.
2 T. green onion, diced 1.5 tsp Toasted sesame seeds	Toast seeds in dry pan. Add green onion and sesame to noodles in the saute pan. Toss to mix.
1.5 tsp Toasted sesame seeds	Garnish with seeds, serve warm or at room temp.

Hot Weather Food

August 2, 2023August 1, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

The climate is changing and it is not in our favor. The human body — and every other living thing — has an optimal range for healthy living. While there are animals and plants that live in hot-humid Equitorial land and water environments, most life on Earth is in more temperate zones. Modern humans [Homo sapiens, sapiens] came to their planet-altering maturity during the last Ice Age. Cold weather agreed with them. Have you heard that the planet is now the hottest it has been for the past 120,000 years? Yes, science does have ways to determine the temperature ranges from deep in times past. It would be prudent if we each changed our behavior to help to keep the climate cooler. Small changes today can add up in the future.

Are meals are chosen to deal with the heat. Miami, Florida is a hot spot. Our breakfast comes from there and it will power you through a hot day. The dinner is to be eaten at room temperature, much better than a hot meal at the end of the day.

Cubano ScrOmelette: 151 calories 8.5 g fat 0 g fiber 12 g protein 1 g carbs 71 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. GF The famous Miami sandwich comes to the Fasting breakfast table, with every flavor intact!

1½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 1/8 oz ham, diced ¼ oz Swiss cheese, diced ¼ oz pork, diced [this could be from a previous roast or a grilled tenderloin] ¼ tsp mayonnaise ¼ tsp mustard 1.5 tsp dill pickle, diced 1 oz melon Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Cut up the meats, and combine in a small dish. Dice the pickle and the cheese, and whisk with the mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Season to taste. Spritz a saute pan with non-stick spray and heat it. Put the meat mixture into the hot sauté pan to warm, then add the eggs. Scramble together [or cook like an omelette] until the way you like it. Pour your beverages and enjoy a semi-tropical start to your day.

Zucchini Quiche Squares: 293 calories 13 g fat 2 g fiber 12 g protein 22 g carbs 118 mg Calcium PB My Aunt Betty introduced this recipe to our family years ago. Since then, I have reduced the fat and increased the protein. HINT: The recipe makes 8 [eight!] servings, so it works well for entertaining. It will also freeze, so you could have 7 meals for the future! If freezer space is limited, cut the recipe making only 1/3 of it, baking in a loaf pan. Then cut into 3 servings.

To prepare Quiche: 3 cups zucchini, grated 2 Tbsp minced onion 1 clove garlic, minced – nothing wrong with more, if you wish 1.5 cups ‘bisquik’ ** ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 wedges Vache qui Rit [Laughing Cow] cheese, cut into small pieces 2 tsp marjoram or oregano 2 Tbsp parsley, minced salt and pepper 2 oz ground chicken/turkey breast, cooked and very finely minced ¼ cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 2 Tbsp milk

Mix everything together, except the milk. If batter is too dry, add enough milk to make it moist enough. Pour into a 9×13” pan which has been spritzed with oil or non-stick spray. Bake at 350F 30-40 minutes, until beginning to brown on top. Cut into 8 pieces.

**bisquik, makes 2 cups 1½ cups white whole wheat flour + ½ cup white flour 1 Tbsp baking powder 2 tbsp butter

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients, by hand or in food processor, and use as directed. Any leftover bisquick can be store in a jar on the pantry shelf for later use.

To prepare Meal: 1/8^th of baked quiche 1 cup lettuce in bit-sized pieces ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp Balsamic vinegar + pinch salt Whisk the oil and vinegar and toss with lettuce, sprinkle with salt. Plate with the quiche. How easy was that?!

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

4 two-oz eggs = US large + milk	1.5 two-oz eggs
flour + baking powder + sugar	chèvre cheese + herbs de Provence
white whole wheat flour + cream of tartar	chorizo sausage
30-calorie chicken/turkey breakfast sausage	melon + Dijon mustard
plum or strawberries	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

low-sodium soy sauce + mirin or sushi rice + sugar	tomato + hard-boiled egg
sake or sherry + raw chicken meat + scallions	hot dog, 100-calories
buckwheat soba noodles + cabbage	4-Bean salad + Parmesan cheese
sesame oil + sesame seeds	yellow mustard + cottage cheese
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Summer This + That

July 30, 2023July 25, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Summer demands its own sort of foods. Foods for a road trip. Foods for the barbecue. Foods for the beach. Foods for when there is no time to cook. Foods for when it is too hot to cook. Thus, Summer foods do not have a particular theme, unlike Winter’s hot soups and stews. In a way, this is free-ing: if you do a little planning, a quick pick-up meal is easy to do. Have lots of different vegetables on hand, several fruits, some meat and fish in the freezer, then many Summer meals can be prepared out of this and that.

Our breakfast is from Malta, where it is very warm in the Summer. Our dinner uses lots of veggies on the grill. Easy to prepare, quick to cook, just right for Summertime.

Maltese Bake: 130 calories 6 g fat 2 g fiber 10 g protein 10.5 g carbs 66.5 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF The flavors of sunny Malta await you at breakfast.

1 two-oz egg 3 Tbsp frozen spinach ¼ oz tuna 1 filet canned anchovies, minced ¼ cup Mediterranean Vegetables, excess liquid drained off 3 oz melon Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Thaw the spinach the night before and place it in a sieve to drain out extra liquid. If pressed for time, thaw the spinach and squeeze it in your fist to expel liquids. Break up the tuna in a bowl and add the minced anchovy along with the Mediterranean Vegetables. Whisk the egg, then stir into the other ingredients in an oven-proof dish which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit and pour the optional beverages. Good stuff.

Fish Kabobs: 236 calories 8 g fat 4 g fiber 27 g protein 22 g carbs 77 mg Calcium PB GF Any firm fish will work for this simple meal. The Fresh Polenta is from Jacques Pepin and it is a keeper.

4 g firm fish [swordfish, tuna, halibut], cut in 1-2” cubes 1 oz eggplant cut in 1” chunks, skin left on 1 oz cherry tomatoes ¾ oz red or yellow bell pepper, cut in 1” squares 2 tsp Pimenta do Queijo or other red pepper sauce ½ cup fresh polenta* ½ cup side salad**

Combine the pepper sauce with 2 tsp water in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Toss the eggplant and bell pepper in the pepper sauce and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove the bell peppers and microwave the eggplant 45 seconds longer. Cool the vegetables and save the marinade. Prepare the polenta.

FRESH POLENTA: 1 sv = 1/3 cup = 80 calories PB GF 1¼ cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen 1 tsp unsalted butter freshly-ground pepper + salt Puree corn in a blender until ‘smooth’ [it will still be a bit chunky, but you shouldn’t see whole kernels]. Put butter in a warm pan, then add corn, pepper and salt. Cook about 30 seconds or until it thickens.

Assemble the kabobs on skewers and brush with remaining marinade. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Broil 4 minutes, then turn the kabobs, brush with marinade, and broil for 4 minutes more. Prepare the side salad and plate to applause.

**SIDE SALAD: Serves 1 36 calories PB GF Here is a side salad to go with any meal. 1 cup lettuce, slice into ½” strips if leaves are large ½ oz grated carrots 1 oz tomato ½ tsp olive oil, plain or flavor-infused [ex: lime] ½ tsp flavorful vinegar

Who Dunit? Who Ate It? Chapter VIII

July 26, 2023July 24, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Dear Husband and I love to read ‘whodunits.’ Crime literature in English harks back to Edgar Allen Poe’s Murders on Rue Morgue in 1841. As the genre took off, a sub-genre developed in the 1900s: culinary crime. These books are read as much for the procedural as for the vicarious thrills of the meals that are described along the way. There are many authors who tantalize our tastebuds while they challenge our little grey cells and today, I will feature foods from two widely different sources.

Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle, is perhaps one of the most famous and recognizable fictional sleuths. His mind is computer-like in its knowledge and recall. He is restless, self-destructive, depressed, and reclusive, yet somehow likable. His only friend is his chronicler and former flat-mate Dr. John Watson. Holmes is better known for his ingestion of cocaine than his intake of food, yet Mrs Hudson, his landlady, brought three meals a day up to the rooms at 21-B Baker Street – even if her famous client never ate them. You can eat this one and think of him in foggy London.

Rashers & Egg: 145 calories 10 g fat 1 g fiber 10 g protein 4.5 g carbs 30 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF A ‘rasher’ is an English term for one slice of bacon. Bacon and eggs are a classic combination.

one 2-oz egg 2 slices American/streaky bacon 1 oz strawberry or apple or peach Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

This breakfast is ‘elementary,’ as Holmes would say to Watson. Cook the bacon until crispy, remove from pan and pour out most of the fat. Add egg and cook to your liking. Plate with fruit and sip the beverage of choice.

Nero Wolfe was created by Rex Stout in 1934. Wolfe is quirky, reclusive, and hugely fat. Seldom leaving his New York flat, he still manages to solve crimes with the help of his assistant Archie. In Some Buried Caesar, Nero and Archie go to the agricultural fair to show Wolfe’s orchids. In the food tent run by the Methodist Ladies, they wax lyrical over homey fare. Instead of eating Fritz the Chef’s exotic delicacies, they dine twice on Chicken & Dumplings.

Chicken & Dumplings: 293 calories 7 g fat 4.6 g fiber 38 g protein 30 g carbs 67 mg Calcium PB This was a real hit in my parents’ Central Pennsylvania home and it is still a favorite with us. Be aware that it is best made over 2 days, but it basically cooks by itself with a few busy bouts by you. Worth the time and effort. AND this recipe serves 4 [four] people, so have a party serving this great make-ahead meal. If you serve one or two, make the whole thing anyhow, then package and freeze the remainder.

3 pound whole chicken, preferably a fowl although you will get more meat from a fryer ½ cup onion, chopped 1/3 cup carrots cut as coins ½ cup celery, chopped bay leaf 3 peppercorns 1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour 4 dumplings per person: ¼ cup green peas

Cut up a 3 pound chicken into leg quarters, breast quarters, back, wings. In a large pcast iron pan or Dutch oven, brown the chicken in a little oil on all sides. Add the vegetables, bay leaf, pepper, and water to cover. Simmer on the cooktop for 45 minutes. Add 2 tsp salt, cover, and simmer for another 45 minutes. Strain off the stock and let the fat rise to the surface to cool. Discard the fat. Reserve the vegetables. Cool the chicken and remove the skin. Pull off the meat in chunks: you will use 17 oz meat by volume. You could stop here.

Measure ¼ cup of stock and whisk in the 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour to form a paste. Measure 1.5 cups stock and pour into a stovetop-safe serving dish along with the Worcestershire sauce. HINT: save any remaining stock and chicken for excellent soup. You could stop here. Add the flour water paste and stir to incorporate. Put the vegetables and chicken meat into the dish and adjust seasonings to taste. You could stop here. Twenty minutes before you serve, prepare dough for the dumplings.

DUMPLINGS: makes 4 each = 70 calories 0.2 g fat 2.6 g fiber 3.0 g protein 23 g carbs 130 mg Calcium This dumpling is the savory type you cook over a stew, such as Chicken Fricasse. I’ve even used it in St Kitts Fish Stew. The recipe comes from Fannie Farmer.

10 Tbsp white whole wheat flour 1+1/3 tsp baking powder big pinch salt pinch sugar big pinch spices or herbs 4 Tbsp/2 fl. oz milk

Combine all the dry ingredients, then stir in the milk. The batter should be stiff but not dry. [add a little stew broth or water if needed] See directions below for cooking the dumplings.

Heat the chicken mixture and place 4 dollops of dumpling dough on the chicken and vegetables but not so that it is in liquid only. Let it all bubble gently for 10 minutes, then cover the dish and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Steam the peas and pour over the top of the dish before bringing to the table. Serve this simple classic proudly.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg = US large	1.5 two-oz eggs + dill pickle
tuna fish — canned or cooked	Swiss cheese + 3%-fat ham
frozen spinach + anchovy	cooked, left-over pork + melon
Mediterranean Vegetables + melon	dab of mayonnaise + dab of mustard
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

firm-fleshed fish [swordfish/tuna] fillets	zucchini + onion + 3 eggs
eggplant + cherry tomatoes	chicken breast meat [optional] + garlic + herbs
red/yellow bell pepper	Laughing Cow cheese + Parmesan cheese
side salad + Fresh Polenta	white-whole-wheat bisquick + oil + vinegar
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

	me on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Mya on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Peter Eppig on Robert Gould Shaw
	me on 10 Years of FASTing
	Karen Loudon on 10 Years of FASTing

Eating well, with creative recipes, to follow the Fasting Lifestyle according to Michael Mosley's "Fast Diet."

Join me in following the Fasting Lifestyle, with recipes & tips

Recipes for healthy dieting

Frederick Law Olmsted

Saint Bartholomew

Summer Soups

Battle of Verneuil

Ernest Lawrence Thayer

Rin-Tin-Tin

Star-crossed Lovers: the Princess & the Herdsman

Hot Weather Food

Summer This + That

Who Dunit? Who Ate It? Chapter VIII

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