What to eat on non-fast days for the 5:2 Diet

Slow Days: Peach Wine, continuing

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/ which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

Wine is not something we discuss on a Fast Day. Too many empty calories. But the nice thing about the Fasting Lifestyle is that since you Fast only two days per week, you can enjoy wine [responsibly] on the other 5 days. Three months ago we began to make a batch of Peach Wine. The wine has been sitting on the floor of the dining room, while the yeast cheerfully ferments sugars into alcohol. All the while, fine particles — dead yeast cells and fruit pulp — have been settling to the bottom of the glass bottles. These are called “lees.” At the three month point, the wine above the lees should be fairly clear. To see how clear the wine is, we can use the Tyndall Effect. If you shine a strong flashlight beam through the wine, you can see how much suspended residue remains.

The wine in the fermenting bottles looks pretty clear. You can see the layer of lees at the bottom of the vessels. By shining a light into it, we can see that there are still some suspended sediments in the liquid.

Our job today is to “rack off” the wine. That means to pour off the clear wine into a clean bottle, leaving the lees behind. Use Camden Solution to rinse out a gallon jug and a 750 ml wine bottle, returning the rinsing Solution to its storage container.

Pouring off the cleared wine takes a sustained effort and a steady hand. You must pour the wine without stopping — if you pour out some, then put the jug down again, the lees will have kicked up and clouded more of the wine. It will settle again, but that will take a month or two. So: in one steady, slow stream, carefully pour the wine into the clean jug, but stop pouring when the cloudy liquid starts to come out. In chemistry, the process of pouring clear liquid off from a cloudy liquid is called ‘decanting.’ DO NOT think that you can use a filter to strain out the lees — it does not work. It is not cheating to use a funnel to help you to pour.

On left, the wine decanted from the smaller bottle into a 750ml bottle. Next, the wine decanted from the jug into a clean, sterilized jug. Third from left, the clearer of the cloudy wine poured into a 750 ml bottle for further clearing. On right, the really sludgy lees that will be poured down the sink.

Top off the jug with clear wine from the smaller bottle. You can pour the lees down the sink. The yeast that remains will give a nice boost to digestion in your septic tank. Seriously. There will be some wine left over in the first jug and 750ml bottle, which is now cloudy with lees again. I put most of that into a small bottle to settle out again so I can save that wine. I’m such a Yankee!

Here is the gallon jug with a gallon of peach wine inside. Also, the bottle with cloudy wine that needs to settle out.

Fit the jug with the airlock, transfer the label to the wine jug, write in your wine notebook the date that you racked off, and put the jug aside in a cool, dark spot to clear again and to mature.

That didn’t take long. See you again in six or seven months for bottling. NB: at that time, you will need 5 clean, empty 750 ml wine bottles [you can use empties — no need to buy them]; 5 new wine corks [I use the size called #9]; a bottle-corking device; the hydrometer and the graduated cylinder from before; and maybe some sugar.

Slow Days: Turkey Leg Confit

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INTRO: People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/ which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

Last Thanksgiving, since neither of our sons could/would travel due to Covid, we were faced with a sad culinary conundrum: what form of turkey to serve to only two people??? A whole turkey was out since the smallest ones were in high demand. We could make our usual Turkey Roulade, but even that served three generously for more than one meal. Happily, I heard of doing confit treatment to turkey and I found this recipe by André Baranowski on Saveur.com. Since we were accustomed to preparing a duck confit, this seemed like a great idea. As I always do, I cross-referenced to see if there were any other hints or refinements to include. Here is my synthesis. HINT: If preparing for Thanksgiving, start 5-7 days ahead. This takes a short amount of working time during two days at the start, then a wait of 5-7 days before eating.

2 legs from a 15# TurkeyDAY 1  Pat dry the turkey legs. Move turkey to a 9”x5”x4” loaf pan
½ tsp. rubbed sage
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1 Tbsp Kosher salt  generous grind black pepper		DAY 1 SEASON AND COOL In a spice grinder, grind the herbs to powder. Rub turkey with herb/salt and chill overnight, loosely covered.
Two meaty legs with the spice rub, then the legs rubbed and nestled in their bread pan.
2-3 quarts rendered duck fat OR lard I used 1 quart duck fat DAY 2  BAKE AND CURE Heat oven to 275°. Discard any liquid from the pan of turkey. Microwave fat in a jar on low power or warm in a pot over low heat until the fat liquifies. Pour fat over turkey to cover the meat. Cover pan with foil; bake until very tender, ~ 2 hours. Let turkey cool in the fat and put the pan in the ‘fridge for 3-7 days.

When first I heard of confit for meat, I was horrified: all that salt and FAT? Ugh. But the salt and fat work to kill bacteria and also to make the meat very tender. The fat does not go into the meal, keeping the turkey low in fat.

Legs have cured overnight and fat awaits the melting. Next, we see the baked legs, covered with fat and ready to sit in the ‘fridge for most of a week before final crisping.
DAY 5 or 7 HEAT AND EAT  Heat the pan until fat is just liquefied. Pour fat into a jar to freeze/store. Take legs from pan and let the extra fat drain off. Place legs in a cast iron pan and cook until browned and crisp, ~15 minutes. 
Plate with your favorite sides for a succulent meal.
What a grand Thanksgiving meal! A dish of stuffing was baked separately, since there was no bird to stuff.

Slow Days: Pumpkin Ginger Scones

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

Genevieve Ko, writing in the New York Times, published this article last year. It looked promising, so I tried it. Finding the dough a bit too dry, I added applesauce and that turned out to be just right. And look! The recipe calls for ‘pumpkin spice’!!! So trendy this time of year. Try these and see what you think. The recipe makes 6-8 scones, depending on how you cut them.

50g/6.5 Tbsp whole wheat flour 
95g/¾ c all-purpose flour
1/3 c/25 g rolled oats 
¼ c./50 g sugar 
2 tsp baking powder  + ½ tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice**		In a bowl, whisk these ingredients together.



**¼ tsp cinn, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp mace, 1/8 tsp clove, ¼ tsp allspice
¼ c/57 g cold butter, sliced thinly 1/3 c/45 g crystallized ginger OR ½ tsp ginger powderAdd butter + toss to coat. With fingers or a pastry cutter, knead/cut in butter until coarse crumbs form but peanut-size pieces remain. Chop ginger finely, and mix in.
1/3 c/85 g pumpkin puree 
1 Tbsp applesauce
1 two-oz egg 		Whisk pumpkin and applesauce with egg until smooth. Add to dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until no dry bits remain and mixture comes together in a mass.
Place dough on baking pan and press it into ¾”-thick round that is 6” diameter. Refrigerate or freeze until stiff.
Heat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray a glass pie plate with cooking spray.
Rolled oats for sprinklingCut dough into 6-8 wedges with a sharp knife. Nudge wedges apart. Sprinkle tops with oats.
Bake until golden brown and firm when gently pressed, 20 mins. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick in center to see if there is wet dough. If so, return pan to oven for a few mins.
Cool pan on a rack 5 mins. Serve warm or room temp.

Served with ham and yogurt with applesauce and berries, these scones are a lovely treat.

Slow Days: Spiced Cauliflower Pasta  

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/ which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

As Summer turns to Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, our taste buds seem to want the warmth of spices in our food. “Pumpkin Spice,” anyone? [Which is not derived from an actual pumpkin. It refers to the spices used in pumpkin pie. But I digress.] This pasta dish is excellent. The curious addition of spices tells us that its origin was in Medieval Times. Nobles returning from the Crusades [this is the one good thing to result from the lamentable Crusades] brought with them ‘exotic’ spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. European cuisine embraced them, often producing daring parings of spices with meat [as in Tourtiere] and vegetables. Of course the tomatoes in this recipe did not show up in Europe until the early 1500s, and they are a good addition. Sicily was a port of call for Crusaders and Lynne Rossetto Kasper is the source of this Sicilian recipe found in her The Italian Country Table.

The mise en place for 2 servings.
Serves 4 — original recipeServes 2 — how I do it
Large head cauliflower florets370 g cauliflower floretsBlanch in boiling water 1 minute. Keep water on the heat.
EVOO
1 cup onion, chopped
salt & pepper		EVOO
½ c onion, chopped
salt & pepper		Film bottom of a non-stick saute pan with oil and heat to medium-high. Stir-fry cauliflower 2 minutes, then add onion and seasoning and stirfry until golden.
Large pinch red pepper flakes
ditto for ground cloves
ditto ground cinnamon
¼ c basil + Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oil-packed anchovies
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar 		Pinch red pepper flakes
ditto ground cloves
ditto ground cinnamon
2 Tb basil + Italian parsley
1 cloves garlic, minced
2 oil-packed anchovies
1½ Tbsp red wine vinegar 		Chop the basil and parsley before packing in the measuring cup. Rinse the anchovies. Add these to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
4 oz zitti/penne per person2 oz zitti/penne per personCook pasta in salted water until al dente.
2/3 cup pasta water
14 oz canned whole tomatoes		1/3 cup pasta water
7 fl oz canned whole tomatoes		Drain and chop tomatoes. Add pasta water to saute pan and scrape up the brown bits. Add tomatoes, and boil until cauliflower is tender-crisp, ~3 minutes.
Reduce heat and add cooked pasta. Stir to blend. Season to taste
¼ pound ricotta salata OR Parmesan
1/3 c pine nuts		2 oz ricotta salata OR Parmesan
3 Tbsp pine nuts		Shave cheese into curls and add to serve hot, topped with pine nuts.
Plated with a nice piece of sourdough bread. You are correct: the pasta is neither zitti nor penne. You don’t have to stay inside the lines all the time.

Slow Days: Chow

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/ which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

The word ‘chow’ has many meanings. The Chow is a medium-sized dog with a curled-up tail. It is a slang word for food. As a verb, followed by the word ‘down’, it means ‘to eat.’ Then there is chow as a relish… In Pennsylvania Dutch areas, chow is a combination of pickled, chopped garden vegetables — cauliflower, onion, carrot — served as a sweet condiment. In the American South, cabbage takes center stage, with unripe tomatoes and red sweet and hot peppers as co-stars. It is served on hot dogs and with black-eyed peas. In Prince Edward Island, we met our favorite: Maritime Chow, aka ‘Acadian ketchup’. We were dining with friends at a small oyster house on the dock at Malpecque Bay. After a dozen oysters, we ordered fishcakes. We asked the young man who brought the food [former oyster-shucking champion] the name of the delicious relish. “Its Chow,” he replied, a bit confused. What is it made of, we asked. “Well…you know…its Chow,” he attempted, “My grandmother makes it.” So I asked my local PEI friends for a chow recipe. Lillian P. shivered and said, “Ugh. Chow. I never make it.” Cathy K. had no recipe. Nona McL. kindly wrote out her recipe for Chow, which in the Maritimes is always made with unripe tomatoes. This is Nona’s recipe.

20 cups sliced green tomatoes 5 cups sliced onions
½ cup pickling salt		DAY 1 Combine and leave overnight
6 cups sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup water
2 cups white vinegar
pickling spice in a bag		DAY 2 Drain tomatoes + onions and put into a large pot. Add these ingredients to the pot. Simmer 1 hour. Take a little liquid from the pot
¼ cup cornstarch
1½ tsp turmeric
1½ tsp dry mustard		Mix these ingredients with the reserved liquid from the pot. Then add to the pot and cook together for ½ hour.
Put into sterilized 1-pint or ½-pint canning jars and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Makes 9 pints.

Since I had some half-ripe tomatoes, I was eager to get started. By Day 2, I realized that I had neither turmeric nor dry mustard in the pantry. Time to substitute: yellow Indian Curry powder for turmeric and Dijon mustard for the dry mustard. I was pleased with the result and served it at a luncheon, attended by all the afore-mentioned ladies. Lillian tasted it and asked what it was. “Its Chow!” I crowed, “Made with Nona’s recipe.” When Nona tried it, she exclaimed, “That’s not my Chow — you have changed my recipe!” I acknowledged that I had made substitutions… Both of those worthy matrons agreed that “it isn’t Chow, but it is good.” Now I make a batch every year. This is my recipe.

4 cups sliced tomatoes = 1 L.  chose under-ripe ones with some red areas but mostly green
1 cup sliced onions
1.5 Tbsp pickling salt		DAY 1 Combine in a medium-sized bowl and leave on the counter overnight. 
Some red on the tomatoes, but mostly green.
300 ml sugar = 1¼ cup
100 ml cider vinegar = 3.75 fl oz
50 ml water = 1.75 fl oz 
100 ml white vinegar = 3.75 fl oz
1 Tbsp pickling spice  [no mustard seed]  		DAY 2 Drain tomatoes + onions and put into a large pot. Put the pickling spice in a cheesecloth bag or a tea ball before adding to pot. Add these ingredients to the pot and simmer one hour.
15 ml cornstarch = 1 Tbsp
½ tsp Dijon mustard, en lieu of mustard seed
3/8 tsp CGE curry		Take a little liquid from the pot and add these 3 ingredients. Stir together until smooth. Add back into the pot, stir, then simmer for ½ hour.
Makes 5 half-cup jars
Process in boiling water 10 minutes

We always serve Chow with Fish Cakes. For this meal, they are made the Maritime way: using Salt Cod instead of fresh fish. I also have a recipe for fish cakes made from fresh fish, from the Legal Seafood Cookbook.

The lovely, savory-sweet, rosy-hued Chow is in the center. Pickled beets are our favorite side dish for Fish Cakes.

As the summer garden winds down and you wonder what to do with all those half-ripe tomatoes, Chow is the answer. Chow down.

Slow Days: Making Peach Wine, DIY Day 2

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/ which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

On a Fast Day, the empty calories of wine are not a good choice. But wine in moderation on a Slow Day is alright. We are making Peach Wine in this blog, continuing from two previous blogs on the topic. THIS IS THE 3RD POST IN THIS SERIES.

DAY 2: Combine all the ingredients and pour into the glass fermentation vessels.

Starter bottle from previous blogThe bottle contents should be bubbly on the top. If not, gently shake it to see if bubbles rise to the top. This tells you that the yeast is activated.
Camden Solution from previous blog large bowl/colanderSterilize a large bowl and a colander with Camden Solution. Pour excess Solution back into its jar.
Mashed peaches in waterStrain the peaches through the colander into the bowl, saving the juice. 
This peach mush can be used to make jam or mix it with maple syrup to spoon onto waffles. Yum.
2 quarts boiling water 2 ¼ pounds granulated sugar
Bring the water to a boil. Put the sugar into the bucket or bowl that had the peaches last night. Pour the water over the sugar to dissolve it. You may need to stir it with a sterilized spoon to ensure that all the sugar goes into solution. Put the lid on it and let it cool for 1 hour. The liquid ought not to cool to room temperature. 

reseved peach juice
½ tsp pectic Enzyme   1 tsp Citric Acid ½ tsp Grape Tannin 		Add the peach juice to the sugar – water mixture when it has cooled a little. Then stir in these additives.  They are necessary to balance the flavors of the fruit and the sugar.
Hydrometer hydrometer jar Camden solutionSterilize the hydrometer jar and the hydrometer.
Pour excess Camden Solution back into its jar. 
Pour some of the peach juice+water+sugar into the hydrometer jar to within 1½” of the top. Put the hydrometer into the liquid and give it a little spin to rid it of any bubbles. Read the scale labled Specific Gravity [S.G.] and the scale labled Potential of Alchohol [P.A.] and write down those values in your notes. Pour the ‘wine’ from the hydrometer jar back into the bucket. The P.A. should read around 12%. If it is lower, add more sugar. If it is higher, add some boiled water. Then take another reading.
  • close-wise from 9 o’clock: pectic enzyme, acid blend, grape tannin
  • the hydrometer is floating in the peach+sugar solution — making wine is like a chemistry experiment.
Starter Bottle The liquid in the bucket should by now be just a little warm. Pour the contents of the Starter Bottle into it and stir to mix. Cover the bucket and let it sit for 15-30 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling and frothing. You should see and hear it!
Fermentation is well under way. See the big bubbles?
1-gallon glass jug 750-ml glass wine bottle funnel 2 air-locks with 1-hole corks
Camden Solution		With the Camden Solution, sterilize the jug, the bottle, the funnel, the corks. Pour the excess Solution back into its jar. Using the funnel, pour the fermenting peach juice into the jug, filling it almost up to the neck. What remains in the bucket goes into the glass wine bottle. Fit the air-locks into the corks and snug the corks into the tops of the glass vessels. Pour Camden Solution into the air-locks, up to the half-way point. 
Now lable the bottles with a little tag to remind yourself: the type of wine; what day you began to ferment the wine; and the value of the P.A. Put the bottles into a dark, sorta cool place where they won’t be disturbed.
Here is our ‘proto-wine’ all ready to sit quietly and work for a while.

At this point, the wine looks very unappetizing — sludge-colored, cloudy, and that icky foam on top. Fear not: as the days progress, the wine will clear, the color will improve, and all the sludge will go to the bottom.

Here it is, labeled as directed, after a few days. Notice the solids, called lees, settling to the bottom. Notice that the foam has died down and that the color is improving.

All you have to do now is to clean up the kitchen and wait 3 [three] months for the next step. THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS WILL BE IN 3 MONTHS. HOPE TO SEE YOU THEN.

Slow Days: Making Peach Wine, DYI DAY 1

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

On a Slow Day, you can drink wine with dinner. Why not make your own? THIS IS THE 2ND POST IN THIS SERIES.

On Day 1, we make a Starter Bottle of yeast mixture and prepare the peaches:

1 pint glass jar, sterilized
8 oz apple or orange juice
½ oz/ 4.5 tsp sugar
½ tsp yeast nutrient 		Heat to boiling and put in the sterilized jar. I use a 1-pint canning jar with a ring.
Put a piece of cloth or paper towel over the top of the jar, then screw on the ring. Let it cool.
¼ tsp yeastOnce the liquid cools, add the yeast. Agitate the jar, cover again, and let sit until tomorrow.

Here is the Starter Jar. This gives the yeast a head start.

Prepare the peaches:
Camden Solution
the 2-gallon bucket/bowl with lid		Sterilize bucket by pouring in some Camden Solution and sloshing it around. Use a paper towel or your hands to make sure that the Solution touches every surface. Wash your hands. Pour any extra Solution back into its jar
2 quarts waterBring water to a boil.
2½ pounds whole, ripe peaches
nb: I’ve used white peaches, yellow free-stone peaches [Red Haven variety], and very red yellow peaches.		Don’t bother to peel the peaches, but if there are some bruises, remove them. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits, then squish the peaches in your hands before they go into the bucket.
Pour boiling water over the peaches. This cooks the fruit a bit so it will release its juice. It also kills any germs or wild yeast on the fruit. Cover with a lid and put the bucket in a corner where it can cool for 12-24 hours.

Squished peaches covered with boiling water in the sterilized bucket. The covered bucket cools over night.

The next post in this series will be tomorrow [in one day].

Slow Days: Making Peach Wine, DIY

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum  which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

Usually, I talk about food. At this time of year, the peaches are ripe — and do I love peaches! Sliced on cereal, chunks in yogurt, in pie, in your hand as you bite into it. Peaches rule! And, for your next Lock-Down [bite my tongue] Project, you might want to make peach wine. Full disclosure: a peach wine will not taste like peaches. It will taste like a dry white wine. The less dry you make it, the more fruity it will be. But it will not taste like a fresh peach.

On a Fast Day, you don’t want to waste calories on a non-food like wine. On Slow Days, drinking in moderation is perfectly acceptable. For many years now, I have made ‘Country Wines.’ That appellation designates a fermented beverage made from fruits that are not wine grapes. Good Friend Donna Ohlweiler, who was a Summer Neighbor of our’s, taught me the basics. We drink wine with dinner, but usually it is a splendid product of the grape, chosen by Dear Husband who is an able sommelier. [to see what I mean, check out peterspicksblog] Still, I think it is fun to turn fruits into wines and the results are nice to serve to guests as an aperitif or to use as hostess gifts.

Peach Wine was the second recipe that I ever made, in October of 2001. The recipe is from First Steps in Winemaking by C.J.J. Berry. My initial notes cover 6 pages, detailing all the steps I took and all the things I did wrong. It was a learning experience. Since peaches are ripe in New Hampshire now, I thought I would show you the steps of making what Berry calls “Peach Perfection.” Rather than giving you the entire process at once, I will show you how to make it ‘in real time’ — that is to say, each day that I do something with the wine, I’ll explain what I did, and tell you how long to wait until the next step. The entire process takes the better part of a year, but aside from 2 days at the beginning and 2 days at the end, it is like stirring together a batch of dough and letting it rise overnight, then knocking it down and letting it sit again — small, short bursts of activity for you, and a long slow fermentation for the wine.

Making Peach Wine yield: five 750 ml bottles bottles

Before you start, you will need:

A good beer/wine-making store sells these. They are available on-line too.

2.5 pounds ripe peaches 2.25 pounds sugar Grape Tannin
Camden tablets
Yeast Nutrient
White wine yeast
Acid Blend
Pectic Enzyme
Clean 1-gallon glass jug
clean 750ml glass wine bottle
2-gallon capacity enamel or plastic bucket or bowl with a lid
1 air-lock with a cork to fit the gallon jug
1 air-lock with a cork to fit the wine bottle
Hydrometer
hydrometer test jar you will need a dedicated set of pages to write down what you did and when you did it — I have two school ‘composition books’ full of notes

In a few months you will need: five 750 ml wine bottles 5 corks for the bottles a corking device to drive the corks into the bottles

  • This is an air-lock.
  • a snap of my recipe notes
  • An hydrometer and the test jar.
  • Ripe peaches and sugar are the basics.

You will need to prepare a Camden Solution for sterilizing all your vessels and equipment.

Put 2 cups water in a jar with a lid. Add 6 camden tablets and ½ teaspoon Acid Blend. Let it sit to allow the tablets to soften, then shake/stir until all is blended and dissolved. THIS STUFF IS TOXIC AND THE FUMES FROM IT ARE UNHEALTHY TO BREATHE. Label with a poison alert sticker and store out of reach of children.

THE NEXT POST IN THIS DIY PROJECT WILL BE IN THREE DAYS.

Slow Days: Cajun Catfish Sliders

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/ which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

Catfish are a fresh-water fish found in many countries around the world, with 30 species in the USA. The states in the center-east of the country are where catfish are most likely to be. Because they are common and can grow quite large, catfish are popular sport and eating fish. Here in New Hampshire, the native species is Ameiurus nebulosus, known to scientists as the Brown Bullhead, and to locals a the ‘horned pout’ [pronounced ‘hornpout‘]. Lakes of easy access sport boats at night, trawling back and forth with lanterns illuminating the water. Everyone knows that means people are hornpoutin’. After seeing catfish at the supermarket a few years ago, and knowing that there was Cajun Seasoning in the pantry, I was seized by inspiration: Cajun Catfish Sandwiches!!

To serve two, we have slider buns, Cajun Seasoning, and 6-8 oz catfish, cut into 4 pieces. The catfish pieces are dredged in the seasoning on all sides, then pan-cooked with a bit of butter/ cooking spray/ or olive oil until done, 3-4 minutes per side. Here’s how to prepare your own seasoning:

Cajun Seasoning:  4 Tablespoons  A dry powder to add to soups, stews, eggs, or fish. 1 tsp salt 2 tsp garlic powder 2½ tsp paprika 1 tsp ground pepper 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp cayenne 1¼ tsp dried savory 1¼ tsp dried thyme ½ tsp red pepper flakes

I suggest that the slider buns be toasted. For a real summer treat, serve with some form of corn, such as fresh polenta or corn-tomato salsa. Oh! Yummy! Catfish can be sustainably and environmentally raised on fish-farms, making them a good choice when you are looking for fish to buy. An excellent Summer meal.

Slow Days: Summertime Pasta

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day?  Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

Jacques Pepin is a darned good chef. Perhaps it is the fact that he was formerly the Executive Chef of the Howard Johnson’s chain that caused him to promote simple-to-prepare food that is achievable for the ‘average’ cook. One such recipe, from his book Fast Food My Way, is called Summertime Pasta. [When he talks about Fast Food, he means the kind that is quick to prepare, not the type we eat on a FAST Day***. ] If ever there was a time when one wants to keep prep time to a minimum, Summer is it. It amazes me how easy this meal is on the cook and how fine it is to eat it. We dine on it ourselves and serve it to company. It is that good.

The mise en place for two servings of Summertime Pasta
Sv 4Sv 2 
3 c. tomatoes in ½“ dice
1 ½ c. zucchini in ½“ dice
1 c. white mushrooms, ½” dice
1 tsp salt + black pepper
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil  		6 oz diced tomatoes
¾ c diced zucchini
½ c diced mushrooms
½ tsp salt + black pepper
3 Tbsp EVOO 		Mix everything in a microwavable glass bowl.
6 oz pasta shells, whole wheat
2 qts water
salt		3 oz shells, whole wheat
1 qt water
salt		20 minutes before serving, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook about 7 minutes until al dente. Drain.
Microwave the vegetables for 2 minutes or longer until they are lukewarm.
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese ½ c ParmesanCombine the drained pasta with the warm vegetables, then stir in the cheese.
1½ c. Fresh basil leaves, shredded ¾ c. Fresh basil leavesPlate, and top with basil.
Every meal looks delicious with edible flowers as a garnish.

If you wish, you can add chunks of chicken or grilled shrimp to the dish to add more protein. Delicious.

Snow peas are also a nice addition.

***Truth be told, I do have a version of this recipe that is fine for a Fast Day. One of these days, I will share it with you.