This is the latest edition in a weekly series of diaries that deal with healthy positive approaches to the process of ageing. They all carry a tag of [ageing gracefully] and can be found by searching on that tag. They are usually published at 3:00PM PDT on Tuesdays. Here is a listing of all the diaries in the series
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The term California Cuisine originated with an electric style of cooking pioneered by Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley. It has spawned some very expensive and pretentious restaurants. I don't have much interest in barking up that tree. However, there are some very useful things to be derived from the open minded approach to food in the search for healthy food that taste good.
Most traditional American cooking is not very healthy. Even with its historical regional variations, it generally puts a heavy emphasis on a lot of meat and fat. Vegetables tend to be cooked on the assumption that you have to make sure that they are well and truly dead. People become attached to whatever style of food that they grow up eating and are generally resistant to changing those preferences. When health pressures come in middle age, people are even less inclined to adjust.
There has been a widespread effort to try to replicate the taste of a traditional American diet with foods that are lower in problematic fats. We have things like soy protein pretending to be bacon, tofu mascaraing as hamburger and soy cheese. My experience at trying such things is that they simply don't work. Vegetarian diets that rely heavily on cheese and eggs are not really an improvement. For me the most successful approach has been to develop new taste preferences. The key to doing this is finding combinations of ingredients that produce a really pleasurable eating experience.
My approach is to borrow from different food traditions to create dishes that place an emphasis on the flavor of fresh vegetables and deemphasize the role of meat. Two traditions that I find particularly useful are Mediterranean and Chinese. Mediterranean food makes use of the flavors of vegetables and herbs. Chinese food generally uses an approach of short cooking and low fat. As an example I offer a recipe that I have concocted using this approach.
Pasta With Chicken and Fresh Vegetables
4 oz chopped chicken breast
2 oz uncooked pasta (medium shells work well)
2 tbs olive oil
small onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 bell pepper chopped in bite sized pieces
1 medium sized tomato chopped
1 bunch cilantro
Sauce
1/2 cu chicken stock
juice of one lemon
1 tsp sambal olek (chili sauce)
1 tbs cornstarch
Cook pasta in boiling water. Drain in colander and sprinkle with small amount of oil to keep it from sticking together.
Mix chicken broth, lemon juice, sambal olek and cornstarch in a bowl.
Chop onions and garlic. Heat oil in large frying pan or wok. Add onions and garlic and toss briefly until aromatic. Add chicken. When chicken is about half way cooked add bell pepper.
When chicken is completely white add cooked pasta and toss to reheat. Add tomatoes and cilantro and toss briefly. Add sauce and toss until it thickens. That will happen in less than a minute. Immediately turn off heat and remove to a serving dish.
The desired outcome here is that the bell pepper will be partially cooked but still somewhat crunchy. The tomato and cilantro should not do much more that just get hot. You want to preserve the flavors as more or less separate tastes.
This sauce is in something of a Chinese tradition in using cornstarch to thicken it. That doesn't require the additional fat that would be used in a European style sauce.