A few sourdough enthusiasts have asked how to make pancakes from the starter.  Check these out.  You have to use up a good deal of your starter (a cup and a half) but the flavor of these pancakes is well worth it.  Plus, starters need to be used up and rebuilt to stay healthy. Full instructions on how to create and care for your own starter can be found by clicking here and giving Cookus Interruptus a small donation.  That’s right, we need some dough to stay alive here on the web.  Production and maintenance costs for a site like ours with mucho content mount up and we could use your help. (more…)

Thanks to the limitless interaction offered by facebook, twitter and the internet, the TED talk (posted below) from Dr. William Li was brought to my attention by one of my colleagues at Bastyr (thanks Doris).  The science of nutrition may be in its infant stages but we are seeing some meaningful grown up work emerging each day. Dr.  Li’s talk called “Can we starve cancer by eating” points towards a whole foods diet, full of deep colored natural whole foods as cancer preventative.   Watch. (more…)

Stirring Literature

New Good Food is a great candidate for a whole foods reference book to keep around the house for answering such questions as: What is that green spiky fruit and what do I do with it? How much gluten does spelt flour contain and what’s the best use for it? What fruits and vegetables are in season right now? Margaret Wittenberg has a great background in food, from owning and running a natural foods store in the late 70’s to working for Whole Foods in almost every capacity up to global vice president, to sitting on the USDA National Organic Standards Board when the standards were being created. She was also awarded the Rachel Carson Award for her work in organic agriculture, sustainability and the environment. Marion Nestle says this book is “an extraordinarily comprehensive guide to foods, ingredients, and their handling.” If you can’t trust Marion, who can you trust?

Carol White

My best friend always reminds me to bring visual beauty to the mundane parts of daily life.  The eyes enjoy it.  Whenever possible arrange your lunch on a colorful plate in a pleasing fashion.  Add a contrasting garnish to the soup.  Adorn your table with fresh flowers  on top of a brightly patterned piece of oilcloth.

The author who seems to have soared to new heights in making whole foods into art is Heidi Swanson.  Her book Super Natural Cooking not only has deliciously creative recipes using whole foods, but the recipes are paired with stunningly beautiful photographs taken by the author.  Oh, that spiced-kissed gingerbread. Feast on this one!

You know that guy that likes to just wear sweatshirts and jeans.  He reads the paper really slowly and generally has an easy smile but doesn’t say too much.  Hates spending money.  Pretty happy wherever he is, but doesn’t like being rushed.  Has a lot to offer but is often overlooked because he seems like..you know…like just joe or homer or whoever.  Oh him.  And you’re not sure you’d like to be married to him because it might get kind of boring after awhile.  Or so you assume.  And you’ve heard that he might have a bad habit or two but still you’re kind of turned on by his simplicity. For me, that’s the bean.  The unsung hero of the whole foods world who’s often overshadowed by flashy pomegranates, sexy avocados, trendy farro and exotic spices with lounge-singer names like Saffron and Coriander. Take another look.  You want low cost?  Versatility?  How about “enriches the soil its grown in”?  The bean’s got it.  Or are you dazzled by factoids like: low in calories, high in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals?  Research that links consumption to lower risk of some diseases?  Beans are your guy.  Oh wait.  Maybe you’re shy about mentioning the farting thing.  I’m telling you, if you’re getting gas from your beans you haven’t been treating them right.  Like forgetting to let them have a long soak.  Trying to rush them while they’re cooking.  Eating them out of cans.  Don’t do it.  They appreciate hands-on cooking with TLC.  Ya gotta let them take their time.  Throw Cumin or Kombu or whoever in the pot with them to keep ‘em grinning.  Add a little salt toward the end, maybe a little vinegar or salsa (to aid the digestion) and you’ve got a real fun cheap date.