Simply nutritious and delicious: Chicken Liver Pate

To get the perfect consistency and flavor, use butter. No doubt It makes the best liver pate.

The basic recipe to prepare duck or chicken pate is to brown the livers in butter, deglaze with brandy, dry white wine or stock add seasonings and stir until the liquid is mostly gone. Then toss in the food processor with softened butter and season with salt.

For a variation, process with sauteed onions and mushrooms. This one keeps refrigerated 3-5 days, and the plane version lasts well covered and refrigerated for 5-8 days.

Serving suggestion: For a quick meal or snack, serve on toast or prepare a sandwich with melted Swiss or Mozzarella cheese.

The most important, the nutrition part:

So what makes liver so wonderful? Quite simply, it contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. In summary, liver provides:

An excellent source of high-quality protein
Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A
All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12
One of our best sources of folic acid
A highly usable form of iron
Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper
An unidentified anti-fatigue factor
CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA. ...From The Weston A. Price Foundation files

For more information visit: The Liver Files: Recipes and Lore About Our Most Important Sacred Food

by Chef Melissa - CookingDiva · May 12, 2008 · 01:22 PM
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Your Dog is Not a Vegetarian

Related post: Pet owners making own dog food!

Your Dog is Not a Vegetarian, by William Campbell Douglass II, MD

Read the complete post at LewRockwell.com

  When I first  reported on the breaking story of contamination in mass-produced  pet foods that has so far sickened and killed thousands of our beloved American pets – dog and cats, specifically – because it was, I had very little information to impart , about exactly what was causing these casualties.

But I did have some recommendations on how to safeguard your kitties and pups against  this fate: To feed them ONLY raw liver, chicken necks, hamburger,  and any other uncooked meats and animal organs. This should include at least one daily raw egg – including the shell – rounding   out their diet with cut vegetables put on top.             

This advice of mine directly contradicts not only everything you’ll hear down at your local PetSmart store (or Petco, whatever),but also what several mainstream books recently published in wide release have to say about canine and feline diets. Believe me, though – I’m right and they’re wrong.

There’s even more proof of this. More information has surfaced about exactly WHY our precious pets are dying. And as usual when it comes to nutrition – human or animal – one thing lies at the root of all the evil…

Read the complete post at LewRockwell.com

by Chef Melissa - CookingDiva · May 04, 2007 · 02:13 PM
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Pet Owners Making Own Dog Food

Pet owners from the U.S. and other parts of the world are living a horrendous situation IF they have been feeding U.S. made kibble and canned food to their beloved furry friends.

We are lucky to have two beautiful and healthy dogs as companions: Silky-Lu (a Weimaraner girl) and Hannibal the Cannibal (a Basset Hound boy). Since day one they entered this home they were fed raw food, including raw beef, chicken liver, chicken necks or wings, raw free range eggs with the shell, and an array of selected fresh veggies suggested by the Barf Diet and Weston A. Price Foundation nutrition guidelines. Silky and Hannibal have never being sick, ...they are two healthy beautiful specimens with bright spirits and full of energy.

As a pet owner I can just imagine the pain and despair the people and all those sweet dogs and cats are living right now. What could be worst than thinking you are providing your furry friend with a good diet, when the truth is that you have been killing them slowly, poisoning them without knowing it. If this is your case, well, blame the kibble company or the vet if you want, although I won't speculate. How about the dog breeder that sold you the puppy and didn't give you good advice on what to feed him/her, they probably didn't know any better.

The following is a comment by William C. Douglass II, MD:

With the tsunami of horrible news of the mass poisoning of our pets has come a second wave of bad advice from amateurs and nutritional experts of all varieties including veterinarians and university PhDs.

The Associated Press tells us: “But veterinarians warn that making balanced meals for pets can be complicated and should only be a temporary remedy until the scare passes.” The “scare”? Hundreds, and possibly thousands of our pets are dead or dying and yet “veterinarians” (unnamed) are calling it a “scare”? The problem is that vets have been completely taken in by the pseudo science of the pet food industry. The vets are perked and petted just like the pharmaceutical industry perks and pets the doctors of humans. There are, in both cases, reasons for going along for prestige and financial gain. “Making balanced meals” for dogs and cats is not complicated. They only need raw meat and raw animal fat – nothing else for a “balanced” diet. It’s that simple. My two cats, Paint and Pistol, never had a thing to eat but raw chicken liver during their entire lives. They were never sick. They never went to a vet.

We will keep you posted...

by Chef Melissa - CookingDiva · April 08, 2007 · 01:45 PM
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Best Fats and Oils for Cooking (Part II) & Coconut Shrimp Cakes

Do not miss our previous related post: Fat Does not Make you Fat - Best Fats and oils for Cooking, and if you are feeling adventurous just try our delicious Coconut Meringue Pie (EN)  / Pie de Coco al Merengue (ES)

I've got a copy of the Eat Fat Lose Fat book since it came out in 2005. It was written by Dr. Mary Enig (international expert on the biochemistry of food and fat) and Sally Fallon (President of the Weston A. Price Foundation). They are also the authors of Nourishing Traditions, The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and Diet Dictocrats, which was quoted in our previous post.

Based on more than two decades of research by world-renowned biochemist and lipids expert Dr. Mary Enig, Eat Fat Lose Fat flouts conventional wisdom by showing how so-called healthy vegetable oils (such as soybean and corn) are in large part responsible for our national obesity and health crises, while the satured fats (such as those found in coconut oil and butter) long considered harmful are, in fact, essential to weight loss and good health.

Trying to get more opinions on the Best Fats and Oils for Cooking subject, we decided to contact Ms. Sally Fallon. She promptly and gracefully replied what follows:

Any polyunsaturated oil is bad for cooking. The worst would be those with a high omega-3 content, such as canola and soy bean oil (and flax oil, obviously)  But the high omega-6 oils are also bad--corn, saffllower, sunflower, etc.  The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are very fragile and break down into dangerous free radicals when heated, especially in the presence of oxygen, as in cooking.

As for the mono unsaturated oils, the best for cooking is olive oil because of the very high levels of monounsaturates. Next would be peanut and cold-pressed sesame oils.  Sesame oil is better than peanut oil because it contains unique anti-oxidants that are activated by heat.  It needs to be cold pressed or the anti-oxidants will be ruined.

But best for cooking are the stable fats--tallow, suet, lard, butter, ghee, palm oil, etc.  Saturated fats are very stable and don't break down when heated. (Duck and goose fat are also good, these contain a lot of monounsaturated fatty acids.)

Hope that helps--if you look at Nourishing Traditions, the section in the Intro on fats, this is all enumerated there.

Now, hope you are ready for the simply delicious recipe to prepare Coconut-Shrimp Cakes! Just click on the "Read MORE" button to continue!

Fat does not make you fat: Best fats and oils for cooking

There is a great deal of confusion and missinformation related to nutrition out there. Just because you have asked for it (many thanks to the readers who posted comments in previous posts and to the ones who sent me private emails), we write about some of these controversial issues once in a while, just only after doing intensive research and interviewing some of the most credible MDs and Organisations devoted to nutrition worldwide.

Nutrition seems to be very important for us all, but in my case I take it probably a little more seriously because I am a culinary educator and a professional chef who cooks meals for many families, including some following special diets. For more information on our personal chef services in Panama, please visit Panama Gourmet Inc.

There was a dilema that was born at the very nest of my latest "Crispy Fried Whole Fish" recipe. There I recommended the use of coconut, palm and olive oil when possible to cook this dish. One of the reader responses included a comment from a "nutritionist" who suggested the use of canola, sunflower and  corn oil for frying instead. Although I am realistic and I have to admit that sometimes the consumer does not have too many choices due to location, education or budget, I have to challenge her recommendation just because it doesn't fit into the reality of the "best fats and oils for cooking."

The whole argument tickled my interest (and only God knows how much I love that!) so my next step was to send an e-mail to William C. Douglass II, MD, author of more than 20 books on nutrition and The Douglass Report, asking for his opinion on this subject. The following is what he replied:

Dear Chef Melissa:

There are literally dozens of oils used in cooking. Most of them are OK, but some stand out as being excellent and others as being dangerous to your health. The very worst, and this is surprising to most people, are two of the most popular: canola oil and soy oil. Canola is fine as a salad oil but not for frying or baking. Soy oil is a non-food, just like its parent the soy bean, and should not be eaten in any form whatsoever. The best fats and oils for cooking are: coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, and all of the animal fats. Most people find this hard to believe as they have been indoctrinated in the saturated fat/high cholesterol theory of heart disease. This is the government-sponsored, anti-meat thinking of the 60s which was accepted by a gullible public and many gullible, poorly-educated, and self-certified “nutritionists.” Fat does not make you fat – starch (carbohydrates) and sugar make you fat. Cholesterol is an essential nutrient and you cannot eat too much of it in animal food not overcooked. In fact, fruits and vegetables contain no cholesterol at all and, for that reason veganism is a dangerous and self-destructive diet.

Recommended reading:

• Dr. Jonathan V. Wright's Nutrition & Healing. Based on years of experience and research. Healthier News
• The Douglass Report Healthier News
• Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon with Mary G. Enigh Ph.D. New Trends Pub. Washington DC.

Sincerely,

William Campbell Douglass II, MD

At this point it is worthwhile examining the composition of vegetable oils and other animal fats in order to determine their  usefulness and appropriateness in food preparation.

The following excerpts are from Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon, The cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and diet dictocrats:

Canola Oil: contains 5% saturated fat, 57% oleic acid, 23% omega-6 and 10%-15% omega-3. Canola oil was developed from the rape seed, a member of the mustard family. Rape seed is unsuited for human consumption because it contains a very-long-chain fatty acid called erucid acid, which under some circumstances is associated with fibrotic heart lesions...It has a high sulphur content and goes rancid easily. Baked goods made with canola oil develop mold very quickly.

Safflower, Corn, Sunflower, Soybean and Cottonseed Oils: all contain over 50% omega-6 and, except for soybean oil, only minimal amounts of omega-3. Safflower oil contains almost 80% omega-6. Researchers are just beginning to discover the dangers of excess omega-6 oils in the diet, whether rancid or not. Use of these oils should be strictly limited. They should never be consumed after they have been heated, as in cooking, frying or baking.

Olive Oil: contains 75% oleic acid, the stable monosatured fat, along with 13% saturated fat, 10% omega-6 linoleic acid and 2% omega-3 linoleic acid...Extra virgin olive oil is also rich in antioxidants. It should be cloudy, indicating it has not been filtered, and have a golden yellow color, indicating that it is made from fully ripened olives. Olive oil has withstood the test of time; it is the safest vegetable oil you can use, but don't over do.

Tropical Oils: are more saturated than other vegetable oils. Palm oil is about 50% satured, with 41% oleic acid and about 9% linoleic acid. Coconut oil is 92% satured with over two-thirds of the saturated fat in the form of medium-chain fatty acids (often called medium-chain triglycerides). Of particular interest is lauric acid, found in large quantities in both coconut oil and in mother's milk. Coconut oil protects tropical populations from bacteria and fungus so prevalent in their food supply; as third world nations in tropical areas have switched to polyunsaturated vegetable oils, the incidence of intestinal disorders and immune deficiency diseases has increased dramatically.

Our Summary:

Suitable for high-temperature use:

• All animal fats - beef (tallow), pork (lard), lamb, chicken
• Good vegetable oils: coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, peanut oil.
• Avoid: The flower oils (sunflower, saflower), canola (OK for salads but NOT for cooking), corn, soybean, cotton seed oil.

There are dozens of other oils such as linseed, avocado, grape, and many other seed oils. But they are not major contributors in the food chain.

Will follow with some tasty coconut based recipes from the Eat Fat Lose Fat book by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon.

Have a tasty Sunday!

Chef Melissa

by Chef Melissa - CookingDiva · March 25, 2007 · 01:11 PM
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What is the World Eating? & Fat Doesn't Make you Fat!

If you are curious about what the world is cooking -and eating of course-, head over to Global Voices and read my latest contribution: What is the World Cooking? Some of the topics are: The Pride of Jordanian Cooking, More on Farmer's Markets around the world, The weird food festival, Camilo: Spotted hard shelled crab, and others! Pretty interesting :)

Talking about what we eat, a few days ago I had one of the most delicious dinners I have ever had. The meat was just perfect! Judging by the photo I know I have many of you already up in arms because of the "beautiful" and gloriously tasty "animal fat" you are admiring, right?

Well, let me tell you something...just because I really love you and want to keep you visiting this little blog, I would give you more than one reason why "Fat Doesn't Make you Fat!"

Keep reading and you will see I am not the only one who thinks like that! I will also share a photo of my long-eared, short legged banana monster that many of you already know, and a couple of photos of the infamous "Diablos Rojos," or red devils, a traditionally colorful urban bus in Panama City, Panama...Just keep reading, OK?

Soy Wake Up Call: it is linked to heart disease and infertility!

Despite the overwhelming evidence, the problem is only going to get worse. Right now, it’s estimated that 60 percent of the refined foods on store shelves and foods sold in fast-food restaurants have some kind of harmful soy protein in them.

In the January 2006 Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers at the University of Colorado reported on the devastating effects of soy. When the researchers fed soy-protein-based feed to mice with a swollen heart, the mice developed heart failure and died. But when other afflicted mice were fed raw milk, they made a marked recovery. Dr. Leslie Leinwand, head researcher of the study, made a remarkable statement: “At least in mice, diet can have a more profound effect on heart disease than any drug that we could imagine.” YES!

Back in September, 2005, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality issued a report saying that much of the research carried out on soy is “inconclusive” and that soy products appear to exert “a small benefit on LDL cholesterol and triglycerides” but that those effects are of “small clinical effect in individuals.”

That is a euphemistic way of saying soy is useless as a nutrient. “Clearly soy is not the solution for people at risk for heart disease,” says Dr. Daniel. “Possible benefits are outweighed by proven risks. People at risk for cardiomyopathy should avoid it altogether.”

Soy keeps (you from) multiplying!

The second study, published in January, showed that a plant estrogen found in soybeans, called genistein, can lead to reproductive problems and infertility. It also showed that the severity of these problems is directly linked to the amount of genistein that a person ingests. Perhaps most alarming is that the adverse effects were found at doses comparable to the amount of genistein found in soy infant formulas given to human infants. (And who knows how many other adverse effects the genistein has, such as feminization of the male pups, heart disease, and cancer.)