Milk (& Honey)

You could describe me as impulsive.

Which explains why, on an otherwise very focused trip to Whole Foods, my gaze settled on a carton of Hemp milk, with my hand not far behind it. It was only $3, and with all the recent fearmongering about processed soy, not mention actual actual dairy, I decided to try a different kind of milk. (When I brought it home to show Jess, she quipped that it must have been harvested from a "lactating hippie.") They're actually harvested from hemp nuts, the seed of the hemp plant (yes, THAT hemp plant).


So, over a cup of Guatemala with a few delicious vanilla hemp milk spoonfuls stirred in, I got to thinking...


I wanted to explore milk. Hemp milk, soy milk, almond milk, buttermilk, and plain old milk.

HEMP MILK

Hemp milk is an Omega-3 winner! So if you're not a big fish eater, this could be a great way to get those fatty acids.






SOY MILK

Soy is a good source of protein, but can be high in sugar (although I'm sure that any flavors added to soy/hemp milk adds a fair amount of sugar, e.g., Vanilla).




ALMOND MILK

Almond milk has been recommended to me by several trusted (read: hippie) sources as the optimal "milk" product, but I haven't tried it. The chart below shows that it has the least amount of fat and calories of any of the non-dairy milks, but has hardly any protein.




BUTTERMILK

I remember as a little girl, my grandmother would make Southern biscuits from scratch, and dip chunks of them in a cold glass of buttermilk for breakfast. The only time I've interacted with buttermilk since then are in my various attempts at baking - so buttermilk and I don't have the best relationship. Obviously you wouldn't drink buttermilk, or pour it over your cereal (at least I wouldn't). But how it's made is interesting:



COW'S MILK

Researching milk is kind of like researching political candidates. It's hard to find unbiased information. The best source for it, I found, is simply the back of the milk carton. Whole milk is high in fat and saturated fat, which is why many of us have switched to lower-fat versions.

The most interesting thing about researching milk is the myriad of anti-milk websites you'll find. A few:

www.notmilk.com
www.milksucks.com
www.godairyfree.org

It's a little saddening that a food that has nourished humans for thousands of years is now facing such bitter opposition, but then again, artificial hormones and inhumane living circumstances for cows and other dairy animals is a very recent phenomemon. Good luck figuring out anything useful about dairy. In the midst of such confusion about what should be simple nutritional information, I always turn to the tried and true: everything in moderation. I assume that includes dairy.

Below, an interesting comparison of milk from different animals, including human animals!



So, after all this, what have I REALLY learned about milking it?


It's hard to say.

Like any other fevered foray into the world of nutritional comparison, you have a lot of people with a lot of different opinions (and most of them, not surprisingly, want you to buy THEIR superior product).

So I guess it comes down to this: if milk makes you feel icky, don't drink it. If drinking the "milk" of the same plant that's celebrated by High Times magazine gives you the willies, don't go there. If processed soy has you on edge, steer clear. The bottom line is (somebody dust off the old soapbox), being informed about what you put into your body - not to mention eating conscientiously, hard as it is - is, in my opinion, the best way to make healthful decisions.

Speaking of healthful decisions, I have discovered the best granola in the universe. Behold:


It's from the same folks that brought you Milk & Honey Cafe in Wicker Park:

Idol Worship

A DATE WITH DALE



Ah, the big city. Hands-down, one of the best things about living in Chicago (or New York, or LA) is the ever-looming prospect of seeing a celebrity just around the corner. Word on the street is, when Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn were together, you couldn't go out in Chicago WITHOUT running into them. I, myself, have seen THE John Cusack at BB's (be still my beating heart), and the inimitable Ricki Lake riding the escalator in the NBC building. But a recent evening out topped them all - I saw Dale Levitski, Top Chef Season 3 Finalist and hunky gay Chicagoan, in his element at Sola, working the front of the house with all the grace and finesse you'd expect of someone who has one of the most impressive resumes in Top Chef history.

Upon glimpsing his mohawk-crested visage through Sola's window, I proceeded to jump up and down like a ten-year-old at a New Kids on the Block concert, but contained myself once inside, and of course refused to actually speak to him, choosing instead to gaze across the restaurant as he expertly took down orders, hoping my ridiculously stylish knit newboy cap would catch his eye.



Well, Dale and I have yet to officially meet (and subsequently become inseparable best friends, a la Will & Grace), but I did find a few great interviews with him on Chi-centric sites. He had some pretty interesting stuff to say about the molecular gastronomy trend in gourmet cooking these days (and if you watched Marcel on Season 2, you know what I'm talking about - I mean, does the culinary world really need another FOAM?). Dale says:

"The whole molecular gastronomy fad, or trend ... most of those ingredients and techniques are coming out of how commercial products are made. A lot of the chemicals are just stablilizers, [which is] how candy stays on the shelf forever. Or how things get a certain consistency. And toying around with those with fresh food instead of packaged food ... it's pretty interesting that people haven't commented that. These are the chemicals that people are putting in their body in junk food every day. And now we're making gourmet food with junk-food chemicals."

Read the whole interview here. Or, check out his interview with Metromix.


THE JULIE/JULIA PROJECT



Many of you have probably heard of (or read) the book "Julie & Julia" by Julie Powell. Circa 2002, Powell started a blog where she attempted to cook all 524 recipes from Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in one year, in her tiny New York apartment. When I found the book lurking in a lilliputian used bookstore (all the better to up the enchanting and alluring why-can't-this-be-my-life factor), I immediately bought it and devoured it whole. I must say it is supremely entertaining. 10 stars.

I had read the Amazon user reviews awhile ago (which is an activity that I highly recommend to anyone with a few hours of freetime and a laptop), and it had gotten some negative buzz - mostly centered around readers' opinions that Powell talks way too little about cooking and way too much about herself, her friends, her husband, the sex lives of the aforementioned parties, and insists on peppering her speech with colorful four-letter colloquialisms (I, myself, tend toward the pirate-lipped, so none of this really gets under my skin). I think the book is great, and Powell is an excellent writer (I see why her blog achieved relatively stratospheric fame (within the blogosphere) - her "bleaders" even went so far as to send her random gifts! (She was creeped out, but rest assured I would be most appreciative.)

I think it's fair to say that in 2002, there were substantially fewer blogs out there than there are now (I mean, I hardly know anyone who DOESN'T have a blog), which would explain why the New Yorker isn't beating down my door to interview me or give a book/TV/movie/mini-series/line of stylish ceramic-ware deal. Which makes me even more appreciative of my blans!

The actual blog is still out there in cyberspace. The thing that's sort of amazing about it is that it contains no pictures of any kind. I mean this woman succeeded in creating a successful blog with WORDS ALONE. The book is available everywhere.

Go get Julie & Julia. You'll love it.



Oh, and please visit City Bookstore. I couldn't find it online (which makes it even cooler, don't you think?), but it's on Broadway a couple blocks north of Clark and Diversey. You'll see the rolling carts of sale books on the sidewalk. Jess and I went there the day after Thanksgiving and got - are you ready for this? - SEVEN books for $19.99. It was half-off for the holiday, but still. Talk about being rich in knowledge....

Thanks for reading, guys. Seriously! I love you all....

Odds and Ends of Positivity

In my day-to-day gathering of cool info to pass along to my blans (blog fans), I have collected these great niblets of knowledge for you.


My pal Liz at the agency (remember? the cool foodie/ art buyer/ fabulous lady?) passed along this AMAZING article to me from the New York Times Magazine called The Age of Nutritionism. Basically, it's about how we as a society have gone from eating food (comestibles that your great-great-grandmother would have eaten - like, say, an apple) to consuming "food" - highly-processed, cardboard-box-dwelling fare with the shelf life of a piece of petrified wood and the nutrition of, well, a cardboard box. Be prepared, though, for a few hard-hitting wake-up calls that are impossible not to mull over. For me, it was the fact that Americans spent 24% of their income on food in 1940 (this is a good thing), whereas now we spend just 10% on food. So it turns out that my constant bitching about Whole Foods (AKA Whole Paycheck) has been for naught - I really should be buying high-quality, honest-to-God, no-quotation-marks-around-it FOOD.

Read the article in its entirety here.

And, in other pro-world news, I came across this great little $10 book called The Better World Shopper. It breaks down puchaseables into categories (such as "Personal Care Products"), and then lists the best and worst companies from whom to purchase these products. There's even a website!


Check out these great Top Tens from the site:







My best friend's husband (Brent Lopp, of the Athens Lopps, married to one Amy Stone Lopp) worked at Odell brewery in Ft. Collins, which (like New Belgium) is wind-powered, sells sustainable products, and encourages bike riding (thanks for the correction, Ames - sorry for the misprint). Their beer is delicious! When in Ft. Collins, testing the microbrews while gazing at the Rockies should be at the top of your list of things to do.

I also LOVE Endangered Species Chocolate - not only do I get to eat chocolate while helping to save endangered animals, the chocolate itself is INCREDIBLE. Try the panther or the tiger varieties.



Lately, I've been hearing some seemingly negative buzz about gluten. Not knowing the first thing about gluten, I did some quick research. What I found out is that gluten itself is no villain - it makes bagels chewy, and that's good enough for me - but some people are allergic to it. I think I might have been confusing it with glucose, a type of sugar (which in our low-carb world is pretty much public enemy number one, despite the fact that it is crucial to photosynthesis, ergo, crucial to all plant life on the planet).

Which reminds me - I read a great Newsweek article about the rise of allergies in Western culture. I had no idea that in elementary schools these days, it's de rigeur to have "peanut free zones" in the lunch room, and dairy-free, wheat-free birthday cakes! Read it in its entirety here.



Thanks for reading! Have a great holiday!

Graciasgiving

The Thanksgiving season is upon us. The stores are flooded with chic Christmas decorations, seemingly earlier than years past; EnergyBBDO is "bringing back" its annual Thanksgiving Luncheon (not by popular demand but demanded by unpopular layoffs); and everyone is gearing up for a day of gorging oneself followed by intense bouts of lying around.

Inspired by my recent photo shoot for On The Border's [delicious, mouthwatering, and FLAVORFUL] new menu items, I decided to concoct some recipes for what I'm calling:

GRACIASGIVING.

That's right, it's Thanksgiving done how-the-hell-did-I-end-up-in-Tijuana style. Now, before you go thinking I should go work for On The Border as a line cook, know this: these recipes have been made only in my mind. I have not tried them yet. So, should you bravely attempt any of the following, if it sucks, I apologize in advance. If it's delicious, then I told you so.


TEQUILA TURKEY MARINADE:

2 cups tequila
1 c. lime juice
1 c. melted butter
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 c. hot sauce, like Cholula
salt and pepper
3 T. cumin
3 T. chili powder
1 packet taco seasoning

This is for a medium turkey. Obviously you won't be able to submerge the turkey into this mixture like you would chicken breasts. I would just stick the turkey in the pan you're going to cook it in, and sprinkle some salt and pepper liberally over the turkey's skin. Then just drizzle this mixture all over it, spooning it over the top until it's pretty well coated, basting it as you bake.


SIESTA STUFFING:

1 box Stovetop Stuffing
1 large can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 large jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Make the stuffing according to the package directions. Double the recipe if you have a big turkey or just want stuffing. Mix all the ingredients together and put 'em where the sun don't shine.


BAKED BLACK BEAN DIP

3 large cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 c. sour cream
1-2 c. shredded pepperjack cheese

Mash all the ingredients together except for the cheese. Maybe take a handmixer to it and make it smooth and creamy, like refried beans. Then spread in a glass baking dish, top with the cheese, and bake at 375, until the middle's hot and bubbly and the cheese is melty. Serve as a side dish (a la sweet potato souffle), or as an appetizer, with tortilla chips and fresh veggies.


MASHED POTATO-STUFFED BAKED POBLANOS

Yukon gold potatoes (if you use a whole 5-lb. bag you will have a lot of mashed potatoes, so I'm going to estimate for about half of that)
1/2 stick butter
1 c. half-and-half
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. shredded pepperjack cheese
salt and pepper
8 large poblano peppers, stems and ribs removed and seeded (use some gloves! Trust me.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut a slit in each poblano pepper from the top to the bottom, but only on one side (don't cut them in half length-wise; you just want to make an opening so you can stuff them). While you're making the mashed potatoes, bake the poblanos on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes. Remove them and let them cool down enough to handle. Boil the potatoes until they begin to fall apart, then drain them and put them back in the pot. Throw the butter and half and half in and start mashing (or whipping, if that's what you do). Add more half and half (or just some milk) if neccessary. Add sour cream and stir it around until everything is creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Fill each poblano with the mashed potatoes and top each with a generous portion of the pepperjack. Put them back in the oven for about 15-20 more minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to lightly brown. Top each with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro if you want.


KICKIN' CRANBERRY SAUCE

2 cans whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 cans jellied cranberry sauce
2 cans mandarin orange wedges, drained
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

Mix it all together and serve it up! Serving it in a pepper-shaped bowl would be really cute.


CHEESE QUESADILLAS

6 large flour tortillas
butter or non-stick pan spray
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded Jack or pepperjack cheese
salsa, guacamole, and sour cream for dipping

Melt some butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and sprinkle some cheese all over the surface. Let it melt for a few minutes, then, using a spatula, fold the tortilla in half, making a half-moon shape. Let it cook for a few more minutes, until it's crsip and all the cheese has melted. Cut it into triangles and serve with sour cream, guac, and salsa.


CHIPOTLE GRAVY

2 jars pre-made turkey gravy
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo
2 T. sour cream
sprig of cilantro for garnish

Remove peppers from adobo. Mix the remaining adobo sauce and sour cream into the gravy and mix well. Garnish with cilantro.


SWEET POTATO FLAN (recipe found on epicurious.com.

Ingredients

1 large red-skinned sweet potato (yam; about 12 ounces)

1 cup sugar, divided
2 tablespoons water

1 cup half and half
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons tawny Port
Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pierce sweet potato with fork; roast until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on width of potato. Cool. Cut potato in half and scoop flesh into mini processor; puree until smooth. Measure 1 cup puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Maintain oven temperature.

Stir 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour caramel into 8-inch-diameter metal cake pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons caramel in saucepan. Using pot holders, swirl cake pan, allowing caramel to coat bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides.

Add half and half to remaining caramel in saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until caramel dissolves. Whisk eggs in medium bowl until frothy. Whisk in cream, salt, 1 cup sweet potato puree, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Gradually whisk in hot half and half mixture. Strain into same saucepan. Stir over medium heat 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in Port. Pour custard into prepared cake pan.

Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until just set in center, about 1 hour. Remove flan from water. Chill until cold, about 5 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.

Dip bottom and 1 inch up sides of cake pan into pan of hot water 15 seconds. Wipe dry. Invert onto rimmed plate, scraping caramel in pan over flan.



Happy Graciasgiving, everyone! I'm thankful for all my readers....

Look out for a new Fearless post early next week, followed by my REAL Thanksgiving post after Turkey Day!

Localism

In the world of surfing, localism the fierce resistance by local resident surfers to tourists or out-of-town visiting surfers riding their "rightful" waves. Well, I've dabbled in surfing, but as you know, the world of food is where I get my thrills.

I've talked about it on my blog before, and I'll talk about it again: eating locally grown produce, as well as meat and dairy products, is hailed time and again by chefs and food experts as the best way to eat foods in their peak seasons and at their maximum freshness.

Chef Jill Houk, a local chef who started who own catering company, Chefs on Call, came by the agency today and gave a great talk about eating locally. We had some great butternut squash soup, and we talked all about how squash is one of the midwest's superfoods! (That just means it's a food that's so packed with vitamins and nutrients, it's more than just regular old food - it's SUPER.) I can't wait to make a vegan supper of spaghetti squash with marinara and tofu!



I did a little searching, and found some great resources for eating locally here in Chicago.

The Chicago Green City Market, with three locations in the city, is revered as one of the top 10 farmer's markets in the country! Check out the website here. It has a ton of great articles and links to other websites that are relevant to local, seasonal, and organic eating. I have a trip planned for Saturday - I can't wait! I'm definitely taking my camera, so look for a Green City excursion post, and maybe a local-produce-inspired recipe or two!



Liz, an art buyer at the agency (and widely regarded as THE coolest lady at work, bar none), told the whole group today about
Irv and Shelly's picks, an organic produce, meat, and dairy delivery service here in the city. How cool is that? You just purchase a minimum of $25 worth of food, and they'll deliver it your house - perfect for us car-free people. And they guarantee that they maintain trusted relationships with local organic farmers whose products are top-notch. And I trust Irv and Shelly.

I also discovered this great resource, which has Q & A about everything food (including an explanation of what the heck an heirloom tomato is. I thought I knew - I was wrong!). It has a ton of links to cookbook suggestions, cooking classes, equipment recommendations, and local eating options. I can't wait to explore it even more!



And am I the only one who had an unhealthy OBSESSION with this season's Top Chef? I didn't think so. The finale was filmed live here in Chicago! My friend from work saw Tom Colicchio near the El, and Ross saw Dale Levitski outside my building! I won't lie - I spent my lunch break skulking around the NBC studios, prodding the security guards for clues as to where the contestants might be hanging. No luck. More to the point: Bravo just launched a food-centric site, which is really just a branch of their network site, but is completely addictive! His Hotness Rocco DiSpirito has a blog - need I say more? [Dreamy sigh.]



And for those of you who love dining out in Chi-town as you do cooking at home (that would be me), there's the LTH forum, where foodies from all over the city weigh in on the best places to eat, drink, and shop. Want to know where to get authentic Peruvian cuisine? Check it out. Can't find almond butter at your local Jewel? Throw it on the forum, and they'll point you in the right direction.

A last discovery: I heard something today about the nutritional benefits of sprouted grain bread. According to everydiet.org,

"Sprouted grain bread has increased in popularity in recent years. Traditional bread is made from ground flour from the hardened kernel of grain. Sprouted grain bread involves soaking the grain and allowing it to sprout. The sprouted seedlings are then mashed together and baked. Sprouting allows the enzymes in the grain to convert some of the carbohydrates and fats to vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Due to the changes that take place, sprouted grain bread typically is higher in protein, fiber, and certain vitamins and minerals than regular bread. It is also less refined and processed than even stone ground wheat bread, so it has less of an impact on your blood sugar."



I haven't tried it yet, but I hear that the texture is more like banana bread - it's more dense because it's not baked. It's basically a raw food. Interesting. I'll check it out and post it later.

I picked up some fresh Challah bread at Trader Joe's, and I can't wait to make French toast before my Green City Market trip on Saturday!



Thanks for reading! 'Til next time....

Mmmm, Delicious Niblets of Knowledege

Hello, dear readers.

You know, it's really amazing how much information seems to find its way to you once you open your mind to learning in-depth about a particular subject. In my life recently, it's been food and nutrition. Here's the latest from my food-obsessed world.


PBJ-cum-ABP

I have, as of late, become slightly obsessed with high fructose corn syrup and its bad nutritional rap. This obsession has coincided with my anti-trans-fat obsession, and the two obsessions have fed off of one another, growing exponentially into one (very expensive) quest to find tasty alternatives to things that contain these ingredients (I thought I was doing great just eating wheat bread - it turns out most traditional brands - even my personal fave, Nature's Own - are made with high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS).

Check out the info on HFCS health effects here. And if you want to know about trans fats (I could write an entire blog about this subject alone), read this.

You know what else relies on HFCS to give it taste? Peanut butter. And jelly. So bread, peanut butter, and jelly are all on my Naughty List now. I consulted my friend Jason, an all-around smart guy who happens to be married to a woman, Sue, who is fantastically well-versed in matters of organic food, vegan lifestyles, and nutrition. So I said, What Would Sue Do?

Sue would eat Almond Butter. And, I extrapolated, HFCS-free natural fruit preserves. On delicious natural whole wheat bread.

So I set out to make a better PBJ - and it is now an ABP: an almond-butter-and-preserves sandwich.

I used Trader Joe's unsalted Almond Butter (a risky investment at $5.99 a jar) and organic mixed fruit preserves (sweetened with grape juice). I spread it on some organic wheat bread (I checked that there was no HFCS involved), and put a little honey on it just to make it a bit sweeter.

I must say, it was tasty. And according to askdrsears.com, "Almond butter is more nutrient-dense than peanut butter. It contains half the amount of saturated fat, less salt (usually), and eight times as much calcium. Peanut butter, however, contains twice as much protein and four times as much niacin (20 percent of the DV)." So PB has its virtues, but I trust Sue.

Almond butter has to be refrigerated, and you have to stir it before you spread it (since there are no artificial homogenizing agents, the oil separates from the nuts). The fruit preserves are great! I'd buy them no matter what (also Trader Joe's brand).
Thanks, Jason and Sue!

Hmmm...do I forsee a recurring "What Would Sue Do?" query on this blog? We'll have to see.


FA-YAY!



I have been hearing a ton of buzz lately about Fage (pronounced fah-ye) Greek Yogurt. I've read stories of people smuggling it back from Greece in their luggage, and apparently the entire Greek yogurt category was invented because this brand became so popular in the U.S. Well, I finally tried it.

The hype is real. It is the most delicious yogurt I've ever had (and I have tried literally every type of yogurt on the market, including organic and soy). I got the Fage Total 2%, which in a 200-gram container has 4 grams of fat and 3 grams of saturated fat. Not too shabby - and it so creamy, rich, and filling, that you feel like you're eating a pint of Haagen-Daas. Never in my life did I think I would enjoy PLAIN yogurt. I just added a squeeze of honey and stirred it together, and it was the most luscious yogurt experience you could imagine.

The full-fat version has 12 g. of fat (9 g. saturated) - so I won't be indulging in that any time soon, but my friend Tara has had both the 2% and the 0% (fat free), and swears that the fat-free is just as good. Check out their website. You can buy Fage at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, but I'd look for it in wider distribution (i.e., your local regular supermarket), because with all the press it's getting, customers will be demanding it soon.


EGGS-CELLENT IN EVOO


My weeknight, too-tired-to-really-cook standby is scrambled eggs and toast, and I'll admit it here, publicly, that I almost always cook my eggs in a little butter. Yes, real, honest-to-God butter. It's delicious.

Well, I ran out of butter. So tonight, I scrambled my eggs in a little olive oil. And you know what? It was really good! It gave it, well, a little olive-y flavor - it reminded me of eggs cooked over a campfire. And it added way less saturated fat than butter! Every little bit helps.


THE WORLD NEEDS AN OASIS

Also inspired by my chat with Jason, I have begun to look into what researchers call "food deserts." These are areas, concentrated overwhelmingly in low-income areas, almost completely devoid of healthful food options, especially fresh produce. Supermarkets, convenience stores, and gas stations in these areas stock almost entirely processed food. As a result, people in these food deserts suffer from a range of serious health risks, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Read about it in more detail here. And here's another in-depth article about food deserts here in Chicago.

Wouldn't it be great if there were a non-profit organization that could bring healthy, fresh food to people in these areas? I have not the foggiest idea how one goes about creating a non-profit group that would require the amount of capital, influence, and sheer manpower that this one would (although I've already named it OASIS, so cross that off the list), but that hasn't stopped me from daydreaming about changing the world.

Something to think about.



'Til next time, friends.

Some New Discoveries

One of the perks of working at Energy is we have this Wellness and Health Seminar series, where guests come in and talk about different health topics over a very healthy lunch. (We also have an office manicurist and massage therapist - we're spoiled.)

Chef Jill Houk came in yesterday, and it turns out she's kinda famous! You can watch videos of her cooking online. She was a great speaker - she knew her stuff, and she was an advocate of moderation, which is nice. Some of the speakers advocate lifestyles that are just unrealistic (i.e., never eating sugar -EVER). I was just so charmed by her knowledge and positivity that I wanted to give her some more cyberspace. Watch Chef Jill cook up some great game day vittles!



Also, my pal Colleen sent me this link to a movie trailer. It's called "How to Cook Your Life," and it's all about the zen of cooking and eating. It looks karma-tastic!



And on my current food-related-book wish list:

Eat Pray Love. A nonfiction book about a woman's travels across several continents in search of, what else, herself.



The Improvisational Cook. That's how I cook! This book is gorgeous and truly creative. Mom, if you're reading this while simultaneously writing my Christmas list, take note!



And because I work in advertising, and just because it's too creepy to pass up, get a load of this baby:



Keep your eyes peeled for another post after this weekend. Later dudes.