New Specials

1. Artichoke and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

2. Alfredo Glazed Shrimp - Broiled shrimp with a topping of Parmesan and green onion

3. Salisbury Steak - Lean beef patty in a rich red wine mushroom brown sauce

4. Broccoli Polonaise - Broccoli florets topped with brown butter, diced eggs and bread crumbs

5. German Potato Salad - Warm potato salad with a bacon onion vinaigrette

Keep Your Nose Out of Our Buns!

Recently a billboard was put up on I-75 south of Turner Field, the home of the Atlanta Braves. The billboard depicted a pack of hot dogs as a pack of cigarettes complete with a cancer warning label. The billboard was commissioned by the Cancer Project which is a non-profit consortium of doctors, nutritionists, and researchers who believe processed meats are carcinogens and should come with a warning label like cigarettes.

“Like cigarettes, hot dogs should come with a warning label that helps baseball fans and other consumers understand the health risk,” Cancer Project dietitian Joseph Gonzales said in a statement.

The group wants warning labels put on hot dog stands at Turner Field.

Many hot dogs contain nitrates and nitrites. These products will actually tell you on the label. Nitrates are basically non-toxic and occur naturally in nature. When ingested the nitrates are converted to nitrites which in high enough doses can be toxic, mostly in infants. If parents are feeding infants hot dogs I think there are bigger problems to deal with. Infants are generally classified as 3 months to 12 months.

In healthy adults the nitrites are eliminated. The amount one would have to ingest to actually cause a health risk is far beyond what a hot dog or two would amount to. The FDA has set limits on the amount that is allowed in foods such as smoked salmon or hot dogs. The limit by the FDA has been set at 200 PARTS PER MILLION. These chemicals don't build up in the body. They are eliminated as part of natural digestion, so it's not like a hot dog consumed at the ball park when you are 5 is going to cause you to die of cancer 70 years later!

There is no scientific study that shows a definite link between nitrites and cancer. This statement from Argonne National Laboratory is quite telling: "While these compounds are carcinogenic in test animals, evidence is inconclusive regarding their potential to cause cancer (such as stomach cancer) in humans." My question and one that I'm sure any inquisitive consumer would want to know about these studies is... How many nitrites were pumped into these test animals? Surely it wasn't a hot dog or two over a period of weeks!

Another very relevant question is, exactly who is the Cancer Project and what do they stand for? Everyone has an angle and everyone is looking for something. It turns out the Cancer Project is a vegan advocacy group as reported by the LA Times:

"Described by the Los Angeles Times (LAT) as a vegan advocacy group, Cancer Project, wants food companies like Oscar Mayer and Hebrew National, big names in the hot dog world, to put labels on their hot dogs warning that eating this product and other processed meats "increases the risk of cancer".".

Furthermore, Cancer Project states: "62 per cent of Americans eat some kind of processed pork, says Cancer Project, adding that in 2006, 1.5 billion pounds of hot dogs were consumed in the US, at an average of 32 pounds a year per person."

I don't know about you, but I certainly don't eat 32 pounds of hot dogs per year! I didn't eat that many hot dogs when I was in college -- you know the bright pink ones that you could pick up for a buck a pack at the neighborhood quick stop?

The bottom line is this: Eat everything in moderation and don't have a knee jerk reaction to anything you read -- including this I guess! The ultimate goal of a vegan advocacy group such as the Cancer Project, is to hide behind a legitimate and frightening sounding title to advance their own agenda. In this case it is to eliminate meat products from the American diet. It took four articles before I found out what the Cancer Project is all about. I remember reading an article when I was a kid that said scientists believed that saliva caused cancer. I was afraid to swallow my own spit for a year! Needless to say that was false...

If you are worried about these additives, there are certainly alternative hot dogs that are perfectly good and don't contain nitrites. Give bison dogs a shot! Maverick Ranch makes a very good product that is completely organic and lower in fat than most products on the market. The fat, by the way, is what many physicians believe actually leads to various cancers.

Enjoy the occasional hot dog and enjoy life!

Salt: Not the Crusty Villian the Government Would Have You Believe

Salt has been in the news quite a bit lately. Under attack as the super villain of the 21st Century, sodium is actually a very necessary component of the carbon based life form's diet. Muscles are powered by a mechanism known as the Sodium-Potassium Pump. For muscles to do their job, sodium (Na) and potassium (K) move back and forth through a membrane in the muscles. It is this movement that powers the muscles and allows for movement. Have you ever gotten cramps and had someone tell you to eat bananas? Bananas are a rich source of K (potassium). When your body doesn't have enough K, the pump breaks down and your muscles cramp up. The same is true for Na (sodium). I was listening to Sports Talk radio a while back and they were talking about football teams drinking pickle juice. Aside from being quite tasty in a Pickletini or straight up for that matter (my wife says I'm going to turn into a pickle), pickle juice contains a high concentration of Na. As athletes work, they lose high amounts of Na as they sweat. By drinking pickle juice (or taking salt tablets) they are loading up on Na just before engaging in strenuous activity. If not for this practice, cramps will often result because of a deficit of Na and a breakdown of the Na-K Pump. The ions can't move back and forth through the membrane so the muscle stops working.
In a 2006 letter of the Harvard Heart Letter, it states that the benefits of cutting back on Sodium (Na) for the general population are not so cut and dried.
"...there really isn't a one-size-fits-all recommendation for daily sodium intake. If you are under age 50, your blood pressure is in a healthy range, and your health is good, you probably have little reason to worry about salt intake. A lower-sodium diet is good for people who are older, who are of African American descent, or who have high blood pressure or diabetes. These folks should limit their sodium intake to no more than 2,300–2,400 mg a day. People with heart failure or kidney disease are advised to keep their sodium intake under 2,000 mg a day."

Another older report from the Journal of Experimental Physiology centered on a study on pigs. They supplemented the diets of these pigs with salt and monitored the output of Na excreted in the pigs' urine. As the supplements increased, the level of Na in the urine increased. As the the amount of supplement decreased the level of Na decreased while the level of K (potassium) remained the same.

SO! What does all of this scientific gibberish mean? It means that the body needs salt. It also means that if you are a healthy human with properly functioning kidneys, the amount of salt you consume is not of major concern. If you are in one of the key demographics that is sensitive to Na, people who are older, who are of African American descent, have high blood pressure or diabetes, or with heart failure or kidney disease, you should drastically reduce your intake of sodium. For the vast majority of the population, the human body will regulate the levels of Na to maintain safe levels through elimination by the kidneys and other means, also known as homeostasis. (def. N.:The ability or tendency of an organism or cell to maintain internal equilibrium by adjusting its physiological processes.)

So in short, listen to your body. Listen to your doctor. Ignore the bureaucrats. The government's desire to paint the entire population with a 'one size fits all' decree is simply misplaced and over reaching. Your body will tell you when you have had too much salt. Ever had a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew for dinner (Note: I haven't touched it since I was a kid. Don't want to damage my rep as a chef!)? Find yourself downing glass after glass of water which undoubtedly leads to trip after trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night? This is your body eliminating excess salt to prevent the hypertension and high blood pressure the government assumes every American is saddled with. Likewise have you ever had the urge to latch onto a salt lick and not let go until your tongue looks like a piece of Jack Link's Beef Jerky? That's your body telling you, you don't have enough sodium in your body.
Listen to your body. Listen to your doctor. Tell the bureaucrats to keep their noses out of your dining room!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

In honor of St. Patrick's Day here is a recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage. It takes a while, but it's worth it!

Ingredients

* 2 to 2 1/2 pound Corned-Beef Brisket*, recipe follows
* 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground allspice
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 pound diced carrots, approximately 4 small
* 1/2 pound diced onions, approximately 2 small
* 1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped, approximately 3 medium
* 1/4 pound diced celery, approximately 2 stalks
* 1 small head cabbage, chopped, approximately 2 pounds

Directions

*Cook's note: Brisket should be prepared through the brining stage, but not cooked.

Place the corned beef, pepper, allspice, bay leaves and salt into a large 8-quart pot along with 3-quarts of water. Cover and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to low and cook, at a low simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 1/2 hours add the carrots, onions, potatoes and celery. Return to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the cabbage and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes and cabbage are tender. Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately.

Corned Beef:

* 2 quarts water
* 1 cup kosher salt
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons saltpeter
* 1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
* 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
* 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
* 8 whole cloves
* 8 whole allspice berries
* 12 whole juniper berries
* 2 bay leaves, crumbled
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 2 pounds ice
* 1 (4 to 5 pound) beef brisket, trimmed
* 1 small onion, quartered
* 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
* 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.

After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove from the pot and thinly slice across the grain.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: approximately 3 hours

New Section of the Blog!

Hopefully I won't have too many tales told about me. A new section of the blog is starting. A Mother's Perspective will be memories related to food from years of raising 3 kids. One of whom is now a chef. We hope you enjoy and come back often!

Fun with Fruitcake!

I know Christmas has passed, but this is just funny! Don't get me wrong, I'm one of a handful of people on Earth that actually likes fruitcake, but this made me laugh out loud!

A great fruit cake recipe

You'll need the following: a cup of water, a cup of sugar, four large eggs, two cups of dried fruit, a teaspoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of salt, a cup of brown sugar, lemon juice, nuts, and a bottle of whiskey.

Sample the whiskey to check for quality.

Take a large bowl. Check the whiskey again. To be sure it is the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar and beat again.

Make sure the whisky is still okay. Cry another tup. Turn off the mixer. Break two leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the whisky to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who cares? Check the whisky. Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever you can find.

Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window, check the whisky again and go to bed.

Mexican Tortilla Soup

Have you ever been to your favorite neighborhood taqueria and had a piping hot bowl of chicken tortilla soup? Ever wish you could have that at home? Well... now you can. This is a very nice recipe that is also fairly simple to make. Give it a shot and let us know what you think!

Mexican Tortilla Soup
3 (14 1/2 oz.) cans chicken broth or chicken stock
1 c. chopped cooked chicken
4 oz. chopped green chilies, drained
1 c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped tomatoes
1/3 c. cilantro leaves
1 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 c. red peppers and green peppers, diced
1/2 c. corn
1 c. crushed tortilla chips
1 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 lime cut in wedges

In large saucepan, combine chicken broth, chicken, green chilies, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Stir in vegetables. Simmer again 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in 1 cup crushed chips and cheese. Heat until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Garnish with additional chips and lime. 6 (1 1/2 cup) servings.