May 1--Time for Some Pecorino Romano

Pecorino Romano cheese is one of Italy’s oldest, feeding Roman soldiers 2,000 years ago and appearing in writings by Hippocrates and Pliny the Elder. Most of it is aged for 8 to 12 months and sold with a hard, flaky or grainy texture and a salty, sometimes smoky flavor that is used mainly as an addition to other dishes. But there is also a younger, softer version with a sweeter flavor used as a table cheese.

In other parts of the world, including Italy, May 1 is International Workers Day—like Labor Day in the US. In a celebration of spring, families traditionally take picnics of Pecorino Romano, fresh fava beans and a bottle of wine to the countryside on this day. Towns outside of Rome also host a sagra delle fave e pecorino—a local food festival (sagra) that, on May 1, features fava beans and Pecorino Romano. Pair this with Chianti Classico, Sangiovese or a white Orvieto.

Here are a few more facts about Pecorino Romano. Buon appetito!

• Pecorino cheese is made from 100 percent sheep’s (pecora) milk.
• But authentic Pecorino Romano is not just any sheep’s milk. As in the wine industry, some specialty foods receive Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. This Pecorino Romano milk must come from Lazio, Sardinia and Grosseto in southern Tuscany, and the cheese must be produced there as well.
• The aforementioned production of the cheese is the same as it was 2,000 years ago. Farmers drain and press the whey from the curds immediately after they’ve formed. The curds are heated and turned out into molds and pressed. The cheese is turned and rubbed with salt daily for the first few days, then every 3 to 4 days, then once a week for 3 to 5 months. The wheels are then aged on pine boards for 5 more months.
• Italy exports more than 20,000 tons of Pecorino Romano annually, 90 percent of it shipped to North America.
• The cheese is about 25 percent protein, one reason it was part of the soldiers’ rations. It’s also a good source of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.
• Cheese products labeled "Romano" on store shelves are not the same as Pecorino Romano and have no connection with the real cheese.  

Feel Good Friday: Working at Play

How many of you play on the weekends? I have an invitation to play in Pittsburgh tomorrow, but I’ve turned it down. I’ve had a busy week and next week will be crazy. There is a good chance of rain, too, which means I could go through some of the basement boxes, read some social media guides, work on my next feature article, make more photo tiles, take some photos at home with my Holga lens and post them to my blog, start outlining my book—whoops, Monday already.

My work and play become intertwined easily thanks to a Chinese proverb: “Who you are and what you do should not be a hair’s breadth apart.” I took this to heart many years ago. Like the Golden Rule, there are many versions of this “to thine own self be true” motto. I started working for myself, doing "jobs" and projects that I wanted to do, turning "hobbies" like photography, making luxury throw blankets and sculpting hypertufa pots into income. That's how my work and play became the same thing. It's a choice and a process--maybe not a one everyone might make. This week, a friend, Chris Hughes, posted the article at the end of this link on her Facebook page, RV Happiness, and the stories are familiar. It's good Friday reading because you have the whole weekend to think about it. While you're thinking, check out RV Happiness, a group site with many people who live the travel life full-time and write about their experiences, as well as Chris's site, CUontheRoad.net , for her family's travel adventures. She's a great storyteller. 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/inspiring-stories-of-people-who-left-normal-life-and-emba#.okmwnypxa

As for this weekend, do take some time for play. To loosen up, click on the link below for recipes for “Wine Floats” from VinePair. Now how much fun is this? They combine two of my favorite things—wine and ice cream—and a couple even have chocolate! Obviously this isn’t a time to bring out the Opus One, but it could add a little dazzle to some basement chores or watching a baseball game or planning a vacation or whatever you're doing for the next 72 hours. After all, weekends are supposed to be fun. TGIF!

http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/4-wine-cream-floats/?utm_source=The+Drop+by+VinePair&utm_campaign=64d22eef58-April_22_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b653fb8c99-64d22eef58-44666873

Food Security, Part 2

This feature installment appeared in the Times Leader on Sunday, April 19, and is the continuation of last week's "Food Security" feature on this site. 

Family farming has been on the decline in the past few decades, but the smaller, local farms would be vital during an emergency that could raise food costs or stop production, such as drought and earthquakes in major agricultural areas of the United States to South America. Fresh, locally grown produce is available at the Ohio Valley Farmers Market twice a week from June until October.   

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations identifies several global challenges to food security which could have local impact. Water deficits and shortages are appearing throughout the world and affecting grain production in some of the most populated countries, including China and India. Closer to home, California has instituted a statewide mandatory 25 percent water use reduction to conserve what the drought-ridden state has available.  Climate change and the extreme weather events (like droughts and floods) associated with it is another challenge on the FAO list.

Though originally intended to optimize food production for growing world populations, industrial agriculture has instead become a threat to food security, according to the FAO. Large scale mono-cropping, or planting one type of crop on the same land over consecutive years, depletes the soil of valuable nutrients and increases the risk of pests and diseases. As a result, more pesticides and fertilizers are necessary.

Livestock raised on feedlots instead of pasture land are fed cheap chemically-enhanced grain-based diets instead of grass and hay. They may be given growth hormones to get them to market sooner and antibiotics to stave off diseases inherent in poor quality living conditions and breeding practices. The FAO’s concerns relate to industrial agriculture’s creating hazards for the environment, water supplies and even the food itself. 

Kacey Orr of Grow Ohio Valley presents information on trends in farming at a recent conference on local food security.  

Ohio Valley experts believe that stepping up production here would be a start in addressing the food security issue. Susan West, owner of Lone Oak Farms and founder of the Ohio Valley Farmers Market (www.ovfarmersmarket.org,) thinks self-reliance, especially in the event of an emergency, begins with more farmers.

“There are not enough producers to sustain this region should we have to depend on ourselves. I believe the majority of the people in the Ohio Valley are uneducated about the need to secure our food supply. Years of access to food shipped from around the world and never dealing with a food being 'out of season' have contributed to people's lack of understanding about where their food is produced,” West explains. “At one time, the Ohio Valley had many small produce farmers and orchardists. Those numbers have fallen off in recent years as older farmers retire or pass away. I have seen a recent but small resurgence in interest in growing food.”

Holmes agrees with West.

“On the community resiliency side we need more farmers. The average US farmer is nearly 60 years old, and there are not enough new people entering the business,” he says. “Fortunately the type of small-scale, diversified farming necessary for true security is becoming profitable again for the first time in decades, so there is opportunity for those who are interested. We also need people to grow more food--in their backyard, the terrace of their apartment, in community gardens--everywhere.”

And that is where Kacey Orr and Grow Ohio Valley can be of assistance. The nonprofit is tackling two challenges related to food security, in part with assistance from a national “Local Foods, Local Places” grant awarded in December.

“Food security starts at a local level when we learn to eat locally and seasonally. Then we don’t depend as strongly on other geographic locations or decrease fossil fuel use by transporting food long distances,” notes Orr. “[Currently] there are not enough local food producers. There are some dairies and livestock farms in the area, but there are fewer farms focused on growing local produce. In addition, people also need to be educated on the importance of healthy food options. Health is a major concern. Grow Ohio Valley puts a great emphasis on education and teaching children and adults about farming, gardening, and healthy food.” 

Grow Ohio Valley has constructed a greenhouse in downtown Wheeling that will help supply flowers and produce for their distribution programs. Kacey Orr notes that they mixed all of the potting soil themselves by purchasing the organic ingredients, saving hundreds of dollars. The greenhouse was designed using the angles of the sun to maximize light and heat and utilizes found materials to minimize costs and environmental impact. 

Grow OV already has an urban farm, a mobile farm market that visits area sites with fresh produce, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership program, children’s programs with Head Start and churches and a new downtown greenhouse growing seedlings and tomatoes now.

With the new grant, Peralta explained at the conference, Grow OV has secured two tracts of land on Wheeling’s Vineyard Hill over the Ft. Henry Tunnel. They will be planting apple and berry orchards on one tract and use the other as a demonstration and interactive farm for educating students. Peralta says there will be crops and animals at the farm to illustrate a sustainable and interconnected system.

Sister Kathleen Durkin, CSJ, says the Sisters of St. Joseph organized and hosted the recent conference to raise awareness and start an open discussion about food security.

“For me, the first priority would be assuring that food is a right and not a privilege and that nutritious food is essential for healthy brain development from early childhood on,” Sr. Kathleen continues. “Food security means that children and families can count on having enough food to meet even their basic needs. To be food insecure doesn't necessarily mean not having any food, but not enough food.  Beyond that, to be food-secure means also having access to healthy foods which provide the necessary nutrients for health and well-being.”

She shared a story of stopping a woman walking along the road alone. The woman was on her way to the grocery store--five miles away. Durkin drove her to the store and realized how lack of transportation affects people on the outskirts of town and their access to food.

“I believe we need to be awakened to this issue for many reasons, the first being that of our common, shared humanity...people who lack food security are our brothers and sisters. We are one!” she adds. “The health and well-being of generations to come depends on access to affordable, nutritious food and education about how to benefit from it.  The development and potential of children are influenced by a nutritious diet.”

Numerous studies show that good nutrition makes a noticeable difference in a child’s ability to concentrate, behave, learn and perform better in school. Some eligible schools are now offering breakfast, lunch, a snack and dinner for students at no or reduced charge. For some students, their only food comes from the school.

“For individuals and families the root causes of food insecurity stem from poverty, and children are hit particularly hard,” Holmes notes. “Hungry kids have a hard time learning. They do poorly in school, and the cycle of poverty continues. Programs like free hot breakfast, after school meals, and the [weekend] backpack program help, but in the long term we need to strengthen our local economy.”  

Part of Grow Ohio Valley’s mission is education for children and adults. These are “seed balls” ready for one of the children’s interactive programs that demonstrates gardening.  

While the food situation is far from secure, more customers are visiting the Ohio Valley Farmers Market  and are taking an interest in county extension Master Gardener programs such as the St. Clairsville community garden, as well as classes at Oglebay’s Schrader Environmental Education Center (www.oionline.com.) Grow OV has enlisted new farmer/suppliers for this season’s produce and will be expanding their educational opportunities.

“I think it is important to know that the issue of food security and access to healthy, local food is a movement that is happening all over the country,” Sr. Kathleen concludes. “A parallel benefit is that it’s promoting relationships and building community among individuals and groups of people who we might not otherwise have the privilege of knowing. The issue of food security and nutritious, local food is a context for lifting up and celebrating the gifts, creativity and generosity of local community members.”

Food Security, Part 1

The following is a feature article that appeared in the Sunday, April 12 Times Leader. As with most global issues, it is complicated and huge. I wrote the piece as an introduction to promote thought and attention toward something that affects everyone at some level.  

Almost 90 million acres of corn is grown in the United States, 40 percent of the world’s total. The majority of the crop is used for livestock feed (43 percent) and ethanol (30 percent,) and only 3 percent is grown for human consumption.

If there were an earthquake or other disaster that rendered the area inaccessible, how would Ohio Valley residents get food? What if fires, drought or an earthquake destroyed crops in California, Mexico or Chile where much of the Ohio Valley’s—and United States’—food is grown? Even though there is food available now, how many people know families or elderly neighbors who are not able to provide enough food for their households, or cannot provide nutritious food on a regular basis?

Food security is a growing concern throughout the world. Its definition, per the 1996 World Food Summit and echoed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA,) is “when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”  USDA research indicates that, in 2012, 49 million people did not have households with food security, including 8.3 million children.

Experts have decided on four pillars with which to measure food security: availability, access, utilization and stability. Availability pertains to food supply and its production, distribution and exchange or trading systems. It begins with the soil—or pasture or feedlot—and ends at the cash register. It encompasses what farmers plant or raise, how food is fertilized and watered, how it is harvested and transported to be distributed or sold, and how it is packaged and marketed to consumers.

Research has found that poverty more than scarcity affects access to food. Is food affordable? How much food can a family afford? Is the food they can afford nutritious? Direct access to food means that a household can grow its own (vegetables, fruits, or livestock) in order to sustain a healthy diet. Economic access means that food is grown somewhere else and purchased by the consumer. 

Ken Peralta, director of Grow Ohio Valley, explains the importance of developing more agriculture programs and training the next generation in how to grow food. The Sisters of St. Joseph recently hosted the conference on food security, “Growing Food, Health and Hope,” at which Peralta spoke.

Utilization of food is basically the dietary habits of the households and whether the food eaten is safe to eat (regarding freshness and proper handling) and whether it meets recommended requirements for nutrients and dietary restrictions. Families below the poverty level may only purchase “cheap” processed food because of its low cost, but much of it is high in sugar and low in nutrients, creating long-term health issues.

Stability means that the household is able to have access to available, nourishing food over an extended time. It may be affected by weather, growing seasons or natural disasters in the overall picture or by individual issues like unemployment or illness in the household.    

How is the food security issue relevant to the Ohio Valley? First, this region ranks consistently above the national average in diagnoses and deaths from diabetes and cardiopulmonary disease. Low incomes and high poverty rates have helped create the habit of purchasing inexpensive, highly processed food in boxes and packages. Processing and chemicals diminish the nutritional value of the food, and cheap additives like high fructose corn syrup only enhance the flavor and add calories. The body, however, isn’t receiving the nutrients it requires and stays “hungry” while chemicals that it can’t use in the food pass through the digestive system or spark undesirable reactions (like inflammation response.)

Sugar in particular causes the body to crave more food; people respond by eating more processed food, increasing calories and perpetuating the unhealthy cycle. This has become so prevalent that, at the recent “Growing Food, Health and Hope” conference sponsored by the St. Joseph Retreat Center in Wheeling, Kate Long of Try This West Virginia stated that a study of 11 year-olds in West Virginia determined one out of four (25 percent) has high blood pressure. 

Buying locally grown berries not only supports a local family, but is healthier food. Produce harvested that day or the day before still has most of its valuable nutrients. Produce picked in South America a week before arriving in stores has most likely lost much of its nutritional value, and the money spent goes to large corporations.

As far as food supply and availability, as mentioned, much of the Ohio Valley’s food comes from at least 1,000 miles away. This gives local consumers less control over their food supply, and the longer the time between harvest and table, the fewer nutrients the food retains. By the time tomatoes or blueberries arrive in stores from the west coast or South America, as much as 50 percent or more of the nutritional value is gone. Relying on long-distance production also uses more fossil fuels for transportation. Oil price fluctuations often affect food prices for this reason. By purchasing from local growers who have harvested within the past 48 hours, consumers can nearly double the food’s value to the body. Buying local also keeps money in the area, while purchasing from large retailers takes money from this community.

Ken Peralta, director of Grow Ohio Valley (www.growov.org) who also spoke at the conference, noted that Walmart controls one out of six food dollars in the United States. While the Ohio Valley is somewhat rural-- especially Belmont, Harrison, Monroe and Guernsey Counties—there are fewer than 11 acres being farmed for vegetables in Ohio County, and fruit orchards have moved out of the area. Peralta and Brandon Holmes, policy analyst for West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition, conducted a study that found that increasing consumption of locally produced food by 10 percent would create nearly 400 jobs in production, processing, distribution and other industries in the Ohio Valley.

“It’s great that we can get relatively fresh produce in the middle of February here in the Ohio Valley, and in very real and important ways that adds to our food security,” Holmes says. “But 1,500 miles becomes a lot farther away in the event of a spike in fuel prices, drought, hurricane, etc. One reason to be concerned right now is the severe drought affecting many key growing regions in California, the southwest, and Mexico. Producers there are adapting, and prices have remained stable, but it shows how vulnerable we are by having all of our eggs in just a few baskets. As production shifts in the West, local farmers can cash in on new opportunities, and make our area more resilient in the process. Having more food production capacity here in the area would boost our ability to withstand problems in the international food supply, while still enjoying food from all over the world.” 

(Part 2 will be published in the Sunday, April 19 edition of the Times Leader and posted here next week.)

The number of small dairy and beef farms is decreasing in the Ohio Valley as farmers age and their children opt for non-farming careers. Fewer farms mean  less food and food security in the event of an emergency. 

Beanies, Baby--Jelly Ones

From Turkish delight to Harry Potter, these mini-confections are a staple at Easter. Most researchers believe jelly beans evolved from Turkish delight (some say Jordan almonds,) but they were in the United States by the mid-1800s. At that time one Boston candy maker, William Schrafft, urged people to send jelly beans as gifts to Union soldiers in the Civil War. Shaped similar to an egg, the candy became more popular for Easter baskets in the 1930s.

As far as pairing with wine (for adults!) it really depends on the flavor. Spicy jelly beans may pair with a Syrah or California Zinfandel. Some of the cherry or strawberry beans may pair with some off-dry roses or pink Moscato. Otherwise, try Prosecco or Cava—slightly dry, not overly sweet.

Do you know beans? Here are a few more fun facts about these little gems. Then watch the Discovery Channel video to see how they’re made.

• Each jelly bean takes between 7 and 21 days to make.
• Americans consume more than 16 billion jelly beans at Easter alone, which is enough to circle the Earth 3 times.
• According to Jelly Belly, the gourmet jelly bean company, they sold enough beans last year worldwide to circle the Earth 5 times.
• Speaking of circling the Earth, President Ronald Reagan, a jelly bean aficionado, sent the first jelly beans (made by Jelly Belly) into space with the space shuttle Challenger in 1983.
• In 1976 Jelly Belly launched its initial 8 flavors: Very Cherry, Root Beer, Cream Soda, Tangerine, Green Apple, Lemon, Licorice and Grape. This year they offer 50 official flavors including Margarita, Cantaloupe, Cappuccino, Mixed Berry Smoothie, Pomegranate, Strawberry Cheesecake and Toasted Marshmallow.   
• In spite of all the exotic flavors, Very Cherry was the number one choice until 1998 when Buttered Popcorn took over. In 2003, though, Very Cherry reclaimed the top spot.
• Harry Potter boosted jelly beans with “Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.” In a way that only kids could love, “normal” flavors like Cherry, Lemon, Cinnamon and Tutti-Fruitti are mixed in with not-so-normal beans that taste like Earthworm, Rotten Egg, Soap, Black Pepper, Barf, and Dirt. 

Holy Guacamole--There's More to Avocados than You Think

Likeable, versatile with “super food” qualities, in 2012 Americans consumed 1.6 BILLION avocados. By now, most foodies are aware that the avocado is not a vegetable, but, in fact, a berry. One tree has the ability to bear 500 of these fruits annually, but the average is around 150, all of them picked by hand.

While guacamole is a tasty common use for this fruit, it can really help you stay healthy and beautiful inside and out. The season in California (where 90% of the US crop is grown) runs from March to September, so they’re plentiful in stores a good part of the year. Here are a few facts and uses that don’t involve tortilla chips. 

• Bananas are known for their potassium with a large one weighing in around 487 mg per. One avocado has TWICE the potassium at 975 mg. The body needs this mineral to keep the heart pumping, keep the kidneys filtering and keep the muscles moving.  
• All Hass avocados—the most popular kind in the world—can be traced to one tree in a mailman’s California backyard in the early 1930s. Rudolph Hass patented his tree in 1935.
• Avocados grow but don’t ripen on trees because of a substance in the leaves. They can be stored on the tree for up to 7 months.
• These fruits contain biotin and Vitamin E which gives a healthy boost to hair, skin and nails. Applied topically as a mask or treatment, even without egg whites or olive oil, the pulp will hydrate and enrich the skin.
• To exfoliate AND enrich, combine the pulp/inside of one avocado, an egg white, a teaspoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of oatmeal. Apply it to the face and relax for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water, and repeat this ritual every two weeks. You can also place a couple of slices of avocado to the under-eye area to reduce bags.
• Ready to put those winter boots away? The whole avocado can be used to exfoliate and soften the feet. Try this foot scrub recipe from YourBeautyBlog while relaxing with a glass of wine and your favorite TV show.    

Simple is usually better, and the first time I had avocado not in guacamole form was at my friend Marga's house for lunch. She sliced one up and served the crescents sprinkled with lemon pepper. Done. I never looked back. Now for lunch once a week, I do the same, or sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and some chopped almonds or walnuts or pecans.  

The Feast of St. Joseph and Zeppole

Since the first millennium, Christians have recognized St. Joseph on March 19. He was the husband of Mary and the step-father of Jesus Christ, a carpenter by trade and of royal blood as a descendant of David. In Spain, Portugal and Italy, this is also Father’s Day. It’s customary to wear red on this day.

Many Sicilians consider him the country’s patron saint, so during the Middle Ages when drought was causing famine in Sicily, they prayed for St. Joseph to intervene. It began to rain, and the fava bean crop was saved, and people had food. They held a banquet in St. Joseph’s honor and the wealthier families fed those less fortunate.

Today, churches host St. Joseph’s Table celebrations. A three-tiered altar is constructed with a statue of St. Joseph on the top tier. People bring meatless dishes—many including fava beans or almonds--like pastas, breads, soups, vegetables and fruits and a doughnut-like pastry called zeppole. All are welcome to partake when there is a meal. Otherwise, the food is distributed to the hungry.

In some places bakers make a special St. Joseph’s bread during Lent. It can be an egg bread or a sweet bread containing fruits and almonds.

This zeppole recipe, from Allrecipes.com, is super easy (mix all ingredients in one saucepan over very low heat) and fast (under 20 minutes.) There are many variations to this pastry: topping it with cannoli cream, fruit, almonds, granulated sugar, powdered sugar and savory versions with anchovies and spices. 

Enjoy, and in the spirit of the day, while you’re at the grocery store, consider picking up a few extra non-perishables to donate to your local food pantry.   

Asparagus: Spring's Super Food

Healthy cell builder, hypertension reducer and hangover cure—this harbinger of spring is a 5,000 year old super food. Known to be cultivated by the Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans also prized asparagus for its health benefits. One of the earliest surviving cookbooks, from the third century, includes an asparagus recipe. What does science prove now that they knew then? Fire up your steamers, and read on:

• Asparagus racemosus, from India and the Himalayans, has been used as a medicinal plant for centuries in Ayurvedic practice. It wasn’t until the 15th century that Western Europe began taking note and using asparagus. It finally arrived in the United States around 1850. 
• Asparagus is high in Vitamin C, contributing to the development of collagen for healthy cells and skin. It also contains a potent antioxidant called glutathione, which with asparagus’ Vitamin A, potassium and folate, renders strong anti-aging properties and fights cancer causing free radicals.

• Asparagus is an excellent source of potassium, which neutralizes sodium, thus reducing the risk of hypertension. The high levels of B vitamins in asparagus have been shown to regulate both blood pressure and blood sugar, while a combination of folate and B12 contributes to improved cognitive ability and regulation of embryonic nerve cell development for healthy babies.

• And, yes, recent studies in Asia have found that asparagus promotes production of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol, so it may even be an effective treatment for hangovers.

• Of the nearly 300 types of asparagus recorded, only 20 are edible, and virtually the only commercially grown and most popular variety is Asparagus officionalis. In addition, all asparagus--with the exception of a genetically modified purple variety--is green. White asparagus is also Asparagus officionalis, but the new shoots are immediately covered with soil to stop photosynthesis, which produces green chlorophyll. 

• It is a good companion plant to tomatoes. Tomato plants naturally repel asparagus beetles, and asparagus plants repel some root nematodes that affect tomato plants.  

• Most of the asparagus in the stores and at markets is probably from middle aged plants, 6 or 7 years old. Asparagus plants are generally harvested for up to 15 years but have been known to live and produce to 30 years.

Oranges: Have a Little Sunshine

It’s 62 calories of Vitamin C and fiber, and this time of year that’s important. Winter is cold and flu season, and we like to hibernate from the cold after the holiday season full of goodies. So oranges are a no-fat, medicinal sugar fix. Here are some other sweet facts about this popular fruit:

• There are sweet oranges, which we eat and drink, and bitter oranges, used mainly for perfumes, solvents, and essential oils.  

• Native to Asia, the sweet orange was cultivated in China at least 4,500 years ago. It finally made its way over to Europe and the Middle East by the 1400s via trade routes. By the end of the 1700s, oranges had been planted in what is now Florida, Louisiana, Arizona, California and Hawaii. Today it’s the most cultivated tree in the world with Brazil as the largest producer. 

• Technically, it's a berry. 

• The word “orange” comes from the Sanskrit “naranga,” meaning “orange tree.” The word was also used to describe the color by the 16th century. There are no actual English words that rhyme with “orange.”

• Orangina, a bottled natural drink made with essential oils and orange pulp, was introduced at the Marseille Trade Show in 1936.

• Blood oranges have more health benefits than other types of oranges, specifically more flavanoids, less acid and up to 40 percent more Vitamin C.

• The orange cognac liqueur, Grand Marnier, was created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It was named by Cesar Ritz after Marnier-Lapostolle helped Ritz buy and establish the Hotel Ritz in Paris. 

Cinnamon: For Pretty Much Anything that Ails You

This ancient spice has been touted as an effective remedy for, well, almost everything from killing household odors to killing cancer cells. While overdoing it is a bad idea (even lethal,) adding half a teaspoon per day to coffee or tea, cereal, yogurt, chili, almond butter, butternut squash, etc. can help the body function better and fight the effects of some of the not-so-good things we eat. There are too many accolades to post, but here are a few of them plus a couple of fun facts. 

• Old spice: it’s been around for more than 4000 years and is native to Asia. The Egyptians began trading it with China around 2000 BC. 
• Desirable: one of the spices that drove the spice trade, it was a precious commodity given to royals as gifts. It was even used as currency for a time, though cinnamon is seen as commonplace today.
• Around the house: naturally anti-bacterial and anti-microbial, cinnamon has disinfectant powers. Mix cinnamon leaf oil with water or hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle to clean cutting boards, counters, sinks and toys. Studies show it’s effective against Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis, among other bacteria. And cinnamon repels black ants, dust mites, roaches and bed bugs.
• Comfort food: Who doesn’t like the smell of cinnamon? Studies at Wheeling Jesuit University found that the smell of it calms irritable drivers AND improves cognitive ability. It’s also used in massage oils, not only for its lovely scent, but as a natural warming agent to sooth muscles and relieve pain.
• Common cure: those anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties plus the fact that cinnamon’s a powerful anti-inflammatory and plus the fact that it’s one of the most powerful anti-oxidants in the world make it a formidable opponent against colds, flu, sore throats, coughs, gum disease, and, yes, cancer. Since cinnamon regulates blood sugar (good for diabetics,) and cancer cells feed on sugar, research indicates that the spice helps “starve” the cancer, slowing it and killing it.
• Versatile:  It can be used with sweet foods like pumpkin pie and cookies and also savory foods like chili and barbeque. And more good news, a Penn State study found that adding cinnamon to a meal can cut the heart-threatening triglycerides in the blood by as much as 30 percent.

Seriously, though, too much cinnamon can cause liver damage, and most of the type sold in the United States, Cassia, is very high in Coumarin. People on medication should check with a doctor before adding a cinnamon component to their diets. Ceylon cinnamon, popular in Europe, has a lighter, slightly sweeter flavor with lower levels of Coumarin and can be ordered online..

Chicken Soup: De-Constructed

The iconic remedy for everything, chicken soup has been around since at least the 12th century when it appeared in a book by Jewish physician Maimonides. In On the Cause of Symptoms, he recommends a broth of hens to “neutralize body constitution.” Throw in some whole grain pasta, wild rice or mushrooms for a little extra oomph. Why has it been the go-to food during cold and flu season for centuries? Here’s why chicken soup is more than the sum of its parts:

• Chicken: it’s low fat and lean protein; the amino acid cysteine thins mucous in the lungs; it contains tryptophan, which triggers feelings of comfort and increases serotonin levels in the brain, a natural anti-depressant; chicken has compounds that inhibit the inflammatory response that causes sore throats
• Celery: reduces inflammation; the magnesium and essential oil soothe the nervous system; it’s a diuretic and cleanses the system
• Carrots: the beta-carotene helps the body produce Vitamin A, which fights infections by helping white blood cells that fight bacteria and viruses; flush toxins from the body
• Onions and garlic: contain detoxifying Vitamin C; use yellow and red onions for the quercetin, which has anti-histamine, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties; garlic has allicin, a natural antibiotic
• Tarragon: contains iron for strong red blood cells that move oxygen around the body; its antifungal and antimicrobial properties fight infections
• Ginger (in many traditional recipes: ) cleanses the lymph nodes with natural antiseptics terpenes and oleoresin; it’s a natural anti-inflammatory, pain reliever and antibacterial   
• ·Kale (a potent super food:)  contains a whopping 45 anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant flavonoids, including kaempferol and quercetin; supports detoxification in the body even at the cellular level