Poem - A Lady's Adieu to Her Tea-Table

A Lady's Adieu to Her Tea-Table

FAREWELL the Tea-board with your gaudy attire,

Ye cups and ye saucers that I did admire;

To my cream pot and tongs I now bid adieu;

That pleasure's all fled that I once found in you.

Farewell pretty chest that so lately did shine

With hyson and congo and best double fine.

Many a sweet moment by you I have sat,

Hearing girls and old maids to tattle and chat;

And the spruce coxcomb laugh at nothing at all,

Only some silly work that might happen to fall.

No more shall my teapot so generous be

In filling the cups with this pernicious tea,

For I'll fill it with water and drink out the same,

Before I'll lose LIBERTY that dearest name,

Because I am taught (and believe it is fact)

That our ruin is aimed at in the late act,

Of imposing a duty on all foreign Teas,

Which detestable stuff we can quit when we please.

LIBERTY'S The Goddess that I do adore,

And I'll maintain her right until my last hour,

Before she shall part I will die in the cause,

For I'll never be govern'd by tyranny's laws.

--published just before the American Revolution

Basics and Health Benefits of Champagne

Basics

Champagne is a sparkling wine, a unique sparkling wine. Through legal definition enforced by regulations, to be a true champagne, the sparkling wine must come exclusively from the porous, chalky soil of the Champagne region of northeastern France. There are some American producers who are allowed to generically keep the use of the word "champagne" on their labels if they were using the term before early 2006. Bubbly wines from other regions may be sold under such names as Cava (Spain's sparkling wine) or Spumante (Italy's sparkling wine).

Champagne starts with grapes (white Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Pinot Meunier) harvested, pressed, and allowed to undergo a primary fermentation. The acidic results of this process are then blended and bottled with yeast and sugar to undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle. This secondary fermentation gives champagne its bubbles. The bottles are then stored horizontally for 15 months or more.

After this aging, the bottles are turned upside down to settle. Then producers open the bottles to remove the yeast, add a bit of sugar to determine the sweetness of the champagne, and slip a cork onto the bottle. Brut describes how much sugar went into the bottle. Extra brut has less than six grams of sugar per liter added, while brut contains less than 15 grams of additional sugar per liter.

Most of the champagne produced today is non-vintage, called non-vintage because it is blended from several different grape vintages rather than from a single harvest. A vintage champagne is one in which all grapes used have been harvested from a single year.

The primary types of Champagne include Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, and Rosé.

Blanc de blanc is white champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes to give a light, dry taste often used as an apértif or as part of a first course to dinner with seafood and soup.

Blanc de noirs are white champagnes that are full-bodied to go well with meats and cheeses. They are from the black grape varieties of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meurier which give the blanc de noir its rich yellow golden color.

Pink or rosé champagnes are produced by one of two methods. The traditional method involves the addition of a small amount of Pinot Noir
still wine to the base wine prior to the second fermentation. The other method, not as common, is to press the grape skins and allow them to soak with the juice of the grapes prior to fermentation.

The pink champagne's color has earned it the most romantic of reputations, loved by the Victorians and the Edwardians. It pairs well with lobster, salmon, shrimp, and chocolate. With strawberries, it makes a wonderful breakfast champagne.

How Much Champagne Should One Drink?
Although a glass of sparkling wine now and then may be good for one's health, the whole bottle is not. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that drinking one drink or less per day for women and two drinks or less per day for men can be helpful in promoting health.

See: http://www.examiner.com/x-32993-Yakima-Healthy-Foods-Examiner~y2009m12d25-A-Toast-to-Champagne

Health Possibilities

In addition to containing trace minerals such as magnesium, potassium, zinc, and lithium, sparkling wines contain polyphenol antioxidants, which are believed to reduce the effects of cell-damaging free radicals in the body by slowing down the removal of nitric oxide from the blood. Nitric acid is a compound that relaxes blood vessels which in turn lowers blood pressure. Champagne may also be capable of reducing levels of substances in the body known to cause the buildup of arterial plaque which then may reduce the risk of arterial disease.

Aside from the beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels to possibly help in the reduction of strokes and heart disease, champagne appears to offer a protective benefit to the brain. According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, April 2007, champagne protects against brain injuries that occur during a stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other ailments.

Scientists did studies on how the brain cells reacted to the presence of peroxynitrite, which is a reactive compound found in the brain during inflammatory conditions. It was found that the pretreatment with champagne wine extracts resulted in significant protection against neurotoxicity.

It is believed that the high amount of the antioxidant polyphenols in sparkling wine helps prevent deterioration and death of brain cells due to oxidative stress. Previous research found champagne to contain high amounts of other types of beneficial phenolic compounds such as tyrosol and caffeic acid. These anti-inflammatory substances may help to normalize the cells’ response to injury while helping to clean up and remove hazardous chemicals from the body.

Champagne extracts seem to protect neuron cells in numerous ways, noting that in a research sample with the highest concentration of sparkling wine, brain-cell function was completely restored over time. The polyphenols in sparkling wine are also able to cross the blood-brain barrier and may therefore give benefits to the human central nervous system; but more study in this area is still needed before a definite conclusion can be made. It bodes well for the future that scientists are showing an interest in doing more research.

Perhaps this coming year will show a definite breakthrough in scientific knowledge. In any event, Enjoy! and Happy New Year!

See: http://www.examiner.com/x-32993-Yakima-Healthy-Foods-Examiner~y2009m12d25-A-Toast-to-Champagne

Figgy Pudding for Christmas

Commonplace at one time in classic English gardens was the picturesque fig tree. Its fruit was central in providing the main ingredient for many dishes such as Figgy Pudding, a once-favorite dessert in England. Figgy Pudding traditionally appeared at the end of a Christmas meal as was the case in the dinner scene from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Over the years and by the middle of the twentieth century, figs had fallen out of favor and were replaced by the more economical and practical raisin. Yet, the richly-nostaligic pudding has gained some interest over the last years and may experience a comeback as a Christmas tradition.

The pudding (actually more of a cake-like souffle) was made famous by two writers of the nineteenth century: Isabella Beeton (1836-1865) who compiled the guide Book of Household Management, which advised how to run a Victorian household and Eliza Acton (1799-1859) writer of Modern Cookery for Private Families, a trend-setting cookbook that directed its recipes toward the domestic housewife rather than the professional chef.

While Beeton's Figgy Pudding recipe called for mixing together 2 lbs. fresh figs and 1 lb. suet with flour, bread crumbs, eggs, and milk and then recommends pressing the mixture into a mould, tying it with a cloth while it boils for 3 hours, today's variations are a lot easier, less time-consuming, better-looking, and just as rewarding.

The following version of calls for butter and shortening instead of suet.

Figgy Pudding with Custard Sauce

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons rum extract (or flavored extract of your choice)
1 apple, peeled and cored and finely chopped
1 pound dried figs, ground or finely chopped
Grated peel of 1 lemon and 1 orange
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 large egg whites, stiffly beaten

Preheat oven to 325*F (160*C). Generously grease an oven-proof 2-quart bowl or mold; set aside.
Cream together butter and shortening. Gradually add sugar, egg yolks, milk, extract, apple, figs, lemon and orange peel. Add next 6 ingredients, mixing well. Fold stiffly beaten egg whites into mixture.
Pour into prepared bowl or mold and place into large shallow pan and place on middle rack in oven. Fill the shallow pan half-full with boiling water and slowly steam pudding in oven at 325*F for 4 hours, replacing water as needed.

Custard Sauce:

2 cups milk
1 large egg
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter

In saucepan, scald milk and allow to cool.
Mix together remaining ingredients, except for butter. Add to cooled milk. Cook over low heat until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter, mixing well.
Serve pudding warm with custard sauce or sweetened whipped cream. Store unused portions in refrigerator.

Makes 12 servings

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High Time to Love the Lowly Bean

Ben Franklin's adage of health, wealth, and wisdom could easily apply to those who generously balance their diet with legumes (beans). Legumes are economical to both the pocketbook and to earth's resources, and no one can deny their healthful benefits of oil, vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium.

Additionally, legumes have been known to help lower cholesterol levels and improve the control of blood glucose levels in diabetics as their high fiber level allows them the ability to release their sugars slowly and steadily. They have also been credited in reducing the risk of some types of cancer.

Since legumes contain the same number of calories as grains and supply two to four times as much protein in those calories, they are a most helpful food in weight reduction. When combined with grains they form a complete protein.

The one problem with beans, which has thwarted their reputation as a romantic food, is the flatulence they cause due primarily to the oligosaccharide found in them. Oligosaccharide is a carbohydrate composed of three to five sugar molecules linked together in such a way that the body cannot digest or absorb them. They therefore pass into the intestines and are broken down by bacteria which in turn produces gas. This problem can be reduced significantly by proper preparation and cooking.

To properly prepare dried legumes, except for lentils, they should be soaked overnight in an appropriate amount of water and preferably in the refrigerator to prevent fermentation. If soaking overnight is not feasible, then place the dried legumes in water in a pot with baking soda. For each cup of dried legumes, add 1/4 tsp of baking soda and bring to a boil for at least two minutes and then set aside to soak for at least one hour. The baking soda will soften the legumes and help break down the oligosaccharides and also help reduce the amount of cooking time. The drawback with the shortened method is that the beans may split or develop a slightly mushy consistency.

Many species

The fossil record shows that legumes, part of the vegetable family, are among the oldest of cultivated plants. In having domesticated over 13,000 species, there is a wide variety to choose from; but there is one bean that is beginning to draw a lot of interest from today's culture. The little known tepary bean, after having become forgotten and almost extinct, is making a comeback.

The tepary had at one time been domesticated as a staple food for Native Americans, the Tohono O'odham, of the Sonoran Desert. Its name was derived from the desert pharse 't'pawi' which means, 'it's a bean,' and has since been called a variety of names such as pawi, pavi, escomite, yori mui, and yori muni.'

The beans vary in color and shape; they are oval, flattish, or round and come in colors of off-white, speckled brown, reddish-brown, or purplish-brown. Since they are very small, they are a quick crop yield, but their thin skins make them very difficult to harvest as they are prone to split open and scatter upon touch.

The rediscovery of their unique and nutty sweet flavor is proving a delight in many exotic and exciting recipe dishes. They lend themselves well to almost any recipe in which more common beans are specified making them an easy and delightful experiment in salads, soups, stews, bean dip, tortillas, chili, hummus, and even lasagna. It's also nice to know that their low polyunsaturated fat content makes them easier to digest than other beans.

http://www.examiner.com/x-32993-Yakima-Healthy-Foods-Examiner~y2009m12d14-High-Time-to-Love-the-Lowly-Bean-and-Discover-a-Rare-Species

Amaranth - Crop of the Future?

Once considered to be merely a persistent weed, amaranth is now valued both as a vegetable for its leaves and as a grain for its seeds. Long known to the Aztecs as the 'miracle grain,' it is actually not a grain but the seed of an annual herb, cousin to the tumbleweeds of the American Southwest and part of the plant family Amaranthaceae. Its name comes from the Greek 'amarantos' meaning 'one that does not wither.' Indeed, this quality has been known throughout the ages and even written about in Aesop's Fables.

Aesop's Fables: The Rose and the Amaranth
A Rose and an Amaranth blossomed side by side in a garden, and the
Amaranth said to her neighbor, "How I envy you your beauty and your
sweet scent! No wonder you are such a universal favorite." But the
Rose replied with a shade of sadness in her voice, "Ah, my dear
friend, I bloom but for a time: my petals soon wither and fall, and
then I die. But your flowers never fade, even if they are cut; for
they are everlasting."

Due to shrinking resources of the earth, there has been a growing interest in cultivation of the amaranth by indigenous people in rural areas. Prolific and easily harvested, highly tolerant of arid environments, and high in readily available protein, it is believed by many to be 'the crop of the future.'

Amaranthus species are reported to have a 30% higher protein value than cereals of rice, wheat flour, oats, and rye. Its seeds are composed of 15 to 18 percent protein including high levels of the essential amino acids lysine and methionine. When combined with grains such as wheat, rice, or barley, amaranth becomes balanced as a complete, well-absorbed protein. Its seed also contains a goodly amount of B vitamins, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, calcium, potassium, and iron.

There is a cautionary note to those individuals with a history of kidney stones due to calcium oxalate. A very few people diagnosed with celiac disease may experience sensitivity to amaranth because of the high oxalate levels it contains, yet for the most part amaranth is fully tolerated by those individuals as it is gluten free. It is also a suitable grain for people with Type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, the plant sterols in amaranth are proving in some studies to play a role in preventing chronic degenerative disease. Their vitamin E content also is beneficial in reducing cholesterol synthesis.

As a protein- and fiber-rich addition to the diet with a sweet, nutty flavor, amaranth can be used in the same way as grains, but it must be combined with another grain such as wheat when a rising loaf of bread is desired. That is because in order for yeast to work, gluten is needed for the bread to gain elasticity and be light and fluffy. Mix 25 percent amaranth flour with 75 percent wheat or other gluten-containing flour when making yeast breads.

Baked goods that do not require gluten such as biscuits, muffins, or pancakes can be made using 100 percent amaranth flour. Be forewarned, however, that in trying to change a recipe that calls for white flour, using amaranth as a substitute in a 1:1 ratio will likely cause the baked good to be bland in flavor and too hard.

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