Some years ago the Jewish Daily Forward published an essay of mine entitled Trans Fat: How a Staple of Pareve Foods is Hurting Our Waistlines. In this essay, I explained that processed-food manufacturers at the turn of the twentieth century attracted large numbers of customers from among recent Jewish immigrants with marketing campaigns based on the fact that the partially-hydrogenated (i.e., trans) fats in newly developed shortenings were pareve, meaning that they contained no meat nor dairy ingredients. This was revolutionary, because it allowed desserts traditionally made with dairy ingredients to be made suitable for meat meals. Procter & Gamble advertised that “The Hebrew Race has been waiting for 4,000 years” for a solution to its shortening problems. Endorsements were received from rabbis and other community leaders. Margarine, Crisco, and non-dairy “whiteners” rapidly supplanted traditional fats to become an integral part of what we now consider traditional Kosher cooking. In fact there is nothing traditional about it, and a thousand years of kitchen wisdom were lost in just two generations. Continue reading
Category Archives: Dessert
A Recipe for Ultraprocessed Cupcakes
Today I want to spend a few minutes talking about why I feel so strongly about avoiding ultraprocessed items. I am going to share a story about an event that happened some years back, when someone I worked with decided one morning to pick up some cupcakes on her way into work. It was a very nice gesture, and I am sure that she had the best intentions. But this is an example of the fact that we must take personal responsibility for what we put into our mouths, because nothing will change if we do not. The only way Big Ultra Processed will stop selling these things is if we stop buying them. Call them items, things, or products, but you will see in a moment why they cannot be called food. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Lisa’s Date-Nut-Chocolate Bars
My friend, Lisa, brought these date pecan chocolate bars to book club once and OMG they were pretty wonderful. Technically they are intended for dessert, but honestly there is no reason they wouldn’t be great for breakfast, too. Dates, nuts, dark chocolate. Why not? Frankly, they have a lot more nutrition and a lot less sugar than the standard American breakfast. So, yes, I would go for it. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Good Brownies
We are going to a neighborhood holiday cookie party this afternoon, and so I decided to share an idea for something sweet and delicious.
A lot of people think that the only sweet food I eat is fruit. While it is true that I almost never eat items containing ingredients that I would categorize as “food-like,” such as high-fructose corn syrup, white flour, or maltodextrin, I definitely enjoy my share of desserts. For example, I have made peanut butter cups from quality dark chocolate and organic peanut butter (one ingredient — peanuts) that are sublime. And this past week I stopped in at Fantasy Candies to buy some holiday gifts, and I picked up some pecan chocolate bark for myself. That was also pretty yummy.
So yes, I, too, love recipes like these. The ingredients are all real food, all nutritious, and the results turn out way more delicious than any product wrapped in cellophane. Besides that, you can feel really good about feeding this to people you love. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: “Nice Cream” with Peanut Butter & Dates
As you have probably noticed, it’s been a little on the hot side. It is August after all, but I took a quick trip down to Austin, Texas, this week to give a talk on diet and inflammation, and it was, at 104F, 30 degrees hotter than in Cleveland where I can usually be found. I’m pretty sure that 104 degrees is a record for me.
This recipe is guaranteed to make your belly happy when it’s hotter outside than you are on the inside. It’s a great dessert, but it’s also a delicious and nourishing breakfast or afternoon snack. Yes, you read that correctly. It is INFINITELY more nourishing than a bowl of sweet ultraprocessed cereal. Continue reading
Peanut Butter Cookies (vegan, gf)
Something extremely soft, soothing, and cozy to enjoy this week. Sometimes you just need a cookie. These are very soft, and while they’re perfect as is, they’re also great for crumbling on top of oatmeal if that sounds good to you. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Oatmeal-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Treats
For almost a decade, I worked side by side with a wonderful doctor, made even better by the fact that his wife, from time to time, would send in a plateful of these seriously yummy oatmeal-peanut butter-chocolate treats. I don’t remember where I put her recipe, but if this isn’t it, well, then it’s close enough. These are sweetly satisfying when you want a treat, and nourishing enough to take the edge off when it’s 2 o’clock and you haven’t had lunch yet. A couple of these with a glass of milk (for snack) or cup of tea or coffee (for breakfast) would also be perfect. And of course they’re not just for grownups. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Chocolate Avocado Pudding
This is a great recipe for when you buy a whole bunch of avocados and they all ripen at the exact same time. Not only is it truly delicious, but there is an excellent chance that no one will realize that what you’ve made for them is any different than any other chocolate pudding they’ve ever eaten. Voila! Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PANDEMIC: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Brownies
You may have noticed that I posted another brownie recipe a couple of months ago. The truth is that these brownie recipes keep calling me, and I’m listening. So, yes, I’m on a bit of a brownie kick, at least as long as we continue trying our best to make our way through a pandemic with our sanity intact. I mean, if all that stands between you and regular personal hygiene is a brownie for breakfast, it seems like a no-brainer to me. Anyway, this brownie recipe in particular is so packed with nourishing ingredients that it’s really not necessary to think about it for very long; just go bake some brownies. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Date-Nut “Cookies”
Looking for something inspired for snacks, dessert, or breakfast? Consider these date-nut “cookies.” I called them cookies only because they are round. If you have children at home, they will probably enjoy helping. If you have any vegan and/or gluten-free family members in the high school or college-age range, they will probably thank you, and then volunteer to make them next time around. Under ordinary circumstances I would consider these a special treat for holidays or company, with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. But nowadays, being absolutely anything but ordinary, I would make them any time at all. I think you’ll like these very much. Sweet and nourishing. Continue reading