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Dr. P-J's Blog

Recipes

4/29/2022

4 Comments

 
Among the most popular things I ever post on Facebook are photos of the food I make. People ask me how I made the dish, so I have decided to share some recipes. I have started a new section of my website: "Recipes." So far I have shared two recipes, Stove Top Rice Pudding and Curried Sweet Potato Patties.

My interest in sharing recipes focuses on things that are good for you, things that are easy to make, and things that taste good. If it hits the trifecta, I like to share the recipe. The first two recipes are not draconian in their healthiness - they are just healthier than other foods I grew up eating. Rice Pudding with brown rice and not much sweetener can be just as tasty as the old fashioned version with white rice with sugar. Replacing white potatoes with sweet potatoes is a healthy upgrade.

Key issues for healthy eating for me:
  • low or no sugar, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, et al
  • anti-inflammatory properties
  • boosts fiber intake

Easy to make means I can get it to the table quickly and produce something fresh even when I'm low energy and don't feel like cooking. Food delivery meals are rarely healthy and if they are, they are even more pricey than regular Door Dash. Plus Door Dash has gotten much worse lately, so that it arrives cold when it should be hot, melted when it should be frozen, spilled or tipped over, and with missing items. It's just not fun anymore.
So cooking has become more appealing.

What tastes good . . . is a matter of taste. There has been a fad in restaurant food lately of adding Siracha and Jalapeno peppers to food where it doesn't belong. If I order poppers, I expect a hot pepper, but when I order spaghetti and meatballs, I do not expect or want hot sauce in there.

Another thing that annoys me about recent trends in restaurant food is that they are adding a lot more salt than used to be the custom. The fact is that salt can and should be added at the last minute, by the individual. Not every likes a lot of salt; salt is a cause of illness in many, and it is unnecessary. Salt added at the last minute will fire those salty taste buds just the same as salt that was added at the beginning of the cooking process. Of course there are exceptions - baking requires precise measurement and sometimes salt is part of the chemistry. I would use caution before removing salt from a baking recipe. And adding salt to pasta water will cause it to boil at a lower point, so that may be useful. But as a general rule, let the diner add her own salt. Don't salt to YOUR taste, let the diner salt to HER taste.

If you are amused by this blog post and/or if you like the recipes in the recipe section, PLEASE leave a comment. It helps me understand what people find useful on this website.

Hugs,
​Dr. P-J
4 Comments
Jean
5/1/2022 12:46:30 pm

The combination of sweet potatoes and curry sounds really good! I am going to try that.

Reply
Dr. P-J link
5/1/2022 04:03:35 pm

I thought they were delicious and simple to make. Flipping them was problematic, but it doesn't effect the taste at all. Not a lot of grease, just enough to get some brown on there. Let me know how it turns out - I'll bet you improve the recipe . . . because you are a fine chef.

Reply
Libby
5/2/2022 03:08:11 pm

I totally disagree about salt! Salt isn't used as a seasoning to make things taste salty - it's used early and throughout the cooking process to make the elements taste more like themselves.
I found one article to support this point, and there are many more, including a tutorial by the esteemed Alton Brown
https://www.thekitchn.com/cooking-school-salt-seasoning-22954294

I understand some people need low or no-sodium diets, but I staunchly disagree with the notion that it's okay to just add salt at the end of cooking.

Love,
Your Daughter :)

Reply
Dr. P-J link
5/3/2022 02:01:43 pm

Hi Dear Daughter O'Mine,
Maybe it's just me but I have not salted food as described in the article for pretty much your entire life. I find food tastes really good just as it is. It's true you can butter and salt and pepper your corn on the cob, but to me, it's a waste. Corn on the cob tastes fantastic just as it is, without unnecessary additions.
I do add salt to some items. I use French sea salt and pinch, just as the chef described in the article. Sometimes salt is absolutely essential, such as on grilled steak.

But I really don't need anyone to salt my food for me. They invariably add way more than I prefer to eat. It makes the food tasted bad - chemical, if you will. With salt, it's a matter of taste. And what has been salted cannot be unsalted.

Also - it makes me laugh out loud to think that food will tasted "more like itself" if it is salted. It already tastes like itself. The person who wrote that likes salted food. That is not how the food tastes naturally, and often, the food tastes the best without anything added at all. Well except maybe cheese . . . or chocolate . . .
Love,
Yer Mom

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Shelley Pineo-Jensen, Ph.D.