Chef Mary's Pesto-
As a chef you learn to appreciate food from the farm to the table and everywhere in between but as a whole our culture differs from others because of our lack of tradition and ritual of eating. We eat alone, standing up, in our car, while working and on the phone. We’re disconnected from the food we eat and where it comes from. Connecting to your food can be done in two very simple ways: buying from the local farmers and eating seasonally. “Food comes from the Earth, and technique is technique, but if you have a soul in your cooking you can transcend that to the soul of the customer” Chef de Cuisine Chef Sergio said. Understanding why buying from local farmers is better is essential for your health. Let’s take a tomato for example a tomato is picked green so that it will last longer and can endure shipping across the country. It’s then placed in a room with ethylene gas (a non toxic gas) to turn it from green to red. Once it turns red it’s ready to be shipped across the country to your local grocery store and appear on our shelves. “When you buy a tomato, you are eating a ripe green tomato,” Farmer Bill from Bill’s Farm in Northern Michigan said. This is why tomatoes can be grainy and flavorless. Not only do they not taste as good, but they also lack the vitamins and minerals that they’d receive from staying on the vine ‘til they were good and ripe. As a chef I’m very aware of the many processes that foods go through before they appear on our shelves and for this reason I support local farmers. By buying and eating seasonally you’ll get vegetables that are abundant for that time of year. When food is abundant, some of the middlemen are not needed because the food can be brought in from closer vicinity, allows foods to cost less for the consumer. For instance, we’re at the end of fall and the beginning of winter -pumpkins, gourds and squash are prevalent for this time of year and for the most part inexpensive. As they start to go out of season the prices will increase which will be your indication to stop buying them. Our society that lacks ritual and tradition has to start somewhere and as I have said before starting is within you. These are just a few beginning steps that will make a big impact on your life. Awareness of both buying locally and eating seasonally will provide your body with more of the essential nutrients your body needs and it will decrease your grocery bill as a whole. This leaves you in a better mood to cook with a willingness to create a ritual for your meal, which gives your meal a soul that you can share with others. Follow Chef Mary at The Washington Times Communities 
Be sure to tune into E! for Chef Mary's Cooking Segment11/11 between 6am – 9am EST & PST (with the exception of DirecTV, as people with that service provider will air at 6am EST / 3am PST)
Dear Chef Mary, Congratulations on the Communities. I’m hoping that it will be a great success. I juggle a full time job as an accountant and I have two young kids. I really feel like I just don’t have the energy or the money to eat right or exercise. I am not horribly over weight but I constantly struggle at 170+/- depending on the day. I also lack motivation to do anything about it, yet there is still a part of me that searches the Internet at night for a change while my kids Olivia and Michael are asleep. They are young and with out going into too much detail I can see that my inactivity is affecting them. Constantly Searching, Pattie Dear Pattie, Thank you so much for the encouragement, I’m hoping that we’ll be a great success as well. You’re not alone, Pattie, we all have busy lives, but the truth is that change starts within and by writing this e-mail you have taken the first step in doing something about it. Everyone constantly has an inner voice saying do this do that and it’s telling us that we don’t have time to make a significant change in our life. But Pattie, let me tell you; today, is the first step of the rest of your life. Getting into the gym or initiating that walk can be challenging but after you work-out you feel amazing. “Endorphins are mood elevators. Sometimes you just have to start a 10 minute walk, which can make a huge difference.” Said Cindy Larson a National Fitness Instructor Certified Personal Trainer- Nation Academy. I have two simple words of encouragement to help you begin. So hang in there Pattie. Keep reading. I will be offering more tips in the future on ways to eat healthy and spending less. Make your self an example for your kids. Remember actions speak louder than words. So if your kids see you exercising and eating healthy foods, they will want to do the same. “Your participation will be infectious to your children” Larson said. Or at least it will begin to feel comfortable to them. In the long run we all want to raise our children to be healthy adults.
Today is the day I will give you three basic cooking techniques- steaming, sautéing, and grilling which will start you on your culinary journey. These three culinary techniques, if done correctly, can decrease the amount of fat in your dish.
When I began cooking I had a fear of burning, over seasoning, or just plain ruining something. I tried to manage those fears by following the recipe to the T. The feeling of needing a recipe and needing to follow it to its every last word is a common fear for many. The ability to conquer those fears will allow you to maneuver the kitchen with ease- leaving the recipe behind. By leaving the recipe behind you will have more enthusiasm to cook. Cooking allows you to be in control over the foods you eat, leaving you less opportunities to eat high calorie foods. Each of these cooking techniques, steaming, sautéing and grilling, consist of cooking methods, and each method is basically the same no matter what you are cooking.
Three Cooking Techniques- Steaming, Sautéing, Grilling
Steaming-
Steaming is a basic cooking technique and it’s usually a client favorite. This technique allows you to cook a vegetable or protein through steam; steam can be created by water or broth. By using broth or even a court bouillon (mixture of white wine, lemon, onions, garlic and herbs) you can give the vegetable or protein another level of flavor with out the fat. Clients always favor steamed vegetables in a court bouillon because it’s a healthy and delicious way of cooking, plus it sounds gourmet. A simple technique that leaves a big impression!
Steaming Method-
. Fill a pot 1/4 of the way with a liquid of your choice
. Place steaming basket inside
. Close the lid and wait for it to start steaming
. Once the pot is steaming, place the items inside and start cooking (this should take anywhere from 5-10 minutes!
Sautéing-
No matter what time of year, sautéing is always available and acceptable. It’s preferable to use olive oil, a monounsaturated fat (olive oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil), to make the dish better for you. Remember that it’s all about moderation and balance. You can use about a tablespoon of olive oil to sauté. You can also try using spray olive oils so that it coats the pan and you will use less than pouring it. My favorite sautéing trick is adding water 1/2 way through the cooking process. It will release the delicious brown coating (fond) on the bottom and infuse it into what you are cooking and prevent your food from burning. Keep a glass of water next to you while you are cooking.
Sautéing Method-
. Add monounsaturated oil to a pan
. Heat stove to medium high
. Salt and pepper your protein or vegetable
. Lay gently into the pan
. Cook for, 2-3 minutes (if it starts to burn turn the heat down and add a little more fat or use my trick by adding a little water to decrease the fat you put into the pan)
. Once the first side is completely brown, flip or stir and continue to cook (turn down the heat a bit if you want to cook it thru on the stove)
Grilling-
I adore grilling, and with a hot seasoned grill you can limit the amount of fat that you have to put on to the item that you’re grilling. Vegetables usually require close supervision on the grill so they won’t burn. I typically make thick grill lines on both sides and close the lid so the item can cook through. The only exception is asparagus; I never cover asparagus because I don’t want it to over cook.
Grilling Method-
. Season* the grill with oil
. Lightly coat the item with a light brush of olive oil
. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the item
. Heat grill to medium high
. Lay the item on the grates and cook for three to four minutes (time may vary depending on what you are cooking)
. Rotate the item counter clockwise a quarter turn and continue to cook
. Flip and repeat steps five and six
. Keep lid closed while cooking (accept with asparagus)
*Season- lightly coat the grates with olive oil. Lightly coat a rag with olive oil and when the grill is hot rub the oil onto the grates. The heat will allow the oil to flow into the expanded metal and coat it so that anything placed on the grill does not stick. Do not pour the oil directly on to the grates.
For more great Chef Mary's Cooking Tips- Please go to Washington Times Communities- Hail Mary Fod of Grace or to find out more information about Chef Mary please go to her website www.marypaynemoran.com or email her questions for Ask Chef Mary Friday's at mary@hailmarysinc.com.
Also Check out Chef Mary's New Webisode on You Tube at channel chefmpm about Supporting Local Farmers!
You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter!
I challenge you to live a healthy life one day at a time. I encourage you to make good decisions minute by minute so at the end of the day you succeed. In a world that is saturated with misinformation about the best ways to lose weight no wonder we feel helpless. Billions of dollars are spent on advertising for the quick fix-gimmicks (No carbohydrates, only proteins or eat low fat) for the Million Dollar Question: How do we lose weight? I believe in the no diet- diet. When you take it upon yourself to eat better (lean proteins, vegetables, whole grains) and refrain from eating poorly (fatty meats, fried foods, processed snacks) then you will ultimately make your life better. Look at every day as a new opportunity and empower yourself by becoming your own advocate. The ultimate fix is within you.
As a professional chef I help people lose weight through my cooking and, as a nutritionist I guide them through my words. The truth is it’s easier for someone to lose weight when I am in control of the cooking, but it is more important in the long run to teach someone how to cook for themselves. I understand that losing weight is challenging and that life is tough, and we are all juggling an agenda but it is time to empower yourself.
I recently encountered two very young women who chose to get their stomachs stapled rather than educating themselves on how to eat properly. This is just another example of how someone can make a decision based on trend or fad vs. hard work and education. When we fall into these traps remember, we can start a new day and begin again. Eating whole foods, smaller portions, leaner proteins, making sure to hydrate yourself, exercise regularly and sleep as consistently as possible is the way to go. No matter what you have tried this is how to live your everyday life.
Life has become easy and hard in the same breath. There are drive-thru windows so we can eat in a matter of minutes. Beware, those are usually empty calories that can make you feel satisfied for a moment and then worse than you did before you ate. We send text messages and expect a response in a matter of seconds. We are a society in a hurry.
Choose to have a diet filled with fresh vegetables like kale, spinach, peppers, and broccoli rather than canned vegetables. Brown rice is a great carbohydrate to add rather than a large bowl of pasta. Eating a chicken breast without the skin grilled, or a nice white fish is better for you than a fatty t-bone. But if you love the canned vegetables, the pasta, or the T-bone how can you make it work? Try eating these things every few weeks and make the portion smaller (about the size of your palm) and remember life in moderation. Try eating it every few weeks and make the portion smaller (about the size of your palm) remember life in moderation.
Diet food doesn’t have to taste bad! In fact you don’t have to think of it as diet food at all. It can be amazing and refreshing and leave you with tons of energy whereas heavy takeout meal will leave you heavy and lethargic. The key to eating healthy is making it flavorful. Using citrus, vinegars and spices like Herbs of Provence. Layering flavors like garlic, caramelized onion and leek will leave you asking for more. These help to develop richness to a simple grilled chicken breast. Like creating sauces out of yogurts, reduced vinegars and tomato sauces. These are techniques that can be learned.
I challenge you to live your life one day at a time. I challenge you to take three minutes out of your day to make a plan for your meal. I challenge you to join me in my column and learn how to enhance your life through food. Let’s grow from where we have been, and let us return to the balance for tomorrow. Fast food really doesn’t make life easier- it creates more problems than it solves. I will be giving recipes, tips and information from farmers, chefs, fitness instructors, doctors and actors that live healthy lives but still eat delicious food.
The Washington Times Communities Section also features this article. I will be writing with them every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Check it out! Click on the Link Below and Find Hail Mary Food of Grace
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/
5581 S Lake Shore Dr, Harbor Springs, MI 49740Pond Hill Farm -
(231) 526-3276
Special thanks to Farmer Jimmy and his family and Farmer Tim
Look whose on the front page of the Communities with the Washington Times. The communities is officially launching on Monday, so check back in everyday to read all about health and nutrition.
http://community.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/hail-mary-food-grace/2009/oct/30/vegetable-vitality/
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Kids are always trying to find ways to avoid eating their vegetables, from secretly feeding it to the pet dog or have it magically appear in their napkin. So here is something you can do to get your kids to get their daily dose of vegetables such as celery, carrots, and broccoli.
Shepard’s Pie
Ingredients-
Steamed Spinach- How to Sauté
Potatoes-
Ground Beef or Tofu
Directions-
When I was on the farm with my dear friends at Pond Hill Farm they showed me around their chicken coup. Farmer Tim told me all about the different types of chickens. My video from Pond Hill Farm will be coming soon, and you can learn all about their amazing and educational farm.
When it comes to chickens, there are several different breeds used for different things. These breeds fall into one of three categories egg, meat, and the dual-purpose breed. Chickens such as the Ameraucana, Ancona, and Andalusian are used primarily for producing eggs. These breeds are known for being lightweight birds whose hens do not go broody.
While the Bresse, Cornish Game, and Ixworth are preferred for meat alone, though the commercial broiler market is currently monopolized by the Cornish-Rock (a hybrid of the Cornish and Plymouth Rock). Duel purpose chickens on the other hand are the generalist breeds used in barnyards the world over, good at producing both meat and eggs. Though some may be slightly better for one of these purposes, they are usually called dual-purpose breeds.
Dear Mary,
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