There's No Reason for Bad Food!

It is a little funny how we have such a distorted view of food these days. What is OK to eat and what should be off limits is constantly changing in regards to our health.
Since the beginning of 2006 I have been on a journey of self discovery with my two great passions, health/fitness, and cooking. I've done it all: the the bodybuilding workouts and way of eating, low carb/low fat, cooking with substitutions to the point of where the original recipe is almost completely gone, high protein, low protein, trying fad diet tips, "Men's Health" tips, etc. In the course of this time I have lost 80 lbs., created shortcuts for cooking and simplified food all together. I also managed to loose a bit of that punch that makes food exciting and amazing by looking for ways to make healthy, no fun, and quick meals for my busy lifestyle.
A few words to the wise about making good that is easy and healthy, but still has that "WOW" factor:

Mambo Italiano

Marinara sauce. We love it for it's complex and wholesome taste. We hate it for the stains it leaves when that whole in our bottom lips seems to appear.
The other day I tried my hand for the first time at making Italian Biscotti with my friend Mandy, who just happens to be born and bred Italian. Needless to say it wasn't exactly "like Nonna (grandma) used to make". I think she is just being tough on our little creation, lovingly deemed "Chriscotti".
That's when I decided to beat her at her own Italian game. This is me striking the first blow...

Hooch du jour!

So lately I have been getting into drinking a bit of wine (Strictly for the purpose of reporting to you good people).

Wine just happens to be chalk full of all sorts of healthful stuff (Resveratrol, antioxidants, etc.). It also happens, in my opinion, to be a bit easier to put down, sometimes, than mixed drinks (full of sugar) or beer (a little heavy, but great after sweating in the sun or with Mexican food). And for all those beer drinking tough guys who shun wine, it has a higher alcohol content per glass than even that heavy dark stuff, sans the bloating!

A bit of wine advice from a novice who has been doing his research:

-Try out a lot of variety. Occasionally I indulge in a cigar and rarely smoke the same one twice unless I truly like that one. Same goes for wine.

-The sweet spot price wise for buying wine is between $9 and $29, but flexible. Currently I am looking for a particular South African wine, "Vin Di Constance", which last time I checked online to have a bottle shipped to me was around $75, so every now and then a splurge for a nice occasion seems acceptable. This wine was coveted by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who had 15 cases a year shipped to him during his exile to the island of St. Helena. If it is good enough for Napoleon, it's good enough for Chris!

OK, sorry for the departure, on to the wine...

Madeleine Who?

Madeleines, also know as “French Butter Cakes” are a treat for anyone who likes sweet and lightly cakey cookies (let’s see a show of hands out there! Don’t be shy.)
My inspiration for these little darlings actually came one day a few years back when I was watching “Le Transporteur”, “The Transporter” for us Americans. The woman who was saved in the movie made these little cakes for her hero one morning. At that point I knew I had to find out what these were. It took me 2 weeks just to track down the special molds for them. You can find them online, or were I did at “The Pacific Chef “in Bellingham, WA.

Madeleines hail from Commercy, France. Louis XV named these petite cakes after his father-in-law's pastry chef, Madeleine Paulmier and were soon introduced to the court of Versailles by Louis' wife. Needless to say the swept all of France off it's feet in a short time. It is a mystery to the French, and myself, why these little cakes have never truly caught on here in the states. They are everything you could possibly ask for in a cookie: light, sweet, and distinctively classy!

Crepes With "Latin Panache"

Last night I came home from work with a determined mindset to clear out some room in my freezer and cabinets. According to some friends of mine (Kevin and Mandy), I have more food than any one person can eat (Funny for two people whom live the "Mother Hubberd's cupboard's are bare" scenario day in and out). Lately I have been in a "French" sort of mood after a fantastic book I read by Mireille Guiliano and the Julia Child reruns I have been watching. What follows is the creation, born from leftovers and whatever was in the freezer and cabinets, that I have yet to come up with a catchy name for, so if you may have one, please do not hold back.

Creativity In Bloom

Today I begin a journey. This is not an adventure of a thousand steps, but more of a thousand tastes. Growing up I have always loved food. I do not shy away from the many culinary treasures this world has to offer in it's vast reaches. In fact, if it is even remotely edible, I will try it at least once. Thank you for joining me on this culinary trip and we shall see were it takes!