Age GracefullyThe First Taste of Fall: Apples & Pears
There’s always a moment when I realize fall has arrived. Here in Southern California, it isn’t necessarily because the temperature has dropped or the leaves have started changing. Sometimes, it’s simply walking through the market and seeing beautiful displays of crisp apples and ripe pears. To me, apples and pears are some of the first tastes of fall. I love them because they’re delicious just as they are, but they’re also incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Slice them into a salad, pair them with nuts and cheese, cook them alongside a savory meal, or bake them with cinnamon and warm […]READ MORE
May 30, 2022
Published by Grace O
I just love berries! Not only are they sweet and delicious, but they are loaded with healthful antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber. Soon we’ll be heading into prime berry season. Strawberries are already here, and June marks the prime time for blueberries, raspberries and boysenberries, and other berries. There are scores of recipes and serving ideas for them. But there is another berry that’s available starting now in late spring that’s a little different and a nutritional powerhouse — Indian gooseberries, also known as amla fruit. The fruit is about the size of blueberries and looks sort of […]
May 30, 2022
Published by Grace O
As I’ve been telling my story these past few years about how I developed an anti-aging cookbook based on the food-is-medicine principle called FoodTrients, I’ve expanded my method for creating delicious, comforting recipes designed to keep you young, healthy and beautiful. It’s a lot easier than I imagined, and it’s the focus of The AGE BEAUTIFULLY COOKBOOK: Easy and Exotic Longevity Secrets from Around the World. The recipes are mainly quick and easy to make, and will introduce readers to age-defying foods and flavors from around the world, with a focus on beauty that emanates from the inside. As I […]
May 4, 2022
Published by Grace O
For those of us who grew up in Southeast Asia, mangoes are as common there as apples are here in North America—they are everywhere and in just about everything. My mom encouraged me to eat mangoes every day and I was happy to oblige. They are delicious with a wonderful, tropical scent and a flavor that’s a cross between pineapple and a luscious, ripe peach. The juicy flesh has a smooth, silky texture. Originally cultivated at the foot of the Himalayas 4,000 years ago, mangoes are one of the most popular fruits in the world. Right now is the beginning […]
May 4, 2022
Published by Grace O
In my casual observation, there are two kinds of breakfasts: sweet and savory. Sometimes I crave one, sometimes the other. Certain culinary traditions do one or the other better—the French with their strong, highly sweetened coffee served with buttery croissants and a generous pot of strawberry jam fall into the sweet category. In Japan, expect fish and pickled vegetables for breakfast. In New York City, you’ll find the best bagels and lox, while no trip to New Orleans is complete without a plate of fresh beignets dusted with powdered sugar. In an earlier blog, I described shakshuka, a spicy tomato, […]
March 29, 2022
Published by Grace O
Lamb is a nutritious and delectable protein and one that I like to serve on special occasions or when I just want a change from beef, poultry or pork. But consumption of lamb in the U.S. has plummeted over the last 50 years. In the 1960s, Americans consumed on average 4.5 lbs. per year. Today, it’s about 0.7lbs. Why, when lamb is so delicious? There are a couple of theories that help explain the decline. First, soldiers during WWII were fed a lot of canned lamb and mutton, so when they returned home, they wanted no more of the meat […]
March 15, 2022
Published by Grace O
Here in Los Angeles, with our access to plentiful produce and a pervasive interest in healthy eating, we have a long history of plant-based cuisine. In 1885, a newspaper called The Daily Alta California reported on a popular vegetarian brunch item, “Quartered alligator pears with the pulp spread on slices of grilled bread and seasoned with salt and pepper.” Today we know this delicacy as avocado toast! When Upton Sinclair published The Jungle in 1906, it highlighted the exploitation of workers and unsanitary conditions in the meat packing industry in Chicago. The novel inspired a minor craze for vegetarian restaurants […]
March 6, 2022
Published by Grace O
One of the hottest topics to come out of the world of food and nutrition was the broad introduction of plant-based meats, specifically patties that mimic beef burgers. Two companies, Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, are at the forefront of providing meat substitutes that really taste like ground beef. The question from a FoodTrients standpoint is: are these products more healthful than beef patties? Do they have what it takes to benefit your well-being? Who’s the Target Audience? First thing to know about these plant-based meat substitutes is that veggie burgers have been around for decades. Remember Boca® Burger and […]
January 1, 2022
Published by Grace O
For several years, the FoodTrients team attended the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) Annual World Congress in Las Vegas. And every year we found ourselves even more excited about the scientific and medical evidence presented there around food, fasting, and nutrients, and how we can live longer, healthier lives. On the opening day of that conference, an entire track of lectures on fasting followed the keynote address from Dr. Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California (USC) and author of The Longevity Diet, based on his ground-breaking research on a “fasting mimicking” diet. Dr. […]
January 1, 2022
Published by Grace O
During the holidays I spend a great deal of time in the kitchen with my cooking team. I’ll be throwing parties, creating food as gifts, and discovering healthy ways to eat my family’s traditional holiday recipes. I’ll share some of my newest and most fun party-food recipes with you. You’ll be able to get more of these recipes in my cookbook, The AGE BEAUTIFULLY Cookbook. Appetizers are excellent party food. Anything that guests can eat while standing up is a good idea. Cheese trays are very popular these days for good reason. Cheese has many health benefits. Whether it’s a […]
September 27, 2021
Published by Grace O
Most people’s experience with miso is the yellowish paste that settles at the bottom of a bowl of soup that’s at the start of a Japanese meal.It’s salty and
August 6, 2021
Published by Grace O
An aioli is a French dipping sauce, a garlicky mayonnaise, that works wonderfully well whether you’re dipping French fries, steamed artichoke leaves, or shrimp. It can be spread on sandwiches or used as a thick salad dressing. It’s also quite versatile, able to take on a wide variety of spices to create an array of global dips and spreads. Here is my basic aioli recipe and quite a few global variations on the French theme. Basic French Aioli I use mayonnaise as my aioli base because it’s faster and easier than emulsifying the egg yolks with oil myself. Hellmann’s (a.k.a. […]
May 10, 2021
Published by Grace O
Fermented foods are the new “it” food today, even though fermentation is a centuries-old process that was around long before refrigeration. Over time, with all of the modern convenience foods available to us, home-made fermented foods lost their appeal. But today’s rebirth of fermented foods makes good sense – they are powerfully good for us. In addition to the benefits of the food itself– for example, milk, soy beans or cabbage—the fermentation process creates lactobacillus that feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut, which in turn creates a natural balance of intestinal flora improving digestion, immune function, and absorption of […]
April 12, 2021
Published by Grace O
Cool weather has finally come to Southern California. The nights and early mornings can be quite chilly so what could be better than a warm drink? There’s something very comforting about settling in with a freshly brewed cup of coffee or tea when it’s cool (or cold) outside. Did you know that both beverages offer a number of age-defying benefits? Plus the warm, steamy liquid is soothing if you have a cold because it can help open up nasal passages. Coffee and tea drinks are one of those indulgences that are good for you in so many ways! Let’s count […]