Author name: theRaggedys

Ultra-Concerned!

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It’s Ann here today. Andy is over in OurLittleCorner fretting about what a waiter recently said to him.

I just learned I have something in common with Michael Pollan – and it’s not promoting psychedelics. It’s addictively eating potato chips. In my case, it’s not any old potato chips. It’s Torres Black Truffle Potato Chips. Thanks to Hannah in Brooklyn for the addiction, since she bought them for us when our son and she visited in December.

The Business Insider recently published an interesting interview with Pollan – not only about his potato chip addiction but about his effort to avoid eating ultra-processed foods. And what are ultra-processed foods? “A very good definition of ultra-processed food is it is made from ingredients that no ordinary person keeps in their pantry,” Pollan said.

I know most of us don’t have truffle oil in our kitchen, but tell me what’s so “ultra’ about those Black Truffle Chips, especially when you compare them to something like Doritos?

If you read the news regularly, I’m sure you’ve noticed all of the attention being given to ultra-processed foods and the damage they may be doing to our health. The Washington Post, NPR, Scientific American, and the Wall Street Journal have all recently run lengthy articles (see the links) about these foods and the research regarding them. Mind you, not all scientists are in total agreement about the health issues ultra-processed foods may cause, but none dispute that there are red flags.

The British Medical Journal just published the results of an umbrella review of relevant studies and “reports a higher risk of adverse health outcomes associated with ultra-processed food exposure. The strongest available evidence pertained to direct associations between greater exposure to ultra-processed foods and higher risks of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease related mortality, common mental disorder outcomes, overweight and obesity, and type 2 diabetes.” What’s scary is that, according to a 2022 American Medical Society article, “data shows that 57% of caloric intake in adults comes from ultraprocessed foods,” and…”for children it’s sadly even higher, with 67% of children’s daily calories from relatively empty ultraprocessed foods.”

If you’re scratching your head, trying to think of the ultra-processed foods you may be eating, here are some prime examples:

A reminder: look closely at the ingredients before assuming you must avoid all of these. You may be able to find healthier versions – like Torres Black Truffle Potato Chips 🙂

The Center for Science in the Public Interest describes ultra-processed foods as popular because “They have affordable prices because of low-cost ingredients, they are convenient…they are designed to be ready to consume and to have long durations. They are engineered to have craving-like palatability. And they are aggressively marketed.”

After spending the last few weeks obsessively-looking at the ingredients in every food item in our kitchen – and reading a ton about ultra-processed foods, I’ve come to the following conclusions: (1) Of course, we should seriously limit our consumption of these foods, but we don’t have to give them up entirely. An occasional Dorito-eating binge isn’t going to kill you – or ruin your mental health. (2) It pays to be more conscious of what we eat with regularity and in generous amounts. Please don’t get almost 60% of your calories from ultra-processed foods! A quick (reading glasses ON) look at both the expiration date and the list of ingredients will tell you a lot about what not to put on your food “rotation” list. You’re looking for a short and familiar list of ingredients and an expiration date that’s not far, far away.

Today’s BigLittleMeals recipe is a winner – compared to this popular supermarket purchase. Kraft makes a big deal about “no artificial flavors and no MSG” but doesn’t mention all of the other ingredients that push the salad dressing into the ultra-processed category.

If you’re curious about the name of the dressing, here’s the scoop. The dressing originated in NorCal, having first been served at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco over a 100 years ago.

Green Goddess Dressing/Dip

Serve over a green salad, as a dip with veggies, and with grilled fish or chicken – or even meatballs. Adapted from Jessica Battilana and Samin Nosrat

  • 2-4 oil-packed anchovy filets
  • 1/3 c mayonnaise
  • 1/3 c Greek yogurt
  • 1 c fresh parsley
  • 1/3 c fresh basil leaves
  • 1-2 T lemon juice
  • 2 T chopped fresh tarragon leaves (optional)
  • 3 chopped green onions
  • salt and pepper

In a food processor, combine the anchovies, mayonnaise, yogurt, parsley, basil, 1 T lemon juice, tarragon (if you’re using it), and green onions. Process until smooth and green. Add salt and pepper as needed (be sure to taste, remembering that the anchovies are salty) and more lemon juice, if desired.

Recipe brought to you by BigLittleMeals.com and Andy and Ann.

Our Cat is a Jerk. There, I’ve Said It.

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Andy is blogging today. Ann is over in OurLittleCorner with the “purrfect” subject – and a recipe which may be a little “fishy.”

Ono at the shelter on the day we adopted her (She was “Feisty” then)

It should have been a red flag when they told us at the animal shelter that the kitten we were considering for adoption had been nicknamed “Feisty.”   But how can anyone resist such a cute, blue-eyed (albeit crossed-eyed) little Lynx Point Siamese kitten?  So Feisty came home with us and we renamed her Ono Moore – as in, “Oh no more cats” (which, by the way, wasn’t as prophetic as I had wished).  

Ann and I aren’t rookies when it comes to pets. We’ve had cats and dogs throughout our entire married life.  When Ono crossed our threshold she joined Trace, our aging Blue Point Siamese, along with Oakley, our Aussie.  Trace and Oakley welcomed Ono with open arms (or legs if you want to be technical about it). Our household was filled with warmth and love. We never would have dreamed that Ono would turn out to be such a jerk.

Oakley and Ono hit it off immediately.
Our elder cat,Trace, and Ono often slept together.

Ono’s drift to being a jerk started after Trace went to that great scratching post in the sky and we filled our cat void with another Siamese adoptee, ChocoLatte.  Ono was not pleased to have this new kid on her block. And she was quick to show her displeasure. In fact, their relationship became so cantankerous that I documented their antics for an earlier post (A Tale of Two Kitties).  Unfortunately, a span of nearly eight years of togetherness has not put a dent on Ono’s distain for Choco.

ChocoLatte (Choco for short) back in 2016

But Ono’s nastiness to Choco doesn’t qualify her for jerk status, at least according to Colleen Grablick in a recent article in The Washington Post – “Cats aren’t jerks. They’re just misunderstood.” She points out that clashes between cats can be fueled by differences in age, energy level and lived experience. And in some cases their “personalities simply don’t gel.” I’ll concede the point that rather than being a jerk to Choco, Ono may be acting in a predictably cat-like manner (even though I would bet a bunch that if asked, Choco would say that Ono is a jerk).

Ono going after Choco (scene from “A Tale of Two Kitties.”)

It’s how Ono’s interacts with humans (and dogs) that puts her in the jerk category, at east to my way of thinking. Let me give some examples and see if you agree.

I’ll start with Ono’s adverse effect on our dogs. They have learned through the school of hard knocks (slashes?) to give Ono wide berth. I can call 50-pound Oakley to come to dinner and if 8-pound Ono is between Oakley and her dish she will not come until I stand between the cat and Oakley’s intended path. And what absolutely petrifies either dog is when Ono will try to rub against one of them (while she’s purring). I truly believe that she does this out of spite and gets sadistic pleasure from their cringing responses.

Ono is purring. Wynn is rightfully apprehensive

Then there’s our typical bedtime routine with Ono. If you choose to sleep on your side she likes to snuggle against your bottom (aka butt) and if you sleep on your back she nests in the vicinity of your crotch . And to make matters worse she purrs quite audibly while settling in for the night. The problem is that each time you adjust your position she reciprocates with ominous growling that lasts until you’re again still – at which time she resumes her annoying purring. The last thing you want to do is to expose your hand from under the covers; her lightning fast claws have drawn blood on more than one such occasion.

Or consider the issue of house guests. Interestingly, Ono is quite gregarious compared to other cats we’ve lived with, including our lovable Choco. Ono is obsessed with visitors and not hesitant to get up close and personal, often purring and rubbing against their legs. We warn all guest to be wary of the cat and avoid petting her. Our son Travis suggests that we adhere to the “three strokes and you’re out” rule. But unfortunately, visitors often find it difficult to resist caressing a beautiful, purring cat. I can’t tell you how many well-meaning but naive people have succumbed to that urge only to painfully discover that our warnings had merit.

An all-too-familiar scene at our house (Gary Larson’s Far Side, 1985)

I had always wondered how and why cats purr. I found this in “How cats purr” – published by the Zoology Society of London: “the primary mechanism for sound and vibration production (aka, purring) is a centrally driven laryngeal modulation of respiratory flow.” I’ll have to take their word for it.

Why cats purr is not so straightforward. Matt Hambly on NewScientist.com claims that in addition to feeling pleasure, purring could be an indication of hunger or a cat feeling anxious (and there is some evidence that purring also may relieve pain in cats). The issue, according to Colleen Grablick in herThe Washington Post article is that we humans are not good at reading cats’ true feelings, and purring is a prime example. She argues that we tend to interpret purring as positive because of our desire to have happy cats. That’s why one shouldn’t think of a purring cat that bites you as a jerk – it’s just misunderstood and technically our fault, not the cat’s.

I must admit that after considering the case made by Grablick in her “Cats aren’t jerks…” article, I began rethinking my assertion that Ono is a jerk. Is it possible that Ono’s purring and preening are signs of her despair? Is her lashing out a cry for help? Am I guilty of blaming the victim – something every good sociologist should avoid?

While I was still mulling over these questions I had a run in with Ono that tipped the scale in favor of the”jerk” designation. It occurred while I was getting ready to retire for the night. As I came out of the bathroom barefooted and headed for the bed I noticed Ono quietly lying on the rug between the bed and me. I tried to gingerly step around her but must have come within striking range of her lightening fast claws and she nailed my foot. It hurt. And she wasn’t even purring. What a jerk!

As we know, looks can be deceptive

An Apple or a Green-ish Banana a Day! Or Maybe a Jerusalem Artichoke?

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Ann is blogging today. Andy, believe it or not, is over in OurLittleCorner mulling over some cartoons from his childhood.

Is it wrong that I’ve been cooking for fifty-eight years and blogging about food for seven years – and yet don’t know what a Jerusalem Artichoke looks like, much less tastes like?

And is it wrong that a number of years ago Andy and I quit eating bananas – except on rare occasions – and seldom eat a whole apple, peel-on?

Maybe it’s even wrong that I’ve spent lots of hours researching PROBIOTICS when I should have been learning about PREBIOTICS.

Food is just so complicated. And so important. Here’s some of what I’ve learned about prebiotics – as well as Jerusalem Artichokes and bananas and apples:

The University of Massachusets Chan Medical School site explains Probiotics and Prebiotics this way:

As you may know, probiotics are beneficial bacteria, and can be found in foods with live bacterial cultures such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kefir.  They are also available in supplement form. Prebiotics are foods for the probiotics to feed upon. When the bacteria are fed what they need, they can thrive and provide us with health benefits.

Fortunately, what the good bacteria like also happens to be good for us!  These foods contain types of fiber such as beta-glucans and inulin that the bacteria feed upon. They metabolize these fibers into products that help to maintain our gastrointestinal health.  No need to buy any type of pill!  Food is best.

There’s still a lot of research being done to determine exactly how food sources for your gut microbiota work, but here are a few things we know prebiotics do, according to The Cleveland Clinic:

  • Improve how well your immune system functions.
  • Enhance your body’s anti-inflammatory response.
  • Help your bones mineralize and absorb calcium and phosphorus, which can improve bone density.
  • Stimulate your body to make hormones that aid in appetite, appetite suppression and more.
  • Produce neurotransmitters that go back and forth between your gut and your brain to trigger mood changes and other processes.
  • Help regulate bowel movements.
  • Increase production of good bacteria and decrease bad bacteria that causes disease.
From the National Institute of Health website

There are many kinds of prebiotics, but three of the most common are found in resistant starches, inulin and pectin. To help you out when you’re grocery shopping, be advised that GREEN bananas have lots of resistant starches; an abundance of resistant starches are also found in boiled (not roasted) potatoes, oats, beans and lentils. For inulin, you can try Jerusalem Artichokes, but I recommend leeks, onion, garlic, and asparagus. You’ll get pectin from the peel-on apples.

If you’re interested in more scientific specifics about prebiotics, the National Institute of Health has this helpful article.

FYI: Jerusalem Artichokes (aka sunchokes) have no connection to Jerusalem (they’re native to North America and were cultivated by the Indigenous people) nor to artichokes (the French explorer de Champlain compared their taste to artichokes). They can be eaten raw – unless this comment from a botanist in 1621 worries you: which way soever they be dressed and eaten, they stir and cause a filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than men.

In case you’re wondering: Andy and I quit eating bananas because we decided they were “empty calories.” That’s clearly wrong. And we quit eating unpeeled apples because we thought we were protecting ourselves from contaminants on the peel, even though organic apples should be safe. And, admittedly, I don’t like the often-bland long-shelf-life commercial apples. I just planted an heirloom Black Twig apple. I’ll report back…after I eat an unpeeled one.

Now that apples and bananas to snack on have re-entered our lives, I’m also looking for recipes that increase the amount of other prebiotics in our diet. We’ve got a winner recipe today…filled with barley, garlic, mushrooms, leeks, and dandelion greens.

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