Fresh Slowcooking posts tagged 'philosophy' on Fresh Slowcooking

These ribs were originally marinated overnight for cooking on my friends barbecue, but by the next morning I was sneezing constantly. We decided it would be best if kept my germs to myself and ended up cooking the ribs at home in the slow cooker. I was worried they might turn out tough and dry, since that’s what happened the last time I cooked a rack of beef ribs in the slow cooker. This time around I cooked them for 2 hours on high and they came out tender and juicy.

You may be wondering; what does beekeeping have to do with fresh slow cooking? First, making honey is a slow process for the bees. During her lifetime a worker bee only produces 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey. That means twelve bee lifetimes per teaspoon of honey — a total of almost 10 000 miles (16 000 km) of flight, and drinking the nectar of over 30 000 flowers. Second, although I keep my usage of sweeteners to a minimum since watching Sugar: The Bitter Truth, I substitute honey for sugar in my cooking whenever possible. Third, what could be more fresh than enjoying honey straight from the comb of bees that you take of?… Not only that, bees are necessary for directly pollinating approximately 30% of our foods, including almonds, blueberries and apples — where would we be without our fresh fruits and vegetables?

I remember back when I was in university, screaming girls would line up to have Jamie Oliver, “The Naked Chef” autograph his latest cookbook. These days I would be one of the first in line to promote his cause. His current mission is to fight the obesity epidemic by inspiring families to cook, educating kids about food and improving how they eat at school. Last weekend I watched his passionate talk at TED, and wanted to share it here because I agree with his food philosophy.

Fructose is the natural sugar present in fruits. During the last 30 years, large amounts have been incorporated into processed foods and beverages, including low-fat alternatives. It is found in large amounts in anything containing high fructose corn syrup, but this is not the only form. Evidence that fructose causes obesity is piling up. Dr. Robert Lustig, a Professor of paediatric endocrinology at UCSF presents a summary of the proof in a compelling 90 minute lecture.

Not only do I love great tasting food, I choose to prepare and eat foods that are healthy for my family and the environment. This includes eating fruits and vegetables that are in season and buying meat and poultry that are grown using sustainable and humane practices. My first post on this topic discusses some advantages of buying local produce. If you’re not buying seasonal produce, please keep reading to learn what you are missing.