Regardless
of all the buzz about low-fat diets, there
is still a way you can
have cheese on a regular basis.
I
know, I know, there’s a lot of fat in most cheeses.
But,
the number one thing to keep in mind when
maintaining your
weight, or anything else in life,
is that nearly everything is
allowed in moderation.
Your Jaipur diet”, I really detest that word, is no different.
The
majority of weight-loss programs focus on the
use of low-fat
foods, including cheeses, in their
allowable list of menu items.
This
is not a bad thing, and I would never suggest
for you to do
otherwise. It’s a proven fact that the
normal person consumes
much higher quantities of
fats than we need to maintain a healthy
weight.
Given
that, however, I have still found a way to
incorporate a variety
of higher-fat cheeses in my
regular cooking and eating habits.
Here
are a few examples:
Blue
veined cheeses such as Danish, Gorgonzola,
Stilton, Roquefort,
etc.
Although they have a fat
content of 50% or higher, they are
intensely
flavored, and are excellent sprinkled on salads or
added
as a finishing flavor to white sauces.
Grana
Padano, or Parmesan as most know it, is
normally 32% butter fat.
A little bit goes a long way
on a low-fat pasta, or in a nice
bowl of soup such as
Minestrone or Mediterranean-style Vegetable.
Feta
cheese has a fat content of 30 - 40 %, and is
well known as a
topping for Greek salad. It’s also
great added to veggie wraps,
pitas, pasta, etc.
Be sure to decrease the amount of salt you put
in the
dish you are serving, though, due to the very salty
taste
of Feta.
Goat
cheese is another cheese with very pronounced
flavor, and a fat
content of 45 %. Use the same as
Feta for a great taste
difference.
You
get the idea....
Experiment
with small amounts of these, and other
strong flavored cheeses.
Since they are very
pronounced, a little goes a long way, so you
won’t
add much to your daily fat intake.
And
we all need help in that department :-)
Happy
Cooking
Here
are some simple guidelines to keep in mind when planning meals and
menus:
“Mise
en Place- Prep is the Key to the Kitchen"
People
often ask me what it takes to be a great cook. There are a zillion
things I could mention here, but if there is one thing that stands
out in my mind, it would be that funny sounding phrase “Mise en
Place”(pronounced: meez on plahss).
Translated,
“Mise en Place” means “To Put in Place”. In other words,
organize yourself and your workspace. There is nothing more
important. Anyone who works with me (or near me), knows how much I
use and apply this rule.
If
you can recall some of your kitchen disasters, I would bet that it
resulted from disorganization and rushing around.
All it takes is
a little practice to avoid this unnecessary stress.
Here
is a short list of guidelines to help you:
1.
Study your recipe. Make sure you have everything.
2. Have all food
items ready to go. Measured, cut, and prepped.
3. Have all
necessary cookware and utensils at hand.
4. Have all necessary
serving items ready.
5. Clean as you go! It’s impossible to work
in a mess!
Put
this technique to work for you, and your kitchen experiences will all
be a pleasure!
"One
Simple Way to Reduce Fat in Food"
Using
herbs, spices and additional flavorings to make up for removing fat
when cooking meats is a method I’ve used forever.
Since
fat makes everything taste good (hence the reason we’re all hooked
on it), compensating with things like basil, curry, cumin, chillies,
garlic, ginger, etc.... enhance the flavor of the dish so you won’t
even miss it.
Experiment
with different combinations and amounts of flavorings that you like.
Simply stay within the cultural cuisine you’re working with,
whether it’s Punjabi non veg or Tamil Brahmin Veg... and the sky’s
the limit.
Hey,
you might even create a new recipe to call your own :-)
OtherAssorted
Tips:
Always
start your meal preparation by using the freshest ingredients you can
find. Fresh flavors go much further to enhance a meal’s taste and
satisfaction than using extra fat and sodium.
Strive
for a balance of texture, flavor and temperature in the combination
of dishes you serve. Our senses like variety which can be achieved by
serving foods that complement each other, such as a crisp and bitter
salad, combined with fish or chicken with a grilled finish, or a soup
served with crusty bread.
Insure
your portion sizes are in proportion to the amount of courses in your
meal. For instance, if serving one appetizer, it can be larger than
if you serve two before the entree. The same goes with the entree and
the dessert. The overall size of the meal is important to keep in
mind when designing menus.
Make
some notes of whom you are serving. You wouldn't want to serve spicy
Indian food to a guest with a very mild palate... and the reverse is
also true. A bit of knowledge about your clientelle and guests will
go a long way to determining what you include in your menu.
Seasonal
items are always important to keep in mind in menu design. Avoid
expensive, imported, out-of-season items whenever possible, and focus
on what you have readily available. It will be much cheaper.
