Please, don't do it.
You don't need to be vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, lactose-free, raw, macrobiotic, pescatarian, pesca-vegan (heh c'est moi), or I don't know, doing that Paleo diet, to despise food-pushers.
Mothers trying to get their kids to eat, or nurses feeding patients are different. There obviously are exceptions. But if you're just yourself, reading this blog because you already have your health in mind, and you don't feel like eating something, why does someone else try to make you eat it?
Apart from being asked questions about veganism, or pesca-veganism or sugar-freeism, I have never before dealt with having food pushed on me.
For example, someone made some bread, and I tasted some, thought it was good, but continued upstairs to my room to go on the computer. Food-pusher walks upstairs two minutes later, asking me, no, demanding to me, if she can bring me a plate of the bread. (Since I'm upstairs, I guess I just can't get it myself). I said "No, thank you, if I want some I'll just go downstairs and get it".
And don't get me started on mango. I love mango, but there's something about having food pushed on you that makes me think that there's got to be a reason this food-pusher doesn't want this dream food. So my primal instincts kick in and I assume there's something wrong with the pushed food. So I don't want it either.
I think it's because the other person is:
afraid they'll eat it
or that it won't be eaten.
There are myriad reasons for those three all-encompassing reasons. (I just thought of another one: they actually want YOU to eat it) Luckily, my food-pusher pushes food on others in addition to me, so I think I'm dealing with a case No. 1.
That's all
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Tea Lattés
Before I move this post forward in any way, I just have to say that I am sinking my fork into the most moist, delectable, and steamy sweet potato ever. A grand reward for searching everywhere for them, in multiple marchés in Aix-en-Provence, before I finally found them.
Since eighth grade, my mom and sister and I went to Starbucks all the time. I didn't even think about it at that age, I would get iced black teas which are relatively harmless compared to the frappucchinos or mochas. It was sweetened with their sugar syrup, and I was aware of that, but I didn't mind. Then I became pescatarian (a fish-eater but no meat), and things didn't change. If my mother wasn't at Starbucks, I wasn't. It wasn't addiction, the habit was rooted socially. I switched to soy milk but continued using. (The syrup, that is)
At UC Davis I would only go once or twice a week. Once in the early morning after a 6 AM exercise class, but more often depending on how much relief I needed from my dorm mates. And of course, inescapably, I would go when I visited home. I was vegan by this time.
Then something wonderful happened! Late Fall of 2010, I decided to strip my diet of refined sugar. Including evaporated cane juice, brown sugar, and Starbucks syrups. This posed a problem, because I love tea lattés. I tried to make them at home but they never tasted right. I used black tea, soy milk, almond milk, stevia powder, maple syrup, honey, and even liquid stevia. These various attempts tasted good, but not great.
Today I figured it out. My host mother here in France bought Rooibos, unflavored unfortunately, but that doesn't matter. I also had on hand my liquid stevia from NuNaturals, and some vanilla oatmilk, sans sucre ajouté (without sugar added).
In case you're wondering, I do still go to Starbucks on occasion. I always ask for unsweetened, even though I know a little evaporated cane juice is in the soymilk they use. At least I have my own liquid stevia to replace their sugar syrup. And there's always the humorous aspect:
Since eighth grade, my mom and sister and I went to Starbucks all the time. I didn't even think about it at that age, I would get iced black teas which are relatively harmless compared to the frappucchinos or mochas. It was sweetened with their sugar syrup, and I was aware of that, but I didn't mind. Then I became pescatarian (a fish-eater but no meat), and things didn't change. If my mother wasn't at Starbucks, I wasn't. It wasn't addiction, the habit was rooted socially. I switched to soy milk but continued using. (The syrup, that is)
At UC Davis I would only go once or twice a week. Once in the early morning after a 6 AM exercise class, but more often depending on how much relief I needed from my dorm mates. And of course, inescapably, I would go when I visited home. I was vegan by this time.
Then something wonderful happened! Late Fall of 2010, I decided to strip my diet of refined sugar. Including evaporated cane juice, brown sugar, and Starbucks syrups. This posed a problem, because I love tea lattés. I tried to make them at home but they never tasted right. I used black tea, soy milk, almond milk, stevia powder, maple syrup, honey, and even liquid stevia. These various attempts tasted good, but not great.
Today I figured it out. My host mother here in France bought Rooibos, unflavored unfortunately, but that doesn't matter. I also had on hand my liquid stevia from NuNaturals, and some vanilla oatmilk, sans sucre ajouté (without sugar added).
In France, when something says "Bio" it means that it's organic.
Heat a very small amount of milk in a sauce pan. I like to boil the water, then move the tea kettle and place the sauce pan with milk on the still-hot burner. You don't need to turn the stove on again for the milk, it gets plenty hot from the excess heat from the burner!
Meanwhile, the Rooibos is steeping. 5 minutes with boiling water (100 degrees C, or 212 degrees F)
Leave room in the mug for the milk, unless you want clean-up.
Start with 3 or 4 drops of the liquid stevia. This stuff is potent. I usually use 5 or 6, because I am hopelessly addicted to sweetness.
Stirstirstir
There it is, cooling down in front of my giant postcards of "Les Couleurs de la Rouille" and "Les Murs en Provence".
Tea lattés bring general happiness
In case you're wondering, I do still go to Starbucks on occasion. I always ask for unsweetened, even though I know a little evaporated cane juice is in the soymilk they use. At least I have my own liquid stevia to replace their sugar syrup. And there's always the humorous aspect:
Sur Le Sujet de Thé
Where do I even begin?
This is a picture from Téance, a tea store in Berkeley, CA that not only orders their tea directly from tea farms, but also does tastings. I first visited with a group of friends from my dorm (in college) who also love tea. I then took a few friends of the family, and later my boyfriend, Eric. I try to buy some tea every time I go, but some of their tea is very expensive. The Japanese Gyokuro green tea is an amazingly moist and nutty tea. It is rich, but also fresh. And it fetches a high price. I think it was 60 dollars for 2 ounces. I bought Lu Shan Clouds and Mist instead, another refreshing green tea that I love. And I got my Gyokuro from Adagio, an online tea company.
It didn't disappoint.
The last time Eric and I were at Téance, they had snacks for sale, as was indicated by a little chalk board. It read the flavors of mochi that were available for purchase:
walnut, matcha, cocoa, adzuki, coconut, vanilla, ginger
Of course we spent probably about 20 minutes deciding, and finally we decided on the adzuki bean flavor, so we asked the manager (he tends the tea bar), and he said, "No, that's all one flavor".
ONE FLAVOR.
Eric and I just looked at each other, utterly amazed. Then we didn't hesitate to order it.
Had we known 20 minutes ago!?
It was so delicious!
We savored it with our mini forks, while we sipped Lichee Red Premium. (A Rooibos)
I will find out how to bake with adzuki beans, not to mention make mochi. Then I will tell you! But please don't hold your breath, I am still in Europe.
Téance's "Eight Treasure Herbs"
Téance's Chrysanthemum Herbal tea (can we confirm this?)
Yes, they're Goji Berries! At Téance.
Monday, October 10, 2011
La cuisine d'une étudiante Americaine
I haven't mentioned this at all, but I am studying in Southern France for three and a half months. Aix-en-Provence to be exact.
This explains my lack of posts, because I am without my dehydrator, blender, and food processor.
Before you start salivating over the fact that I'm in one of the food capitols of the world, I would like to say that it actually hasn't been easy finding foods that are "easy on the digestive system" here. I suppose that it's the same in the United States, but there I already know where to go for all the foods I need, and more importantly, where not to go.
To find the specialties, such as Bouillabaisse, Ratatouille, and many others, you would have to sit down somewhere and dish out at least 12 euros. I have eaten some pretty good seafood salads though, despite the fact that the crevettes (shrimps), were still completely in tact. I know because they basically told me that they were.
I thought that I was a pescatarian for health and environmental reasons, but since my experience with my shrimps peering up at me from my plate, I can now officially say that I am also bound to pescatarianism by ethical reasons.
Anyways, the French also love white bread, cheese, meat, and pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants).
After a week or so of trying to eat from the small lunch shops in the streets of Aix, my digestive system was upset with me from the white bread and cheese. Already I have made a tofu scramble, and, by courtesy of my roommate, I've started eating smoked salmon lettuce wraps:
And it was so good. I thought I'd be hungry afterwords, but lettuce fills up your stomach, stretching it and stimulating those hunger-suppressing hormones. Also the protein from the saumon fumé made it very satisfying. I thought about adding avocado also, but I didn't want the taste to be too lipidy (fatty). There are already plenty of Omega-3s from the salmon, and I already ate avocado with breakfast so I didn't need any more Vitamin E, another dietary component that is fat-soluble.
I didn't realize how much Mexican food I ate in California until I came to France, where there is hardly any. Some students report that there IS a Mexican food place, but they recommend that we not go there.
Despite the fact that we're all going to try to make quesadillas, black beans, and guacamole on my birthday, I couldn't wait and on Sunday I ventured out into the freezing winds (really, it's called the Mistral and it's a powerful wind that flies in straight from the Alps), and I bought a red pepper, a tomato, an avocado, a lime, and some guacamole seasoning because they have that at the open air market (don't read into it though, or else I wouldn't be here, typing my craving out to you).
And then the guacamole seasoning, which I think was just Cajun seasoning, or something.
YUMM!
(Strangely enough, they did have all sorts of tortilla chips in the grocery store)
This explains my lack of posts, because I am without my dehydrator, blender, and food processor.
=(
Before you start salivating over the fact that I'm in one of the food capitols of the world, I would like to say that it actually hasn't been easy finding foods that are "easy on the digestive system" here. I suppose that it's the same in the United States, but there I already know where to go for all the foods I need, and more importantly, where not to go.
To find the specialties, such as Bouillabaisse, Ratatouille, and many others, you would have to sit down somewhere and dish out at least 12 euros. I have eaten some pretty good seafood salads though, despite the fact that the crevettes (shrimps), were still completely in tact. I know because they basically told me that they were.
I thought that I was a pescatarian for health and environmental reasons, but since my experience with my shrimps peering up at me from my plate, I can now officially say that I am also bound to pescatarianism by ethical reasons.
Anyways, the French also love white bread, cheese, meat, and pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants).
After a week or so of trying to eat from the small lunch shops in the streets of Aix, my digestive system was upset with me from the white bread and cheese. Already I have made a tofu scramble, and, by courtesy of my roommate, I've started eating smoked salmon lettuce wraps:
 | |
| Big piece of lettuce, smoked salmon, capers, whole mustard, diced cucumbers |
And it was so good. I thought I'd be hungry afterwords, but lettuce fills up your stomach, stretching it and stimulating those hunger-suppressing hormones. Also the protein from the saumon fumé made it very satisfying. I thought about adding avocado also, but I didn't want the taste to be too lipidy (fatty). There are already plenty of Omega-3s from the salmon, and I already ate avocado with breakfast so I didn't need any more Vitamin E, another dietary component that is fat-soluble.
Guacamole
I didn't realize how much Mexican food I ate in California until I came to France, where there is hardly any. Some students report that there IS a Mexican food place, but they recommend that we not go there.
Despite the fact that we're all going to try to make quesadillas, black beans, and guacamole on my birthday, I couldn't wait and on Sunday I ventured out into the freezing winds (really, it's called the Mistral and it's a powerful wind that flies in straight from the Alps), and I bought a red pepper, a tomato, an avocado, a lime, and some guacamole seasoning because they have that at the open air market (don't read into it though, or else I wouldn't be here, typing my craving out to you).
And then the guacamole seasoning, which I think was just Cajun seasoning, or something.
Et après:
(Strangely enough, they did have all sorts of tortilla chips in the grocery store)
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