Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too: Eating to Be Sexy, Fit, and Fabulous! (33 page)

Sometimes, when I think about life in the United States, I think it seems very far away from life in the Mediterranean. But at other times, I think we almost have it right, as I wander through the tea garden or pick flowers for the tables or wave hello to my neighbors or greet the regular customers that travel from all around to come to Primo for dinner, where they know they will be nurtured with good food that is prepared with love.

I’m living the Mediterranean life, right here in coastal Maine, and you can live it, too, no matter where you live, even if you are miles from the sea.

As the American writer Charlotte Cushman once wrote, “To try to be better is to be better.” Taking these tiny, pleasurable steps toward a better life can make big differences in the way we look, feel, and embrace life. What better source for advice than the ancient wisdom of the Mediterranean? Everything you do to adjust your life to a healthier, more natural way of living can add years to your life and make you feel better, healthier, more energetic, right now.

It could well be that the best years of your life are yet to come. Let’s quickly review some of the ways in which the Mediterranean way of life can help you to live longer and better.

This is advice, pure and simple, from me to you, encompassing everything in this book that I think is truly crucial for embracing the Mediterranean diet, lifestyle, and spirit:

• A thermos of hot homemade soup is better than a Twinkie, anytime, anywhere.

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• You can be different from many other people with their bad food habits and convenience store mentality. You can be yourself, however and whoever you are.

• The Mediterranean is a land of individualism. Be who
you
want to be, not who someone tells you to be. You don’t have to pretend to be French or Italian or Greek or anything other than who you are right here, right now.

• You can change if you decide to change. Breaking bad habits is not the same as changing your personality.

• To know who you are and who you want to be, slow down.

Stop. Look around you. Breathe. Pay attention. Don’t miss your life!

• Take a hard look at your own relationship with food. How is it negative? It’s okay to
love
food, really love it. Food should never make you feel guilty.

• Garlic can make your life better.

• When you don’t know what to eat, choose something that grows from the earth.

• If you always have a jar of pepperonata and a loaf of good bread in the house, you will always know what to eat.

• Yogurt can make your life better.

• Eat a little bit of a lot of things rather than a lot of just a few things. Variety really is the spice of life.

• Eat according to what’s in season. Learn what’s in season and when.

• Eat what is grown nearby rather than what has been shipped from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Always choose the fresh, local, native foods first.

Long Life!

~ 313 ~

• Shop at farmers’ markets, produce stands, and food co-ops.

• Meet the people who produce the food you eat. Get to know them. Talk to them.

• If you want to know something in life, ask.

• Don’t buy food wrapped in plastic and Styrofoam. You should be able to pick it up, look at it, smell it, and
interact
with it before you shell out your hard-earned cash for it.

• Protein doesn’t just come from meat. Grains, beans, peas, nuts, yogurt, and cheese are full of it. Eat some of these foods every day.

• A good soup, a good salad, and a little bread make a very good meal.

• Flavor is more important than quantity.

• Quality is more important than quantity.

• Vegetables can be the main course. Make them a big part of your meals.

• Vegetables taste great when you grill them.

• Vegetables are the most interesting food items out there. You have an entire universe of vegetables to choose from, and every single one has its charms.

• Whole grains are the staff of life and are by no stretch of the imagination “evil,” despite what you might have heard.

• Fruit
is
dessert.

• A little fat is good for you.

• Of all the types of fat in the world, extra-virgin olive oil is the very best one.

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• The fats that come in almonds and walnuts win second prize.

• No matter where you live, you can grow some sort of garden if you want to.

• If you don’t want to grow a garden, you don’t have to. Plenty of other people will do it for you, and you can support them by buying what they grow.

• Nurturing a garden can make you a better person.

• The vegetables you grow yourself taste better than the vegetables in the grocery store.

• Growing herbs is a spiritual pursuit.

• Eggs can be the main course.

• Organic eggs taste better than factory-farmed eggs.

• Little tastes can add up to an entire meal without any “main course” at all.

• Anchovies must not be feared. They are very small. And very tasty. Use them as seasoning.

• Sometimes, even flowers make good food.

• Sheep’s and goat’s milk make for excellent cheeses and supe-rior yogurts.

• You don’t have to eat a lot of meat to really enjoy meat.

• You don’t have to eat meat every day.

• Eating meat about once or twice a week does not make you a vegetarian, but it does make you healthier.

• If you can eat a chicken, you can eat a duck. If you can eat a duck, you can eat a rabbit.

Long Life!

~ 315 ~

• Just because you haven’t tried something does not mean you don’t like it!

• Not having tried something before is a very good reason to try it now.

• Fish is a gift from the sea.

• There are plenty of fish in the sea besides salmon.

• There is more than one kind of salmon.

• Eating with your family is better than eating alone.

• Feeding your family and friends is an act of love.

• Your food tastes better if you cook it with care, attention, and love.

• Even if they irritate you sometimes, your family is a gift.

• Friends can be just like family.

• Let others help you cook. No kitchen is too small for willing helpers.

• Laughing is good for your digestion.

• On certain days, you might really need to eat meat and potatoes. On other days, you might need little but fresh vegetables and fruits.

• Prepare your body and mind for dinner by relaxing with an
aperitivo
before sitting down to eat.

• Always sit down to eat.

• The television is not a worthy dinner companion.

• Drink a little wine with your dinner, but only with your dinner, not before or after.

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• Wine can make your food taste better.

• Help your digestion along with a sweet or bitter
digestivo
after dinner.

• You can end your meal with a good salad.

• You can have a nice piece of cheese for dessert.

• Sometimes a snack is enough.

• You can have your dessert and eat it, too. But you really don’t need more than a few bites.

• Even when you think you need more than a few bites of dessert, you really don’t. Even so, dessert is a very nice invention.

• You are part of Nature, lest you forget. Look around and see.

• Go outside and breathe.

• Walk more.

• Whatever it is—the good, the bad—tell your friends about it.

• Listen.

• Call your family.

• Play with your kids. They want you more than “stuff.”

• Slow down.

• Wake up.

• Look.

• Let go.

• Listen to your body.

Long Life!

~ 317 ~

• Let yourself be healthy.

• Let yourself be happy.

• Let yourself love.

• Let yourself be passionate.

• Let yourself be slim.

• Take pleasure.

• Taste.

• Live like you mean it.

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~ 318 ~

∫

Omega

Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet, the end of a journey, a finishing. But in a way, omega is also a return to the beginning. While we may be at the end of this book’s story, it is just a beginning for the new life you can embrace today.

I am right here with you, living this life and embracing this love affair with food I’ve lived ever since my childhood. And I’ve always stayed slim. But even if this Mediterranean attitude and way of life is new to you, vitality and a slender body are achievable simply by embracing the spirit of the Mediterranean. It’s never too late to begin. You can start right now. I hope you will.

The Mediterranean way of life is so full of pleasure and passion that I would hate for you to miss out on even one more day of this simple, beautiful, flavorful living. Whether you are at a

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healthy weight right now and are looking for a way to maintain it, or you are looking for a good, permanent way to lose extra weight, the Mediterranean is an ancient source with an enduring secret:
Mediterranean women stay slim, too.
And so can you. Be sexy, fit, and fabulous. Live long, and enjoy life.

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Index

agrodolce, 34

Bagna Cauda (Hot Bath), 85–86

Cipollini, 35

Balsamic Syrup, 50

Farro Salad, 141

Balsamic Vinaigrette, 88

Aioli, Lemon, 185

balsamic vinegar, 48–50

Alici Marinata, 124

Banana Salsa, Mark Miller’s, 244

Almond Biscotti, 289–90

Bean Brandade, White, 127

Almonds, Sean Kelly’s Rosemary

Beans with Soffritto, Braised

Roasted, 180

Romano, 111

Almond Wafers, French, 292

Beef with Iowa Blue Cheese Potato

Amaretto, 208

Gratin, Caramelized Cipollini

Antipasto, Traditional, 121

Onions, and Porcini Mushrooms,

aperitivo, 199–200

Grilled Tenderloin of, 156–58

Sweet Orange, 206

Beets and Fresh Sheep’s Cheese, Field

Artichokes with Lemon Aioli, 183–84

Greens with Roasted, 71–72

Arugula, Crab with Charred Heirloom

beverages, 197–217

Tomatoes and, 252

Biscotti, Almond, 289–90

Asparagus with Lemon, Grilled, 93

Braised Rabbit alla Cacciatore,

Atlantic Salmon and Green Garlic

166–68

Baked in Parchment Paper with

Braised Rabbit with Cracked Olives,

Fine Herbs, 188–89

213–14

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Braised Red Cabbage, 249

Cornmeal Cookies, Cranberry, 288

Braised Romano Beans with Soffritto,

Corn Relish, 128

111

Coulis, Pasta with Tomato-Pepper,

Brandade, White Bean, 127

231

bread, 131–33, 138

Coulis, Watercress, 92

and Fish Soup, 65–66

couscous, 136

Piadina, 139

Munchkin Pumpkins with Shrimp

Salad, Tuscan, 145

and, 169–70

Brioche, Easy, 301–2

Pilaf, Curried, 142

Brunoise, 247

Crab with Charred Heirloom

Bruschetta, Fava and Pecorino, 57–58

Tomatoes and Arugula, 252

Butternut Squash Soup, 106–7

Cranberry Cornmeal Cookies, 288

Creamy Polenta, 144

Cabbage, Braised Red, 249

Crema Catalana, 299–300

Cabernet Whipped Potatoes, Tuna

Crostini, Tapenade, 228

with, 215

Curried Couscous Pilaf, 142

Cake, Olive Oil and Lemon–Scented

Curry Oil, 143

Semolina, 304–5

cakes, custards, and creams, 298–307

dessert, 76, 283–310

Calamari all’Arrabiatta, Spaghetti

digestivo, 204–5

with, 173–74

dinner party, 278–82

Camembert with Zinfandel Poached

Pears, 216

egg(s), 150

Candied Pecans or Walnuts, 226

Farmer’s Omelet, 105

Caponata, 70

eggplant:

Chard, Wilted Swiss, 194

Caponata, 70

cheese, 20

Escalivada, 248

Cheesecake, Ricotta, 233–35

Cherry Sauce, Price’s Port, 217

family dinners, 175–96

Cherry Tomato Salad, 104

Farmer’s Omelet, 105

Chile-Lime Vinaigrette, 155

farro, 136

Chocolate Gelato, 295–96

Ragout, 148–49

Chutney, Fruit, 242

Salad Agrodolce, 141

Chutney, Peach-Fig, 243

Fava and Pecorino Bruschetta, 57–58

Cipollini Agrodolce, 35

Feta-Tomato Salad with Tapenade

Coconut Sorbetto, 297

Crostini, Summer, 227

coffee, 308–10

Fig-Peach Chutney, 243

Lydia’s Lebanese, 310

fish, 150, 240

Compote, Strawberry Rhubarb, 253

and Bread Soup, 65–66

cookies, 286–92

Fondue, Classic, 181–82

Corn Fritters, Fresh, 232

French Almond Wafers, 292

Index

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Frico, 122–23

Lemon Aioli, 185

Frittata with Mushrooms and Herbs,

Artichoke with, 183–85

Fresh Sheep’s Ricotta, 229–30

Lemon–Scented Semolina Cake, Olive

Fritters, Fresh Corn, 232

Oil and, 303–4

frozen desserts, 294–97

Lentil Roast, 190

fruit(s), 20–21, 51, 52, 53, 55, 95,

Limoncello, Primo, 207

240–41

Chutney, 242

market, 95, 96

Sorbet, 195

farmers’, 101–3

see also specific fruits

Marmalade, Green Tomato, 108

meal making, 56–76

garden, 95–101, 259–60, 262

meal planner, seven-day, 265–74