Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and The... (38 page)

Variations: Turkey Stock and Duck Stock

Prepare as chicken stock using
turkey wings and drumsticks
or
duck carcasses from which the breasts, legs and thighs have been removed
. (See
Duck Cracklings
.) These stocks will have a stronger flavor than chicken stock and will profit from the addition of
several sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together,
during cooking. Be sure to refrigerate and defat these stocks before using. The reserved duck fat is highly prized for cooking purposes.

Why is chicken soup superior to all the things we have, even more relaxing than "Tylenol?" It is because chicken soup has a natural ingredient which feeds, repairs and calms the mucous lining in the small intestine. This inner lining is the beginning or ending of the nervous system. It is easily pulled away from the intestine through too many laxatives, too many food additives. . .and parasites. Chicken soup. . .heals the nerves, improves digestion, reduces allergies, relaxes and gives strength. Hanna Kroeger
Ageless Remedies from Mother's Kitchen

CLARIFIED STOCK

2 quarts defatted stock

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

For most recipes, clarification is unnecessary. If you want a perfectly clear stock, however, add egg whites and bring to a boil, whisking with a wire whisk. When the stock begins to boil, stop whisking. Let boil for 3 to 5 minutes. A white foam, gradually becoming a spongy crust, will form on the surface. Off heat, lift off the crust and strain the stock through a strainer lined with a kitchen towel.

It was a rare winter when there was not an outbreak of diphtheria in Hayfield or Back Creek or Timber Ridge. . .. Doctor Brush rode with his saddlebags all day long from house to house, never bothering to wash his hands when he came or went. His treatment was to scour throats with a mixture of sulphur and molasses and to forbid his patients both food and water. [Both of Mrs. Blake's girls, Betty and Mary, got diphtheria that winter.] While Fairhead was walking up and down the yard, he kept an eye on the windows of Mrs. Blake's upstairs bedroom. As soon as the candlelight shone there, it would be time for him to go help with the girls. He circled the house, picked up some sticks from the woodpile, and was about go into the kitchen when he saw through the window something which startled him. A white figure emerged from the stairway and drifted across the indoor duskiness of the room. It was Mary, barefoot, in her nightgown, as if she were walking in her sleep. She reached the table, sank down on a wooden chair, and lifted the bowl of chicken broth in her two hands. . .. She drank slowly, resting her elbows on the table. . .. Fairhead knew he ought to go in and take the soup from her. But he was unable to move or to make a sound. . ..

Mary slept all night. When Mrs. Blake came in at four in the morning and held her candle before the girl's face, she knew that she was better. . .. But Betty died, just slipped away without a struggle, like she was dropping asleep. Willa Cather
Sapphira and the Slave Girl

QUICK STOCK

1 can Health Valley chicken or beef stock or frozen, store-bought beef, chicken or fish stock

1 teaspoon gelatin (See
Sources
)

This lacks the flavor and nutritive properties of homemade stock, but will do in emergencies. Mix liquid stock with gelatin, bring to a boil and proceed with your recipe.

There need be no mystery about meat sauces—quite simply, they are made from stocks that have been flavored and thickened in some way. Once you have learned the technique for making sauces—either clear sauces or thick gravies—you can ignore the recipe books and be guided by your imagination.

  
Reduction Sauces:
The principle here is to thicken the gelatinous stock by evaporation through rapid boiling. The first step is to "deglaze" coagulated meat juices in the roasting pan or skillet by adding
½ cup to 1 cup wine or brandy
, bringing to a boil and stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen pan drippings. Then add
3 to 4 cups stock
, bring to a boil and skim. (Use chicken stock for chicken dishes, beef stock for beef dishes, etc.) The sauce may now be flavored with any number of ingredients, such as
vinegar, mustard, herbs, spices, fresh orange or lemon juice, naturally sweetened jam, garlic, tomato paste, grated ginger, grated lemon rind, creamed coconut, whole coconut milk
(see
About Coconut Products
) or
cultured cream
(
Creme Fraiche
and
Piima Cream
). Let sauce boil vigorously, uncovered, until reduced by at least one-half, or until desired thickness is achieved. You may add about
1-2 teaspoons gelatin
(See
Sources
) to promote better thickening, Another way to thicken is to mix
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
with
2 tablespoons water
. Gradually add this to the boiling sauce until the desired thickness is obtained. If sauce becomes too thick, thin with a little water. Fish sauce thickens very nicely with the addition of
1-2 tablespoons
shrimp butter
. The final step in sauce-making is to taste and add
sea salt
if necessary. Note: Gelatin does contain small amounts of MSG and should be avoided by those with extreme MSG sensitivities.

  
Gravies:
Gravies are thickened with flour rather than by the reduction process. They are suitable for meats like roast chicken, turkey or leg of lamb, which drip plenty of fat into the pan while cooking. After removing the roasting meat and roasting rack, place pan on a burner. You should have at least
½ cup good fat drippings
—if not, add some butter, goose fat or lard. Add about
½ cup unbleached flour
to the fat and cook over medium high heat for several minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour turns light brown. Add
4 to 6 cups warm stock
, bring to a boil and blend well with the fat-flour mixture, using a wire whisk. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or so. Check for seasonings and add
sea salt
and
pepper
if necessary. You may also add
herbs, cream, butter, whole coconut milk
or
creamed coconut
(see
About Coconut Products
).

In recent decades, misinformation and confusion about fats has led many dieticians and nutritionists to advise against salad dressings. Our salads should be dressed with plain lemon juice, they say, in order to avoid an excess of fats and oils in the diet. The problem is that a salad with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon juice is virtually inedible. As a result of this well-meaning advice, many health conscious individuals avoid salads, rather than enjoy them with relish.

It is certainly true that we should avoid all
bottled and commercial
salad dressings, which are invariably made with cheap, low-quality oils that have been stripped of their nutrients and rendered dangerously rancid by high-temperature or solvent extraction processes. Bottled dressings are further adulterated with many ingredients that should not pass between human lips, including stabilizers, preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, not to mention refined sweeteners. These expensive blends of empty calories are bad for everybody, young and old, and should not be allowed in our cupboards.

Almost all bottled salad dressings—particularly the lowfat varieties—contain neurotoxic MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein or similar substances. These flavor enhancers are not always listed on the label. Ingredients listed as "natural flavors" or "spices" may contain MSG!

But homemade salad dressings, made with extra virgin olive oil plus raw vinegar or lemon juice, are the best coat that any self-respecting salad can put on. Olive oil supplies vitamin E and a cornucopia of antioxidants, while both olive oil and raw vinegar provide a wide spectrum of enzymes, right at the start of your meal where they belong. Fresh herbs and garlic, anchovies, cultured cream, raw cheese, raw egg yolk and homemade mayonnaise added to dressings all have a contribution to make, both to enzyme and vitamin content and to exciting flavors that whet the appetite and encourage us to eat our salads down to the last bite.

Good dressings take very little time to make. Our basic salad dressing can be put together in less than half a minute and requires no more equipment than a fork and a small bowl. With a little practice you will learn to make it without measuring. Most of our other dressings are variations on the basic recipe. Salad dressings are one of the easiest things in the whole culinary repertoire to master, and they pay substantial dividends in health benefits for very little effort expended.

For all of our dressings we recommend extra virgin olive oil (See
Sources
) as a base, along with a small amount of unrefined flax seed oil. Olive oil provides oleic acid, a very stable monounsaturated fatty acid. Studies have repeatedly shown that olive oil provides numerous health benefits, including protection from heart disease. If the oil has been correctly processed, it will still contain its original content of antioxidants, which protect the oil's fatty acids from rancidity. According to Dr. Edward Howell, cold-pressed or expeller-expressed oils also contain lipases that can be activated in the stomach to facilitate the breakdown of triglycerides to free fatty acids. Use Italian olive oil for the best taste. Look for olive oil that is cloudy—a sign that it has not been filtered—and golden yellow in color—a sign that it has been pressed from ripe olives.

Along with olive oil, we recommend adding a small amount of unrefined flax seed oil, the best vegetable source of omega-3 fatty acids (linolenic acid). Flax oil is extremely susceptible to rancidity so be sure to buy unrefined flax seed oil in dark bottles that have been kept in cold storage. (For reputable suppliers of flax oil, See
Sources
.) Don't be tempted, however, to use or consume large amounts of flax oil as a surfeit of omega-3 fatty acids can cause imbalances on the cellular level, just as much as a surfeit of omega-6 fatty acids.

We strongly advise you to avoid the many polyunsaturated oils touted as health foods, such as soy, cottonseed, corn and safflower, even cold-pressed versions of these products. These oils are almost always rancid and most have a very high omega-6 component. Surfeit of omega-6 interferes with enzymes needed to produce important prostaglandins, and thus may contribute to impaired immune function and to a host of other diseases. Canola oil is high in omega-3, but research indicates that the oil contributes to vitamin E deficiency. Because it goes rancid easily, it must be deodorized to hide the telltale odor of rancidity; and during this process a particularly dangerous form of
trans
fat is formed.

Two of our dressings offer a particularly synergistic combination of omega-3 fatty acids and sulphur-containing proteins—our blue cheese dressing and the tahini dressing. Roquefort cheese made from sheep milk is a good source of protective lauric acid.

Americans and Europeans differ on the question of proportions of oil to vinegar in salad dressings. Americans tend to make their dressings in a proportion of three parts oil to one part vinegar; the French use five parts olive oil to one part vinegar, a combination that most Americans find too oily. We have taken the middle ground and give proportions of four parts oil to one part vinegar. You can adjust these proportions to suit your taste. Those who wish to avoid vinegar may substitute cultured whey
Whey and Cream Cheese
, beet kvass (
Tonics
) or fresh lemon juice in many of these recipes.

We have not listed salt and pepper in our dressing recipes. Sea salt and pepper or papaya pepper can be added according to your taste. Remember that mustard preparations tend to be rather salty. Most dressings prepared with mustard will not need additional salt. Culinary enthusiasts may wish to make their own
mustard
.

BASIC DRESSING

Makes about ¾ cup

1 teaspoon Dijon-type mustard, smooth or grainy

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon raw wine vinegar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon expeller-expressed flax oil

Dip a fork into the jar of mustard and transfer about 1 teaspoon to a small bowl. Add vinegar and mix around. Add olive oil in a thin stream, stirring all the while with the fork, until oil is well mixed or emulsified. Add flax oil and use immediately.

HERB DRESSING

Makes about ¾ cup

¾ cup basic dressing

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, thyme, basil or oregano

Prepare basic dressing and stir in herbs.

The underlying cause of modern chronic disease can be summed up as the change in our environment and food supply due to the unwise application of technology to farming and food production, the abandonment of traditional foodways and above all the insidious penetration of processed and imitation foods into the food supply of western nations.

Oils stripped of precious nutrients and altered in structure, a penny's worth of grains puffed and flaked and sold for hundreds of pennies per box, fragile, life-giving milk subjected to high-temperature processing, sweet foods denuded of vitamins and minerals—this is the witch's brew that leads to physical and spiritual degeneration. SWF

GARLIC DRESSING

Makes about ¾ cup

¾ cup basic dressing

1 clove garlic

Prepare basic dressing. Peel garlic clove and mash in a garlic press. Stir into dressing. Let sit a few minutes to allow amalgamation of garlic flavor.

BALSAMIC DRESSING

Makes about ¾ cup

1 teaspoon Dijon-type mustard, smooth or grainy

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon expeller-expressed flax oil

Balsamic vinegar is a red wine vinegar that has been aged in wooden casks. It has a delicious, pungent flavor that goes well with dark greens, such as watercress or lamb's lettuce.

Dip a fork into the jar of mustard and transfer about 1 teaspoon to a small bowl. Add vinegar and mix around. Add olive oil in a thin stream, stirring all the while with the fork, until oil is well mixed or emulsified. Add flax oil and use immediately.

The amounts of MSG and similar additives being added to foods increased throughout the postwar period. In fact, the amount of MSG alone added to foods has doubled in every decade since the 1940's. By 1972, 262,000 metric tons of MSG were produced. . .. Throughout this period, few suspected that these taste enhancing additives could be doing serious harm to individuals eating these foods. . .. Until this time, neuroscientists assumed that glutamate supplied the brain with energy. Based on this idea, scientists in one clinical study, fed large doses of MSG to retarded children to see if it would improve their IQ. The experiment failed. Then, in 1957, two ophthalmologists, Lucas and Newhouse, decided to test MSG on infant mice in an effort to study an eye disease known as hereditary retinal dystrophy. But, when they examined the eye tissues of the sacrificed animals, they made a startling discovery. The MSG had destroyed all of the nerve cells in the inner layers of the animal's retina, which are the visual receptor cells of the eye. Despite this frightening discovery, MSG continued to be added to food in enormous amounts and cookbooks continued to recommend it as a taste enhancing additive for recipes. But the worst was yet to be disclosed about this compound. Some ten years later John W. Olney, MD, a neuroscientist working at the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis, repeated Lucas and Newhouse's experiment in infant mice. His findings indicated that MSG was not only toxic to the retina but also to the brain. When he examined the animals' brains he discovered that specialized cells in a critical area of the animals' brains, the hypothalamus, were destroyed after a single dose of MSG. Russell L Blaylock, MD
Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills