Sugar Will Kills Us All!!!!!!!
There was a time a long time when natural food tasted real good. Being a baby boomer, steak was natural steak and chicken was natural chicken. I recall that a package of breast consisted of about 8 pieces of breast. Prepackaged foods and T.V dinners were king. Ok, those foods had to to taste good but it was suppose to be a temporary fix for dinner. Ok they made have loaded those dinners with added sugar to make it taste good but remember it was a temporary fix. Technology and research was focused on how things could taste better being applied to mediocre quality of meats. Mediocre meats have no taste. Ok fructose was introduced and after awhile fructose was in practically every prepackaged foods. It's in everything that we buy to eat. So, as our lifestyle becomes more erratic, when can we actually make a home cooked meal? It's only human nature that after a tough day, we're tired, lazy and ordering take out has become easier and easier. Just pickup our smartphone and dial for take out and they'll deliver to your door in a matter of minutes. We're chilling on the couch tuning into a lounge lizard or couch potato. The intake of so much carbohydrates gives us all a feeling of being full and maybe a little sleepy. But as well lie down, those carbohydrates slowly convert to sugar and adds weight and increase our blood sugar. Look around you, stopping for a quick burger? fries, milk shake, apply pie, fried foods, chicken sandwich, pizza etc etc etc...….. Everything has added sugar in it and our lack of activity makes it even worse with the technology of the smartphone and laptop with all those games, our kids are learning it ok to just play video games. What happen to going outside, playing ball, swimming, ice skating, soccer, lacrosse. One day I decided to swith from McDonald's breakfast. It was a chilly Fall morning and just wanted to warm my tummy with a hot breakfast sandwich. I decided for a Dunkin Donut sandwich. The tick bread with egg and bacon was delicious but what was noticeable was the sweetness of the bread. Sugar! So, what can we do. Well I've tried to workout at least 3 times a week. I belong to the YMCA, not only do I try to tone my muscles, I do sweat a bit on the equipment and finish it off by taking a swim in the pool. I have a treadmill at home too. But, it takes discipline. So, for those nice days, I try to take a walk outside. watch my intake of carbs and prepare the final meal dinner keeping in mind all that is used to make a good meal. Fresh, veggies and natural meat. The vacuum sealed meats, although convenient, most are mamrinaded and the vacuum seal just helps the marinading process which is made with a good amount of sugar. So whats the trade off, convenience which leads to greater sugar intake or make an effort to cook with fresh ingredients and spend the time in the kitchen after a tough day at work and know what your putting into your food resulting in a healthy meal? Today, the meats are of the cheapest quality which translate into no flavor, so to compensate for flavor, sugar is addicted. We all love sugar, we're addicted to sugar. We're so used to sweetness, we don't realize how much we've fallen in love with our sweet tooth. Here's a test, cook a healthy meal for about 1 month limiting your intake of sugar. Then go out to eat after that, you'll be amazed of how sweet the food is. MIlennials, you've had an impact with food manufacturers, and they are listening. I've seen changes, all natural ingredients, less fructose products more organic foods available. Obesity is at epic levels so something is happening and its not good. Type 2 Diabetes is showing up with the kids, its not ok that they are playing video games, it is ok that we join them in activities like swimming, taking walks and just talking, killing 2 birds with 1 stone. Spend some time cooking meals together, even bribing your kids you'll give them 5 bucks if they learn with you to cook a meal. We spend time for our kids but we need to spend time for ourselves. Yes, our kids drive us crazy and yes, we hate to see leftovers so we eat it up and yes they get on our nerves driving them here and there. but just take a moment, take 3 deep breaths and say, everything will be all right. By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #sugarwill killsus, #sugarisineverythingweeat .
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We Want More Food Variety Stupid!
Let's think this out. Big business is so wrapped around the numbers that they fail to see changes are happening all around them. Does big business know what going on around them? I think not. Ok, They recognize the Millennial generation from what standpoint? Ok, they can't afford to buy a home, they rather live for today and they order carryout all the time. Is that all they know? If so, they are really stupid! Let's look at how the family style restaurant and fast food chains came to power. Ok, before we became parents, our parents during the 60's gave birth to all of us or most of us. That's when the fast food franchises sprouted. They sprouted and sprouted all types of fast food, from fried chicken to hamburgers to shakes and fries. But if you remember, we enjoyed these foods on the weekend. Never did we have this during the week. It was a special treat to go to McDonalds on the weekend or on Long Island Wetson's. We drove up to these places and walked to the counter to place our order and we got our order in minutes. Drive in? Where? For the time it was great, a quick bite that was delicious and filling. Then our parents didn't want to rush their food and wanted to relax while we at a good family meal. It was great, going out for family meal whether it be steak, seafood or even a great breakfast. As the baby generation grew up, that was all we knew. Chinese food was delicious and different, then Japanese food but the standard foods like meat loaf, subs, chicken here chicken everywhere and we just kept on tolerating it. We, the baby boom generation was the focus of marketing strategy. Eventually these chains became franchisee, so the parent company can make money. It was more a money machine for the huge conglomerate. The idea of improvising new food ideas never materialized. It was a money machine, what can they do to maximize profits. Hmmm, buy cheap products, no flavor, add flavor enhancers and tenderizers and lots of chemical additives and preservatives to guarantee shelf life. As long as thee was guaranteed revenue, why change? but as the baby boom generation faded out, these same institutions saw revenues dramatically reduced. The solution, close stores. What popped up? hmmm, Ethnic foods from the mother country. Their meals are authentic, tasty food that fun to make yourself in front of you. Customer participation? good idea? different, what an experience!. These places closed on Friday and Saturday night at 11 PM and it was packed with Millennials. The Millennial children then tell their baby boomer parents and they want to try it too!. What gives? As a matter of fact these new places don't offer fried foods for the most part or lots and lots of cheese smothered on food. and if the place required you to wait up to an hour, what does that say? It must be good!!!!! I look across the street and I see Applebee's on Saturday night closed at 9:30 PM> What's the stigma associated with family style restaurant chains? Microwaved food with lots of cheese cheese and more cheese. After awhile these food chains foods taste the same. All your tasting are the flavoring agents. So, family style food chains should be phased out and be more innovative by using their existing locations and redefine themselves.. Lease their premises to Caribbean, Hispanic or Asian, authentic fresh, no microwave, natural and fresh! Think of ways to allow the customers to participate in cooking their foods or offer a Tapas style restaurant to reduce waste and increase variety. The Food Network's show Diners Drive In's by Guy Fieri, shows business that cooks from scratch and the demand is overwhelming. Foodies know great food, you can no longer fool us! By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #familyfoodchainsarebecomingextinct, #followthemillennialtastes, #nomoremicrowavedfood, #nomorecheeseforfamilymeals My Daughter's School Lunch!
Are you kidding? It's kind of interesting when Politicians say that are children are our future! Well, if you want them to be our future I would say you need to feed them the correct way. Yeah, I know they are in the beginning stages of their education and they haven't been exposed to the business world making connections or generating a corporate salary as an CEO. But by Godness, what we're feeding our kids is simple despicable. The reason I know this is my daughter tells me what she eats at lunch. When its possible Mom tries her best to make a home prepared lunch but at times its easier for her to buy lunch. Ok, we share some of the blame but its been proven that feeding our child a nutritious breakfast can make all the difference in a day. Not the sugary donuts or a granola bar. It's pretty apparent that the vendor providing the schools with food is a multinational corporation with political friends at the federal and state government. Profit dictates the conversation. I can go head to head with those against my argument. Take the politics out of our children's lunches. What they need is providing each school the decision to make their own decision for school lunches. Do that for a few months on a nutritious meal and then administer a test and I'll guarantee their results would be better than other schools with the cheap non nutritious food being given. Yep, Politicians say what we want to hear, great but what's their motive, but when it comes to our children's healthy, politics doesn't have a place. By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #keeppoliticsoutofmychildslunch, #chefwoocansaysfeedourchildrenbetter, #schoollunchesareterrible Street Food
A funny thing happened while on vacation. While I was walking, I could appreciate the various aromas of street vendors selling their specialty foods. If your a foodie, you can appreciate where I'm coming from. Barbeque flavor, steamed flavors, braised meats flavor and of course bakery flavors. It's just irresistible. Well, the place was in Malaysia, my wife's family lives there. A buffet of exotic cuisine in a little stall. I was going nuts, so fresh and delicious. Let's just say it was the best deal in town, cheap and full of flavor. I could eat all night. My wife, even though she was raised in Malaysia was very choosey of who she bought things from. She rather eat in a regular restaurant and thinking that the food is cleaner! aaah, I have to disagree with her but let her believe what she wants to. I worked in my Uncle's restaurant in Chinatown, NYC. Need I say more. but the fascination of street food will give you a culture lesson in eating what everyday people eat, simple, taste good, not elaborate in presentation, if your lucky its served on a banana leaf. So much to chose from, oddles and oddles of food varieties. and the best part, the food is made in front of you. How can you go wrong? Ok, maybe the Department of Health might have a field day, but just think of it, fresh food and high turnover of food. It's not like the food has been sitting around all day! Now back in the states, the Department of Health is king, full compliance of every conceivable germ or bacteria statute. But I feel that if a merchant has a product that is liked by everyone and there is high turnover of ingredients and always selling from dusk to dawn, I may have an argument. The bacteria doesn't come from the retail side, but mainly from the manufacturer, distributor. Going to a restaurant these days is the same ole menu, with the same ole specials, overcooked with tons of cheese and microwaved. Getting tired of it. That's why when there is a restaurant, that doesn't fall into any of the categories I mentioned, I rave about them. We need more authentic Latin food, Caribbean food, Non American Chinese food, East European food and real Italian food. Cooking classes will turn into small bistros. There are grandmas and mom's that can cook up a feast that you'll love forever. Give them a cart and let them cook what they love most and make some money on the side. People will pay for good natural authentic food! Don't you agree? By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #streetfood, #deliciouscheapstreetfood, #youlovevarietytrystreetfood Pu Pu Platter
When was the last time you had a romantic dinner that didn't cost you a fortune and actually had some conversation in a casual atmosphere, not feeling rushed? We, I remember those days when going on a date as teenagers and trying to impress your date by bringing her to a nice Chinese restaurant. Yes, that was all the newspaper tips I made but you know what it was all worth it. She was dressed for a special affair and I wore slacks and a nice shirt. We knew each other for quite awhile, through the good times sad times, happy times and breakup times. We knew each other pretty well and we still got embarrassed at awkward moments. We sat in a booth, I loved sitting in a booth, it was like our little heaven, secluded from others and a little private. My dad knew the owners and they took care of me. They first introduced this new appetizer tray called a Pu Pu Platter, it was pretty cool and made an impression on my date. There was spareribs, fantail shrimp, teriyaki beef on a skewer with cubes of pineapple and maraschino cherries, shrimp toast and an egg roll. On top of the platter was a small kettle with a bluish glow of heat under a metal steel grill and a small flame appeared. You could look at it in its entirety, a pretty sight I say or you can take the appetizer and lay it on the grill or hold it just above the grill. What a way to eat appetizer as we both were fascinated, smiling, laughing and having fun. No smartphone, no texting and no rush, just talking, conversing about everything and just enjoying each others company. Today, everything is fast paced, take out, rush rush and rush all the time, no time to talk, I have to check my messages etc, etc, etc. Well, the Orient on Main Street, Bel Air, offer a Pu Pu tray and the atmosphere is casual relaxing and no rush to get out. I brought my daughter because I wanted her to know some tibbits of what daddy experienced when he was dating and I introduced the Pu Pu Platter. She was around6 yrs old, she was simply fascinated by the whole concept of barbequing her appetizers. You had to see the smile on her face, having fun and talking about everything and laughing and giggling. I hope she remembers and I always tell her memories are forever, no one can take it away, its part of your brain cloud in today's technology. Well, I have to say tonight at dinner, mt dear Felicia said "Daddy, I want to order the Pu Pu Platter" and this time I'll probably eat everything. For that frozen moment, I said it was all worth it introducing foods she never had before and hopefully when she gets married and have her kids, she will introduce the Pu Pu Platter to them too and generation after generation. If you want to try the Pu Pu Platter, make a trip to the Orient on Main Street and ask for David Hwang (owner) and tell them Chef Woo Can (Stuart Woo) sent you. He'll take good care of you. By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #chefwoocanmemoriespupuplatter, #theorientpupuplatter, #rememberthegoodoledays #wherehasthepupuplattergone, #whatisthepupuplatter Nobody Beats Mom's Home Cooking!
While we were growing up, mom was always there making the meals. From scrambled eggs to hot dogs and hamburgers to steak dinners with potato and veggies, we never starved. The food she made was always delicious and we often asked for second helping. Mom ws the best in so many ways but her cooking tood out. It might not have a gourmet meal but it always was tasty and delicious. As I watched dear Mom prepare her meals, mind you she never had formal training but was shown by grandma simple easy meals. Since my root come from Southern China, the food had a light gravy and was mild in taste. To this day, I still remember fondly the exact dishes that made me happy, comfort food. With the changes in weather feeling like Autumn soon, I'd like to share an old time mom's favorite recipe: Ground beef with peas and carrots in a brown sauce (oyster sauce) over a bed of jasmine rice. Simple easy and most of all delicious. Thanks mom for the inspiration! If anyone would like to share one of your mom's favorite recipe, drop a line in a reply. I'd love to read your story. To all the mom's around the world, thank you for cooking for us and we appreciate all you've done to fill our hungry stomachs. We haven't forgot our favorites! By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #Chefmomfavoritedish, #thankyoumomforcooking #momweloveyourcooking Food Chemicals?
Have you wondered about those chemical ingredients on the side of the package or container telling you what the ingredients were used to make the final product? These chemicals were designed to increase shelf life and to make things taste better. Taste better but is it good for our bodies? My questions is this. If you make a great product that is delicious, then the demand for the product will always be there. I figure if you make a natural product with natural ingredients then make a certain amount, if it all sells out then then great, so decentralize the manufacturing operation. Food producers will gauge their markets and produce what is necessary using the freshest ingredients, all natural with no preservatives or additives.. Perfect example is Wegman's, all the manufacturing is done on premises. Yes, they carry other brands of goods but when it comes to bakery goods, breads, Danish and cakes, all made fresh. All meats are vacuum sealed to maintain freshness. Wegman's has mastered the art of reducing waste by calculating precisely the time the product will expire by using that product in other foods or slicing it up prepared for salads or meals. They probably reduce their throw aways by 75%. Most other supermarkets purchase fruit salads from other companies and rarely do they use their terminated goods and package it themselves, I would venture a guess of less than 5%.. So, Chef Woo Can says, if you can't even pronounce the ingredients then its bad for you. Do you ever wonder what these chemicals can do to your body, notice, there are no reports made to the public about the dangers of these chemicals? Case in point, Monosodium glutamate. A popular additive used t make food taste good Asian restaurants got the bad press that its used so much in Asian restaurants. Yes, a little bit enhances the flavor of the dish but was used too much it created allergenic reaction from breaking out in hives, to coughing to wheezing to headaches etc..... This happened some years ago but its still a flavor enhancer called "Accent." It has never been banned and I guess its still being used. How you say, well food manufacturers want to maximize their profits, so they purchase the cheapest ingredients and as you know these ingredients have no flavor, then they add flavor and highlight these flavors by adding "accent" to make it taste good. Of course, they want you to come back and buy more. Repeat buying is so important to these food manufacturers. So, if you can't pronounce it, be kind of skeptical that it might not be exactly good for you. BUT, what can you do, your in a rush, you don't know how to cook and your hungry, Hmmm, its never too late to learn to cook healthy! By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #foodchemicals, #chefwoocanprefersnaturalingredients, #chefwoocansayscantreadingredientsbeware Why Are Some Turned Off When The Word "Cooking" is Mentioned?
Why when I mention the word "cooking" people get crazy like its a foreign word. I felt the same way when the word "baking" is mentioned. I cringe You ask why? Well, I as Chef Woo Can cook or prepare meals based on taste. I don't measure anything. Ok, your not at that level yet but with baking, I love cakes, cookies and pastry. Making cookies is buying a box of a premixed mixture, add an egg and stir. As you know Chef Woo likes to make things from scratch. On time I was making cookies and the recipe asked for soften butter, ok not exactly a measure involved in terms of quantity but I took it as I can microwave the butter. How wrong I was. But as simple as microwaving, my cookies didn't turn out correctly. So, I can say that I empathize with you guys trying to cook. The farthest you guys probably went in terms of cooking is to open the box, mix the prepacked ingredients and cook. I sense th frustration and I know now that the word "cooking" is a dirty word. Now, with Chef Woo Can, his saying is "If Chef Woo Can, You Can Too" and I will show you how to cook by taste and by doing so, you'll enjoy creating a delicious dish. Notice I didn't use that word "cooking" After a couple of simple ways, you'll learn to taste the food, there's no perfect formula in cooking. It's more a guide and you add more or less your favorite ingredients or sauces. So, stay with me and your on your way to creating your favorite dish and the beauty is it just doesn't have to be Asian. So stay with me and your one step from creating a great dish. Tomorrow I will mention one ingredient, go to your favorite store in the Asian aisle and pickup a couple of sauces. Stay tuned. By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #chefwoocanandtaste, #chefwoocanmakescreatingadishfun Beef & Pork Fat Products/Your Kidding!
I know this may be a discussing to a few or a lot of you but understanding what fat does to your meats may give you a better appreciation of fat. First, a number of nutritionist have said that fat is bad in many ways. I agree but fat in moderation ain't so bad. Case in point, we have a fascination for pork belly, don't we? Well pork belly treated with salt sliced thin or thick is bacon. Yes, Pork Belly is bacon. Lots and lots of layered fat. Besides the added salt or nitrates, the fat does add some delicious flavor to the bacon. I;m not saying to eat a lot of fat but a little fat makes the meat tender and more flavorful. Steak for example, eating a little bit of the steak fat with a nice cut of that steak is indescribable fantastic tasting. We've been brainwashed to believe that all fat is bad. Everything we buy has not fat on it, chicken with no fat or skin, meats without fat (already trimmed thin of no fat, pork butt, no fat but you know that the best cuts of steak mainly ribeye is so delicious because of the fat generating flavor and you pay for that lavor, same with Porterhouse steak or New York strip, all that marbling you hear about is flavor. What budgets stretched, what butchers are offering are round cuts, all beef but no fat and considered one of the toughest cuts. Pork chops center cut is all pork and barely any fat. It's tender but still kinda dry. So, what do we do, we flood our food with all kinds of sauces that basically make everything moist and taste good except for the flavor that the sauce is poured on? Go figure. You do know that are prepackaged foods have tons of fat flavoring, Manufacturers have to make it taste good, so you'll come back and buy more! So, Chef Woo Can says don't worry about ingesting a little fat in moderation. You'll appreciate the flavor of the food in its natural state. And as a side note, salt is used to enhance the flavor your cut of meat not overpower it. By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #Chefwoocansaysaboutfat, #porkfatisdeliciousinmoderation, #Beeffatisflavorful This delicious Dim Sum pronounced Sui Mai is a staple dish for any Dim Sum get together. The kids and adults will jump out of their seats to grab one of these delicious dim sum morsels of season pork stuffed in a wonton wrapper. So juicy and so much flavor and completely cooked not overly well done. The pork fat although you may say its bad, adds a unique flavor to the dumpling and keeps it moist and delicious. This is a must have.
By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com #suimaidumpling, #porkdumpling, #Dimsumporkdumplingsuimai |
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February 2024
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