Food for Fuel

A weekly Column by Chef Daniel Orr Daniel Orr is Executive Chef at Kitchen Stadium, Santorini Restaurant, Famiglia and the Tapas Lounge and Rum Bar at CuisinArt Resort & Spa and is working on “A Chef’s Diet” Cookbook and Cooking in Paradise.

SHOPPING WITH NEW EYES

Chef Daniel Orr

Once you have made the commitment to more healthful eating habits, including reducing portion size, starchy carbs, sweets and snacks and increasing intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, fiber, lean meats and fish, you will find you shop differently. Now you’ll spend most of your time in the produce aisles with a few stops at the fish and meat counters, and barely any stops in the aisles that contain all the unhealthy stuff. You can shop more often, which should be a treat. When cooking and eating are joyous, shopping becomes one of life’s most rewarding pleasures.

Learning to shop with new eyes means taking the time to plan wholesome, nourishing meals. If you are not skilled at cooking, planning is probably the greatest challenge. In the end, however, you will gain great satisfaction by taking the time to think about food, read a recipe, write down the ingredients, shop for them and produce a meal. It may seem an enormous task at first, but if you master a few easy techniques, simple clean food is quick and easy and the rewards are many. I like to say that being a great chef is 90% shopping and 10% not screwing up what you’ve bought.

When going to the grocery store use all your senses. Look at the ingredients and make sure it looks fresh and inviting. Make sure the melon has that sweet perfume and touch the avocado to make sure it gives a little so you know it is ripe. Make sure the cabbage “squeaks” when you rub the leaves together. Buy your fish from someone reputable. Fish should never smell fishy; it should smell sweetly of the sea. Don’t purchase an ingredient just because it is in a recipe. If it isn’t at its prime it won’t have the nutrients and enzymes that your body needs. Take what is fresh and create a recipe with the bounty that has been provided.

It is also extremely important to shop with the seasons. Leave the out-of-season stuff for the next person. It is usually much more expensive and has already lost much of its value during the shipping. Out-of-season fruits have usually been picked underripe and will never have the full wonderful flavors of something vine- or tree-ripened. I say when life gives you mangos make a mango shake and when life gives you papayas, make a papaya salad! I also stress the importance of shopping regionally. Local is better for the same reason seasonal is best. Less shipping, better quality, improved flavor and a happier family around the dinner table.

Parents, teach your kids about food from the get-go. Show them how to pick out the best saltfish from the pile. Have them help pick the best produce, too. It can be a game that will help teach a lifelong lesson of health and nutrition. Do the same at home with the cooking; they may act like you are torturing them, but time puts things in perspective and they will thank you later - I promise.

If you’ve been afraid to shop at the natural foods store, take a trip over. Some items will be more expensive, the variety of whole grains, nuts, dried fruits, healthy cereals, gluten-free products and vegetarian options will take your everyday cooking to a new and exciting level. Find new choices that can replace your old “comfort food” and keep them around so you’ll always have healthy options within arm’s reach.

Ultimately, as you pull away from fast food and a poor diet, you will reap the benefits. We know that nutrition plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of health, the prevention of disease, and management of chronic conditions. It seems only logical to get out there and embrace what is often thought of a chore, and shop till you drop with self-love and a new set of healthy eyes.

Greenmarket Vegetables on Rosemary Skewers, White Bean Hummus

This is a great recipe that I created while walking around the Union Square Market in Manhattan. Seeing the huge assortment of produce and herbs always inspires me. In Anguilla you can easily grow a small plot of vegetables and herbs and use whatever you pick that day. If you don’t have time to garden you can always go to the People’s Market!

And don’t forget: recipes are guidelines - so adapt to your own taste. Have fun and don’t be afraid of flavor!

Serves 8 main-course portions

8 sturdy rosemary branches or metal or wooden skewers (if using rosemary choose branches 8 to 10 inches long; use 2 smaller ones if you have trouble locating ones this large) Remove leaves from bottom half of skewers and save them for marinades or dressings or other dishes.

Assorted vegetables, each cut into 8 pieces
Use as many or as few as you wish, selecting what looks best that day:
1 zucchini
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
1 large carrot, peeled
2 medium parsnips, peeled
1 bulb fennel, tough outer layer removed
4 Red Bliss potatoes
2 red onions
2 large portobello mushrooms
1 Japanese eggplant
small tomatoes or tomatillos

Soak the rosemary branches or wooden skewers in cold water for 10 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill. Blanch vegetables in 2 quarts salted water until tender enough to pierce with skewers. Root vegetables take about 8 to10 minutes, the rest take about 5. Chill the vegetables under running water to stop their cooking and until cool to the touch. Place on skewers, separating all the colors, shapes and textures. Grill or broil until nicely colored and turn until colored well on both sides, about 6 minutes a side, depending on the heat.

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
pinch of salt
l clove garlic, minced

Combine and season to taste. Reserve in refrigerator until needed.

Possible accompaniments:
Your favorite tomato salsa
lemon or lime wedges
mesclun salad
fresh tender herbs such as basil, chives, tarragon and chervil

Hints:
The water used in blanching the vegetables may be saved for making soups or
for poaching. It freezes well.
The skewers may be made a day or two in advance. They are great hot or cold
as leftovers.
Skewers may also be served as a side dish with your favorite grilled meats.
They are perfect to take to BBQ parties all summer long, for a healthy
alternative with no guilt attached.

To plate:
Spoon hummus on one side of the plate. Place skewer across center of plate.
Spoon dressing over skewer and garnish with salad, lemon, salsa or herbs.

I’d love to hear from you. I am collecting recipes and stories for future articles and books and would love to include your favorite family recipes and food memories from the kitchen, the garden or the sea. You can reach me at dorr@cuisinart.aior stop me on the road if you see the CuisinArt Chef Mobile.

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