Touch of Radiance

How to Eat

Nourishing Wisdom by Marc David addresses the topic of how to eat and truly nourish ourselves. It is not a diet book, and it gives no specific nutritional advice. Instead, the book presents a series of discussions and exercises that assist the reader in discovering and understanding their own personal relationship with food. When we understand why we are making the food choices that we make, we then have the ability to change or be at peace with what we eat. Chapters on sweets, body image, cravings and habits are some of the fascinating topics within Nourishing Wisdom.

Take your time reading this book, and spend some effort on the exercises at the end of each chapter. Exploring how you relate to your food can teach you a lot about yourself, and has the potential to change your health in profound ways. Nourishing Wisdom is available in my store.

a must-read for the conscious eater!

The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan is probably one of the most influential books in my life to date. The title refers to the fact that humans are physically capable of eating just about anything. Once we accept that anything can be food, then the question becomes, “What should we be eating?” Along these lines, one section of the book details the author’s internal debate about whether or not he should eat meat. He really likes meat and does not want to give it up, but he feels compelled to explore the issue so that he can either choose to be morally comfortable eating meat or to let it go. The book does a great job of presenting arguments on both sides, and the author eventually comes to his own decision without implying that it should be every reader’s decision as well.

The book is organized around discussions of where our food comes from, and several different scenarios are explained in depth. The story starts with corn, that grain/vegetable that has taken over our American food chain in ways that most people hardly realize. Just when the reader is feeling like nothing is safe to eat anymore, Pollan gives some hope by moving on to organic foods, and then pasture-raised meats. On the other end of the spectrum, he talks of foraging for mushrooms and hunting wild boar. Each section culminates with a meal that the author prepares, using only foods from that aspect of the food supply.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a must-read for those who wish to eat consciously in our modern world. It has completely changed the way I shop for food. The book may be purchased in my store by clicking on The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

I recently visited True Food Kitchen in Scottsdale, Arizona with my boyfriend, Gary. This restaurant is a collaboration between Dr. Andrew Weil and Fox Restaurants (an Arizona fine-dining restaurant group). Dr. Weil promotes an “anti-inflammatory” diet as being the best way to eat, and his food pyramid and dietary philosophies are provided on a printed card for all diners to read. Unusual items on the menu include olivello juice (a fruit that, according to the staff, has three times the antioxidants as the currently-popular acai berry), farro (a whole grain with a similar texture to barley), and tempeh (a cultured soy product that can be grilled or sautéed as a meat substitute).

We tried the Andy’s Elixir – olivello juice with agave nectar and soda water, before dinner. It tastes vaguely like orange juice, in a “That’s not orange juice!” sort of way. Gary loved the stuff. I can’t say it was my favorite, but it was tasty enough to order again sometime.

For our appetizers, we ordered the raw fish of the day – albacore tuna with thin slices of cucumber and mild radish, garnished with avocado and a citrus vinaigrette, along with the caramelized onion tart with smoked garlic, black figs, and gorgonzola. Both were fabulous. The onion tart was more like a crispy crust pizza, and the flavors went perfectly with my zinfandel.

Our entrees were butternut squash ravioli with a yogurt-based cream sauce, and pan-roasted chicken with asparagus, fennel, farro, and walnuts. The ravioli was good. The chicken was outstanding – full of flavor, tender and juicy. The farro was pleasantly chewy and quite tasty, especially with the sauce that was drizzled over the grain and vegetables. One thing I especially loved about this dish – the chicken was skin-on, as chicken is supposed to be.

For dessert, we shared the orange olive oil cake, which came with a small scoop of blood orange sorbet. This was another amazing dish – great flavors, wonderful textures, beautifully presented. I just wish I hadn’t had to share it!

Gary said this was the best restaurant he had ever been to. We were both very impressed with the food, and the staff is well-trained in the nutritional concept of the restaurant. I love that the menu consists of primarily whole foods, prepared in a way to satisfy the foodies that Gary and I both are. I highly recommend visiting True Food Kitchen next time you are in Scottsdale.

Check out their wesbite at http://foxrc.com/true_food_kitchen.html