My New Favorite Salad

I'm always looking for a new way to get more fruits and veggies into my diet, and I have been experimenting for the last few weeks with salad. I have been buying a bagged mixture of veggies from Trader Joe's called Cruciferous Blend. It's a mixture of kale, brussel sprouts, and two kinds of cabbage (all raw). I've been mixing it with different fruits and veggies, and have come up with the following salad that I hope you will like as much as I do

.Cruciferous Veggies With Pomegranate and Apple

1 bag cruciferous blend (Trader Joe's)1 apple, sliced thin (I like Granny Smith)

1/2 package pomegranate seeds (available at Trader Joe's)

1/3 cucumber peeled and cubed

1/2 red or yellow pepper, cubed

 handful of raw sunflower seeds

1-2 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled (add at the end)

Combine all ingredients except the sunflower seeds and goat cheese about 2 hours before you are ready to eat. Dress with any salad dressing of your choice, or the one I made below, which was delicious. It's a good idea to dress it early, because the vinegar in the dressing will break down the fibrous veggies and make them easier to digest. Just before serving, add the sunflower seeds and the crumbled cheese. I like the cheese crumbled, but if you want to add it early with the dressing, it will soften like cream cheese and is very tasty. That is your choice. Below is the dressing I made, and all amounts are approximate

                                                              Pomegranate Dressing

2T. pomegranate vinegar, available at Trader Joe's
4T. olive oil
2tsp. Dijon mustard
1tsp. honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, and be sure and taste. Adjust amounts to suit your palate. This can also be made with red wine vinegar and shallots, instead of the pomegranate vinegar, but I think this goes so well with the pomegranates in the salad. I hope you like this as much as I do!

The Patio: A New Look In Mission Hills

San Diego is teeming with new restaurants, and some really good ones are popping up. The newest restaurant you may want to try is The Patio on Goldfinch. The original Patio in Pacific Beach was an instant success, and their second restaurant on Goldfinch will probably be too
  The new restaurant is modern and open air in the front room with a fireplace. The designer is Lahaina Architects. The feature that everyone is drawn to is the huge, plant wall in the back of the room. It looks like the rainforest on a wall. It adds oxygen and life to all the dead materials that are used in construction today: concrete and steel. The Patio is going for Leed Platinum certification (as eco friendly as you can get)

The Patio has a cheese "cave" that Venissimo helped curate. They also plan to open a retail store called Front Porch around the corner. It will serve all sorts of gourmet foodstuff, plus some to-go lunch and dessert options. They are already planning another retail spot at Liberty Station, and possibly something in North County. Now that's what I call confidence.  The Patio just opened, so I haven't had a chance to eat there, but from the buzz it's creating, it should be good. I like to give restaurants at least a month to get their menu and service straightened out. I will visit the restaurant next month. In the meantime, Mission Hills is now loaded with fine dining spots. The Patio on Goldfinch joins Brooklyn Girl, The Red Door, The Wellington and Lefty's Pizzeria, all standouts within a couple of blocks. I can't wait to try it.

What Is Prosopagnosia?

Prosopagnosia is more commonly known as face blindness. It is a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize faces. Depending upon the degree of impairment, some people with prosopagnosia may only have difficulty recognizing a familiar face. Others will be unable to discriminate between unknown faces, while still others may not even be able to distinguish a face as being different than an object. Face blindness is not related to memory dysfunction, memory loss or learning disabilities. It is thought to result from abnormalities, damage or impairment in the right fusiform gyrus, a fold in the brain that coordinate the neural systems that control facial perception and memory.

Prosopagnosia can result from stroke, traumatic brain injury or certain neurodegenerative diseases. Some degree of prosopagnosia is often present in children with autism and Asperger's syndrome, and may be the cause of their impaired social development.

Prosopagnosia caused by brain injury or stroke can be helped. People can be retrained and recognition can be improved. Face blindness caused by neurological disorders cannot be cured at this time. However, people that know they have it can be taught to use other cues to help recognize people. For example, voice, haircut, body language and gestures can help an individual with face blindness identify people. Having this condition can lead to social isolation, as people may interpret one's lack of recognition as a lack of interest in the person. It can hurt a person's opportunity for jobs, or advancement on the job, and their personal relationships. For now, there is no cure, and those that have this condition can use other cues to compensate for lack of facial recognition.

There are a number of famous people who identify themselves as having prosopagnosia. Brad Pitt, Dr. Oliver Sacks (famous neurologist who wrote the book "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat"), Jane Goodall and Hubert Dreyfus (American philosopher) are just a few of the millions of people worldwide with this condition. This is a condition that, with the advances in neuroscience, will one day soon be better understood.

Your Recipe Calls For An Onion: What Kind Should You Use?

As a recipe ingredient, an onion isn't very specific, considering that there are various types of onions, all good for different uses. As much as I used to cook, I never focused on what kind of onion I was using in a recipe. I will after researching this, and finding out that specific onions are best for specific uses. Here's what I learned.

The most commonly used onion is the yellow onion. It has a thin layer of white flesh and a tough, brownish yellow skin. They are very astringent, almost sharp spicy flavor, yet they have a lot of sugar. When cooked they lose their astringency, the sugar makes them sweet and they turn a light brown color. They best for roasted meat dishes like pot roast, roast chicken and rack of lamb, and great as a flavor base for sauces, soups and stews.

The second most versatile onion is the sweet onion. They're similar to the yellow onion, but they have a distinct flavor that is better for certain things. The sweet onion has thick layers, which makes it great for slicing into ring. It has a high sugar content and a low sulphur content, which makes it very sweet. It's best for onion rings, French onion soup, roasted, and in baked gratins. This onion is also know as Vidalia or Walla Walla.

The white onion is the crunchiest and sharpest onion. They are used mostly in Mexican cooking. They are large, with a thin, papery skin. They are sharp, astringent and not very sweet, but they are super crispy because of a high water content. They're great for salsas, chutney, or sautéed in stir fry.

The red onion is milder, and adds a bit of color to your dish. They are crisp and sweet. They're best grilled, or raw on burgers or sandwiches.

The shallot, although not technically an onion, has a similar taste to the red onion, although not as overpowering. Shallots are the best choice for vinaigrette and mignonette, or in cooked vinegar sauces. They're also good in quiche or other egg dishes.

Next time you purchase onions, considering what you're going to use them for. You might, like me, find you've been buying the wrong kind of onion for years. The right onion for the right recipe does make a difference.

Encinitas Fish Shop

>p>Every few years there's a new trend in restaurants.  First it was burgers, then pizza, then sushi, and now casual fish eateries.  It seems like everywhere you go today there's a new fish restaurant.  The newest one in North County is Encinitas Fish Shop in Encinitas.  They moved in to the space formerly occupied by St. Germain on Coast Highway.  It's got a lot of positives that give it a good chance of making it.  First, they have a parking lot!  That makes life good before you even enter the restaurant.  Next, they have both indoor and outdoor seating.  Finally, it is very good.

I recently went to Encinitas Fish Shop for lunch.  I ordered the TKO taco.  Grilled mahi mahi on either a flour or corn tortilla, coleslaw, cheese and a light mayonnaise type dressing, and a wonderful spicy mango salsa.  It was delicious.  Other items worth trying, according to the customers I spoke with is ceviche, made with either shrimp or mahi mahi.  Traditional fish 'n chips looked delicious, but you can also get them with grilled fish for a lighter option.  A wonderful starter would be the tomato-based fish soup, a hearty New England-style clam chowder and a rich Fish Shop chowder.

Dinner options include a dozen or so choices of fish, marinated in the sauce of your choice (8 ounces of fish) served with two side dishes.  Most of the fish plates range from $15-$23, a little pricey for a restaurant where you have to stand in line to order, but hey, fish is expensive.  After ordering your meal, find a seat and your food will be brought to you.  The restaurant also has a small bar with many local and California microbrew beers, or for $5 corkage, bring your own wine. 

Next time you're looking for something casual, fresh, and where everything from soup to cole slaw  to seasonings and sauces is homemade, try Encinitas Fish Shop.  I think you'll like it.

The Power Of A Group

Several months ago I wrote about a variety of food products either imported or domestic, that were recently banned from the American market. I wondered when I wrote it how some products that had been sold here for years became banned, and what kind of politics might be involved. Not being an investigative reporter, I did not pursue this thought, but now another product that is near and dear to my heart was close to being banned by the FDA. It was only the food community coming together to protest, that save artisan cheese aged on wooden boards from being banned by the FDA.

The move would have devastated the American artisan cheese industry. Products included in the ban would have been Parmigiano Reggiano, among others. Not surprisingly, the American Cheese Society immediately issued a statement promising a fight, noting that over 60% of cheesemakers use wooden boards for aging. There have not been any foodborne pathogen issues as a result of aging cheese on wooden boards. The FDA said that the porous nature of wood used to age cheese made it susceptible to absorbing bacteria. How have we survived for decades eating cheese aged using this process? What was behind this potential ban?

The FDA has the authority to ban such cheeses under the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 initiated by the Bush administration as part of its anti-terrorism policies. Are they kidding? The FDA banned the import of raw milk cheese aged less than 60 days in 2013, even though it allows the sale of raw milk cheese in the United States. Does this make any sense?

For now, we cheese lovers are safe. The FDA will engage with the artisanal cheese-making community to determine whether certain types of cheese can safely be made by aging them on wooden shelving. Cheese makers have been using this process for decades, even centuries, and now all of a sudden the FDA thinks it's unsafe? I have to think there's more to this decision than meets the eye. Thank goodness the Cheese Lobby has clout. If this interests you, take a look back at a story from last year (in my blog archives) about banned food. It was called "Forbidden Food," and it was published on June 12, 2013. Very interesting.

Give Yourself A Homemade Facial

Going to the spa is expensive. You can give yourself an at home facial for next to nothing, and you'll be thrilled with the results. Granted you don't get the pampering you receive at a spa, but then you've still got the $100 you saved to go out and do something special for yourself. Better yet, invite a friend over and give each other facials. There's no real skill involved. Here's how to give yourself a home made facial.

Ingredients

Headband to hold your hair back

gentle soap to wash face

bowl for water (I often use a big pot on the stove instead of a bowl)

steaming hot water

fresh lemon or mint

exfoliating scrub

mask

cucumber slices

cold water for rinsing

moisturizer

Procedure

Use headband or hair clips to hold hair off face. Wash with a gentle soap to remove all dirt and makeup. Next put head over a bowl of steaming water. I like to use a big pot on the stove. Cover your head with a towel to make a tent and keep the steam in. Steam for several minutes, if you can stand the heat. At the end, add some lemon or mint for a refreshing feel, and the mint may open your sinuses. Pat face with a towel. Then, add exfoliating scrub and massage in gentle circles around your face, avoiding the eyes. Rinse with cool water and apply a mask. (your choice). Take two cucumber slices, place on eyes, and lie down and rest while the mask dries. When time is up, remove mask with water, then splash with very cold water, to close pores. Finally, apply a light moisturizer and take a look at the results. You should look refreshed and rested. I've never done it with a friend, but the more I think about it, the better it sounds. A little spa morning in your own home!

Lemon Chicken

One of my favorite dishes at a Chinese restaurant is lemon chicken. The problem is the dish is likely made with lots of sugar and MSG. Here is a baked version of lemon chicken which is savory rather than sweet, and is great any time of year. During the summer I change it up a bit, add cilantro to the marinade, and grill the chicken rather than bake. At the end I take the leftover marinade, heat and reduce a bit, and add some cornstarch to thicken if necessary. It makes a great sauce, especially if you serve the chicken with rice or couscous. Try it either way. I think you'll enjoy it.

Lemon Chicken, baked or barbequed

2 tbsp. lemon zest

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2-4 lbs. of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks(I prefer breasts, so I halve the breasts

Thinly sliced lemons, for garnished

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake well to blend. Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours or more.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish, skin-side up, reserving the leftover marinade.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the skins are crispy and well-browned. Halfway through baking, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken pieces in the baking dish. When finished, cover loosely with foil and let it rest 10 minutes before serving. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Another option is to barbeque the chicken. After marinating the chicken, grill until cooked, basting with the marinade occasionally. Thicken the remainder of the sauce and serve with the chicken. Enjoy.

Fun Facts About Redheads

Have you noticed the number of red headed babies and small children recently? I have, and it got me wondering why there are so many redheaded children, when only 1%-2% of the population has red hair. I don't have the answer as to why there are so many redheads, but I do have some fun facts to tell you about redheads that you may not know.

Redheads have less hair on their heads, in total number of strands. Brunettes have 140,000 strands on their heads and redheads have only 90,000, but the strands on redheads are thicker, so they usually appear to have thick hair. Also, redheaded hair hold its pigment more than any other color, thus it is more difficult to dye. The headstrong nature of redheads relates not just to their personality, but their hair as well.

Red hair and blue eyes is the rarest combination in the world. Both are recessive genes, meaning both parents must have the same coloring. Only 1% of the world's population has this combination.

Redheads are more sensitive to thermal pain, and their bodies are able to change temperature much quicker. Redheaded women bruise more easily, get Parkinson's twice as often as people with other hair color, and they generate their own Vitamin D. They can produce their own vitamin D within their body when exposed to low light conditions.

The Romans kept redheaded slaves at a higher price. They were thought to be strong and determined, and were held in high esteem by the Romans. They were the more expensive slaves. Historically, Russia means "Land of the reds," and boasts a high density of redheads in the Kazan region, over 10% of its people being redheads. Scotland and Ireland have a similar amount of redheads.

Adolf Hitler reportedly banned redheaded marriages, fearing that they would produce "deviant offspring."

Who are some of the famous redheads in history? Here they are, in no particular order: Nero, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Napoleon, Queen Elizabeth 1, Oliver Cromwell, Emily Dickinson, Winston Churchill, Galileo, James Joyce, Vivaldi, Mark Twain. Now, can someone tell me why more redheads seem to be out there today?

Surgery: 28 Days Post Op

As I write this, it's been a month since my partial knee replacement.  Tomorrow I go for my one month check up, but prior to hearing what the doctor has to say, I will tell you what I have to say about the first month with my new knee.

Some days are better than others.  I started out like gangbusters.  I was back at the Y in 10 days, off most of my meds in about the same amount of time, and from the looks of my knee, things were healing up nicely.  It was about the third week post op that I noticed I was not progressing as quickly as I thought I would.  In my effort to get off the pain meds in order to drive, play bridge, and read books, I was in quite a lot of pain.  I resisted the pain meds, which was a bad decision.  I have now returned to taking 1/2 a Norco twice a day.  Not much, but it's enough to take the edge off.  I feel much better.  Today I actually took 1 1/2 pills, and I plan to continue to do that as necessary.  Everyone told me, "Stay ahead of the pain,"  but did I listen?  No, not like I should have.  Actually, my physical activity has improved a lot, my range of flexibility is excellent, and my endurance is good.  But I'm so tired!  I go to the Y and workout in the morning, then come home and take a nap.  I have stabs of sharp pain from time to time, which is normal.  I don't sleep well at night, despite the fact that I am tired.

Tomorrow Dr. Bugbee will set me straight.  My guess is that he will tell me to take the pain meds before the pain and not have a constant gnawing pain all the time.  He will also most likely tell me to continue my exercise, and try to get more rest.  My hope is that in the next month I will have less pain, which will mean less pain meds, and less exhaustion.

We sometimes forget what we've been through when we have any type of surgery.  Surgery is a huge stress on the body, anesthesia in one's system can take weeks to flush out, and we're just not as young as we used to be.  Again I say that everyone is different, and that the healing process varies from patient to patient.  I'm glad to have the first month behind me, and look forward to month two being the month that I see big progress.  One more report, at the end of month two.

Your Most Precious Belongings

With 15 minutes to evacuate, what would pack, thinking that you may come back home and find nothing left? Many of us were faced with this situation in May, during the many fires that our area endured. My neighborhood was told to evacuate in place, which meant to pack as if you were going to evacuate, then wait for further instructions. We did that, and fortunately never had to actually evacuate, although many neighborhoods just a few blocks away actually did evacuate. It's a good time to think about what's important to you, what's necessary to take with you, and what you can comfortably leave behind. Here's what we packed.

Most importantly, I had Pepper ready to go, his food for two days, his leash and a few treats thrown into my purse. Then, we took our medications, makeup and tootbrush. Next, we took important papers: passports, insurance policies (especially those relating to the house), checkbooks, etc. Ron took his computer, since he has all his work on it. I did not take my computer, but grabbed my address book, my calendar (don't know why), my ipad, and of course my iphone and all my cords. I also took a small bag with some favorite pieces of jewelry. Lastly, we packed a small suitcase with clothes for 2-3 days, including good tennis shoes and a jacket. We also opened our garage door and put the cars on the street. If the power goes out, you may have trouble getting your cars out

I did not take my sterling silver, which in retrospect I should have, nor did I take any photographs, which I should have, nor did I take any paintings or crystal or china objects, of which I have many. There's only so much you can take.

It's a good idea to mentally make a list of what you might take if such a situation arises. Some people think it's a good idea to have an emergency bag packed with 2 days worth of clothes, stuff for your pets, medications and personal items ready at all times. Then, if an emergency arises you already have the basics packed, and you just have to get the rest of your stuff in a bag, which doesn't take long. The one thing I did learn from this experience, was to photograph as much of your house, paintings, mementos, closets with clothes, kitchen items, jewelry and furniture as possible, and to have that safely put away. I photographed our entire house while we were evacuating in place. I will put that on a flash drive and keep it somewhere safe, but not in the house. The other thing I did when the fires were over was call my insurance company and raise the amount of property in the house. If we were undervalued, many of you probably are too. It's a good idea to value your contents. It could make a big difference if there's a disaster. We're lucky to have the former Fire Chief from Encinitas living two doors away. He gave our neighborhood valuable information. Thanks, Bob

My Personal Journal

This will be my last blog on the subject of Ron's incarceration and our journey since his release, on July 27, 2011. The journey is never over, as recovery from any traumatic incident is always ongoing, but we are doing so well that what I have to say is probably boring. So, I will move on to my own surgery, which took place on July 9, and write a bit about my recovery. Surgery of one sort or another is something we all face eventually, so my fears and apprehensions may be relevant to many of you.We were sitting in the movies several weeks ago watching Jersey Boys (loved it), when Ron said to me that his PO popped into his mind because it was a Friday. Rather than get the typical stomach ache that ordinarily went with any thought or correspondence with her, he immediately dismissed it, realizing that she was no longer part of his life. The freedom that he enjoys most is hard to verbalize. I guess it's just knowing that at anytime we can take off for Dana Point to play bridge (something we haven't been able to do for years), meet our family in Orange County for dinner without having to plan weeks in advance, or just take off and drive to Palm Springs, or Phoenix, or wherever we want. You can't imagine what that feels like until it is taken away from you. The next best thing that Ron appreciates is not having to be accountable to someone every month for financial matters. I think the lack of no longer having to report is saving him many hours every month.Still, hardly a week goes by that something doesn't remind him of the past dozen years. He sees someone that reminds him of what he's gone through, hears about an old friend or client, or remembers an incident that brings back painful memories. He still struggles emotionally with the effect incarceration and recovery has had on his family, especially our children. Shame and embarrassment are what he thinks his children have felt for these years, but he also believes they are proud of him, and how he has responded to adversity. He recently reconnected with a longtime friend/client of his, and is pleased about that. He tries everyday to make his family proud, and I think he's doing a great job. I have written more than 110 blogs titled "My Personal Journal," so if you're a new reader or are curious about all we've been through, you can go back through the archives and check them out. I've enjoyed writing them. They've helped me a lot, especially the ones I wrote weekly for the 19 months Ron was incarcerated. Now, it's on to my current journey: surgery and recovery. I'll keep you posted.