The Benefits of Sheep Milk and Cheese

We were recently out for dinner, and Ron was anxious to order a cheese and meat platter as an appetetizer for the table. You see them on most menus these days. Often you see the basic American cheeses, maybe some local artisan cheeses and handmade salumi. You may even see some sheep milk cheeses, as they are becomming more and more popular. Look for them next time you're out and give sheep's milk cheese a try.

Sheep's milk is highly nutritious in every category. Two cups of sheep milk will provide the daily minimum requiremet for the average person of 800mg. of calcium, wheras it takes three cups of cow's milk to provide the same nutrition. The mdr for riboflavin and five of the essential ten amino acids are included in either 2 cups of sheep milk yogurt or 93 grams of sheep cheese without eating anything else. Compared to cow or goat milk, sheep milk is higher in fat, protein, percent of solids, calcium and calories. I haven't drunk sheep's milk in many years, but I remember not liking it. That must be why it is not more popular. The milk may not be to my liking, but the cheese sure is. Because of the high percentage of solids, sheep's milk produces excellent cheese. It is, however, very expensive, because most of it is hand made in small quantities. Years ago you could only find sheep's milk cheese in Europe, usually Spain, Portugal and France, but we live in a global community now and it is produced in small artisan farms throughout the United States.

High end restaurants will probably include a few choices of sheep's milk cheese on their menu. Some that I particularly like are Serena, a rich, creamy cheese from Spain. It retails for around $22. Pecorino, which you've probably had, is also produced from sheep's milk. It's an old style pressed cheese, with a buttery nutty flavor. Another good cheese is Idiazabel from the Basque region of Spain. It is slightly smoked during the aging process and produces a delicious flavor. It retails for about $22.

Sheep's milk cheese can of course be found in specialty cheese shops around town, but is also available in grocery stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts. Also look on line for sheep's milk cheese and you won't believe what's out there. So next time you're looking to spice up your cheese platter and give your guests something to talk about, include a sheep's milk cheese. I think you, and your friends will like it.

All Olive Oil Is Not The Same

I recently went on a tour of the Temecula Olive Oil Ranch. It was fascinating. We were escorted by one of the owners, Tom Curry, who is a wealth of information. He spent 1 1/2 hours with us, showing us the olive groves, explaining the growing and production process, and answering our many questions. Next, we all gathered around an outdoor bar for an olive oil tasting. We were all expecting bread to dip the olive oil in, but they do not do it that way. Each person got about six little plastic cups, and into each cup was poured less than a teaspoon of oil. Just enough to taste. One after another, we tasted and oohed and ah-ed. We started with two typical extra virgin olive oils. Each had a buttery, yet peppery taste. They were excellent. Then we got into the olive oil infusions. Basil oil, citrus oil, garlic oil and jalapeno oil were all excellent. With several of the oils they did a vinegar pairing. We tasted a pomegranete balsamic vinegar, a vanilla fig white balsamic vinegar, and a hatch chili vinegar (really hot). I never knew oilive oils could taste so different.

Tom spent quite a bit of time talking about quality. At his ranch everything is done by hand, including the picking of the olives. At mass produced farms the olives are picked by machine, actually shaken, which can cause bruising. We learned that putting olive oil in a clear bottle may look pretty, but it is not the right thing to do. Sunlight is terrible for the olive oil and will turn it rancid. Tom talked a lot about rancid olive oil, and said that much of what you buy in the supermarkets is already rancid when you buy it. This does not mean you will get sick from it, just that it does not have the true taste it was meant to have. Tom thinks that most Americans don't really know what good olive oil should taste like and have gotten used to a poor imitation. European standards for labels like extra virgin, cold pressed and organic are different than American standards. These labels are for the most part marketing tools, according to Tom.

Light olive oil, which I have seen in the markets, implies that it is lower in calories. Olive oil is olive oil. There is no light olive oil.

Temecula Olive Oil is expensive. I think a bottle is around $17.00. Try it once and I don't think you'll ever go back to what you had been using. If you're like me, you get it at Trader Joe's or Costco for a very good price, but once you taste the good stuff you'll be hooked. Temecula Olive Oil Co. has three retail stores. One on Cedros in Solana Beach, one in Old Town, and one in old Temecula. They sell vinegar, mustard and soap, in addition to about a dozen different flavors of olive oil.

Food is very expensive today, but there are some things that worth the extra bucks. Good olive oil is one of them. I bought my first bottle of Temecula Olive Oil over a year ago, and it didn't last long. One of my favorite lunches or salads for dinner is a caprese salad. Fresh heirloom tomatoes, sliced and salted, fresh mozzarella cheese, and a piece of basil on top. Drizzle on a little basil olive oil and the salad goes from good to great. Now I have the citrus olive oil which I use for salad dressing and will experiment with for other recipes. I'll let you know what I come up with. In the mean time, give a good olive oil a try. You won't go back to the old stuff.

Biking In Beautiful Ocanside

I've turned into a maniac spinner in the past few months. The doctor told me that cycling was the best possible exercise I could do for my knees, much better than walking. So I cut back on the walking and started spinning three times a week at the Y.

My first class was a bit intimidating. All these super fit men and women, most in their 30's and 40's sweating, and yelling and having a ball. There are some older people too, all very fit. I walk in, find a bike in the back, and get on. By the time the first class was over, I was hooked. I can't believe how strong I've gotten just in the few months I've been spinning. I really love it. I have always been fearful of riding outside. There are so many cars these days, and hardly a month goes by that I don't hear of a death or bad accident in our area. However, a few of my friends who bike regularly encouraged me to join them on a recent Tuesday morning in Oceanside. I did.

The ride began at the San Luis Rey Bikepath, right near the Oceanside train station. We rode the whole length of the path and back, which took us about 2 hours. Kim let me borrow her bike, and away we went. Except for a swarm of bees that circled my head for about 20 seconds and scared the hell out of me, it was a great day. I had noticed as we were riding that were a number of yellow and black bumble bees walking along the bike path. Then came the swarm. Man, was I scared. In those few seconds I had flashes of being stung by the swarm and having to be airlifted to a hospital. You can't imagine what went through my mind in just a few short seconds.

Of course 2 hours of biking made us very hungry, so we stopped at BeachBreake Cafe in Oceanside on the way home. This is one of my favorite breakfast spots in the San Diego area, but it's also excellent, and reasonable, for lunch. I had a delicious 1/3 pound burger with fries, for $6.25. Others at our table had a veggie scramble and biscuits, a short stack of blueberry pancakes (huge) and a chicken torta sandwich.

I loved the outdoor biking, and the next time these ladies go again to a place without cars, I will join them. In the meantime I will keep spinning at the Y. I'm training for the bikethon fundraiser in February....

Urban Solace: Great Dining In Encinitas

Last year Fran and I visited NorthPark one day, trying to put together a trip for our wanderers group. Part of our trips always include lunch, so we stopped at Urban Solace for lunch. We loved the food, especially the biscuits, but were unable to put together a wanderers trip to NorthPark, so we never went back. Now we have a brand new Urban Solace in Encinitas, right behind the new Whole Foods Market. Ron and I stopped in for dinner on a recent Wednesday night, after seeing Midnight in Paris at La Paloma Theatre. (my second time, I just loved it). We had tried several times to just stop in on the weekend, but that doesn't work with this hotspot. It's very popular with young and old, and a weeknight is best if you don't like lots of noise.

We sat downstairs, which the hostess described as more intimate. The upstairs is louder, more like a lounge. The decor is minimal, with basic looking tables and chairs, and some nice artwork on the walls. The restaurant also has a nice outdoor patio. But the star of the restaurant is the food, and it is delicious. The menu is quite different from the NorthPark restaurant, with more focus on seafood and artisan cheeses. No mac and cheese or meatloaf appear on the Encinitas menu. Here's what we had. As often happens, I liked the starters more than the entrees, so we ordered warm cheddar and chive biscuits, orange honey butter and smokey tomato jam to start. This is their signature dish. For $5.75 you can get a plate of 5 biscuits, but next time I will just order them individually. It was too much. Next we had house made ricotta fondue, oil cured black olive puree on roasted garlic toast for $9. A warm tureen of ricotta arrived, and we dug in. Again, the portion was more than we could eat, but since it wasn't the type of food to take home, I forced myself to finish it. Next, we had the grass-fed beef tartar, poached egg and capers on top, with pickled onions and shaved parmesean. This dish was $10.25, again a very good sized portion. Our final dish was a warm spinach salad, bacon vinaigrette, poached egg and shaved parmesean. Ron thought it was one of the best salads he'd had in a long time.

We never got to the wild salmon with toasted quinoa, beef cheek, mashed sweet potato and smoked tomato jam, or the mustard crusted local halibut, farro stew, with toasted black pepper sauce. They also offer several burgers, a few strictly vegetarian choices, leg of duck confit, and a grass fed ribeye.

Our bill was less than $40, which I feel is reasonable for the exceptionally good, and unique food we ate. I will go back again and again. I can't wait to have another meal there, maybe lunch this time. They have lots of great sandwiches, served with fries for under $10.

If you go to Urban Solace, I recommend trying it on a weeknight. Avoid the crowds and the noise and you'll get a delicious meal and excellent service. Another winner in North County.

It's The Thought That Counts

How many times have you said that when you receive a gift? I know I have said that dozens of times, usually meaning that it's not much of a gift, but at least the person thought enough of me to get me a gift. This Christmas was different. We had decided NOT to exchange gifts with the adults, but you know how some people are (including me), they still want to buy people a little something. So, the gifts I did receive we small and very thoughtful. I don't think a single gift was over $10, but each reflected love and thought by the person who bought it. Here are just a few of the thoughtful gifts I received. 1. A box of scotch kisses from See's (my favorite candy). 2. A book journal, for keeping track of what you've read and and what other books it prompted you to read ( I LOVE to read). 3. A mix of music with my favorite artists, made especially for me. 4. A Starbucks card (always something I love getting). 5. A package of dog biscuits for Pepper 6. A little flashlight for walking Pepper at night. 7. A reuasable soft water bottle (for spin class).

This doesn't sound like much, but it is. The person giving each of these gifts thought about me, what I liked, and bought accordingly. I feel special knowing that people went the extra mile to get something I'd really like. I'm still waiting for one more special gift. It could come anytime now. A new grandchild from Deborah and Phil. She's not due for 2 more weeks but it looks like the baby could come anytime now.

Finally, my greatest gift this year is having Ron home and being able to spend the holidays with him. We're not doing much of anything, but being together, recognizing all we have to be grateful for, and enjoying each other is all I need. I remember back to last Christmas with Rod, Linda and Carole. I will never forget it. Linda and Rod made it so special. It was the only Christmas Ron and I had been apart in over 40 years. That is behind us, and this year was the first of many more holidays together. I hope they're all as memorable as this one.

Who Was Vaclav Havel?

I recently received a little quiz from one of my friends. It was part of a larger quiz developed by the Pew Research Center, to see how well informed Americans are by gender, education and age. Interestingly, the oldest age category was the best informed. Not so surprising was that men were more informed than women and college graduates were more informed than non graduates. In light of this study, and the fact that many people did not know who the prime minister of England was, or what country was in great economic crisis in Europe right now, I thought I might tell you about someone you might have heard of, but maybe not. He's Vaclav Havel, president of the Czech Republic for 13 years, and a very important figure in 20th century democracy.

Vaclav Havel is the Czech write and dissident and democratically elected president of the Czech Republic for 13 years, yet many informed people have never heard of him. Havel articulated the power of the powerless, through his plays and essays. He served years in Communist prisons due to his nonconformist writing and ideas. Havel came to personify the soul of the C\zech nation. He was a dominant figure during Prague street demonstrations in 1989. He was also a behind the scenes negotiator in helping to end more than 40 years of Communist rule and the peaceful transfer of power known as the Velvet Revolution. (because the revolt was so smooth that it took only two weeks to complete and no bullets were fired).

Havel helped link the Czech Republic firmly to the West. He helped clear the way for the Czech Republic to join NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004. Vaclav Havel will be remembered as one of the giants in ending Communism in his own country and throughout Europe. Anyone who had visited the Czech Republic in the 1980's and revists now, cannot help but be impressed on how dramatically the country has changed. They've come a long way.

Fondue Is Back

In 1963 I took my first trip to Europe with Linda, a friend from high school and college. She was the perfect person to go with, as she had a Dutch father and a Swiss mmother. Her parents left Europe during the war to come to America, but many relatives stayed behind. We were lucky enough to stay with Linda's relatives in several cities. We were 2 young girls with a rail pass travelling from England to Greece and everywhere in between, so it was great to get to Amsterdam and stay with Linda's relatives for a few days. We saved some money, had a few great meals, and were on our way. Linda's mom came from a small town in Switzerland, called Sils Maria. It is near San Moritz, and our visit to that area was unforgetable. We stayed in Sils Maria with relatives, snuggled under a warm down comforter at night, and hiked the surrounding mountains during the day.

Although this trip was over 50 years ago, I remember it well. What I remember most was Linda's 80+ year old grandmother. She would take us out during the day, hiking all day as if she were a teenager. In fact, we were no match for her hiking skills. She was always waiting for us. It was a bit embarassing, but it taught me that older people can do much more than I ever thought possible. After our days in Sils Maria, we went to Zermatt. What a spectacular town. There are no cars in Zermatt, only horse drawn buggies taking you to your hotel or up and down the main street. Climbing to the base of the Matterhorn was a highlight of our time there. Another highlight was my introduction to cheese fondue. I had never had it before, but Linda's relatives took us to a fancy restaurant one night and introduced me to this very Swiss dish.

Fondue was very popular in the 1980's and I remember fondue sets being a very popular wedding gift. But fondue was a pain to make, so I haven't had it in a long time. Recently a few fondue restaurants have sprung up, but most are very expensive. Well, now you can have it at home at a very reasonable price, and it's delicious.

Trader Joe's has a new product, in the refrigerated case, called La Fondue. The price is $5.99. Ready to heat fondue comes in a soup like container. All you have to do is heat for 4 minutes and eat. We recently had it for dinner. I bought a loaf of French bread which I cut in cubes, made a delicious salad, heated the fondue, and had a wonderful dinner for 4 in about 20 minutes, and better yet, the cost was only about $10.

If you love fondue as I do, but don't want to go to one of the expensive fondue restaurants or fuss with cheeses, kirsch

, etc. to make it from scratch, this is a great alternative. Try it, you'll like it.

Farmshop Brentwood

Most of the restaurants I review, I do so because I love the food. I am reviewing Farmshop in Brentwood (Westside Los Angeles) because it is extraordinary in so many ways. It is the product of Jeff Cerciello, chef owner and culinary director of Bouchon. Several other restauranteurs are involved in Farmshop, all with impecable credentials. Jeff trained under Thomas Keller at French Laundry, and his food is reflective of his training. The food is straightforward, California inspired fare, from artisanally sourced ingredients. That means that you know where every egg, piece of meat, and vegetable came from. This must be important to some people, because it is a big deal at some very trendy restaurants.

The style of the restaurant is communal. When you enter you feel like you're walking into a big farmhouse, where everyone knows each other. There is a big communal table in the middle that seats about 20 people, then tables of twos and fours scattered around the perimeter. We sat at the communal table. The kitchen, which is not large, is visible from the dining room, so you can see the chefs at work. A beautiful display of baked goods is available for take out at the front of the restaurant. I bought a lemon yogurt muffin for $3 which was delicious. Light, moist and tangy. They are in the process of building an artisanal market adjacent to the restaurant. Here you can shop for fresh fruits, vegetables, local cheeses, breads, and specialty meats. This should be up and operating in a few months, and it will be interesting to see how they do.

FarmShop is located in the Brentwood Country Mart, a landmark boutique shopping center in Brentwood. If this type of market and restaurant can make it anywhere, this location is THE place to be. Here's the problem. Breakfast and lunch are fine, a rather typical menu for an upscale restaurant, small portions, with the food beautifully presented. It's dinner, which may be the problem, and I will talk about in a minute. I was there for brunch. My mom had coddled eggs (baked) toppe with mushrooms, fresh sliced smoked salmon on the side, and toasted brioche. I had a wheatberry salad with roasted pumpkin and pomegrantes and feta cheese. The plate looked gorgeous, but the portion was small and the meal just ok. Other meals that our community table ate included thick french toast with boysenberries and pistachio nuts, a frittata with tomatoes and roasted veggies on top, and a $20 omelette. (it included fresh crab). The highlight of this restaurant is the beauty of the plates they turn out. The food was good, not great, and with a French Laundry trained chef I was expecting great.

Dinner is altogether different than what most of us have experienced. Each night there is only one menu, and you eat what they give you. It's kind of like Chez Panisse in that respect. Don't ask for something different. You won't get it. If you don't like the menu, their attitude is that you should go there on another night when they have something you like. Dinners range from $46-$54 per person. Here's what they offered on a recent Sunday night.

avocado hummus with nigelle and flatbreads
roasted weiser farm parsnips with dates and marjoram
goat's milk feta with green olives

Herbed fried chicken, marinated farro, roasted pumpkin, toasted almonds and heirloom tomatoes with sumac and pomegrante

Cocoa meringues, dark chocolate mousse and spiced salted carmel.

$46.

Farmshop is definitely for foodies. It's for those that like to try new things, prepared in new ways. Definitely not for everyone.

Would this restaurant make it in San Diego? Not at this time. We're not ready for anything like this yet. By the time you have a drink, coffee, tax and tip, it's $75 per person. LA can definitely handle a restaurant like this. The name dropping at the communal table at lunch was unbelieveable. One person had just had dinner with Mayor Viallarigosa, another had spent an evening with Nancy Silverton learning how to make fresh burrata, and a third was a 12 year old boy who was discussing his trip to the Montreaux jazz festival in Switzerland. Then there was my mom and I. We just listened. So glad to have gone there, but I don't think I'll make it a habit.

The Vitamin D Controversy

Several months ago I wrote about my health checkup, and that a deficient amount of Vitamin D was my only area of concern. I wondered why, and I still wonder why. I've done quite a lot of online research, and the recommendations for Vitamin D vary so much, you just don't know who to believe.

Over the past 6 years guidelines for Vitamin D consumption have changed drastically. Some health professionals are recommending 600-800 IU per day, while others are recommending up to 2,000 IU's. As the body ages, absorption of Vitamin D is reduced, so seniors should increase their dosage as they age to help maintain optimum health.

Dr. Andrew Weil has raised his recommendation from 1,000IU of vitamin D per day to 2,000IU per day. Vitamin D is needed to facilitate calcium absorption and promote bone mineralization. Scientists have recently discovered that Vitamin D may help prevent several cancers, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and respiratory infections including cold and flu. Is vitamin D the new Vitamin C?

We get vitamin D through foods such as fortified milk and cereals, eggs and fatty fish, as well as sun exposure. Ultraviolet rays trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin. Dark skin, heredity, obesity and certain medications decrease the body's ability to make vitamin D. Most significantly, sunscreen blocks vitamin D synthesis in the skin. The research shows that most populations have low levels of vitamin D and that a supplement is needed for most. This is especially true for seniors, as the ability to synthesize vitamin D decreases with age. Add to this the fact that we use sunblock, and we are simply not getting the vitamin D we need.

Every expert has a different recommendation. Some say as little as 600 IU's is sufficient, others recommend as much as 4,000 IU's. As with everything, check with your doctor and see what his recommendation is. The more each of us takes responsibility for our own health, the better off we are. Going to your doctor with a few facts and figures of your own helps you get, and understand what is right for you.

I still contend that all the fuss over vitamin D levels is the result of scientists telling us to wear sunscreen. I don't remember hearing about low levels of vitamin D in the 60's 70's and 80's. We wore suntan lotion, not sunscreen, thus got lots of ultraviolet rays. Probably too much, because skin cancer is rampant, so we reduce the incidence of skin cancer, yet raise the number of people with deficient vitamin D levels. Is there any way to win?

A Felony Is A Life Sentence

Did you know that 56% of violent felons are repeat offenders and 61% of all felons are repeat offenders? One of the reasons for this is that society gives them no choice. Many felons find themselves out of prison, free men or women, unable to find a job. Most companies will refuse to hire someone with a felony on their record, violent or non violent. Left with no employment options, it's easy to imagine that these felons will reoffend. Ron has told me so many stories about men he met at Taft who were there for the second time, because being in prison, with a roof over your head, three square meals a day, and free medical care, was better than being homeless, rejected socially, and unable to get even the most menial job. (FYI, if a minor steals a car or robs a 7-11, it is likely his record will be expunged and he will never face these problems, it will be as if he never did anything wrong).

The punishment for a particular crime may be 24 months of incarceration, but the actual punishment lasts a lifetime. Try to apply for a job if you have a record and one of two things happen. Either the application will have a box you must check if you have ever been convicted of a crime, or the employer will google you or do a background check. In either case, you will not receive an offer. With so many people out of work, why should an employer take a chance and hire a felon?

Back in the days before the internet and extensive background checks, felons who applied for jobs, especially construction, food service and other trade jobs, were hired and became productive members of society. Today there seems to be very little forgiveness to past misdeeds. Make one mistake and it may influence the rest of your life.

A friend of mine told me about a man she knew who had served his time, was hired by a company (can't remember what he did) where he worked for 4 years. He was a model employee. One day someone in HR discovered that he had a criminal record. He was fired the next day.

Not only is the criminal justice system broken, but the reentry program for these men and women offers them little or no hope for success. I don't know what the answer is, I just know that this is another of the important social problems of our time that are not being dealt with. We are incarcerating more and more people every year, building bigger and better prisons all the time (THIS IS BIG BUSINESS, FOLKS), all of which will create more and more homeless or low income people integrating back into society, as they are released. Unfortunately I have learned much of this firsthand.

Unintended Consequences

I was recently watching an interview with Ken Burns, as he was promoting his new film, "Prohibition." As Mark Twain said, "It is the prohibition that makes anything precious." In other words, ban something people want, and they'll want it even more.

Enacted in January 17, 190, Prohibition had an impact few foresaw. The drys were pitted against the wets, and an anti-saloon movement became huge. It became a battle of city versus country, immigrants versus old Protestant stock.

The law of unintended consequences has no more perfect role model than Prohibition. Crime soared, drinking did as well, and government corruption became endemic.

Although liquor became illegal in 1920, there were many loopholes, including alcoholic "fruit juices", medicinal alcohol and industrial alcohols that were exempt. This led to an unintended consequence of the rise of wine in the U.S. American wine consumption increased from 70 million gallons in 1917 to 150 million gallons in 1925. This also affected agriculture. In California, wine grapes replaced many other crops due to this increase.

Many other unintended consequences arose from Prohibition. Ken Burns pointed out that there are many paralells in society today, where one group is trying to ban something, people take sides, tempers flare, and our country becomes divisive. I'm thinking of things like gun control, Rowe vs. Wade, gay marriage, and legalization of marijuana. These are all issues that divide us, and who knows what the unintended consequences might be if any of these issues became law? (we know what the consequences of Rowe vs. Wade have been). It's an interesting subject, and the conversation just reminded me that there are often unintended consequences not only to new law, but often to things we do in everyday life, and all the consequences are not good. It's like I always told my kids when they were young. "Think about the consequences of what you're going to say BEFORE you say it."

Wheatberry Salad With Mandarin Oranges

Our bridge club had a holiday party, where everyone brought a dish and we all stuffed ourselves before sitting down to three hours of bridge. There are a lot of good cooks at the bridge club, and everyone brought their best dishes. I, however, brought something I had never made before, but thought sounded good. I love wheatberries, a wonderful little grain similar to brown rice but with a little more bite. I make lots of varieties of cold salads using wheatberries. If you don't have them, or can't find them, you could substitute cooked brown rice or cooked quineoa.

Wheatberry Salad with Mandarin Oranges

2 cups cooked wheatberries (buy them at Sprouts in the bin).
2 small Persian cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup green olives, sliced
1-8 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
Trader Joe's Orange Champagne Vinegar-to taste
Red balsamic vinegar-to taste
Citrus extra virgin olive oil (From Temecula Olive Oil Farm) optional

Cook wheatberries in salted water for 45 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Add all ingredients. The oil is optional. I typically make this salad with balsamic vinegar only, but this time I used the orange champagne vinegar, which gave it a nice, citrusy flavor. Salad is best if made a few hours before serving so the flavors can blend. This salad is a great addition to any buffet table, anytime of year.

The Joy of Reading

I was suprised recently when I attended a talk by Lisa See at the Encinitas Library. Lisa is the critically acclaimed author of several books, her most famous being Sunflower and the Secret Fan. She is on a book tour to promote her new book, Dreams of Joy. What surprised me is that she doesn't look Chinese, speak Chinese or ever lived in China. Her great grandfather was Chinese. The rest of her direct descendents are Caucausian, yet she has focused on her Chinese heritage in all of her books. She's such a small, unassuming woman that I was pleasantly surprised when she starting talking, and was completely immersed in storytelling for the next hour.

Lisa does extensive research before even starting the outline for a book. She may go to a small village in China and live for several weeks, to learn about the history and culture of rural China. As she says, each area of China is different from the other, so you may go 200 miles in any direction and meet people speaking a different dialect.

The book she is working on now will again be set in a small village. As she was getting ready to start her research for Dreams of Joy, she got a call from her friend Amy Tan. Amy was going to a small village where she would be staying in a 29 room villa, and asked Lisa if she'd like to go too. Lisa said yes, and they spent several weeks together in China. Each was gathering background information for their new books. Lisa's book is already out. It's called Dreams of Joy. Amy's book will be out shortly. I will definitely want to read it too. I want to see how two wonderful authors who went to the same village to get background for their books, used the information. It should be very interesting.

Lisa See is a wonderful story teller. She has a great sense of humor, and she's not afraid to tell funny stories about her own family. She is a history buff, so when she hears about a little known piece of Chinese history, she researches it and tries to incorporate it into her book. That's exactly what she did with the subject of foot binding in Snowflower and the Secret Fan.

One interesting aspect of Chinese culture in America that Lisa talked about was what became known as The Chop Suey Circuit. In the 1930's and 1940's Chinese burlesque, vaudeville and musical variety shows starring Chinese Americans were very popular, mostly in San Francisco but also in New York. They performed in clubs similar to the Cotton Clubs. Both had ethnic acts on stage performing for an almost all white audience. There was a circuit that performers followed, going from nightclub to nightclub, and they called it the Chop Suey circuit. When the war broke out in Japan and many Japanese were interred in camps, many of the vaudeville and burlesque acts were untouched. It's an interesting piece of history that most of us know nothing about.

Lisa went on to tell us many stories about China, all of which the audience found fascinating. I'm sure some of these pieces of history will find their way into future books.

Reading takes me to a different place, often a different time and land. Meeting the author and hearing stories about how she came to write it and why, make it that much more interesting. Thanks to the Encinitas Library that brought Lisa See to our community, and to all the libraries that stimulate our interest in reading.

Emergency Restaurant List

If you're like us, a lot of your eating out is done on the spur of the moment. Sometimes I come home at 5pm, nothing defrosted for dinner, so the next question is "Where are we going for dinner?" Often we draw a blank. Or, as happened a few weeks ago, we went to a nearby restaurant, Fish 101, couldn't get in, and then couldn't decide where to go. So Ron had the great idea to make a list of restaurants that we like, our "go to" restaurants when we're stuck on where to eat. Here is the list we came up with a few weeks ago. They're all basically no reservations places, healthy (for the most part) so if you're like us, you can make your decision at the last moment.

Ron and Susie's Emergency Restaurant List
1. Especial Norte-Leucadia
2. Tin Leaf-Carlsbad
3. Urban Plates-Del Mar
4. Taverna Blu-Del Mar
5. 3rd Corner-Encinitas
6. Todo Sushi-Carlsbad
7. Station Sushi-Solana Beach
8. Off The Hook-Encinitas
9. Fish 101-Leucadia
10. Elevation Burgers-Carlsbad
11. East Village Asian Diner
12. Pizza Nova-San Marcos and Solana Beach
13. Lucky Pho-San Marcos
14. Sans Sai-Carlsbad Outlet Mall
15. Sammy's-Carlsbad and Del Mar
16. Luna Grill-Bressi Ranch and Carmel Valley

Holiday Season Means Eating and Stress

I was at my Saturday morning spin class recently, my favorite way to start the weekend. This is the teacher that highlights a different state each week, and over the course of the 55 minute class we learn all about that state. This week it was North Dakota, but the teacher couldn't find enough information on North Dakota, so he moved on to Ohio. I'm sure there must be lots to see and do there, and lots of interesting facts, but Tom could not find them. Anyway, being the holiday season, he started giving us tips on how NOT to gain the 7 pounds that the average American gains between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

His suggestions included the following. 1. Eat a snack before going to a cocktail party. 2. Drink a glass of tomato juice before a dinner party. 3. Remember why you came to the party. Hopefully it was to see friends and be social, not to pig out. 4. Take just one plate of food. 5. Have one drink, then switch to club soda.

No matter how low key you try to make the holidays, there is still stress. We decided to get gifts for the kids, and just a little trinket for everyone else. It still adds up to stress. I think I'll end up with Starbucks gift cards or I Tune cards for most of the adults.

Our family is getting together for a Hanukkah dinner in Los Angeles, so the next issue is deciding on a menu that everyone is happy with. After lots of discussion, we're ordering food from Feast From The East, our favorite Chinese chicken salad place. Lots of extras like chicken wings, spring rolls, baos, and shu mai, plus a delicious dessert made by David will complete the meal. After all, it's about getting together. The food is secondary.

So that's our holiday plan. I'm looking forward to a wonderful day with our California family. we'll miss Phil, Deborah and Lennon, and hope that we can all be together soon. (BTW, our Hanukkah dinner table won't look anything like the one in this picture, but hey, would you really expect me to do anything conventional?)

Maple Pecan Pie

Pecan pie probably came to the United States when the French came to New Orleans. However, early American cookbooks show no recipes for pecan pie. It wasn't until the Karo Syup company created what they called a Karo pie, in the 1930's that we had pecan pie. Most pecan pie recipes use Karo syrup, but Karo syrup really has no taste. It' just sweet. So if you want to try a pecan pie with some great maple flavor, try the recipe below.


A maple pecan pie recipe with maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, and pecans.

Ingredients:
•1 prepared unbaked pastry shell, 9-inch
•6 eggyolks
•1 cup pure maple syrup
•1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
•2 tablespoons melted butter
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 1/4 cups pecan pieces or halves

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° and place rack at lowest position. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour chopped pecans into the bottom of an uncooked pie shell. Pour filling on top. Pecans will rise to the top. Bake at 325° for 60 minutes, or until golden brown and the filling is set.

Remove pie from oven and let it rest for an hour. Then refrigerate for 3 hours to let the filling set. Remove and bring back to room temperature to serve.

Top with bourbon whipped cream. 1 cup whipping cream, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 jigger of bourbon. Whip until stiff and serve on top of pie. Enjoy

The Great Leap Forward

I was only 13 years old when when Mao attempted to modernize China's economy in what became known as "The Great Leap Forward." I had not heard of it before I listened to Lisa See a few weeks ago, and she mentioned it. She does intensive research on the history and culture of China before she even begins the outline for a book, and just happened to mention The Great Leap Forward, which took place from 1958-1963.

Mao's goal was to have an economy that rivaled America by 1988. He felt the Chinese people were capable of anything. He targeted industry and agriculture. Mao felt both had to grow to allow the other to grow. Thus, he reformed China into a series of 26,578 communes. The 5000 families or so in each commune gave up their ownership of tools, animals, etc, so that everything was owned by the commune. People now worked for the commune, not for themselves. All aspects of life were controlled by the commune, from schools,to nurseries, to healthcare. Propaganda was everywhere-including in the fields where the workers could listen to political speeches as they worked.

The Great Leap Forward also encouraged communes to set up "back-yard" production plants. The most famous were 600,000 backyard furnaces which produced steel for the communes. The figures for steel, coal, chemicals and timber showed huge rises though the figures started at in 1958 were low. Grain and cotton production also showed major increases in production. It seemed that Mao's impossible task could be accomplished.

However, in 1959, things started to go terribly wrong. Expectations could not be met, and in order to try to meet the expectations, shoddy work was done. Quickly produced farm machinery produced in factories fell to pieces when used. Thousands of workers were injured. Steel produced by the backyard furnaces was frequently too weak to be of any use.

Agriculture took a very bad turn in 1959. Some parts of China were hit by floods, in other areas, drought was a major problem. 1959 and 1960 resulted in starvation for many Chinese. Statistics show that between 1959-1962, 20 million people died of starvation or diseases related to starvation.

By 1959 it was obvious that the Great Leap Forward had been a failure. Some party members put the blame on Mao, so he had to resign his position, and the day to day running of the country was left to three moderates.

Today, China is blossoming in every way. They are a superpower in the world. I guess they learned that this doesn't happen overnight. It's taken several decades, but they have proven that they can be a rival for America.

Cream of Mushroom With Brie Soup

I love homemade soup, and there's nothing better than homemade cream of mushroom soup. I'm always on the lookout for bargains, one of my favorite stores being the 99cent store, where I get great bargains on fruits and vegetables. Recently they had button mushrooms, crimini mushrooms and portobella mushrooms, so I bought them all. I decided to use a mushroom combo in my soup, and here's what I came up with. I ended up omitting the portobellas. I thought the taste would be too strong. I served this for dinner with a great salad and a crusty French baguette. (I priced out this recipe and it comes to about 50cents a bowl. Now that's a bargain)


Cream of Mushroom With Brie Soup

1 bunch chopped green onions
4 T. chopped shallots
1 1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms (I used a combo of button and crimini)
1 T. butter
6 T. sherry
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups half and half
6 ounces brie cheese, rind removed
2 T. cornstarch (mixed with water to make a paste)
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Saute onions and shallots in butter, then add mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, or until they are tender and the moisture has evaporated. Add all the liquid, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add brie (cut into little chunks) and simmer 5 more minutes, or until cheese is melted. Add cornstarch mixture to thicken. Add seasonings to taste.

Let the soup cool for 30 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender in batches. Pulse for a few seconds, depending on your preference. I like little bits of mushroom, others like the soup purreed. Your choice. Enjoy.

What Is COQ10?

Ron has been complaining about cold feet for several years now. He goes to bed with slippers on, if you can believe that. I too, have colder feet than I did just a few years ago, and I walk around in warm socks all the time. My first thought is bad circulation, but the Dr. has ruled that out. Ron thought that his cold feet might be due to diabetes. I thought that might be so, but decided to look further into the situation.

It turns out that statin drugs (lipitor, symvastatin, etc.) have many side effects, one of them being cold feet and tingling in feet. Apparently COQ10 is depleted when taking statins, and can cause cold feet. What is CoQ10? It's a natural chemical compound that we make in our bodies and consume in our diets, primarily from oily fish, organ meats and whole grains.

CoQ10 has the potential to vastly improve human health. It can help combat fatigue, obesity, and a weak immune system. It helps boost athletic performance and improves exercise tolerance in people with muscular dystrophy.

Studies show that cholesterol lowering statins seem to reduce the natural levels of CoQ10 in the body. Taking CoQ10 supplements can correct the deficiency caused by statins, without changing the medication's positive effects on cholesterol levels. For diabetics, sudden drops in blood sugar are of particular importance, and some studies have shown that CoQ10 might do this, so check with your doctor before even considering it. I am only letting you know what I have discovered. I have talked to my doctor, and both Ron and I have added it to the growing list of supplements we take.

There's a long list of other things CoQ10 might possibly do, like fighting heart disease and Alzheimer's. I'll be happy if we get rid of our cold feet. I remember when cholesterol lowering drugs became all the rage. Every doctor was recommending them. They would lower your cholesterol and fight heart disease. No one ever mentioned any major side effects (except muscle fatigue), but now years later the story is out. There are lots of side effects, and no one really tells you about them. I had to find this out on my own. You probably already knew all this. I just found it out and will take CoQ10 for the next few months and see if my feet warm up. Cold feet, warm heart.

Cafe Secret: Cocina Peruana

Fran and I recently stopped by Cafe Secret, a little Peruvian restaurant in Del Mar, for lunch. The purpose of our visit was to check out the restaurant as a possible location for one of our monthly luncheons. It's a little restaurant with very limited seating, that reminds me of going to someone's home for dinner. It's very homey. There is a small B and B just behind Cafe Secret, and the cafe serves breakfast for the B and B. If lunch is any indication of the quality of the food, I can't wait to go back for dinner. Cafe Secret tries as much as possible to use local ingredients.

Both Fran and I decided to try the empanadas, as that is a Peruvian specialty. I ordered the beef, topped with a little powdered sugar, and Fran had the chicken and vegetables, with a little spice. Each plate came with a small green salad and excellent vinegrette. All this for just $5.95. Other lunch options that we saw and asked the customers about were the braised pork sandwich on toasted ciabatta. It smelled fantastic. Also on the menu were several salads, a shrimp and avocado cocktail, quinoa vegan salad, and peruana salad. All looked delicious.

Cevice is another speciality of cafe secret, and all the fish is fresh and local, including Carlsbad mussels.

There are lots of interesting fish, beef, and vegetarian entrees for dinner, but I will write about them at another time, after I go for dinner.

Don't forget about dessert. We tasted the hand made peruvian cookies, filled with jam and dusted with powdered sugar. Divine. They also make an Italian key lime pie, topped with meringue. We're having that for our luncheon. And how can you go wrong with tres leches, a light cake soaked in sweet milk? It's one of my all time favorites.

So next time you're in Del Mar and want to try something just a little bit different for breakfast, lunch or dinner, give Cafe Secret a try. Most of the customers were regulars, so I think that once you try it you'll be back again and again.

Carrot Soup

As much as I love Costco, I end up with endless leftovers and usually find myself throwing out perfectly good food. Statistically we waste over 27% of our food. Recently I bought a 4 pound bag of baby carrots at Costo (don't ask why) for a vegetable soup I was planning to make. I knew this was way more than I needed, but I wanted them for the soup, was too lazy to make another stop at a regular market, so I bought them. I made the vegetable soup, but now what should I do with the rest of the carrots? I decided to make carrot soup. The results are below. I served this to Ron recently, and he loved it. We ate it the night I made it, then I froze the rest in 2 batches and will eat it in a few weeks. I hope you like it.

Carrot Soup

1-2 T. olive oil
2 lbs baby carrots, or any carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cups vegetable broth (or water)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 T. whole cloves, wrapped in cheesecloth and tied (I didn't have whole cloves, so I just used a tsp of ground cloves)
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

Put oil in pan, add all the carrots, onion, garlic and cloves. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Add liquid and simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Remove from heat, and purree in a blend in 2 batches. Return to pan, add lemon juice, whipping cream and salt and pepper to taste. If you're really watching your weight, use milk instead of the cream, or omit the dairy all together. If you feel the soup is too thick, simply thin to desired consistency with more vegetable stock or water. Enjoy.

The Happiest Place On Earth

No, it's not Disneyland. Actually, I'm talking about the happiest countries on earth. If you guessed the U.S. as one of the happiest, you were wrong. First, what is happiness? Several years ago researchers at a London think tank set out to rank the happiest countries in the world. They ranked 110 countries on 89 variables like economy, entrepreneurship, governance, education, health, safety, personal freedom and capital.

Norway came out on top, and it's Scandinavian neighbors Denmark, Finland and Sweeden were all in the top 10. Switzerland and Netherlands were also right up there. None of the highest ranking countries had great hoards of oil and gas. So what do these countries have that we do't? First, Norway has the highest per capita GDP of $53,000 a year. Norwegians have the second-highest level of satisfaction with their standards of living: 95% say they are satisfied with the freedom to choose the direction of their lives; an unparalleled 74% say other people can be trusted.

One of the factors that ranks the Scandanivan countries so high is size. Being small helps. Big countries have so many disparate groups vying against each other that it's hard for true social cohesion and trust to emerge, and harder to maintain high levels of safety. Among countries with populations of more than 150 million, the United States ranked highest, at number 10.

Another common factor is they are all borderline socialist states, with generous welfare benefits and lots of redistribution of wealth. Civil liberties are abundant. There are few restrictions on the flow of capital or labor. Of utmost importance, nearly all the nations in the top 10 are adept at fostering entrepreneurship and opportunity. This means low business startup costs, lots of cellphones, plenty of secure internet servers and the perception that working hard gets you ahead. Entrepreneuralism gives a society a mechanism by which it can address and improve other aspects of the prosperity ecosystem.

The U.S. is still the envy of the world when it comes to entrepreneuralism. In 2009, Americans created 558,000 new businesses (not new jobs) each month. That's 27,000 more than in 2008 and 60,000 more per month than in 2007. What we're lacking in is feeling "well rested." We were 62nd world wide in this criteria. Figuring out how happy we are is very complicated. It all depends on how happy you've been. If you're already rich, like Scandinavia, then more freedom, security and health would add the most to happiness. For the likes of China and India (both ranked around 88th), money is more important, because they don't have it.

The least happy country on Earth is Zimbabwe, followed by Pakistan. North Korea is so far off the chart that they're not even rated. Happiness is one of those emotions with so many elements. Our economic woes right now are making happiness difficult for the middle class. I guess for right now we'll just have to go to Disneyland to feel happy.