Eat Well Issue #35 2021

Leeks have been enjoyed by humanity for millennia, and for at least 4000 years we have been cultivating them as a crop. Leeks are usually harvested commercially and ideally should be eaten as soon as possible after picking. When buying you should look for crisp, firm, white stems that are thin for the best-tasting options. It’s not ideal but you can store them for up to two weeks in a bag in the coldest part of the fridge. When you use them, leeks make a delightful garnish for soups, salads, roast vegetables, meats, fish and many other dishes.…

I recently had a peak palate experience that I have to share with you. If you’ve read my editorials over previous years in EatWell, you might remember that I have introduced you to a friend of mine — Bodkin and his wife Lilliput (names changed to protect the inane). They are again at the centre of this new culinary incident. Bodkin and I had engaged in a sporting endeavour in the afternoon and were reclining in the evening in front of the television, watching some real sportspeople show us how it should be done. As we watched, Bodkin entered discursive mode and began recalling a trip he had made to Rome. Due to the nature of flights and timings, he had found himself without sleep for around 40 hours by the time his…

Danielle Minnebo Danielle is a university-qualified nutritionist, a passionate home cook and founder of Food to Nourish. Danielle’s love affair with cooking started at a very young age in the kitchen, where she was taught to cook by her mother. She went on to complete an Advanced Diploma in Nutritional Medicine and a Bachelor of Health Science in Complementary Medicine. She is completing her Master of Human Nutrition through Deakin University. Danielle is passionate about helping people form a better understanding of nutrition and a healthier relationship with the food they eat. In fact, she’s on a mission to help spread the real food message to as many people as possible. This involves breaking common diet myths and re-educating people on what real food is actually about. This means ditching the low-fat products…

Earl Grey tea gets its name from the English aristocrat Earl Charles Grey (1764–1845). Although we know the name comes from him, we aren’t exactly sure how it happened. Some stories say that his good work in China led to the recipe coming into his ownership. Other tales say the tea was created by accident when a gift of tea and bergamot oranges were shipped to him together. Although the naming origins are unclear, what we do know is that Earl Grey tea is a black tea flavoured with oil from the rind of the bergamot orange. Variations on that traditional blend include Lady Grey tea (a blend of Earl Grey tea with blue cornflower blossoms), Russian Earl Grey (Earl Grey tea with pieces of citrus peel) and Red Earl…

“If you eat the more bitter-tasting lettuces you are not only getting better nutrition generally, you are also stimulating your digestion.” Lettuce first appeared near the Mediterranean basin more than 4000 years ago. Initially it was probably just regarded as a nuisance weed, but it wasn’t long before it was appreciated as a food and a medicine. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, advocated its use. In ancient Rome it was prescribed to relax the bowels and indeed Augustus (first emperor of the Roman Empire from 27 BCE to 14 CE) was so impressed with it that he erected a statue to it. Lettuce’s name comes from the Latin and means milk (because of the white sap of the stem) and the name of its major chemical “lactucin” echoes this. In folk…

For a long while, the focus of attention on olive oil was that it contains monounsaturated fat. However, the more we know about olive oil, the more we are realising the importance of another ingredient called oleocanthal. This has some characteristics in common with the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen. Like ibuprofen, oleocanthal is an inhibitor of the inflammatory COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. Long-term consumption of extra-virgin olive oil might yield some gentler ibuprofen-like relief from inflammation. Since inflammation is thought to play a role in the deposition of the beta-amyloid plaques that contribute to Alzheimer’s, then olive oil should help reduce Alzheimer’s risk. On top of that, research shows that oleocanthal increases production of two enzymes that are believed to remove beta-amyloid from the brain. Top that…