Food as Idiom, or "In the Soup"

I don't know if you have noticed, but there are many food-related idoms that have made our way into the English language (many via the French channel, which isn't surprising, given the Norman invasion and the one-time supremacy of French cooking as a symbol of refined taste). The origins of various words and phrases simply fascinates me, so you're in for it now.

I've always thought it was interesting to state someone's "in the soup" to mean that they are in trouble. I had always supposed it was because the soup was scalding or they couldn't swim. See Barry Popik's The Big Apple for some interesting details about the phrase, which possibly originated in a restaurant or on the baseball field, but (quel suprise) was popularized in New York due to a controversial election year.  

Another descriptive (and similar) food metaphor is to say someone's "out of the frying pan and into the fire." According to Answers.com, it means "from a bad situation to one that is much worse. ... This expression, a proverb in many languages, was first recorded in English in 1528." The entry also notes similar idioms exist elsewhere. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire" also is a song title by Meat Loaf, circa 1993, a fact which I had forgotten.

For detailed comments about other common expressions, such as "the apple of my eye," "not worth his salt" and "a red herring," check out an August article in Smithsonian Magazine here.

You also could check out A Hog on Ice by Charles E. Funk, a wonderful classic on the topic of word and phrase origins, or the columns of my all-time favorite, Evan Morris, aka The Word Detective.

Putting Together a Healthy Potluck Lunch

One of the pitfalls of trying to eat healthy is to put together a healthy lunch. This is especially difficult in the world of potlucks ahead of us during the holidays.

Here are some suggestions.

Ask beforehand what's on the menu; even if you can't find out, you can bring a healthy main dish (or side dish that can serve as your main dish) to fill up on.

Take half a sandwich and fill up on the salad, fruit and/or a little soup, depending on what's available. You can have some of the cream soup in moderation, especially if, as happened today at our women's group, it's a creamy vegetable soup.

Limit everything you eat to a total of 1 to 1 1/2 C. of food. This will ensure you don't have the "stuffed turkey" feeling you might get at a potluck or Thanksgiving.

Don't hang out by the food; if possible, serve yourself and go sit away from the serving platters.

In other words, don't do everything I did today, such as getting an eggnog latte on the way and going back for another serving of chicken salad croissants. It is, however, an improvement upon my funeral luncheon forays in April. Taking half a bowl of the creamy soup, eating extra spinach salad and limiting the dessert portion were some of the better ideas I implemented.

Crustless "Apple Pie" for One

As I was already cooking Swiss Steak in the oven today (I called Mom, because I wanted to make her recipe, which I still couldn't resist tweaking), I decided to bake something.

My eyes lit on the Honey Crisp Apples I bought late last week at Colasanti's. I wanted something similar to apple pie without the crust, for several reasons. It's nearly Halloween and I'm entering the mad scientist/experimental cook stage again. How appropriate.

1. I am crust rolling impaired, so the crust always ends up with thin spots
2. Making a crust is too time and labor-intensive at this precise moment. If I attempt it, it will be on a day I'm inspired to bake.
3. Pie is eaten for the filling, as far as I'm concerned. I really don't care for most pie crusts

— whether from a mix, ready-made or scratch — that is, aside from cookie crumb or graham cracker crusts. (This preference has nothing to do with the fact that I don't have to roll those crusts. Really.)

4. I don't need the extra calories.  


Crustless "Apple Pie" for One


Ingredients
1 large Honey Crisp apple
1/4 C. apple cider
1 T. real maple syrup
1/2 T. Smart Balance® Light Original Buttery Spread with Flax, cut in little chunks
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Take one large Honey Crisp Apple. Wash, peel if desired (I felt safe leaving the peels on because my apple is organic), core and cut apples. (I left them in long, slender pieces as though I were going to eat them raw.)


Place washed apples in a baking dish with a cover (I used the smallest of the glass Pyrex casseroles we have; probably a 1-qt. size.)


Pour in 1/4 C. apple cider over the apples (enough to keep them from burning in the bottom of the dish). 


Sprinkle apples with 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Dot with the small chunks of Smart Balance® Light Original Buttery Spread with Flax.


Drizzle 1 T. maple syrup over the top. Toss the apples with the apple cider, rotating the apple pieces so all are coated with a bit of the maple syrup and spices.


Bake at 325 for about an hour and 15 minutes  ... until the apple slices are tender, almost breaking down but still identifiable as apples. The amount of cider in the bottom should be significantly reduced.


Depending upon how much liquid you have left, you may want to take the lid off the glass dish to reduce the liquid for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time. (Very juicy apples may "sweat" out additional liquid, and if you don't take the lid off, you may up with sweet apple soup.)

My apple slices were fairly thick and I left the peel on; if you like your slices thin, it may cook more quickly. Check the dish at about 45-50 minutes if you made your apple slices thin and/or removed the peel.

Remove the apples with a slotted spoon and serve warm.
Serving suggestions: Serve topped with cider sauce; it's good over light vanilla ice cream. Or top apples and sauce with low-fat or fat-free lightly-sweetened whipped cream.

Yogurt Crème with Berries

Did you ever decide to put something together that seems like such a simple idea, you're not even sure it qualifies as a recipe?

I did that today and decided that it doesn't matter; I'll share anyway.

Yogurt Crème with Berries.

Take about 1/2 cup to 2/3 C. fat-free yogurt,depending on desired tartness (I used Dannon).

Add several drops (to taste) of SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia (any flavor you like, but I used Valencia Orange).

Stir in 1/4 C. of raspberries (or your choice of berry) until they are incorporated into the yogurt mixture but are still chunky. Yogurt will be tinted by the berries.

This dish reminds me of the whipped cream mixture in trifle; it'd be great over angel food cake.

Product Review: SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Valencia Orange

I use stevia in my coffee and oatmeal much of the time, and used to enjoy the former Starbucks Mocha Valencia, which was discontinued a few years ago, as well as Cafe Vienna instant coffee drink (another coffee with orange flavoring). I was intrigued enough by the idea of a Valencia Orange-flavored liquid stevia that I paid nearly $15 for a 2-oz bottle (supposedly there are 300 servings per bottle).
While it sounds pricey, but it's not so bad when you figure the average cost of a flavored latte at your favorite coffee shop. (In my case, that would be a soy latte, which is even more expensive!) Also, as you can see by the link on the left, it's probably cheaper on Amazon.com, assuming you get the free shipping deal. 

SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Valencia Orange works well, but I suggest you use the upper level of the recommended number of drops (5-8) to flavor your coffee, which definitely cuts down the number of servings it contains. I like the taste; however, please note that stevia is a little more likely to please the palates of those accustomed to artificial sweetener.

I've made as good or better orange or mocha orange "lattes" using Frontier Natural Flavors Alcohol Free Orange flavoring from The Better Health Store plus one packet of Stevia in the Raw, though I have to use 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. rather than 8 to 10 drops.














   

LÄRABAR: The Demise of Cocoa Mole

My favorite LÄRABAR flavor recently was discontinued. It's a spicy chocolate bar made of all raw/natural ingredients that makes a good substitute for a small meal when on the run (it's even better washed down with a cup of soy milk). I am hugely disappointed that the company isn't making Cocoa Mole anymore.

Making my own version for my use is something I've meant to try for a while, but I've been putting it off. I will try to get some if they're still for sale anywhere to see how my version compares; otherwise, I'll have to go by memory.

Looking on the positive side, yet another company has given me an excuse to step away from the computer and attempt to reinvent a favorite. (The last one was Carob After Dinner Mint Tea, which had no satisfactory substitute for several years, but recently, I found a similar tea by Stash.)

I haven't hunted for other recipes yet, but anyone else has come up with a version of Cocoa Mole, feel free to let me know and I'll post the link to his or her recipe here. In the meantime, I'll keep you posted if I find one that's similar.

Product Review: Health Valley No Salt Added Organic Minestrone

Soup is one of those things you'd think would be good for you, aside from high-fat cream soups. But have you looked at your average soup can label lately? Ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate (aka MSG) and, in some cases, about half the recommended daily allowance of sodium for the average adult are all too common on the labels.

One name I've always trusted in the health food business is Health Valley. I decided to try some of the low-sodium soups. The company features some soups with no salt added, just the natural sodium that is in the ingredients. In addition, the soups are organic.

Yes, it's a bit pricey, but overall, I would put this Health Valley No Salt Added Organic Minestrone (spiced up with a touch of my favorite addition, Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic) up against any canned minestrone I've tried. You can always add a pinch of salt yourself, of course, but try it without adding salt first. I think the organic ingredients really make a difference.