"SuperFoods" news and stories

• For those of you with New Year's resolutions to eat more healthfully, find out what "unsung superfoods you should be eating," from grapefruit and beets to seaweed and chia seeds.
• It was a meaty year in the Chicago Tribune's food section. Check out their favorite -- and more than a little carnivorous -- recipes of 2009, from homemade piri-piri sauce to whiskey-braised pork.
• Appreciate the luxury of "snowy days, warming dinners" with this winning concoction of butternut squash lasagna, with sweet sausage and Parmesan. Combat the cold with something "meaty, cheesy and warm."
• A truly good drink doesn't need alcohol to up its popularity -- mocktails like this Ginger Fizz work are just as spirited without the addition of booze.
• From pig for prosperity to the Southern tradition of eating poor to ensure a prosperous New Year, muse upon the international New Year's food traditions.
• In the persistent pursuit of eating local, some animal rights groups claim that backyard chicken farmers have gone too far.

• A brief background on bloodsuckers, plus "a bloody fete Dracula would thirst for" -- creative fanger foods, pun intended.
• When left home alone with the task of feeding trick-or-treaters, one columnist came to discover the marvelous match of red wine and chocolate.
• Bacon banter has finally leveled out a bit, but isn't going anywhere anytime soon. However, a recent local event preceding April's Baconfest Chicago wowed porcine appreciators, with dishes like the pumpkin-bacon-waffle with pomegranate-glazed pork belly.
• More than "junk food with a European pedigree," Nutella is a "vaguely wholesome" snack with an interesting background -- and can be made at home from scratch.
• The Festival of Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer takes place November 7, and pays tribute to a worthy beer trend on the rise.
• A gallery of ten "superfoods" we should be consuming more of, from avocados and beets to chia seeds and dandelion greens.
• Recipes: Comforting Chicken Pot Pie with Drop Biscuits ("the gustatory equivalent of curling up with your favorite blanket"); the luscious Vanilla Ice Cream with Bourbon Walnuts and Caramel; Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork and Spicy Slaw "warms up a Halloween party;" Sheila Lukins' Banana Cake.

A lot has been said over the past few years about "superfoods" -- certain foods that reportedly contribute greatly toward your overall health. Now, Dr. Perricone, an M.D. probably best known for his guest appearances on such television shows as 'Oprah,' the 'Today Show' and 'Larry King Live,' has weighed in with his top 10 choices. I found it interesting because even though there are some standards there, his list does include a few items that I haven't necessarily seen referred to as "superfoods" before.

Though each food has different possible benefits, it is believed that consuming these may help to regulate metabolism and burn body fat, lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, protect against heart disease and act as an aid to your digestive health. As always though, check that with your own doctor first. Perricone actually calls Wild Alaskan Salmon the "King of Superfoods" (which I suppose makes this a top 11 list instead), followed by the following 10:

• Açai Berry -- A high energy berry from the Amazon
• The Allium Family -- Garlic, onions, shallots, leeks and chives
• Barley
• Green foods including blue green algae, barley grass and wheat grass
• Buckwheat seed -- More protein than rice or wheat
• Beans and lentils -- High in fiber
• Hot peppers -- Anti-inflammatory analgesic
• Nuts and seeds
• Sprouts
• Yogurt or kefir

Source

Mariah Carey recently announced that, three days a week, she only eats purple foods. She claims that purple foods prevent her from getting wrinkles and switched to the regime after "hearing the food is high in vitamins and anti-oxidants." So, what does she eat on those days? Grapes, plums and beetroot are specifically mentioned, but other purple foods include purple potatoes, red onions, radishes (since they're counting beetroot), kale, cauliflower, eggplants and various berries, too.

Granted, we know that berries are superfoods, but this all sounds more than a little crazy. I wonder if she's including purple cocktails in her diet, too....

Source

A recent MSNBC story by dietitian Karen Collins explains why berries have recently been given 'superfood' status. Collins outlines berries' richness in antioxidants like vitamin C--a cup of strawberries has at least a whole RDA. She also touches on other cancer-inhibiting phytochemicals such as the anthocyanins found in red berries and pterostilbine, found in blueberries. The latter is similar to the often-hyped phytochemical found in grapes and red wine. Like and level-headed dietitian, Collins is quick to stress the importance of eating not just lots of berries, but a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and grains, all of which can provide phytochemicals that may work together to your benefit.