The following are three of the most powerful foods we can eat, according to the late ‘ultimate foodie’ Anthony Bordain(1). The three foods are dark chocolate, caviar, and marrow bones. At different times in my life, I have eaten them. To this day, I love and crave them.
Continuing the Anthony Bordain List I am now 76 years young exposing myself to the most nourishing traditions and super healthy foods I can find. The purpose of this is to fill my body with the most vibrant, healthy, nourishing, and delicious food. So let’s return to my food hero and his other two super foods, caviar, and marrow bones.
Photo from and available at OLMAfood.com
I Love Caviar But the good stuff, the real stuff is very expensive. That is unless you have an amazing find like I had once. Years ago, I found a dozen tiny jars of Romanoff black caviar during a regular food shopping trip. There were about a dozen jars on a shelf in a local supermarket mislabeled $5.99 each. They were supposed to be $59.99 each. Neither the price labeling clerk nor the cashier had any idea of the error. But I knew they were wrong. What a find I had come across. That was my singular ‘real caviar’ bargain experience. Some like their caviar on crackers. For me, caviar tastes best on lightly toasted, buttered rye bread.
Marrow Bones Photo and recipe from honestcooking.com/prepare and serve marrow bones
I do roast marrow bones on occasion. Their core becomes succulent and so tasty. Adding garlic, salt and some spontaneous spices creates another heavenly treat.
A SAVIOR FROM TODAY’S WORLD OF PROCESSED FOOD
It is increasingly difficult to get truly healthy food. Sally Fallon Morell(2) is another food hero of mine. She is the founders of the Weston A. Price Foundation(3) as well as the author of the Nourishing Traditions books(4).
Her list of powerful foods includes eating raw meat. It has to be prepared very hygienically these days. In fact, I actually made a traditional Middle Eastern festivity raw lamb dish, kibbeh nayyeh.
A celebratory raw lamb dish made with bulgur wheat and spices. Info from Wikipedia.
RAW SEA FOOD AND MEAT DISHES
Eating fish raw has an abundant history, not only Japanese style but world wide.(5) Other types of meat also have long historical traditions as well.(6) Unfortunately in today’s world wide mass commercial production and distribution, raw foods can be unsafe.
Meat and sea food need to be raised organically, not artificially farmed, as well as prepared hygienically to be safe.(7) Times have changes so much when it comes to what is healthy and what is not healthy to eat due to commercialization. So keep in mind. Enjoy, but beware. Consume with care.
This universally adored combo of salmon and avocado is called palta and is available in Lima’s cevicherías. Photo from Saveur.com.
A menorah is the symbol of Hannukah and was found on GoogleThe writing of this blog post about food: my cultural heritage coincides with and is in honor of Hannukah which happens to be this week December 25, 2024-January 1, 2025. This is where potato latke and donuts come into the picture. But more to come later about the former food cooked in oil as part of the symbolism of this holiday.
HOW I ATE
This is in spite of the fact that ever since I was in my 20s, I have had an interest in my diet for nutritional purposes. In fact, I continue to make changes in my diet more times than I can remember. And now I am feeling a need to change how I eat once again.
In fact, during the five decades between my twenties and now, my eating habits have done this:
• embraced the season
• adopted the latest ideas for health
• eaten a rotation diet
• included a boiled grain at every meal
• applied the yin and yang tenets of macrobiotics
• juggled the three doshas of Ayurveda
• practiced vegetarianism
• eaten according to my blood type
• and tried many other options.
TOO MANY CHOICES
Unfortunately, I am one of the people who always has too many choices living in an industrialized country. Often they are not healthy and I suffer the consequences. Or there are just too many choices and I did not know what to do.
ASHKENAZI FOOD
It was only on occasion at home or on a trip to my grandparents in Boston that I even would have exposure to Ashkenazi food. How I wish now that I had learned to cook from my Ashkenazi grandmother, Rose Rudnick Gilbert.
Potato Latke She made the best potato latkes in the world. Mine are tolerable. (For all my fellow Jews, Trader Joes comes in at a far second when all else fails). But I am not even sure of the names or ingredients of the other traditional foods she would make.
Trader Joes Potato Pancakes
And now that I am at the other end of those fifty years that I mentioned, I am needing and wanting to once again introduce a new diet into my eating regimen. For no other reason than it popped into my head after binging on endless, streaming episodes of the Anthony Bordain series, 'No Reservations', I have decided to give tradition and a return to my cultural heritage a try.
Anthony Bordain in a clip from Wikipedia about 'No Reservations' my non-stop, Prime channel streaming inspiration as of late
TRADITION
What is that tradition? Of course, a deeper introduction to my Ashkenazi roots is necessary. For example, I have vague memories of eating foods that were cooked in one pot with lots of water to bring dried grain to life. Also, these are foods that needed lots of time so the meat will fall off the bone or fall apart demonstrating it is ready to eat.
Bones Yes, bones are indeed preferable if not mandatory. These include chicken bones, turkey bones, beef short ribs, and especially marrow bones. In addition, I am reintroducing meats that I partner with hardy vegetables and a delicious, healthy grain.
Barley Strangely enough my grain of choice is one that I never cared about but love to eat now. That happens to be barley. Made with broth, it is especially delicious with just the right amount of chewiness. Besides barley, I go for the occasional soba noodles or even semolina noodles. But here is one exception. That is, when I make chicken soup, it must have matzoh balls. At first I was shy about what I though would take major effort. But I quickly found out that they are not difficult to make and well worth the effort.
