Honeymooners — Old Recipes

There is a reason why chefs sear spices in oil in order to intensify the aroma of the dish. Most of aroma flavors are "fat soluble." This means flavor factors are attached to fat particular. If you remember, when we go to a carnival, the food stands usually have onions frying on the grill. We are all drawn to that aroma because it's so pleasing to the palate. Fat also helps with the texture of the food, making it more palatable. It awaken the best two senses when it comes to enjoying food-smell and taste.Those people who preach absolutely no fat have overlooked the role of fat in our body and eating habits. My husband is a perfect example. He has been to fat farm where they cook with absolutely no fat. He has never lost enough weight to make it worth the expense of going there and after couple weeks of leaving the farm he is back on eating everything in sight. I've always told him that nobody can stick to a no-fat diet, yet, as round as he is, he continues to advocate it. As Art Carney used to say to Jackie Gleason in the Honeymooners, "how can anyone so round be so square?"If you notice, as American started to eat low and no fat product, their waste line start to get wider. Because the words, "fat-free" came to be pressed to our brain, we felt we could eat as many as we wanted. The result was that a lot of people gained a lot of weight eating no fat yet high calorie products.Having made that point, the further point I want to make is that it's not necessary to eat no-fat diet. It is necessary to eat some fat, the right kind of fat, and in an appropriate quantity. The Mediterranean diet is perhaps the best all around way to eat. Olive oil instead of butter. Spices for taste instead of extra oil. A lot of vegetables, fruits and nuts. In the Mediterranean people take their time to eat, which means that slow intake will make you eat less and feel satisfied.So, don't go zero fat, just cook from scratch, use olive oil and fresh ingredients and call me in the morning.