Schedule of Events

Better TV Taping:

I just returned from a very exciting trip to New York to tape a video for Better TV. I made chocolate-covered strawberries, sugar-free of course, with show host Audra Lowe. As soon as I find out when and where the show will air, I will let you know. The video will also be featured on the Better TV Website. You can preview my recipe on my Website at http://www.carbwarscookbook.com/choc_dipped.html

What's Cooking Show Rescheduled:

I am scheduled (the third time is a charm, right?) for an interview on February 5th, at 8:00 A.M. PST on the "What's Cookin" show on CRN Digital Talk Radio, hosted by Paul Stern and Mike Horn. CRN is carried by all major television cable companies nationally. The show can be accessed on CRN 1 and CRN 6 at this Website:
www.crntalk.com/default.aspx?module=shows&eid=94.

TRUE LOVE: AN INTIMATE DINNER FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

A sumptuous, sensual, sugar-free menu for Valentine's Day shows true love...the kind expressed by Robert Browning when he wrote, “Grow old along with me, the best has yet to be…” For love that lasts for a lifetime, keep the romance, but reduce the carbs.

Grilled Artichokes with Mustard Dressing
*
Pan Seared Wild Salmon with Rhubarb Ginger Chutney
Mixed Greens with Glazed Pecans and Cranberry Dressing
Hominy “Risotto”
*
Tiramisu Mousse
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
*
Chilled Champagne and Café Mocha

Recipes in bold are from Carb Wars; Sugar is the New Fat

Cinnamon Warning

Since the insulin-like properties of cinnamon were discovered, many people have been taking it as a treatment or a prophylactic for insulin resistance and diabetes. In one of the videos on her Website, Nina Simonds recommends adding a whole teaspoon of cinnamon to your morning latte. (She is the author of A Spoonful of Ginger and Spices of Life, which emphasize the healthful properties of spices.) While one-half teaspoonful of cinnamon a day was the dosage that was recommended by the researchers who found it’s beneficial effect, many people assume that if a little is good, more is better. But there is a potential danger in taking too much or the wrong kind.

Cinnamon contains coumarin, an anti-coagulant and possibly carcinogenic substance that can cause liver inflammation. One source said that as little as three cinnamon cookies could contain enough of the toxin to harm a small child.

There are two kinds of cinnamon, but product labels do not usually identify the type. Ceylon or true cinnamon is a pale tan color; it is milder, sweeter, and more expensive than cassia. Cassia, or common cinnamon, is redder, stronger in flavor, and cheaper. Ceylon cinnamon sticks are tight rolls of thin layers; cassia sticks are hollow tubes of thicker, rougher, bark. Cassia cinnamon contains .5% coumarin, while Ceylon contains only .0004%.

An additional source for coumarin is vanilla. An extract of tonka beans, the seed of the Dipteryx odorata tree from Brazil, is often used as a substitute for vanilla, and some brands, especially ones from Mexico, may be contaminated with large amounts of the toxin. It has been illegal to sell products containing tonka bean extract in the US since 1954.

The European Food Safety Authority concluded that the TDI (tolerable daily intake) for coumarin is .0002 ounces per day, an amount easily exceeded during the Christmas season. There is no threat if the amount is exceeded for a short time only. (http://www.bfr.bund.de/cd/8487) The damage is reversible in a few weeks, but taking supplements made from powdered cassia bark regularly may not be such a good idea.

However, since coumarin is not water soluble, a water extract of cinnamon will not contain any of the hazardous compounds. I have gone back to adding a stick of cinnamon to the water I use for making tea while I am looking for a cinnamon supplement that states unequivocally that it is a water extract. I don’t know how to tell how much extract I am getting this way, especially since I reuse the sticks, but at least I can’t over-dose on it.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

"Make Sweet Treats Without the Sugar"

Someone tipped me off about this article by Judyrae Krause that was in the Everett Herald on January 2. The story features two of my recipes and describes my book as one of those "too good-to-be-true" loopholes for your new year's resolutions. I missed seeing the original article, but it is still available on the Internet. Here's the link:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080102/LIVING01/604156517/1065/LIVING01

Thanks, Judyrae!

And Bon Appétit to you too!

One of the perks of belonging to the International Association of Culinary Professionals is that people give you things. I’ve had an expensive skillet, a top-of-the-line chef’s knife, magazines, and lots of other goodies show up, gratis. Bon Appétit, one magazine I often buy (don’t tell them), now materializes unbidden in my mailbox.

Don’t let that stack of syrupy pancakes on the cover fool you; the February issue of Bon Appétit magazine got it mostly right. The cover says “The Green Issue / Feel Good Food.” And it delivers.

- “The Meat of the Matter,” by Bruce Aidells: His "Eco-friendly Meat Guide" lists bison, grass-fed beef, heritage pork, period. His recipes brought tears to my eyes…I remember dishes like these…ones that have all but disappeared from American tables.

- “Why I’m Not a Vegetarian,” by Molly Wizenberg. This is Molly’s first article for Bon Appétit. It seems she was discovered via her food blog Orangette, where she’s been blogging away since 2004. This is food writing and photography to be digested at a leisurely pace, savoring every morsel. I haven’t read through her archives yet, but they are like a treasure trove waiting to be discovered. (The reason she’s not a vegetarian? Sausage.)

- Nina Planck, author of Real Food, takes a stand against fat phobia in “Health Wise / Just the Fats.” She gives “the straight story on trans fats and some good advice…butter is better.” Here’s another quote: “Use the fat of our fore-mothers: butter, lard, even coconut oil. On closer inspection, it’s clear that natural saturated fats are good for you.”

By the way, the pancakes on the cover are whole grain and the blueberries are wild. We’d probably all still be able to eat them if we didn’t have metabolisms that have been compromised by trans fats, white flour, fructose, and junk. We might even be able to handle an occasional coconut cupcake like the one on page 122 or the banana pie on 120 if we had never eaten anything but good, natural, real food.

Indy Sports, the Men's Magazine features "Carb Wars"

The December issue of Indy Sports, The Men’s Magazine, featured a two-page article about Carb Wars, titled, “Healthy, Hearty Holiday Recipes for the Meat and Potatoes Man,” by Teresa Tanoos. It included two menus for Holiday meals based on recipes from the book. On the opposite page was “How to Read Labels, advice from Carb Wars and Judy Barnes Baker.” I just received a copy of the magazine today; it is beautifully done and I am thrilled to be featured in this fantastic publication! Indy Sports has a potential readership of over 100,000 readers.

Schedule of Upcoming Events

I will be signing books and handing out free recipe samples at three local Central Markets in January. Stop by to say hello if you are in the area; I'd love to talk to you. I hope to get in a repeat visit to the Bainbridge Island Town and Country Market before the end of the month, and it's my turn to host a dinner for my low-carb support group. There's also a trip to New York in the works and I will be part of an event at the Barnes and Noble store in Woodinville in early February, so it's going to be an exciting start to the new year for me.

-January 9, 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. I will be signing books and sharing recipe samples at the Central Market in Shoreline, WA

-January 12, 12:30 to 6:00 P.M.—Book signing and recipe samples at the Central Market in Poulsbo, WA.

-January 21, 1:00 to 5:00 P.M.—Book signing and recipe samples at the Central Market in Mill Creek, WA.

Also on my calender:
-January 23 to 26: Trip to New York City to film a video. I’ll post more about this soon.

-February 9, 6:30 to 7:30 P.M.—Book signing as part of the Local Authors Gala at Barnes and Noble bookstore on Garden Way in Woodinville, WA.

Eating Low Carb in the Sky

Anyone who doubts that the obesity epidemic is real probably hasn’t done much flying lately. It is all too common to have to surrender a sizable portion of your already cramped space to accommodate the overflow from a seatmate. Before you get off the ground, the stewards must pass out seatbelt extenders to passengers whose belts don’t fit and rearrange the seating to put overweight flyers next to an empty seat if one is available, which is rare these days. Airlines have been sued by humiliated passengers who were not allowed on flights or were forced to pay a double fare. All that extra weight has increased the cost of fuel and made flying more expensive for everyone.

My exhausted husband, who just returned from an international business trip, was eager to tell me that two of the meals on his flights on Delta Airlines featured low-carb sides. Neither was billed as such on the menu, but one dinner featured mashed cauliflower, and another was accompanied by a serving of spaghetti squash. He was delighted to have something he could eat and reported that both dishes were quite good. I find it very encouraging that this airline is making an effort to accommodate those of us who prefer an alternative to potatoes, rice, and pasta. And who would be better served than an airline by helping their passengers control their weight?

The Biggest Loser

Last Tuesday night I watched the Biggest Loser. It was the first time I have ever made it through a whole episode from start to finish. Although I know that most television shows, even the reality shows, are carefully scripted, I found it appalling. It looked like a reenactment of the Bataan death march from World War II. Suffering, pain, emotion, triumph, and despair may make compelling entertainment, but at what price? And I’m not just referring to the unlucky contestants who were bullied, ridiculed, and abused but to the impression the show leaves with the viewer that this is what it takes to lose weight and get healthy.

Extreme exertion is probably counter-productive, if not dangerous, especially to those who are not in top physical condition, yet most people continue to think it is good for them. The first person to run a marathon dropped dead after running 26 miles from Marathon to Athens with news of the Greek’s victory over the Persians. Robert Browning, who must have been a big sports fan, wrote in Pheidippedes, “Joy in his blood bursting his heart, he died—the bliss!” Modern marathons continue to claim victims and can cause irreversible damage to the heart.

Exercise is a good thing for many reasons, but it is not necessary for weight loss. You don’t have to throw up, go to the hospital, develop blisters, or endure humiliation and abuse like the participants on Tuesday’s show. Weight loss comes naturally as part of a healthful low-carb lifestyle and that is what I call bliss.