Following the “nutritious and conscious eating” lecture from the previous post, I want to talk about how aware eating will help us become in control of how our body behaves. 

In his article, Michael Ruhlman, from Food52 states that “fat is not bad, stupid is bad” and I agree. When we consume food sold under the label healthy, low fat, no fat, low sugar, no sugar, diet,…etc, but we don’t really take a closer look at what is replacing all those already-existing elements that make food. For example, it has been stated recently that butter isn’t as bad as it was promoted a few decades ago. While the alternative, margarine, is found to be more harmful because of the trans fats content, caused by the hydrogenation process that turns liquid fats, vegetable oils, into solid. Looking at the ingredients list of products we consume, you’ll find a lot of hydrogenated fats, artificial colors, artificial (and added natural) flavors, preservatives, corn syrup, and sugar.

In the podcast, Michael starts by sharing an incident that happened in the supermarket where he saw a lady buying fat free coffee creamer and he had the urge to ask her if she knows what is used to replace the fat. His view is, if you’re buying such a product, just be aware of what it has. Fat is not bad, just know what and why you’re eating.

In the past decades, we, the Lebanese, pumped up our food culture and shared our food with the world. As a local, we have also imported many world food trends and cuisines. As a person involved in the food trends and foodie (ugh, i hate that word) scene, I can say that we developed a culture of EATING rather than a real food culture. We are more excited about consuming what is presented to us without being curious about the process it takes to make it. We numbly get excited about a burger only because it comes in a black or red bun, or one bite of a cheesecake that has the equivalent of a whole day’s suggested calorie intake. We are aroused by a photo of cardboard if it’s drowned in loads of cheese, or let me say “pizza topping” as the pack label states. YES, IT DOESN’T SAY CHEESE!!!

In a Food Culture Utopia, people are conscious of their food. Where and how food is grown or raised, how ethically produced, how it’s processed, and how it’s delivered are all questions people keep in mind regarding food they consume. But for now, all I ask for from Ambrosia and Dionysus is to bless us with more conscious people who cook rather that bombard us with regramed photos on Instagram and reviews paid with free food that open the door to more invitations that pop yummy reviews targeting attention seeking restaurants.

Apart from easy fame seekers, a fellow recipe blogger and I do it the hard way. BreadOnButter is a blogger who believes in good content like I do. We both work on recipes, good photos, and thoughtful writing. Cheers to that!

Here’s a recipe that is as delicious as it is easy. Get a good loaf of bread, sourdough is great, good cheese, high quality bresaola, and fresh eggs and you’ll give yourself a treat your taste bud will thank you for.

Open-faced Bresaola & Poached Egg Sandwich

Ingredients

• Sliced sourdough bread
• Smoked Kashkaval cheese
• Good Quality Bresaola slices
• French mustard
• Fresh eggs
• Sliced radishes
• Mint leaves
• Chicory leaves

Procedure

• Spread some french mustard on the bread slices and layer enough cheese slices to cover the surface of the bread and toast it in a warm oven to melt the cheese
• In the meantime, bring salted water to a simmer in a small pot. Crack the eggs, one at a time, in a small bowl and set close to you. With a wooden chopstick or a spoon, create a whirlpool and carefully slide the egg in the center and continue the whirlpool slightly until you feel the egg white is starting to hold its shape. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to drain after 3-4 minutes when the egg white is soft and springy. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper
• Take the breads from the oven and layer 3 slices of bresaola on them, depending on the size of the bread slices
• Carefully place an egg on top of each slice and garnish with mint, chicory, and radish slices
• Serve immediately, breaking the yolks, allowing the yellow liquid to glaze the meat beautifully

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