Eating in Berkeley, CA

Yesterday we decided to take a mini road trip up to the Oakland-Berkeley area (about an hour north of where we live). We started the mid morning by taking a yoga class with our favorite instructor, Sean Michael Hall, at Namaste Yoga located in the quaint Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland.

We built up quite an appetite after that so after a brief stop at the Hudson Bay Cafe where I quenched my thirst with coconut water, and my husband with the best cappuccino he said he'd had in a very long time, we headed a few miles up the road to Berkeley to lunch at La Note.

We lucked out on having nice weather so La Note opened their lovely patio for outdoor seating, but after a 45 minute wait, we gave up and settled with a nice window seat.

I ordered the Salade Niçoise with grilled tuna which was very satisfying - I especially loved the dijon vinaigrette. Usually dressings are more of a background flavor but in this case, it definitely was one of the stars of the dish.

My main complaint is that there was a bit too much of the red beets, 1/2 the amount would have been great. Also the deep bowl made it difficult to eat out of. It made it difficult to cut the large pieces of lettuce underneath and I didn't like having to search for the olives in the deep bowl.

The restaurant ran out of bread so they warned us as we were eating the bread (prior to the meals arriving) that there would be no more coming and if we wanted to have bread with our meal that we should hold off. It was strange timing to tell us as we were just finishing the bread.

While we probably would not have ordered more of the delicious bread, I don't think it's right for a restaurant to run out of bread. There are many bakeries nearby and if I were the restaurant manager, I would have run out to get a few fresh loaves.

Anyway, Hubby ordered the Ratatouille avec Merguez - their traditional southern France vegetable stew, served with Merguez sausage (lamb). He was very satisfied with his meal and had no complaints.
I had to taste the Merguez sausage because I'd never had it before and it was quite tasty.

We were too full to order dessert right after our meal so we took a nice walk around Berkeley - up Shattuck and then down the beautiful Walnut Street which was like walking through a botanical garden in early spring, and then along the streets bordering the edge of UC Berkeley campus. Along the way we found a bakery (don't remember the name) where we came across some fresh looking cupcakes.

We ordered the Green Tea Matcha and Bunny Love (carrot) cupcakes to go and found another quaint coffee shop near the university where we sat by the window and enjoyed our tasty desserts.

All in all it was a lovely spring day - we've had a very wet winter so it was nice to get a break - full of sunshine, colorful flowers in bloom and good food.

Nutritional Gatekeeper

Did you see last week's article in the New York Times, Who's Cooking? (For Health, It Matters)?

Here's an excerpt:
"Studies show that the biggest influence on family eating habits is the person who buys and prepares the food. These “nutritional gatekeepers,” as researchers call them, influence more than 70 percent of the foods we eat, according to a 2006 report in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association — not just home meals but children’s lunches, snacks eaten outside the home, and even what family members order at restaurants."

I am definitely the "Nutritional Gatekeeper" in my household because I do the grocery shopping and prepare/cook the food. I do my best to prepare a variety of healthy meals that are pleasing to the palate, but not necessarily fancy or pretty.

It's interesting that the article goes on to make the point that the Nutritional Gatekeeper influences a family's eating habits and can pass on both good and bad habits to children. It makes sense.

Panko macadamia crusted wild salmon

Panko macadamia crusted wild salmon
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

One of my favorite ways to prepare salmon is to bake it with a crust consisting of:

- panko crumbs
- chopped macadamia nuts
- black sesame seeds

First whisk an egg with a little salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. Slice the fish fillet into individual servings. Dip each piece in the egg mixture, then roll in the crust mix and bake on a lightly greased (olive oil) pan at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. (I know wild salmon is out of season now but it's available frozen.)

I always make a big batch so I have enough for lunch and dinner the next day. When it's cold it can be served over a bed of organic baby greens (dressed with EVOO and balsamic vinegar) to make a delicious salad. Yum!

High flavor, high protein breakfast

Soy chorizo & eggs
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Quick breakfast tip...

I love the flavor of chorizo sausage but I'm not a fan of pork so I was happy to discover SOY chorizo at Trader Joe's a couple of years ago. It's already cooked too so whipping up a scramble with eggs takes no time at all. It's such an easy way to get a high protein breakfast that's really flavorful.

It keeps a while in the fridge so you can pick one up on your next TJs shopping trip and just keep it handy in your fridge.

Roasted fingerling potatoes

Roasted fingerling potatoes
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Yellow, red & blue potatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and a little bit of fresh rosemary from my garden. Toss in olive oil and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

I'm confused about whether potatoes are healthy are not. I know they're high in starchy carbs which can lead to weight gain, especially for people like me who don't tolerate carbs as well as others. But I also know that they have a good amount of vitamin C and I always leave the skin on which has all the nutrients and fiber. Are they toxic because they're in the nightshade family of vegetables? Is potato really a vegetable? I suppose it's all about moderation. Well... I cooked the potatoes so I guess I have to eat them! Yum!

Lemon goodness

Lemons from my friend Lisa
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Do you ever crave tartness? I love fresh squeezed lemon in my water, a spoonful of lemon curd from the jar or freshly baked lemon bars. Yum! Nothing satisfies that tart craving for me as much as lemons. After the pucker of that lemon goodness I feel so satisfied and even cleansed in a way. Do we all have these cravings and if so, I wonder why?

About the photo
The Meyer lemons are from my friend Lisa's prolific tree.

Quick & easy dinner

Dinner
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

When I buy precooked food (like the falafels from Costco in this photo), I feel like I'm cheating and not really eating a healthy meal. When I combine it with other healthy food (steamed broccoli is easy) I trick myself into thinking it's OK.

The third item on the plate is a mix of brown rice, quinoa and lentils that I cooked in a rice cooker the night before. I sauteed onions with ground lamb, seasoned it and added the rice mixture. And the tasty red tomatoes adds color and nutrients and makes it look more appetizing.

It really was super fast and easy to make and delicious too.

Starting with a good breakfast

To start may day right, I need to have a good breakfast... a good foundation to help me feel good and be productive throughout the day.

I may not always have time to make a great meal, but I at least try to get some protein and whole grain carbs, plus a 1/2 cup of strong Italian coffee with a 1/2 cup of soy milk. Adequate protein gets me through the entire morning with lots of energy and able to think sharply.

Listen to your body...
to learn what the ideal breakfast is for you. It's strange that my husband doesn't need protein at all in the morning. His ideal breakfast is a bowl of steelcut oatmeal (McCann's is his favorite) with blueberries and coffee with milk. That gets him through to lunch, but when I eat that I'm totally starving my mid-morning and unable to think clearly until I eat.

In this photo the cheese on the rye/whole grains bread is Cowgirl Creamery's signature MT TAM cheese. The artisan cheesemakers are women and I visit their creamery in Pt Reyes Station, California, about once a year to taste and treat myself to some of the best local cheese in my area.