No Las Vegas Health Insurance? New Hospital May Treat You

Clark County Nevada commissioners are discussing making the only public hospital in Las Vegas private according to the article “County Talks of Privatizing Vegas Public Hospital” by The Associated Press on Mercury News’s website.

Commissioners say that the University Medical Center (UMC) is southern Nevada’s safety net hospital and treats many with noLas Vegas health insurance. They are considering making this hospital private to save money, and if they do they may still treat those uninsured. An audit that was performed recently shows that UMC lost $83 million last year. Commissioners believe the county system needs to be overhauled to save money.

County manager Virginia Valentine says they are trying to figure out if they can make the switch to a private hospital and continue to be known as the top trauma and burn center. Treating the uninsured is another valuable part of the hospital. Even those uninsured who think they cannot afford Las Vegas health insurance should gethealth insurance quotes to see if there is anything affordable and help keep more hospitals in business.

Houston Health Insurance Has A New Advocate

Houston, Texas elected a new mayor earlier this month named Annise Parker. According to the article “Houston Is The Largest City to Elect Openly Gay Mayor” by James C. McKinley on NYTimes.com, voters gave a solid victory to this openly gay woman.

There are some smaller cities that have elected openly gay mayors, but this is the largest city in history to do so. Her success came in a conservative state which makes the victory that much more historic. Many Houston residents believe this is a huge step forward for the city as diversity is embraced.

Ms. Parker has a challenging job ahead as she faces many important issues such as Houston health insurance. With Texas suffering from a very high rate of uninsured residents, it’s important that elected officials of major cities such as Parker, make health insurance reform a top priority. With health insurance weighing heavily on the government’s agenda, health insurance quotes may change noticeably in the coming months.

1.3 million Cal kids lack health insurance

The nation has 8.6 million children who lack public or private health insurance and 1.3 million of them are in California, Families USA, a Washington-based advocate for expanded health access, says in a report based on new census data.

California, the nation's most populous state, is just behind Texas in the numbered of medically uninsured children, Families USA says, and at 12.5 percent has the nation's 12th highest rate. Texas is No. 1 at 20.5 percent.

Families USA, confirming previous reports, says that 88.2 percent of uninsured children come from families with at least one working adult. Families without earned income usually qualify for one of the public medical plans such as Medi-Cal. It's been estimated that more than 6 million of the state's 38 million residents lack health insurance.

Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tried and failed to gain legislative approval of a plan to cover virtually all of California's uninsured residents. The full Families USA report is available here.

A long overdue pig...

You may notice a theme starting to develop about pigs. Whilst not specifically planned, it is not surprising given my love for all products porcine.

To say a proper farewell to London, we booked a big meal at St. John, one of my favourite restaurants there. For those St. John's virgins out there, it is situated fittingly next to the Smithfield meat market. St. John's is also high on Anthony Bourdain's favourite list, so much so, he wrote the intro to Chef Fergus Henderson's book, Nose to Tail Eating and is rumored to have kowtowed to the man himself upon eating there for the first time. I always thought Bourdain was my kind of chef!














The 18 of us had a grand time, dining extravagantly on roasted marrow bones with sel gris and parsley salad, skate with endive and anchovy, rhubarb trifle and apple crumble with Jersey cream. But the main event was the whole roast suckling pig that we had pre-ordered.


As you can see, I decided that no part of the pig should go to waste and started in on the head, something my squeamish friend would have preferred to not witness.

Personally, I actually think the Chinese do the best suckling pig, with skin so crisp it almost shatters as you bite into it, but then again you'd probably say I'm biased. Still, this was one of the best meals I'd ever had in London, largely due to the whole package of food, wine, great service and of course, the excellent company. So long, 'ol Blighty and Singapore here I come.

"Healthy" eats

Okay, okay. I know what you all must be thinking after my last few sporadic posts. All I've been talking about it pig, pig, pig and then some. And I've never been shy of my use of fats, animal or otherwise. Here's the thing though, working on Anne Willan's new cookbook in Burgundy has quietly and subtly been expanding my waistline and backside more than I realised. And in the few months since I moved to Singapore, I found that I can no longer hide all the flab under jumpers and such as I could in the UK. Major problem. Plus, I've forgotten how hot and sweaty this place is on a daily basis. And fat people must sweat more right? (I may not be exactly fat, but I sure rank high on the sweat-o-meter!). So I have been on something of a health kick.

Hard-to-believe, but I joined a gym and have been going pretty faithfully 5-6 times a week. I even got a personal trainer for chrissakes! The hardest thing has been eating though. When I knew I was going to move to Singapore, I dreamt of all the delicious delights I would soon be savouring; Hainanese chicken rice, char kway teow, Hokkien prawn mee, the list went on. But when my trainer handed me a list of things to avoid in my diet, these dishes I had been looking forward to were all banned. That's right, all on the Top Ten List of Do Not Eats. Eating out in Singapore is cheap and tasty, when you are NOT on a diet. But in my situation, I resort on a regular basis to Yong Tau Fu and Fish soup. When I'm splurging I may go for sushi, but that's it.

Let me get one thing clear however. I actually like those "healthy" foods. Even in my quest for a fitter bod, I refuse to sacrifice flavour. Happily, it seems to be working, the flab is diminishing bit by bit. Though you won't be seeing a bikini shot here anytime soon, I can fit into my trousers again hoorah. Long may the effort continue!

Is it Unconstitutional to Mandate Health Insurance?

Is it unconstitutional to mandate health insurance? It seems unprecedented to require citizens to purchase insurance simply because they live in the U.S. (rather than as a condition of driving a car or owning a business, for instance). Therefore, several credentialed, conservative lawyers think that compulsory health insurance is unconstitutional. Seehere and here and here. Their reasoning is unconvincing and deeply flawed. Since I’m writing in part for a non-legal audience, I’ll start with some basics and provide a lay explanation. (Go here for a fuller account).

Constitutional attacks fall into two basic categories: (1) lack of federal power (Congress simply lacks any power to do this under the main body of the Constitution); and (2) violation of individual rights protected by the “Bill of Rights.” Considering (1), Congress has ample power and precedent through the Constitution’s “Commerce Clause” to regulate just about any aspect of the national economy. Health insurance is quintessentially an economic good. The only possible objection is that mandating its purchase is not the same as “regulating” its purchase, but a mandate is just a stronger form of regulation. When Congressional power exists, nothing in law says that stronger actions are less supported than weaker ones.

Public Health Insurance Would Be Too Good and We'd Like It Too Much

A common thread is emerging in the right wing response to healthcare reform. Its opponents aren't claiming that public healthcare will be bad. Rather, they are terrified that the new system will be so good that no citizen would buy expensive private insurance--or vote for politicians who wanted to take public insurance away.

The Obama team is sending clear signals that healthcare reform is a core economic issue, and the health insurance industry is becoming increasingly anxious by the future administration's determination to bring healthcare costs under control. Some Americans are seeing their healthcare premiums rising at four times the rate of inflation, ifthey have insurance at all. Healthcare reform is a pocketbook issue for all of us, according to the Obama team.

In tough economic times it might be tempting to postpone healthcare reforms, but Obama is adamant that delay would be a false economy.

In the American Prospect, Joanne Kenen and Sarah Axeen support claims about the high cost of doing nothing:

A recent report by the New America Foundation's health-policy program estimates that the cost of doing nothing about health care, including poor health and shorter lifespan of the uninsured, is well above $200 billion a year and rising. That's enough to cover the uninsured and still have some left over for other public-health needs.

If healthcare costs continue to rise at their current rates, it will cost $24,000/yr to insure a family of four by 2016, an 84% increase from today. At these rates, half of American households would have to spend at least 45% percent of their income to be insured.

In the Nation, Willa Thompson describes how a bicycle crash made her appreciate theconnection between healthcare and politics. Thompson was 21 years old when she suffered major injuries after a collision with a truck. Luckily, she was covered by her parents' medical insurance until she turned 22. She later realized that if she had been just a few months older when the accident happened, she wouldn't have been able to pay for her medical care.

We all agree that something needs to be done. Let's briefly review the options that have been proposed so far. Obama wants to provide healthcare for all by requiring private insurance companies to cover everyone and creating a public health insurance plan to compete with private insurers. The second part of his plan is the public option that Republican opponents are so scared of.

Insurance Companies Cancelling Health Insurance of Sick Patients

With President Obama’s speech to Congress last night outlining the details of his overhaul of healthcare in the United States, one interesting point popped up - the fact that Obama would guarantee that insurers could not reject people because of preexisting conditions.Health insurance companies are increasingly citing the failure to disclose preexisting conditions as a means to cancel policies and deny benefits to people in need of care. The term for this is "Post Claims Underwriting". What this means is that the insurance companies will not investigate someone for verification of entitlement to coverage until after they are sick and need the insurance. Of course, if they then determine the person is sick but not qualified they cancel the coverage and the sick consumer is left with no insurance.

Insurance companies are using the term "rescission" to refer to the cancellation of insurance coverage due to a company being misled. Rather than trying to mislead companies, omissions of preexisting conditions seem to be honest mistakes by people filing out increasingly complex forms. There have been countless stories about how people have signed up for health insurance, only to have their policies later cancelled when they need care. No one knows how often policies are cancelled because of a variety of different state laws and policies in place, however, the practice has become rampant enough to result in numerous lawsuits and new regulations put in by states throughout the country.

In the past year and a half, California has fined the five largest insurers in its state almost $19 million for cancelling the policies of individuals who became sick. One insurance company even admitted offering bonuses to employees who were able to find reasons to cancel policies. President Obama has been trying to gain support for his healthcare overhaul in part tapping into consumer dissatisfaction with the insurance industry, an industry that has never been popular among the American people. His plan for healthcare overhaul includes restricting insurance companies from screening for preexisting conditions, however, this still might not save people from having their policies cancelled. With new regulations, insurance companies might not necessarily cancel the policies of those individuals with undisclosed preexisting conditions, however, a company might institute further preauthorization requirements on services for certain patients, which might discourage such patients from renewing their policies. Lawsuits continue to be instituted againstinsurance companies who have cancelled policies. Rather than fight fraud, rescission has devolved into a backdoor route for insurance companies to stop paying the medical bills of people in their time of greatest need.

Health Insurance Company Stock Prices Say it All

Dylan Rattigan on MSNBC recently gave Rep. Wassersman-Schulz (D-Fl) a hard time about the health care package. He disputed her contention the bill was a big win for consumers. He wanted to know why the stock prices for Big Insurers (e.g.m, Aetna, Cigna, Wellpoint, United Health) shot up if this was such a big loss for them.

Unfortunately, he was so exercised on the point, he didn't give her a chance to address the question. It's an important question. Asked another way, the question is "Why are stocks in this sector at a 52-week high if this legislation is such a blow to their profits?"

That's worth investigating. Follow the money and things get real clear real fast.

The validity of Rattigan's point is clear even with this thumbnail of a stock chart. This chart covers the last three months. It compares the S&P 500 to stock prices for some large health insurance companies. Each one is represented by a different color as follows:

S&P 500 (brown), Cigna (red), Aetna (blue), Wellpoint (gold), and United Health (green).

TheS&P 500, a broad indicator of the market, fluctuates but islargely unchanged. However, all the health insurers fell towards the end of September, for an average loss of about 12%. They stayed down throughout October. However, they started rising in November to reverse their losses. Last week they all moved again.This time to gain over the S&P. In sum, over the last three months, these stocks have posted an average 10% gain, after making up their losses. That's about a 20% swing in value. That's a big move compared to the overall market.

It's true these stocks are more volatile than the overall index. That's the point of the index, to smooth out volatility. The fact these stocks all move in concert shows they are being affected by the same forces. That's not surprising. Stocks in the same sector should be responding in roughly similar ways to the same news. The interesting point is when they made their moves. That reflects the conversation of the time.

Where were we in mid-September?

On September 9, Obama had made a clear pitch for the public option in his speech on health care. This resonated with the public. A CBS poll from that time showed growing public suport for a public option. The reason people argue for a public option is to provide a competitive break on run away prices. That would not be good for profits. The stocks fell.

Where were we in early November?

Lieberman had become the center of attention. He made it clear he wasn't supporting a public option. Of course, it was not just Joe blowing smoke that moved the stocks. Even if he did support it, the public option was so diluted it wouldn't matter. As Ezra Klien noted, the public option at that point wouldn't be available to 90% of the people in states that allowed it. Nor would it have any pricing leverage over private competitors. Basically it was going to be hollow. Safe in the knowledge their profits weren't going to get hammered, the stocks started to rise.
What happened in early December?

On December 10th, Pelosi caved on the public option. That followed the death of expanded Medicare. That killed any hope the House would force this back on track. In other words, the profits of these companies are going to be just fine. Once again, stock values jumped.

The bottom line: During those different time points a lot of ink got spilled, pixels got burned, and bytes bit it. But for all the noise, one thing is clear. If you want to know how the insurance companies are viewing the legislation, just follow their stock prices. The second image is a comparison for the same stocks over the last year. See the cliff they all fell off towards the end of February? That was their response to Obama's February 24 speech in front of a joint session of congress where he announced health care reform was a central pillar of his recovery strategy. It didn't take the folks at Cigna long to figure out that was just noise. You don't need to believe in conspiracy theories to see that people who buy stocks in this sector are responding to the political kabuki by betting insurers will do just fine.

An observer of the human condition, surprised to see we have such powerful tools but not the wisdom to use them.
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its

Make Ahead Bliss: Corn Bread Pudding with Cranberries, Sausage, and Leeks

Mention bread pudding, and most people think of dessert. But, savory bread pudding is actually some seriously good stuff -- and it not only makes for a great side dish, but it can also serve as a main entree when served with a nice pile of veggies or a side salad.

A frugal way to use up that loaf of stale bread sitting on the counter, savory bread pudding is a great way to create a comforting main dish from things you just have "lying around." Flavor combinations are just about endless, and if you play your cards right you can create a time-saving main course for just about any cool autumn evening. You can even assemble the bread pudding the day before you intend to bake it... a great idea for those busy nights before Christmas when every moment counts.

We've done savory puddings before, but this Thanksgiving we came up with a flavor combination that really seemed to bring out the best in local ingredients. Fresh cranberries, bulk Italian sausage, and leeks come together with melted fontina cheese and fresh herbs to create a dish that's as great as a side dish or main-dish entree as it is as a breakfast food (and yes, I was even gobbling the leftovers from this dish cold right from the fridge). This variation uses corn bread as its base; but, the recipe would work with just about any type of bread (just adjust the moisture content accordingly).

First, you need to gather up your bread. We added fresh chopped cranberries to our favorite corn bread recipe and used it as the base for our pudding. But, you can feel free to substitute your favorite cranberry walnut bread. Or simply use your favorite regular corn bread recipe and throw in a handful of dried cranberries (or even currants) when you mix together the pudding.

Cube the bread, and toast it in a low oven for about a 1/2 hour to dry it out and prime it for absorbing all the delicious flavored custard.

Depending on how dry your corn bread is, you might be able to skip the step of toasting it in the oven.
While the bread is toasting, you can saute up about 1/2 lb of Italian sausage and 2 cups of leeks. And don't be tempted to scrimp on the leeks. Two cups might seem like a bunch, but good fresh leeks will cook down considerably once they let off their liquid in the saute pan. Plus, you'll want plenty of that mild, sweet, leek-flavor; it really complements the corn bread and offsets the tartness of the cranberries in this recipe.

Stir together your cubed corn bread, sausage, leeks, and a nice handful of chopped fresh parsley and thyme. If you're using regular corned bread for your recipe, this would be a good time to throw in that handful of dried cranberries if you didn't add them to your corn bread recipe.

Shred up a bit of fontina cheese, and beat together 5-6 eggs with about 3 cups of milk and/or cream. Add the cheese and egg mixture to the bread and allow it to soak for 20-30 minutes, or until the bread seems to have taken up most of the liquid. Then, pour it into a buttered 2 quart baking dish.

Bake the bread pudding for 50-60 minutes -- or until set and browned.

Now just look at that and tell me that you don't just want to snarf it right up.
Be careful, though, and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes before digging in... it's hot, and you might just burn your too-eager tongue.

The health freaks are now gunning for Santa

SANTA Claus has been accused of acting in ways that could "damage millions of lives". As the mythical man in red zooms around the planet delivering gifts, he is an unwitting promoter of obesity, unhealthy products, disease and even drink driving, according to an Australian academic. "Other dangerous activities that Santa could be accused of promoting include speeding, disregard for road rules and extreme sports such as roof surfing and chimney jumping," said Dr Nathan Grills, public health fellow at Monash University's Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine. "Despite the risks of high speed air travel, Santa is never depicted wearing a seatbelt or helmet."

In a paper published by the British Medical Journal, Dr Grills said Santa Claus' contemporary image became cemented in the public consciousness through a series of Coca Cola advertisements that began in the 1930s. His image was subsequently used in tobacco advertising and, while most countries had moved to ban this, it was common to still see Santa pictured on Christmas cards with a pipe in hand.

A study found Santa Claus was the only fictional character that was more highly recognised by US children than Ronald McDonald. "If Ronald McDonald can be so effective at selling burgers to children, we might expect Santa to be equally effective at selling other goods," Dr Grills said. "... Public health needs to be aware of what giant multinational capitalists realised long ago, that Santa sells and sometimes he sells harmful products."

Dr Grills said countries like India were increasingly celebrating Christmas, and Santa's image could again be used to sell harmful products where there was less regulation of advertising.

Santa's "rotund sedentary image" also had the effect of making "obesity synonymous with cheerfulness and joviality" around the world, he said. Children were also encouraged to leave out brandy, or other hard liquor, for a man who had to do a lot of travel and visit a lot of houses all in one night.

Amid a global swine flu pandemic, Dr Grills said most people who stood in as Santa impersonators were not required to undergo a health check - and they get "kissed and hugged" by a succession of "snotty-nosed kids". "We need to be aware that Santa has an ability to influence people, and especially children, towards unhealthy behaviour," he said. "Given Santa's universal appeal, and reasoning from a public health perspective, Santa needs to affect health by only 0.1 per cent to damage millions of lives."

Instead using a sleigh, Santa should be "encouraged to adopt a more active method to deliver toys - swapping his reindeer for a bike or simply walking or jogging", Dr Grills said.

Health records on internet

Privacy groups are sounding alarms as the nation's largest insurance companies finalize plans to allow millions more customers to post their health records on the Internet.

Insurers like Aetna Inc. say Web-based tools help patients and physicians keep track of medical information while potentially holding down spiraling medical costs.

About 100 million insurance customers in the U.S. have access to Web-based tools, but companies don't have an estimate of how widely they are used. Insurers hope to at least double the technology's reach by the end of next year.

Aetna chief executive Ronald Williams says the change is as revolutionary to health care as the introduction of the ATM card was to banking in the 1980s.

But privacy advocates say there's no guarantee the records will be safe from hackers. Some worry patients may refuse to disclose some illnesses to their doctors to keep documents out of databases.

"As a former nurse, I know that back in the 1980s, patients who were alcoholics did not want to have paper records," said Sue Blevins, president of the Institute for Health Freedom "They just didn't want people to know & That could affect the quality of their care."

Aetna, which offers personal health records to its customers, says security procedures include a member login and an online registration Web site with secure sign-ons. In addition, customers can restrict elements of their records from being shared among health practitioners.
Aetna said personal health records are protected by the same security technology that is used for online banking.

Personal health records, which are available through insurers Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and others, are intended to help doctors and patients track medications and treatments.

The technology allows doctors to record test results, immunizations, prescriptions and other medical information into an online database that can be accessed by patients, the insurer and other physicians if needed. Patients can also add details about over-the-counter medications, plans of care, family health histories and other information.

Natural swine flu defence found

A previously unknown natural defence against swine flu and other viruses has been discovered which could lead to new treatments. Scientists found that the virus-fighting proteins protected against swine flu when levels were increased. When the proteins were removed the swine flu virus was able to multiply in the body unchecked. The accidental discovery may help to explain why some people develop serious symptoms when they contract flu and others do not.

The protein, IFITM3, and although it appeared to be connected to the functioning of the immune system, how it worked and what it did had never been understood. Professor Stephen Elledge, from Harvard Medical School in Boston, US, who led the research, said: "We've uncovered the first-line defence in how our bodies fight the flu virus. "The protein is there to stop the flu. Every cell has a constitutive immune response that is ready for the virus. If we get rid of that, the virus has a heyday."

The findings, reported in the journal Cell, could pave the way to new kinds of antiviral treatment, say the scientists. However, it remains to be seen what the long-term side effects of boosting levels of the proteins might be.

The news comes as Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, announced the latest swine flu figures showing a further drop in cases with an estimated 9,000 new diagnoses last week. It is thought over 800,000 people have suffered symptoms of swine flu since it first emerged in England in April. It appears that the second wave of the disease is coming to an end but he warned that it is not know what will happen in the New Year. Sir Liam said the NHS had coped 'brilliantly' with swine flu this year.

The vaccination programme is also progressing with three million people out of the nine million in the first priority groups already immunised. More than 100,000 pregnant women have so far been vaccinated, Prof David Salisbury, head of immunisation said, out of around 550,000 women who are pregnant at any one time in England. Two thirds of local NHS organisations have now reached agreements with GPs to start vaccinating children aged between six months and five years.

Holiday Sweet Kitchen (and no, it's not more ice cream!)

I couldn't tell you what it was, but this morning I suddenly got this eerie feeling that I needed to check my calendar. Boy, was I shocked to see that Christmas is just over a week away!! Where did the time go?

Fortunately, we have been doing more than simply resting on our laurels for the last few weeks. Our Christmas shopping is done (yes, done!!), we've ordered our standing rib roast for Christmas day dinner, and we just finished wrapping our gifts. Oh -- and we did manage to whip up a nice big batch of chocolate covered cordial cherries.

These delicious tidbits have become a holiday tradition at our house. And we couldn't envision Christmas without them. As of this year, we've been making them for twelve years running.

The cherries soaked in brandy for over a week this year, so these little gems are packing a bit of a punch.

And they're tasting particularly fantastic. We've packed up most of them to give as holiday gifts. But, we'll set aside a few for eating as well... I might even manage to hoard a few long enough to enjoy them on New Year's Eve, if Peef doesn't find them first.

Of course, if you're not a fan of cherries, you could make another one of our favorites: Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark. This stuff is hauntingly similar to the stuff you can buy at Williams Sonoma, without the hefty price tag. A full recipe of this stuff would cost you about $50 at WS. The ingredients to make your own will cost about $12. Yeah, trust me. It's worth the effort.

I also have a pretty fantastic recipe for fudge bourbon balls. You take barely-cooked brownies as its base. They're completely fudgey and wonderful. Come to think of it, we haven't made them yet this year. But, just the thought of them is making me a little bit drooly.

So, it's back into the kitchen with me...

In the meantime, I just want to take the opportunity to wish each and every one of you a Very Merry Christmas! I hope that your celebrations are filled with incredible joy, the company of your favorite people, and plenty of delicious food. And if we don't talk before the new year, may your 2010 be blessed with all that was good in 2009, and then some!

Sushi Lovers 2, 5K and a Question

Well I promised you all a 'Tuna Tartare" recipe, so here it is.
Find your self a nice piece of ahi tuna. I actually get it frozen from the local fish market.
I can't find it fresh very often around here.

Ingredients; Scallions, sesame seeds, rice vinegar, soy sauce, wasabi, fresh ground pepper and a tiny bit of mayonnaise.
It's hard to tell you how much I used of everything.......it's a taste thing. Finely chop the scallions. With a clever or chef's knife, chop and mince the tuna. In a large bowl mix it with the scallions. Now start adding your ingredients and keep tasting until you like it ;-) How simple is that?
I served it in a half an avocado.

I was just in one of those nice moods to cook, be creative and listen to music.
So I also made something else to go along with the tuna.

Feel Good Eating Bay Scallops

Thin slices of yam/sweet potatoes fried in coconut oil, seared bay scallops with a soy/sweet soy glaze. Drizzled with jalapeno dressing and a very thin slice of jalapeno. This was delicate, full of flavor and I even surprised myself a little ;-)

Let me know if anyone wants the jalapeno dressing recipe.

So this Saturday is my first official 5K. I feel very good, except for a small calf "twinge". I ran 4.5 miles last week, and even though it hurt, I ran through it with the exception of the last half mile where it was more stop and go. I'm excited to run, it's a beautiful course they laid out. I will post results, even if I come in around 28 minutes vs. the under 24 that I'm shooting for ;-) As Andy has said to me, "don't leave anything out there", I promise you all I won't.

Of course I will be running in my VFF's. I have a suspicion that I will be the ONLY one there in VFF's. I will just have to deal with the stares. So here comes the question of the day;

How do you pronounce it VEEbrams or Vibrams?

(Justin if you're reading, would love your input.)

Make it a great day!

The Companion Website to 101 Foods is UP!!

I'm thrilled to announce the launch of my new video-centric website companion to the 101 Foods book -
www.101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com.

The website's purpose is to bring the foods featured in my book “to life” in beautifully produced, high definition videos with exciting new information, research, food-lore, history, health and the healing benefits of the 101 Foods, plus absolutely delicious recipes in addition to the ones featured in the book. You’ll find accompanying Bonus Material to augment each video, Dave’s Raves - a continuously updated list of recommended products and services - a link to this blog (of course!) and links to sponsors’ websites for even more great information and recipes. You can also join the 101 Foods community where you can send your comments, exchange information, recipes or simply make friends.

Like the book, it was important to me that this website also provide evidence-based nutrition information along with the latest emerging science to improve health one delicious bite at a time. I think we are off to a very good start!

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our major sponsors who believed in the importance of this project:

Ponte Fresco Restaurants in Chicago, Illinois and San Juan, Puerto Rico - www.pontefrescousa.com

Select Milk Producers in Clovis, New Mexico and Eagle, Idaho - www.goodcow.com

Fair Oaks Farms Dairy of Fair Oaks, Indiana -
www.fofarms.com

Berry Chill Yogurt Couture of Chicago, Illinois -
www.berrychill.com

A big "thank you" to our participating sponsors:

Washington Red Raspberry Commission -
www.raspberryinfo.com

California Dried Plum Board -
www.californiadriedplums.org

PepsiCo/Quaker Oatmeal - www.quakeroatmeal.com

And last but absolutely not least, a big hug and thank you to Beth Shepard, my partner in developing the website, for her inspiration and support. Thanks to the folks at AnswersMedia for the wonderful job of putting it all together and to the National Dairy Council for their assistance in putting the dairy video together.

I hope you enjoy the site and I would love to hear from you with your comments and suggestions. Our goal is to produce informative, up-to-date and entertaining videos on all of the 101 Foods ... and then some! Enjoy!

frankfurt food!!!

I’m back!!!

Despite working my butt off, I had some wonderful foodie experiences in Germany and Israel.

My first post back is about my first stop: Germany.

Food there can be surprising. Yes, there are a lot of heavy, fried foods. Yes, potatoes feature regularly. Yes, the serving sizes can compete with the Americans, but there’s a whole lot more to German cuisine than meets the eye, especially in their traditional, rustic style dishes.

Luckily for me I visited in spring and there was plenty of fresh asparagus on the menus, served in a myriad of ways, as well as delicious cherries (one of my favourite fruits).

I visited Frankfurt's Kleinmarkt as well as a farmer's market and took loads of photos of what I discovered there. The photos are up on my flickr collection: Global Markets.

Here’s some photos and rundowns of my German meals:

Boiled eggs served with delectable Grie Soß (green sauce), a Frankfurt speciality made of oil, vinegar and seven fresh herbs. Apple wine taverns throughout Frankfurt specialise in green sauce, each with their own heavily guarded recipe. Usually the seven herbs are an alternating combination of borage, sorrel, cress, chervil, chives, parsley, salad burnet, dill, lovage, spinach or basil.

Apfelwein or Äbbelwoi (apple wine) is another Frankfurt speciality. I once heard that the legend of äbbelwoi started after the region had a very poor grape harvest and had to resort to apples for their wine. They enjoyed the results so much that they never looked back. Äbbelwoi has a strange kind of sweet yet musty and sour flavour, which I prefer to drink pure. You can also have it süss (sweet – with lemon or orange soda) or sauer (sour – with mineral water, bringing on a cloudy effect and sour flavour). Äbbelwoi is served in a ceramic jug called a bembel, decorated in white and blue, and a diamond-patterned glass called a gerippte. The suburb of Sachsenhausen hosts the best äbbelwoi pubs, where guests sit at long wooden tables and benches eating hearty, delicious pub meals. I’ve eaten at th

The traditional Frankfurt frankfurters. The sausage is cooked by boiling and can be made from pork or a combination of pork and veal. In English speaking countries they are called frankfurts, frankfurters or wieners. I think it’s funny that in Germany they’re called Wiener (after Vienna) and in Austria they’re called Frankfurter, although both call the short ones Würstchen as well.

Tafelspitz is boiled beef, usually served with horseradish or green sauce (in this case green sauce). Note the deliciously crunchy potatoes that come with the meal. Cooking potatoes in various delightful ways is a skill most German kitchens excel at. And check out the soup bowl full of sauce - they never skimp on the sauce!

Asparagus season means fresh asparagus appearing on every menu in town. The farms are just outside the city so Frankfurt gets a good supply. White asparagus seems to be the popular choice, with long, large spears prevailing. In this dish, steamed spears were served with salt boiled potatoes, some parsley and a gravy boat full of Hollandaise sauce.

This dish was called Schupfnudeln mit Sauerkraut und Kasslerwürfel. Schupfnudeln are gnocchi-like potato-based pastas. In this case they were boiled then added to a pan of sauerkraut and pieces of fried smoked pork. It was absolutely beyond delicious.

Do you think they gave us enough crumbed fish?

How could I show photos of German food without a snapshot of an apple strudel?

Since it was asparagus season I ordered the soup at a nice restaurant we visited. I was so impressed that I hope to replicate it for dinner tonight. They used white asparagus to make a light yet creamy soup and had rosettes of saffron and white truffle infused mash potato hidden in the bowl. Divine.

This was a cherry streusel cake. At the markets we found a streusel shop selling nothing but huge slices of these delicious cheesecakes topped with spiced crumbs. You could get chocolate, apricot, peach, rhubarb, apple and anything else you desired. I went for cherry of course (hello, I’m in Central Europe, one of the best cherry destinations in the world).

Another really interesting discovery was elderflower bunches smothered in a sweet batter and then deep fried. They are then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and eaten hot. It was really tasty and the flavour and freshness of the flowers really shone through. What a pleasant discovery!

I’ve decided that currywurst is great festival food. Cook a sausage, chop it into pieces then smother it in ketchup and serve in a small paper bowl. Happy days!

I thought it was worth showing you a photo of this elaborately presented dish. It tasted good, despite the fact that the sauce was made of capsicum, one of my most detested vegetables. My Australian vocab let me down since the English menu said “pepper sauce” and I assumed this meat pfeffer not paprika, since the German word paprika is capsicum in Australia. Sigh. But the photo gives you a taste of how much effort they put into the presentation. It was kitsch extravagance. Quite cute.

I’m going to have to get back to you all on what this is. I remember it’s a traditional sausage that’s served cold in this manner, like a sausage salad. I’ll check with Simone, who was with me during this meal, and get back to you. If anyone else knows what it is, feel free to make suggestions! Whatever it’s called, it tasted great.

Ham, Squash & Leek Orzotto

It seems that whenever I cook a large ham, the first thing I want to do is make orzotto. It's what I did the last time I cooked a large ham, and I'm already looking forward to the next time. No doubt I should branch out a little, but I love it so much. It's so creamy and richly flavoured.

6 servings
2 hours - 1 hour prep time



Pre-Cook the Barley and the Squash:
1 cup barley
3 cups ham or smoked turkey stock
1 medium butternut squash
2 tablespoons sunflower seed oil

Cook the barley in the stock, until the stock is absorbed and the barley is tender. I prefer to do this in my rice-cooker.

Meanwhile, peel the squash, and remove the seeds and stringy bits from the centre. Cut it into thin slices, and toss them with the oil in a shallow roasting pan. Bake the squash at 400°F for about 40 to 45 minutes, until tender.

Both of these steps can be done up to 24 hours before you plan to assemble the dish, and stored in the fridge once cool until wanted.

Make the Orzotto:
2 cups diced ham or smoked turkey
2 medium leeks
2 tablespoons sunflower seed oil
8 or 9 cups ham or smoked turkey stock
1 teaspoon rubbed savory
1 teaspoon rubbed thyme
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- plus more grated Parmesan to be passed with the dish

Cut the ham or turkey into dice, and set it aside. Trim the leeks, and chop them finely, discarding the roots and any very dark, tough or damaged portions. Rinse the chopped leeks thoroughly, and drain them well.

Heat the oil in a very large skillet, and cook the leeks fairly gently, stirring frequently, until soft and slightly browned. Heat the stock, and keep it warm but not boiling as you prepare the orzotto.

Mix the barley and several ladles-full of the stock into the leeks. Add the seasonings. While that simmers, mash the squash with a fork, leaving it fairly chunky.

Mix the squash into the barley with a little more broth. When that has simmered, and absorbed most of the stock, mix in the ham, the wine and a bit more stock. Adjust the seasonings, keeping in mind that you should think it just slightly undersalted - don't forget that the cheese will add a fair bit of saltiness when it goes in.

Once you have achieved a well amalgamated, flowing but not too soupy mixture, the orzotto can be served. Mix in the cup of grated Parmesan, and continue cooking until melted, just a minute or two. Serve at once, although leftovers do reheat very nicely.

Super Easy Homemade Sushi

It's been a long time..those were the days where I was craving to make sushi on my own, those were the days when I searched on Google to get an easy recipe to make sushi, those were the days when I got my grandmother who was always craving for sushi and asked me to make for her and the family. :P Ok, enough of story telling. I've been using the same old recipe from the first day I make sushi. Perhaps it's because I'm too lazy to upgrade myself to make higher class of sushi. I'm just being very comfortable sticking to this old recipe which allows me to make simple sushi. strictly for those who wants to make easy sushi only! Tee-heee!

Well, I can't find the same recipe link that I used last time. But, this website got the same sushi recipe as mine. Scroll down and look for "Basic Sushi Recipe Ingredients" and you'll get the recipe there.

I made this sushi where I only put in some Japanese cucumbers, crab sticks, fried egg, tuna, and with lots of mayonnaise. After rolling them, put them into freezer (around 10 minutes) for easy-to-cut sushi. I'm not sure if it's my knife prob, my own prob, or the nori sheet's prob. I just find that by putting the rolled sushi into freezer helps a lot during cutting process. When you finished cutting them, pop them into the fridge for a while more for chilled sushi...voila! There you go, easy to make sushi which my family and I personnally thinks we like it. Why we loved it? It's nothing special, it's just because it's simple and yummy..that's all. ;)


So, after making the same sushi for a while I will also put in other ingredient. I used to put in fried chicken strips inside too. :D Is it better? You try it and tell me what you think. People out there, do share with me if you guys make sushi too ya~ I wanna know what other type of sushi you all make at home, compared to my this "palia" and simple sushi.

Well, I guess that's it! It's a short post. Have a great Sunday everyone~! ^.^

Hong Kong Food Culture, Low Yat Plaza

Hong Kong Food Culture, Low Yat Plaza

Ok, I know this is a night post. I have no idea why I suddenly want to make a post tonight. I told myself not to see/read any food blog (+pics) or post anything during night time cause it will make me hungry!!! And, my parent just got back around 10pm...They're back home with...durians!!! In conclusion, I'm really starving right now....ARGH~~!!! :'(

Anyway, just wanted to tell you guys that I've always wanted to try the snacks out at this restaurant. The small snack stall is just outside Low Yat's entrance (The one near Times Square's bridge that links us to Low Yat/Sg Wang) as my friends told me that there were some snacks which were delish. So, there we were to try out some of their snacks.

There were only 3 or 4 small tables placed next to this snack stall which can merely fit about 10-12 ppl? So do prepare to wait for tables if you wanna makan the snacks there, else you can "tapao". As all the tables were crowded with customers, we thought we could sit inside the restaurant. We asked the waitress if we could order the snacks and have them inside the restaurant on Lower Ground Floor. The waitress told us that we could sit down there if only we order the restaurant's drinks or food. Hmm, but I only want to eat some snacks. So we have no choice but to wait for place and luckily we got ourselves seated in just a while.


We ordered the black pepper fish balls. At first bite, the aromatic pepper smell lingered through my nose. Then, as the biting continues I found it to be a little too soft on the texture. But, overall the taste was ok. There were some chopped onions and stuff inside the fish balls too.


Next was the Fried Calamari. They've cleansed and kept the ready-to-fry raw calamari in a big tub/container and keep in their fridge. When you want 1 they'll simply take out a portion and dip those raw calamari into batter...then "zaaaa!!!" them into the hot oil. Minutes later, you'll be served a plate of freshly deep fried calamari. I find the texture to be super crunchy. Dip them into some chilli sauce, yummy~!


This is er..'Mah Latt' fish ball I think (If I'm not mistaken). They were soaked boiled into a hot pot of 'Mah Latt' sauce. I love this. Why? Cause it's spicy and the fish balls were tasty. :)

There were also other snacks like deep fried Seafood Tofu (Bright yellow rectangular tofu with a white layer in the middle), deep fried whole small crab, and others. My another friend told me that their deep fried pork intestines were lovely too, but I didn't try them out. :(

Hong Kong Food Culture
Low Yat Plaza,
Jalan Bukit Bintang,
Kuala Lumpur

Ducks and other birds

Some people like more than one bird on their table, others like goose or duck. This is the place to share those non-turkey holiday meal ideas

Beer Can Chicken

1 (4-pound) whole chicken
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub
1 can liquid


You can make a spice rub by mixing fresh and dry herbs and toasting them in a dry frying pan.

You can also use coke, ginger ale, or coke instead of beer.

Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub. Set aside.

Open beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full). Place beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its 2 legs and the can like a tripod.

Place the bird on the lowest rack in the oven, remove other rack. Cook at 325 until juices run clear.

Indonesian Pork Sate - the Anti-Leftovers

Getting past the glut of turkey leftovers and finding something that appeals to a houseload (including myself) of cold-sufferers who can hardly taste anything created quite a challenge, but it was met by a delicious dish I hadn't made in awhile- Indonesian sate. Sate is a dish that can be made with chicken pork or beef, but I usually use pork, it is a nice switch from chicken and boneless country style ribs have the perfect mix of lean and fat to be neither dry nor greasy, and you can often find them on sale. If you can't find boneless ribs, then any cut of pork loin will work.

In our family, the star of this dish is not the meat (which is delectable), it is the amazing peanut sauce which elevates the lowly jar of peanut butter to new heights with the addition of a very few common ingredients. I always double the sauce,because it is in great demand - a combination of smooth, creamy, sweet and spicy- served over long grain and wild rice, it is perfection!

How do I know this was the right choice for beating the leftover-and-cold-doldrums? Because before I could even get a picture, it was all gone!! Give this a try- you won't be sorry (and don't count on leftovers)!

Indonesian Sate

2 lbs of country style boneless pork ribs, cut into uniform-size chunks (you could use chunks of chicken instead)
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sherry
1/2 tsp sate seasoning (I got this from Penzey's and it adds a lot of flavor, but if you don't have it, it is okay)

3-4 garlic cloves chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 -2 cups chicken broth
juice of 1/2 lime
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Mix the soy sauce, sherry and spice in a zip-loc bag and put pork chunks in to marinate for an hour or so. In the meantime make the peanut sauce. Saute the garlic in the olive oil. Stir in the peanut butter, then add brown sugar, soy sauce, stirring to incorporate. Slowly stir in chicken broth until sauce has consistency you like. Stir in lime juice and then add pepper flakes a bit at a time until your desired level of heat is reached. Keep sauce warm. Remove meat from marinade, place on broiler pan and drizzle with olive oil. Broil meat until done, turning pieces as necessary. Serve meat with sauce and rice.

The Great Malaysian Hijack

Spot the Malaysian dish. In fact the uniqueness of our Malaysian cuisine is the amazing variety of a cooking pot of cultures. I don't think it is easy to rebrand all our dishes but certainly they are super tasty.



I love a goo Nasi Lemak, a fantastic takeaway food.


Bah Kut Teh remains a favourite of mine.


And the other day my friend made me a wonderful Hainanese chicken rice in Geelong.
Great now I am hungry again.

They've Thought of Everything

Every aspect of Pure Market Express has been carefully considered to be of the highest quality. To ensure this, Rebecca and Quentin hired a classically trained chef (Chef Jacob) and helped teach him the language of raw. Together they have created classic raw recipe favorites and new gourmet raw food masterpieces.

Since we live in the Twin Cities area, we were recently invited for a tour and private tasting at Pure Market Express. We were able to sit down with the owners, Rebecca and Quentin, and get to know them better. We had a lot of questions about their history of getting into raw food, their process of creating the business, and their current food philosophy and vision for Pure Market Express and beyond. While we were talking, Chef Jacob was bringing out dish after dish of incredible quality raw plates for all of us to enjoy.

Here is a peek at some of the food we tasted. Some of these items are available through the delivery service and some was special just for our dinner together. Let's take a look at the food, shall we?

Coconut Water, infused with mint: This is a simple recipe you can make at home! Simply take coconut water into a glass jar, and place fresh mint leaves into the container. Let it infuse for a while. In a way, it is a cold infusion of mint tea! Very refreshing.

Heirloom Tomato Salad: The simplicity of this dish brought out the bursting flavors of the heirloom tomatoes. The vinaigrette on the tomatoes was absolutely divine.

Jalapeno Poppers: These are one of the most popular items on the Pure Market Express menu, and after one bite, we understood why. For all your Jalapeno popper fans out there, these are perfect! I don't know how they perfected this recipe, but it makes my mouth water just thinking about these. The heat in the jalapenos is just hot enough to make your mouth tingle. Highly recommended. (FYI: You can order these at Pure Market Express!)

Caesar Salad: Have you been missing that particular Caesar salad in your favorite restaurant? When you order from Pure Market Express, you can enjoy that salad in a whole new way. After all, a delicious salad is all about the dressing! PME specialty fake bacon crumbles on top make this salad a winner with everyone...maybe even carnivores.

Tostadas: These were the best tostadas we've ever had. Even better than "non-raw" tostadas. Topped with a rich macadamia ricotta and walnut "meat" seasoned with their own Sassy Salsa!


Scallops with Red Pepper. This is even too good to comment on. Like a ravioli, but crunchy and sits in your stomach perfectly. Highly recommended!



Mushroom "Steak" with sweet corn salsa. We were both surprised when this dish ended up being our favorite of the night. Perfectly flavored and textured, we literally savored every single bite. Also highly recommended. (FYI: I think you can order this dish, or a similar dish through Pure Market! Yum!!!)

3 layer Mudslide Pie "Parfait". No raw food meal is complete without desserts. Everyone's favorite raw dish to eat and make usually involves some sort of sweet tasting dessert. This mudslide was very filling and tasted equally full in flavor. We spooned up every last drop, including the white chocolate mousse on top. (FYI: The mudslide is available as a pie through the delivery service, but we were served the pie in parfait glasses for an extra special treat. You could order the Mudslide Pie and do something similar at home!)

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Of course, we loved all the food, and were totally stuffed when we left. We recommend everything we had inside of Pure Market. It was all delicious. Besides everything on the menu, if you want to get a fun experience and are feeling wild and free, you can even select the "Chef's Choice" option, in which Pure Market Express will ship 25 items chosen by Chef Jacob, and shipped to your door, for 175.00. Wow. That is an excellent value with a lot of food!

In particular, the Chef Choice would be a great option if you are traveling somewhere and don't have access to a kitchen, or can't bring your kitchen equipment with you. Perhaps it would be a good option for you if you are going somewhere for the holidays? Can you say Christmas with the family?! Um, hello!!