Cranberries

Hey guys

As an important part of our heritage, the role of cranberries continues to evolve. Native Americans considered cranberries an important food and medicine.
Fabled to have been introduced to Pilgrims by Native Americans, cranberries eventually became a staple for our traditional and holiday meals. They are also enjoyed as a beverage for their refreshing taste and perceived benefits, especially for women. Today, research suggests that cranberries are a functional food powerhouse that may provide a variety of health benefits. This cheerful berry is not just for the holidays anymore.

Scientific Research Indicates Important
Health Benefits from Cranberry Juice
While initial studies confirmed long-held beliefs about cranberries and urinary tract benefits, emerging science suggests that cranberries may help maintain the healthy functions of our bodies in other ways. The key may lie in the cranberry’s natural ability to inhibit bacteria, as well as its high content of nutrients, antioxidants and other phytonutrients.

You can get more information on the benefits of this fruit at
Why are Cranberries Good for You?

Buying the cranberries
Fresh cranberries are available from October through December. You will typically find them in plastic bags any your neighborhood grocers. When the berries are ripe, they have a deep red color and are very firm.

Thank you again for stopping by. God bless you during this wonderful autumn season.

Love Alejandro Q.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2005 marks more than 20 years that National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) has educated women about early breast cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment.

This year, NBCAM is again reaching out to women with several key messages, most notably, the importance of early detection through annual mammography screening for women over 40. Mammography screenings are a woman's best chance for detecting breast cancer early. When coupled with new treatment options, mammography screenings can significantly improve a woman's chances of survival.

For more information on how you can support this cause, here are a few useful links:

BreastCancer.org

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM)

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

House Warming Party

Hey guys

This past Saturday was my friend Matt’s (the owner of Murray’s Bagel) house warming party. He and his wife shared their delightful drinks and numerous delicious dishes. Their loft had great lighting and cool music and is located in the trendy TriBeCa area in New York City.

TriBeCa is a neighborhood that was for a long time neglected and dismissed as a commercial backwater. In the past two decades, it has enjoyed a stunning rebirth, and in so doing, has made itself into one of the city’s choicest residential districts. Its resurgence, moreover, has been brought about precisely because it had escaped attention for such a long time.

Pictured here:
Ornate Art Deco detailing embellishes the Western Union Building (Oliver E. Allen)

Its handsome, solid warehouse and loft structures, after having been abandoned a generation ago, were discovered in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s to be ideal not just for artists and small-business entrepreneurs but, most importantly, for growing families as well. And so a booming new district came into being.

Here guys, Matt and me at his loft (sorry for the poor image, it was taken with my cellphone)

All the best Matt! The party was great.

Love, Alejandro Q.

Butternut Squash

Hey guys, continuing with my Fall series, let me talk a little about Butternut Squash.

Butternut, like the other winter squashes, has a lot more to offer, nutritionally speaking, than summer squashes and zucchini. Butternut's deep-orange flesh is richer in complex carbohydrates and, as you might guess by its color, in beta-carotene. Butternut squash is also a very good source of dietary fiber, and supplies vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, and a good amount of potassium.
Its dense, rich-tasting flesh is another good reason to eat butternut squash: Baked and mashed with a little maple syrup or brown sugar and sweet spices, the squash tastes very similar to pumpkin pie. Chunks or cubes of squash can be baked or can be added to hearty stews. And butternut has a softer skin than those of other winter squashes, so it's easier to cut up.

Availability
Butternut squash is available year-round. The supply peaks in late summer and continues throughout the fall and winter.

Shopping
Butternut squashes range from about two to four pounds in weight; the size you buy will depend on your needs. There is no such thing as an "overgrown" winter squash; and the longer the squash grows, the sweeter it will be.

The squash's rind should be uniformly tan, with no tinge of green. The rind should be smooth and dry, free of cracks or soft spots. Also, the rind should be dull; a shiny rind indicates that the squash was picked too early, and will not have the full sweetness of a mature specimen.

The squash should feel heavy for its size. If possible, choose a squash with its stem attached as this is an indicator of quality: The stem should be rounded and dry, not collapsed, blackened, or moist.

Storage
Butternut and other winter squashes are among the best-keeping vegetables. Uncut squash should keep for three months or longer in a cool, dry place. Storage below 50°F (as in the refrigerator) will cause squash to deteriorate more quickly, but refrigerator storage is acceptable for a week or two. Uncooked cut squash will keep for up to a week if tightly wrapped and refrigerated.

Preparation
You can bake it, sauté it or steam it. It’s a very flexible fruit so try some today.

Here is an example of a squash of another kind, take a look here. So, have a little fun and remember to smile. Don’t tell me you don’t feel better now. ☺

God bless you!
Love you guys, Alejandro Q.

Falling for Broccoli

Broccoli is known as the “Crown Jewel of Nutrition” because it is rich in vitamins, high in fiber while low in calories. Not only does broccoli provide you with the best vegetable nutrition available, it also gives you many ways to lead a healthier and longer life. For example, broccoli in many ways helps you fight and prevent heart disease, the number one cause of death in the United States.

Broccoli and Cancer
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Unfortunately, most cases go undetected for years before symptoms appear. This often limits the amount of therapy available. The best medicine is therefore preventive medicine and that is where nutrition plays its largest role. Although eating a healthy diet that is low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables does not guarantee that you will not get cancer, it definitely does help lower the risk.
Broccoli has multiple cancer-fighting properties including vitamin C, beta-carotene and fiber. It is also rich in phytochemicals which appear to protect us from certain cancers and heart disease. Indole carbinol and sulforaphane are two different phytochemicals that can be found in broccoli.

A good example of a broccoli eater
Mitch Edmunds has only just begun to realize his lifelong dream of becoming a professional bodybuilder. He is a natural, drug-free bodybuilder, and his transformation and continued progress is an inspiration to people who want to make impressive gains without using drugs. Mitch's success is due to persistence and following a viable training. In his latest interview, he talks about how he eats and how he balances the right vegetable intake during the day. He uses broccoli as a big part of his diet.

So, here's what I recommend. Get your broccoli and eat it.
You can sauté it, steam it, roast it or blanch it. You can also try it in soup, salads or stir-fry. To pick perfect broccoli, select a bunch head that has tight florets and is deeply green, often tinged with purple. Broccoli can usually be stored in a refrigerator for up to 4 days. With these simple tips, eat up and begin a healthier life.

Love you all, Alejandro Q.

Looks Who's Eating My Food

Hi guys!

I was really excited when I received a great compliment from Dana Fuchs, actress and singer. She had tasted my Open Swiss Chard Frittata and when she started telling me about it, her face widened into a big smile. “I can't believe this is healthy! I could eat this everyday, Alejandro. This is really good…you should cater my wedding.” She's great, isn't she. I want to name my dish in honor of her.

Dana will be co-starring in a new film musical, 'Across The Universe' , being shot now by Sony Revolution Films and directed by Julie Taymor (Frida, Titus). The film features Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen) and some soon to be announced major musical cameos. The movie is set in NYC and London in the late 60's and the story is told through 18 Beatles' songs performed throughout movie. All the characters are taken from Beatles' songs. In the movie, Dana plays "Sexy Sadie", a rock and roll singer in New York City and she'll be singing a number of the songs live on stage, including "Oh Darling" and "Helter Skelter". The sound track is being produced by famed record producer T-Bone Burnett. You can find out more about Dana and her movie at www.danafuchs.com

Thank you Dana. You look great and you have amazing talent! What a fantastic combination. Good luck in your new movie.

Love you, Alejandro Q.

It's Fall

The days are getting shorter. The sun is not warm enough. You start getting chills in the morning. Walking to work, you see the stores beautifully decorated with pumpkins — the color orange is everywhere. Yes, the new holiday season is slowly starting up. And this makes me feel really excited. There’s so much energy, so much to do and so many parties to attend — Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, just to name a few.

This is not only the time of the year for parties but also the time when we start worrying about our diets, especially when we ponder what we are going to wear for each party and how we look. But, I think, what is more important is how we get started on a diet strategy that will not let our bodies go to hell. So, this autumn, I’ll guide you through, with my own experience, on how to enjoy the festivities without adding those extra 15 pounds that most people add during the holidays.

I will begin a series of articles that are more than just articles. You can think of them as Boy Scout Principles for Holidays. For example, what should you do first? Well, get yourself into the mood. You can do this by getting your house ready. How? By changing your home décor. Halloween and Thanksgiving share a common color and fruit — orange and pumpkins. So, for me, I start by cleaning up my vases and trays. Then, I fill these with pumpkins of different shapes and varieties. I also like to put around orange candles. Sometimes I will even use other colored candles. I also like the traditional bronze mum plant or daisy mum plant. Don’t tell me that when you see them out there, the holiday cheer does not immediately overcome you.

Okay, I can keep talking and talking about the coming wonderful season. So, let me tell you what I really want to say. Here is basically what I’m going to lay out for you this Fall season:

Vegetables
Article #1: Broccoli
Article #2: Butternut squash
Article #3: Fresh cranberries
Article #4: Carrots
Article #5: Grapes
Article #6: Pears
Article #7: Sweet potatoes
Article #8: Avocados

Diet Plan
Article #1: European cabbage soup
Article #2: Cabbage soup diet for the holidays
Article #3: Guide to keep those extra holidays calories away
Article #4: Keep your pantry ready for the new season
Article #5: Movie Star Body Makeover

I’ll be in touch with you soon. Thanks again for stopping by.

GOD BLESS YOU AND AMERICA!

Find and Follow Your Passion

I want to start this article with a few words from a very famous artist,

"Ah good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
— Picasso, Pablo

He painted as he did and did not allow the opinions of others to influence him.

In his children’s book, Vaughn, the former first baseman of the Boston Red Sox and American League’s MVP in 1995, encourages children to be responsible for their own choices and actions and to follow their dreams. He cites his own life as an example, demonstrating to his readers the importance of being resilient, strong and focused in the road to achieving his dreams.

I can probably pull out another million such examples of individuals maintaining their focus when their surrounding would drain most others of their motivation. In most cases, the cornerstone has been their passion.

Everything you do, do it with passion and love. Never loose your focus. Whether it be starting a new diet program or working out after a long lay off. Passion keeps your energy flowing and allows your mind to maintain its clarity and focus. This in turn keeps your spirits high and obstacles surmountable.

For example, my passion is cooking. This not only allows me to maintain my own diet but also helps me to provide my clients with delicious and healthy meals.

Another example, my friend, a designer by day, replenishes his creative juices by getting his hands into clay or marzipan. The results are what you see above

Everyone can find a passion. So never give up and always keep God in the first row of your life!