Arye and I have been chatting about the three main “macro’s” or major nutrients: protein, fats and in this episode: carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not in fashion at the moment with lentils and lollipops unfortunately being thrown into the same basket. This is a huge topic to cover in a short space of time so as always, you are welcome to drop me a line and ask for more insight.
In short, not all carbohydrates are the same. When we do eat starchy foods, we should choose that are high in fiber and limit those that are high in sugars to make sure that we have stable blood sugar. If in doubt, you most probably do not eat enough fiber – most South Africans do not!
Sugar is not the devil but it is also not a saint. Avoid adding sugar to your drinks and limit eating sugary foods. If in doubt, visit a dietitian in your area!
Paul talks about food in the same way a sommelier describes a wine. He likes to know the story of where food was grown and the path it took to get to his kitchen. His love of food is obvious and it is clear that he doesn’t think of food as mere combinations of ingredients. Paul wants to invoke emotions and memories when he creates a dish.
Paul’s mission in opening the Cookery is to break the misconception that we were sold in the 1980s that you don’t need to cook. There is sound research around children’s eating habits that confirms this: children that are involved in food preparation or simply eat with their parents are likely to eat a wider variety of foods and weigh less than children that do not eat with the rest of their family. Eating together provides an opportunity for a family to share their day but is also a space where parents can model healthy food behaviours.
Originally Paul did not think he and I were on the same page in terms of being interviewed. He thought I wanted a healthy eating spin when all I wanted to do was explore vegetable preparation. A go to dish at home for him is a simple broccoli dish: lightly steamed broccoli tossed with olive oil, lemon, garlic and pine nuts. The dish is great hot or cold. We both agree that people get into a vegetable rut which is part of the reason they get bored of eating vegetables. He uses a long list of salads that he rotates in his house to keep his vegetable intake varied.
While chatting, Paul rattled off several dishes that involve either polenta or a risotto as a base with mostly vegetarian toppings such as polenta with sage butter, porcini risotto and butternut and feta risotto. Much of the flavour of these dishes comes from cooking food in stages to really bring out their flavour, for example first roasting butternut before adding it to a dish. These are the type of dishes he’ll rustle up quickly at home during the week. His go-to dish at the restaurant has been the same for years: the penne Salsiccia, their signature dish of fennel infused pork sausages cooked with plum tomatoes, chilli, red wine and herbs. I personally love the sauce with their polenta. If watching your waist, share the pasta and a green salad with a friend. As a general rule, remember to check the menu outside of the salad section as great dishes such as the ricotta, rocket and pine nut salad may have been listed elsewhere. In this case it’s under the antipasti section.
Kitchen inspiration from Paul
I love a warm bowl of oats for breakfast, especially in winter. One of my fast, go-to breakfasts is a bowl of large flake oats, sprinkled with spices and once cooked, a swirl of nut butter. Large flake oats take a bit longer to cook than the instant variety but also take longer to digest, leaving you fuller for longer. Adding nuts to the breakfast increases the fat and protein content of the dish. This is not a bad thing as the presence of fat and protein in the stomach slow down the speed with which food moves through the digestive system. Slower digestion equals a slower release of energy. In practical terms, you won’t be hungry in the middle of the morning.
I tend to eat a small breakfast and so I have written the recipe for carrot cake oats as a single small portion double everything but the spices to make a larger portion. The recipe can easily be multiplied to make enough breakfast to last two to three days in the fridge once cooked.