Blogs of interest

I'll be adding links on a sidebar to a few of my favorite food blogs, but I'd like use some space here to point them out as they are added.

One of my absolute favorite such resources is Evil Jungle Prince. Don't be fooled by the name: there's nothing evil or frightening about this friendly blog from a Californian amateur cook who specializes in Asian (particularly Korean) and global cuisine. His logo*:


The skilled author is ever conscious of opportunities to improve the ingredient constitution of his creations, reducing superfluous fat, cholesterol, sugar, and salt without sacrificing taste and vitality. His work also celebrates good cooking with a minimum of meat and animal products.

His passion for cooking is evident in his personal profile, which I quote:

"The act of cooking is also a form of therapy. In a world which is largely out of our control, cooking allows one to cultivate beauty and perfection. Food prepared by strangers is always a risk, whereas to prepare food with one's own hands is to exert control over an otherwise chaotic world."

Please give his blog a visit; the archives are full of wonderful recipes and education on using good ingredients wisely. I would be thankful to achieve but a fraction of his accomplishment there.

*This image is courtesy of Evil Jungle Prince, and remains the property of that site's owner.

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On a side note, it has come to my attention that there is another website/organization by the name of "Good Ingredients." They are a pistachio orchard in Santa Barbara California and although their nuts look very appetizing, this website has no affiliation with them.

Incidentally, pistachio nuts make a pretty good ingredient: high in monounsaturated fat, omega-6 fatty acids, and relatively low in saturated fat (like most nuts). Just watch the salt.

There is a common misconception that high fat foods like nuts are simply bad for you. On the contrary--most nuts contain far more of the good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (relatively good) fat than the bad saturated fat, so adding them to one's diet can actually improve blood and heart health.

Help you lose weight they will not, however. And the salt that usually accompanies them is another potential disadvantage; it can quickly add up, and is of course bad for blood pressure.

Apparently they grow a lot of pistachios in California. Due in part perhaps to their sway, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even consented to give them the right to claim that nuts such as pistachios can reduce the risk of heart disease, a fact they proudly proclaim.

About the only thing I could think to put pistachios in is ice cream or baklava, though, so I don't often cook with them. They're usually more expensive per pound than other nuts as well, and so are relegated to being an occasional treat.