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| Sunday, 7 May 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Fruits and
vegetables are vital food choices
by Margaret Prouse During April, Cancer Awareness Month, the Canadian Cancer Society has reminded us that the way we eat can have an influence on our chances of developing certain kinds of cancer, including colorectal cancer.
The next phase of his work will be to search for foods that have an effect on these enzyme activities in a way that helps to prevent breast cancer. Although we have much to learn about all the factors that influence cancer risk, and how they interact, we are sure that eating five to 10 servings per day of vegetables and fruits, and maintaining a healthy weight, help to reduce the risks for cancer. Eating more vegetables becomes easier and more interesting if you enjoy lots of different types. Even if it weren't good for your health, bringing more vegetables to your table would add more richness and pleasure to mealtimes. Sometimes people shy away from vegetables that they don't know how to use. For example, I saw beautiful, perfect eggplants at the grocery store last week, and I am certain that more people would purchase them if they knew more about them. I do not want to give the impression that I am singling out eggplant as having miraculous preventative or healing properties. It is just an under-used vegetable that can be added to the selection that we eat and enjoy for good taste and good health. The eggplant is native to India and Sri Lanka, and has been grown in South and East Asia since before history was recorded; it is newer to the western world, having been grown only about 1,500 years. Like the potato and tomato, the eggplant is part of the solanum family. Like the tomato, eggplant is technically a fruit, though used as a vegetable. And like the tomato, the eggplant's seeds are small and edible. It's widely used in the cooking of India and Italy, as well as other Mediterranean countries. Besides being called eggplant, it's known as aubergine or brinjal. Like its relatives, tomatoes and potatoes, eggplants come in a variety of shapes and colours. We are most familiar with the rather large oval eggplant with dark purple skin, but there are also much smaller eggplants which are the size and colour of eggs, as well as the Chinese eggplant which is similar in size and shape to a cucumber, with a slight bulge at one end. Eggplants may be white, yellow, reddish-purple or dark purple. Eggplant, especially larger ones and ones that have been kept a bit too long before cooking, may have a bitter flavour which is especially noticeable when eaten raw. It is often sliced, sprinkled with salt to draw out a lot of the internal moisture, left to drain and then rinsed before cooking. This makes it firmer and less watery when cooked, and removes some of the bitter flavour as well. Sauteeing and roasting are two of the cooking methods used frequently to cook eggplant. Texture of cooked eggplant varies considerably, depending on how it is prepared. Thick sauteed slices, sometimes battered and breaded, have a firm texture that some describe as meaty. Combined with a garlicy tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, sauteed eggplant slices are used in eggplant parmesan, a hearty vegetarian entree. Roasted until well-done, eggplant becomes soft enough to be used as a spread or dip. When purchasing eggplant, look for a firm smooth skin, with no brown spots. Seeds are softer in smaller, less mature eggplant, and the skin is more tender and edible. When using large mature eggplant, it's common practice to remove and discard the peel. As a general guideline, 500 g/1 lb of eggplant will produce 750 ml - 1 L/3/4 cups of chopped eggplant, and produce about 3 servings. Store eggplant in a cool dry place, such as the refrigerator (outside of the crisper) and serve within two days of purchasing. A final note that regular activity is vitally important to maintaining a healthy weight and staying well in general. It's recommended by experts in the field of cancer, obesity, heart health, diabetes and, not surprisingly, mental health. National Mental Health Week kicks off with a Walk for your Mental Health. **** Here is an easy-to-prepare roasted eggplant soup recipe. The heavy cream and pureed veggies result in a texture as smooth as silk; resist the temptation to have seconds if you're limiting fat consumption. If you are wondering if there is a mistake in the amount of garlic in the recipe, the answer is no. Roasted garlic is a lot more mellow than raw, and two whole bulbs of roasted garlic will not overpower like two bulbs of raw garlic would. Parmigiano-reggiano is block parmesan cheese, found in the deli section of large grocery stores. Shakers of pre-grated parmesan cannot compare with freshly-grated parmesan-reggiano. Look for more eggplant recipes in collections of Indian, Italian, French or vegetarian recipes. Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Soup From Elliot, Elaine and V. Lee: Chowders, Bisques and Soups: Recipes from Canada's Best Chefs, Formac Publishing Company Limited, Halifax, 2004. This recipe is attributed to Chef Bryan Lavery of Murano, in London, Ont. 2 roasted garlic bulbs (recipe follows) 2 large eggplants, peeled and cubed 375 ml (1 1 /2 cups) chopped onion 1. 25 L (5 cups) vegetable stock 2 ml (1/ 2 tsp) salt 1 ml (1/4 tsp) freshly ground pepper 175 ml (3/4 cup) heavy cream (35 per cent MF) salt and pepper to taste 125 ml (1 /2 cup) finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese In a large oven proof casserole, combine roasted garlic, eggplant, onion, stock, salt and pepper. Cover and bake in preheated 190 C (375 F) oven for 45 to 60 minutes until vegetables are soft. Uncover, stir and continue to bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes until liquid is slightly reduced and vegetables are roasted. In a blender, puree soup in batches until smooth and creamy. Return to saucepan and whisk in cream; bring to serving temperature and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and top with parmigiano-reggiano cheese. If desired, place bowls under boiler to melt the cheese. Roasted garlic: 2 whole garlic bulbs 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil 50 ml (1/4 cup) water method. Rub loose skin from garlic bulbs. Trim root end flat and cut 1 cm (1/ 2 inch) from top of each bulb; be careful not to detach individual cloves. Place bulbs cut side up in a baking dish; drizzle oil over cut ends. Add water to baking dish, cover and bake in preheated 260 C (500 F) oven for 25 to 30 minutes until garlic is soft to the touch. Cool bulbs and squeeze garlic from individual cloves. Makes 125 ml (1 /2 cup) roasted garlic. Courtesy The Guardian |
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| Produced by Lake House |
The way we eat is just one of many factors that help to determine whether
we will get cancer, and researchers are working to understand how some of
these factors work together. For example, Dr. Alastair Cribbs, a geneticist
at the University of Prince Edward Island, has been studying how genetic
differences in the enzymes that control the formation and breakdown of
estrogen in the body can influence the risk of breast cancer. 
