What’s really in your food? If you are concerned about the quality of what you eat, “Food Forensics” is a must-read book. Award-winning investigative journalist and clean food activist Mike Adams, founder and editor of NaturalNews.com, tells us how we are deceived into buying expensive and heavily contaminated ‘health foods’.
“The point of this book is to break that conspiracy of silence and reveal what’s lurking in your favorite foods, superfoods, organic foods, dietary supplements, vitamins and even pet foods,” he writes.
Our world is heavily contaminated with industrial waste. And much of our food is presently grown on lands where industrial waste is discarded and used as “fertilizer”. In fact, a lot of our organic food originates from China, where air pollution in the capital Beijing is 1,100 percent higher than the maximum limits set by the WHO.
It is important to know that the organic label merely describes the process through which the food was grown and that a farmer hasn’t used additional pesticides, herbicides or other petrochemicals. “Certified organic” does not require any heavy metals testing of soils, irrigation water, or even the final food product.
Science now recognizes that a few dozen key contaminants are contributing to a general rise in inflammation, immunological and digestive disorders, neurological damage, organ failure, heart and lung ailments, cancer and other serious diseases and conditions. Dietary exposure to toxic heavy metals through food is a far greater problem than most people realize.
“Modern humans are, in a very real sense, walking time bombs of toxic metals and chemicals, all accumulated through the routine consumption of contaminated foods, personal care products, and environmental exposure,” Adams writes.
Studies have shown that the body’s mechanism for excretion plays an important role in detoxification. Sweating, in particular, can remove heavy metals in much higher quantities than urination. Furthermore, endurance exercises and use of infrared saunas have been successfully used to sweat out toxins.
Adams analyzes some food ingredients and warns us against their potential dangers. Aspartame is one of them; it is two hundred times sweeter than sugar and it is consumed by two-thirds of the world population. It is also one of the most addictive neurotoxins still used in the food industry. Even though it is used as a sugar substitute in diet foods and beverages, aspartame contributes to increased blood glucose levels and to an increase in weight. Aspartame is one of the most addictive neurotoxins still used in the food industry yet the Food and Drug Administration continues to assert that aspartame is safe.
A combination of preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, and other chemical additives subject consumers to little known dangers from unfamiliar chemical ingredients, potential carcinogens, harmful toxins, and junk food likely to contribute to ill health and degenerative disease conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and more.
“Food Forensics” reveals some worrying details about toxic food ingredients, as well as providing a guide to natural detoxification. This groundbreaking book will change forever your beliefs in food safety. Read it. You won’t be sorry.
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How ‘organic’ is your organic food?
How ‘organic’ is your organic food?
Where We Are Going Today: ‘Modawar’ cafeteria in Jeddah
- Modawar keeps things exciting by occasionally introducing new fillings and shapes, such as the sambusa and musakhan filling inspired by the traditional Palestinian dish
If you are in Jeddah and craving a convenient yet scrumptious breakfast, look no further than Modawar. The recently opened grab-and-go breakfast spot has come all the way from Alkhobar and promises a variety of options.
Modawar specializes in baked pastries and is modeled after a classic cafeteria. The Saudi brand lives up to its name, serving customers small circular pies loaded with a variety of contents inspired by traditional breakfast dishes.
The brand has something for everyone’s taste, including falafel with tahini, potatoes and eggplant, cheese and egg, and feta cheese with a special blend. The shakshuka pie, mixed cheese pie and chicken pie are worth trying.
But what sets the eatery apart are the diverse options for group orders. The liver and egg box, featuring eight pieces each of the two flavors, is great for sharing.
I chose a custom box of 12 pies with a combination of liver, shakshuka and egg pies. Each was bursting with flavor and the cheese melted perfectly. To top it off, every box comes with a selection of sauces, including tahini and hot sauce, along with a cup of hot karak for the perfect breakfast kick during the weekend.
Modawar keeps things exciting by occasionally introducing new fillings and shapes, such as the sambusa and musakhan filling inspired by the traditional Palestinian dish.
The outlet also offers a selection of fresh juices, including watermelon and orange, as well as iced and hot red tea.
For more information and updates, visit Instagram @modawar.sa.
Where We Are Going Today: Armin restaurant in Riyadh
- Armenian cuisine is a blend of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Eastern European influences
RIYADH: Riyadh’s popular Armenian restaurant, Armin, takes visitors on a journey of authentic flavors with its heartwarming, aromatic and herby dishes.
Armenian cuisine is a blend of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Eastern European influences with ingredients such as rice, lamb and sumac.
Armin hits the taste nail on the head with a selection of Middle Eastern dishes featuring chicken and lamb kebabs, tabouleh, fattoush, vine leaves, and a popular eggplant dip, muttabal.
The menu provides guests with options aplenty, with vegetarian and omnivorous diners catered for, making it an ideal spot for dining out.
Upon arrival, guests are spoiled with freshly baked pita bread, perfect to plunge into their dipping of choice.
The best appetizer on the menu is the hummus with meat and topped off with crispy pine nuts, making a perfect combination of nutty flavors.
A must-have side dish is the spicy potato, cooked to perfection with a kick of spice and a touch of garlic and coriander.
The star main course is the shish barak, a traditional Armenian dish consisting of dumplings made with a thin dough wrapper and filled with flavorful beef or lamb with onions and a mix of spices.
Shish barak is boiled, unlike Chinese or Japanese dumplings, which are usually pan fried or steamed.
The only downside of the visit is cost — Armin’s prices are on the high side. But given its customer service and delicious food, it is a price worth paying. Although many dishes on Armin’s menu can be found in Middle Eastern restaurants for a fraction of the price, the quality of the ingredients here is unmatched.
Recipes for Success: The St. Regis Red Sea Executive Sous Chef Skotarenko Artem on educating guests and experimentation
JEDDAH: The newly-opened The St. Regis Red Sea is home to several restaurants, including Middle Eastern restaurant Nesma, Japanese establishment Gishiki 45, and Tilina — a “floating” restaurant that serves a degustation menu. The resort’s executive sous chef, Skotarenko Artem, from Russia, oversees a team of 75.
“Discipline is one of the most important things in the kitchen. I can say it’s one of the pillars. But relationships in the kitchen should be based on respect. If you shout at your employees, you can make people scared, but they will never respect you for it,” Artem tells Arab News. “Shouting is a thing of the past in the kitchen.”
Tilina, he says, is a “unique concept for Saudi Arabia.”
“The degustation menu takes two to three hours. Not everyone can sit for this time and wait for the dishes. So, we try to educate the guests,” he explains.
When you started out what was the most common mistake you made?
I guess trying to repeat the dishes of celebrity chefs that I found online, from other parts of the world. And I was really upset with the results because they were below my expectations. That was because of products and seasonality, because every country has different produce and you can’t expect to get the same results in another country.
What’s your top tip for amateurs?
Don’t be afraid to experiment. If you find a nice recipe and you want to follow it, most likely you won’t have all the ingredients available at home. So use your imagination and, like this, you can achieve a great result.
What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?
Doesn’t matter where you’re cooking — it can be a restaurant or at home — love is the most important.
What’s the most common mistake that you find in other restaurants?
I’m actually not very picky when I go out. But, for me, the most common issue is seasoning. It’s very easy to spoil a dish if you have poor seasoning; it becomes flat and, actually, it is dead.
What’s your favorite cuisine?
When I go out, I’m always looking for something unusual and interesting that I’m not familiar with. It helps to keep your mind open.
What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home?
I don’t actually cook at home very often. But I’ll always have fresh bread in and a piece of good quality cheese. Along with them, I have all these different kinds of preserves and pickled vegetables. So, if I have to do something quick at home, I’d make a nice Cuban-style sandwich.
What customer behavior most annoys you?
Actually, there’s a long list. But what really annoys me is when guests leave the table without valid excuses when the dishes are ready to serve. Because then you need to remake the dish. It’s a disservice to all the other guests in the restaurant.
What’s your favorite dish to cook?
Where I’m from, it tends to get very cold. So, I love to make rich soups of all kinds. But they tend to take a lot of time and patience.
What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right?
Actually, I’m really flexible and adaptable. For me, everything is possible if you’re focused and committed to it.
RECIPE
Chef Skotarenko’s cured mackerel, salted laminaria, and dill kefir sauce
INGREDIENTS
For the brine: 1L water; 80g sea salt; 30g brown sugar; 1 garlic clove; 10g dill; 30g sunflower oil (or your preferred flavor of oil); 2g black pepper; 2g bay leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place a whole mackerel (300-400g) in the brine and leave overnight.
2. Place 500g fresh laminaria in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Strain the water and repeat the process three times.
3. Wash the laminaria in cold water, sprinkle with 5g sea salt, and refrigerate overnight.
4. Slice 500g fresh cucumber. Mix with 50g olive oil, a pinch of salt, and 20g apple cider vinegar. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Mix 500g kefir (or laban if you prefer) with 30g lemon juice, 5g finely chopped garlic, 5g salt, and 2g white pepper.
6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add 500g dill. Remove after 10 seconds and place in ice-cold water. Blend the dill with 500g olive oil until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve.
7. Plate all the ingredients separately and serve.
Where We Are Going Today: ‘Madeo Ristorante’ - an Italian cuisine in Jeddah & Riyadh
West Hollywood’s Madeo Ristorante opened two new branches in Jeddah and Riyadh last summer, and looks determined to take it up a notch this season.
Madeo in Riyadh not only promises to relax you with breezy and smooth jazz music every Tuesday night but also offers a delectable set menu.
Begin your meal with the crispy calamari affogati paired with tomato sauce for delicious seaside flavors, or the carpaccio di manzo. Although often difficult to nail the texture, Madeo executed the carpaccio perfectly, pairing the raw finely sliced filet mignon with a bright palette of rucola, parmigiano and artichoke.
Between starters and mains, we opted for the bianca la tartuf pizza, which packed a memorable punch as it combined a medley of gorgonzola, mascarpone, mozzarella, goat’s cheese and fresh black truffle.
The cotoletta Milanese was a delectable crispy pan-fried breaded veal chop, a truly authentic experience, while the ravioli ricotta e spinaci is a hearty plate, served in a butter and sage sauce with parmigiano reggiano, promising to satisfy any pasta craving.
Seal the meal with their classic dessert offerings, perhaps with a luscious tiramisu with chocolate powder or a creamy millefoglie with layers of puff pastry, custard cream and whipped cream.
Along with the nostalgic ambience and live music, we enjoyed the light and bright summer flavors. The Jeddah branch also invites diners to indulge in an Italian feast with a special set menu at Madeo at the Yacht Club at SR 175-200 ($47-$53) per person well into August.
Launched at the beginning of May, Cool Inc.’s Culinary Festival has brought some curated fine dining experiences to restaurants in Riyadh and Jeddah. From the sultry jazz evenings or 1970s disco, to sunny set menus, the experiences promise to delight as the long summer days approach.
The experiences and deals are available at multiple spots, including at VIA Riyadh and Jeddah Yacht Club through online pre-bookings.
Where We Are Going Today: ‘Crustacean’ - a Modern Asian cuisine at Jeddah’s Yacht Club
- The grilled tiger prawns served with Crustacean’s famous garlic noodles showcase the seafood’s quality and the noodles’ perfect texture and flavor
Crustacean, a gem of Modern Asian cuisine with a blend of Asian and European flavors from Beverly Hills, California, has recently graced the shores of Jeddah, opening its first international branch at Jeddah’s Yacht Club by the serene waters of the Red Sea.
The dim lighting sets an ideal ambiance for special occasions and a glass-topped koi pond offers a calming sight for guests who can watch the kohaku koi fish as they dine.
On soft opening day, the mocktail menu was a highlight, featuring the “Desert Rose” — a concoction exclusive to the Saudi Arabia branch. Inspired by popular regional flavors, this exotic blend includes pineapple juice, rose water, homemade lychee juice, caramelized pear tea syrup, and mandarin juice topped with pomegranate seeds.
The An Sum family tree platter, representing the five daughters of the restaurant’s founder, Helene An, includes selections like marinated raw tuna, seafood dumplings, and crunchy fried chicken, each paired with a special sauce.
Salad lovers would appreciate the little gem salad, a refreshing blend of eight-herb green goddess dressing, crispy taro, hydro watercress, cabbage, and roma tomato, showcasing the restaurant’s commitment to fresh and vibrant ingredients.
Tuna cigars, a cold appetizer served in a wooden cigar box with dramatic presentation and a tantalizing smoky aroma upon opening, were particularly exciting. The cigars, with their crispy crust filled with feuillet de brick, avocado silk, onions, and tobiko caviar, are a delightful starter complemented by lime slices for an added zest.
A standout feature of Crustacean is its legendary secret kitchen, accessible only to certain chefs who can preserve the authenticity of family recipes. Dishes prepared here are delivered through a secret window, ensuring that the culinary secrets remain within the family. From this kitchen come the main courses that make up Crustacean’s culinary mastery for over 30 years.
The signature Dungeness crab, prepared with impeccable technique, reflects the seafood tradition of Jeddah by blending local and sourced ingredients, presenting a dish that's both indulgent and beautifully representative of the seaside locale.
The grilled tiger prawns served with Crustacean’s famous garlic noodles showcase the seafood’s quality and the noodles’ perfect texture and flavor.
The menu also caters to diverse palates with options like the salt and pepper calamari and the hearts of palm crispy calamari, which are a delight for both traditional and vegan diners, thanks to the thoughtful inclusion of spicy vegan aioli.
For updates and more information, check @crustacean_sa.
