It’s hard to sometimes wrap your head around these numbers and how this can happen.  But with the right information you are able to make huge changes to your life.  Think about this:

• The standard American takes in 4 tablespoons of oil each day-not a lot, right?
• This small amount of oil ads up to 3500 calories a week of added fat into your diet!
• In the end, this equals 52 pounds of fat every year that your body has to fight off!!

And that’s just oil!  We won’t event get into talking about sugar!

Every day we strive to educate our customers about our healthy eating initiatives here at Whole Foods Market!  Our store in Dedham is home to the first in the company Wellness Club, one of 5 across the country!  We are a membership based club with a single mission: your path to wellness.  Through nutrition education and cooking classes we empower our members with science based information to make positive changes in their eating habits!

Check out the Wellness Club’s website for more information and a schedule of this week’s classes.  Be sure to visit us for a free class and learn how we can help get you on your best path to wellness.

Be well,

KM

With all the summer fruit – peaches, nectarines, pluots and wild berries – still in abundance, it is tempting to ignore the first apples on the scene.  Don’t make the mistake of waiting till Rosh Hashanah or October to go apple picking or purchase a tote bag of crispy fruit.  The Paula Reds and Ginger Golds which you see in the store now will no longer be available.  Take advantage of this time to appreciate and savor the many varieties that Massachusetts orchards have to offer in sequence.  We’ll have Macs, Jonagolds, Braeburns, Macouns and more.  Buy ‘em when you see ’em and savor the nuances of the season.. 

I love making smoothies with fresh apples.  Just wash or remove the peel and take out the core before blending.

Autumn Apple & Vegetable Smoothie

1 apple (any variety), washed or peeled and core removed

1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 rib celery, washed and chopped

1 handful parsley leaves, washed

4 ice cubes

1/2 cup liquid (orange juice, coconut water or rice milk), or more as needed

1 small slice of gingerroot, optional

Combine all ingredients in high-powered blender (ie. Vitamix) and process until smooth and creamy.  Drink immediately.

The team is currently booking membership appointments.  Stop by the Wellness Club services desk Monday – Friday between the hours of 10:00am and 6:00pm for more information.  You may also check out the WC website for details about membership benefits, services and pricing as well as class descriptions.

We also invite you to join us the week of August 15 for club tours, special events and free lectures.  Join us for some honest to goodness wellness!

This past Saturday I participated in a conversation about Food Safety at the “Let’s Talk about Food Festival” held at the Museum of Science.  One of the topics we debated was who should take responsibility for keeping food safe: the producer, distributor and/or consumer.  The consensus was that each party should take the necessary steps within its power to prevent foodborne illness.  While it is unfortunate that contamination, which could be avoided, does happen; consumers must be proactive with their health because they fall at the end of a long chain of food handlers.

The good news is the steps for ensuring safe summer dining are pretty simple:

1. Wash fresh fruits and veggies before eating or preparing

• use cool running water to wash berries and fruits with edible skins
• lettuces and other vegetables, which will be eaten raw, can be cleaned in a large sink or bowl full of water to which vinegar has been added (the acid will kill any potentially harmful bacteria that is present)
• melons should be scrubbed with soap & water and rinsed well before cutting
• use a vegetable brush to remove dirt and debris from potatoes, mushrooms and other root vegetables

2. Prevent cross-contamination

• Raw chicken should be stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator away from ready-to-eat foods and produce
• Make sure to wash and sanitize all knives, cutting boards and other items that have come into contact with raw meat, poultry and fish
• Wash your hands well between tasks and especially after handling raw chicken
• Do not put cooked/grilled meat, chicken or fish on the same plate that has been used to hold raw product 

3. Cook food properly – invest in a instant-read thermomter if you don’t already own one

• Chicken & turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees
•  The FDA recommends cooking hamburger (ground meats) to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.  So if you like your patties rare or medium doneness, there is the risk that dangerous bacteria could survive the cooking process
• Whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb and veal should reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees

4. Hold & store food safely

• The “temperature danger zone” is the range within which bacteria grows the fastest: 41 degrees to 135 degree F.  Keep food out of this temperture span as much as possible.  If food will be left out at room temperature, try not to let it sit  for more than 2 hours.  And throw away items that have been sitting out for a long period of time.
• Keep cold foods on ice and/or in a cooler
• Try to keep hot, cooked foods hot – especially meats, cooked grains and potatoes -(they are not only safer that way but also taste better) using the stove, a crockpot or chafing dishes.

And remember that acid is your friend.  Bacteria can not flourish in an environment that is very acidic (below pH 4.5).  Different types of vinegar (such as red wine, balsamic and apple cider) and citrus juices can be used be use to both add “zing” to summer salads and keep pathogens at bay.  If you prefer raw seafood preparation like ceviche, rinsing the fish with white vinegar or marinating with lime or lemon juice will effectively “cook” it and make it a safer option.

You can also refer to reputable food safety websites and our summer recipes for more information and tips:

Federal Food Safety site for consumers: FoodSafety.gov

Center for Disease Control Food Safety information: cdc.gov/foodsafety

USDA Safe Food Handling

Epicurious Food Safety Primer

Whole Foods Market “Portable & Picnic” Recipes

If you have shopped in the store over the past couple of days, you may have noticed the white-walled enclosure where our Health Start Here product aisle and Seafood freezer used to be.  Products in the grocery department have also moved around (new store maps are available to help you find what you are looking for).  The reason for these changes is very exciting…

Whole Foods Market Dedham will become the first store in the history of the company to establish a Wellness Club under its roof.  The mission of the Wellness Club is to provide an inviting environment where members are empowered to make educated and positive lifestyle choices that promote their long-term health and well-being through coaching, delicious food and a supportive community.  It will feature courses and lectures developed by medical doctors, inspirational and informative skill-building classes, supper clubs and special events, coaching and support.  Plus, members will get a 10% discount when they shop for healthy foods. 

Wellness Club Team Leader, Heather Hardy, will be heading up the program.  She is a certified Holistic Health Counselor and has served as a Family Health Specialist and Health Counselor for Nutritious America.  Prior to coming to Whole Foods Market, she served as Director of Summer Arts at Middlesex School in Concord.  Heather is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

The Wellness Club will open mid-August 2011.

It finally feels like spring!  Are you ready to fire up the grill?  We sure are.

Instead of the usual chicken, burgers & hot dogs, why not try cooking something a little different over charcoal. Everyone loves pizza … so the logical thing to grill (at least in my mind) would be pizza!  And the great thing about pizza is that it can be adapted to please any palate and special diet.  Choose a whole wheat or multigrain dough for the health conscious, rice crust for someone with celiac disease or stick with white dough for the traditionalist.  You can keep it vegetarian or top with meatballs, pre-cooked chicken or shrimp.  Add plenty of veggies for flavor, eye appeal; and, most importantly, nutritional benefits.

Cooking pizza on the grill is actually easier than, and not as messy as, you may think.  Here are the basic steps:

1. Purchase pre-made pizza dough, sauce, cheese and toppings and heat up the grill.

2. Stretch and shape dough as desired and place on grill.  Cook until underside is crisp and nicely charred.

3. Remove half-cooked dough from grill.  Layer sauce, toppings & cheese on dough (grilled side up) as desired.

4. Return pizza to grill and cook until underside is crisp & tasty!

5. Allow to cool before serving (for safety reasons more than anything else), cut into wedges and enjoy!

I actually the prepared the dish in the kitchen that the prepared foods chefs use as a courtesy to Amy (and because the Health department won’t allow us to sample anything that is not made in an inspected kitchen – as far as I know, Amy does not have access to an approved facility).  And I have to attest that it is actually a very simple recipe.  Her instructions look lengthy but it’s only because she is meticulous about giving step-by-step directions. For example, she reminds the cook to “pat the surface of the pork dry with a paper towel” before seasoning.  And then adds some cute & humorous comments like admitting how she couldn’t resist referring to the meat simply as “the butt,” which it is, a pork butt. 

Amy’s instructions on how to go about browning the pork on all sides were especially helpful.  It is cute how she ends the paragraph with “It’s nice of the meat and the pot to band together to let us know when we’re ready to move on to the next step, isn’t it.”

Only after speaking with her at the Pork Recipe Finalist Tasting Event last week did I learn that she was serious about having a ”stuck-to-the-bottom butt on your hands.”  I wasn’t going to stand around the kitchen for 3 1/’2 hours waiting for the butt to cook so I left to do some work in my office.  After about an hour or so, I asked Lisa to go and check on Amy’s pork butt for me.  She reported that the meat had gotten kind of dark on the bottom and needed add some more apple cider and pears.  What she meant by “dark” was “black.”  While the meat looked really burnt, it came out tasting delicious!  When I mentioned the little “mishap” to Amy, she admitted that the same thing happened to her the first time she made the dish.  And we joked that burning the pork was the secret to the recipe.  Since it is such a good culinary secret, I am sharing it with you.  I hope you enjoy Amy’s pulled pork. 

Next time your in the mood for pork, Ask the Butcher for a butt from Simply Grazin’ Organic Farm.

Pear and Sweet Onion Pulled Pork by Amy McCoy

serves 6 to 8 (or more)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
(1) 3 to 4 pound pork butt (pork shoulder is also fine, just try to get one with as little bone as possible)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

2 medium pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 2-inch cubes (approximately 2-inch cubes – they are a rounded fruit after all)
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh
2 cups apple cider

Though the active time of this recipe is around 30 minutes, the pork does braise for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, so this is most definitely not a weeknight meal. Unless you’re somewhat unemployed like me, then you have time to braise away on a Wednesday. However, if you’re gainfully employed, it’s a good Sunday afternoon dish from which you may then repurpose leftovers during the week.

Remove the pork from the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to cook it. Pat the surface dry with a paper towel, then season the butt (could. not. resist. This will get worse. You have been warned.) all over with salt and pepper.

In a large, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid (such as a braiser or Dutch oven), heat the oil over medium-high heat.

Once the oil has a shiny, shimmery appearance, carefully place the pork into the pot to avoid the hot oil splattering back at you. You want to hear the meat sizzle as soon as it hits the pan (as a test to determine whether the oil is ready for browning, you can also drop a breadcrumb or two into the oil to see if it sputters away).

Brown each side of the pork (including the short ends, which I usually do last. They do require a little balancing act with the tongs and a steady, oven-mitted hand holding the pot still), 3 to 5 minutes per side. If the meat doesn’t pull off of the pan easily, it’s not completely browned. It’s nice of the meat and the pot to band together to let us know when we’re ready to move on to the next step, isn’t it?

After all sides have been browned, reduce the heat to medium. Add the pear cubes and quartered onion (don’t worry about breaking the onion layers apart – that’ll happen as they cook, or if they fall apart on their own), then drizzle the honey over the roast, and sprinkle the thyme over the pork, pears, and onions.

Pour in the apple cider, bring the liquid to a gentle simmer (keep an eye on this – if the pot gets too hot, and the cider is percolating away rapidly – say, at near-boiling – the cider will cook off and you’ll have a stuck-to-the-bottom butt on your hands), cover, and cook, flipping the butt occasionally (also to avoid that stuck butt we just discussed) for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until the pork is pulling apart from itself.

We are looking forward to tasting all of your delicious recipes and selecting the grand prize winner on Wednesday, March 31 6:00pm – 8:00pm.

Our butchers are excited to offer humanely raised pork from Simply Grazin’ Organic Farm.  To celebrate, we are inviting local food bloggers to submit their favorite pork recipes.  The top 3 finalists will be invited to participate in a public tasting on March 30  in the Meat department of the Dedham store at which our esteemed panel of judges will determine the grand prize winner, who will receive a $100 Whole Foods Market gift card.

Share your favorite recipe with us by posting it in the comment section below.   Recipes may also be submitted in person at the Customer Service booth.  Deadline for entering is 10:00pm on 3/21/11.  Limit; one recipe submission per person.  Recipes should meet the following criteria:

• Must use fresh, unprocessed pork (such as rib, belly, chop, shoulder, loin, or fresh ham as the primary ingredient
• Contain no more than 10 additional ingredients (excluding salt & pepper)
• All ingredients must be available for purchase at Whole Foods Market (if in doubt, blogger may post a comment to ask us if a specific ingredient is acceptable)

Recipes should include the following information:

• Recipe Name
• Complete list of ingredients, with the exact quantities in the order they are used
• Complete instructions on preparing the recipe, including cookware description, cooking time and temperature
• Incomplete recipes may be disqualified
• Photos of completed dish are recommended but not required

Contestant Eligibility:

• Entrants must have an active website or blog that is at least 6 months old, link must be included with recipe entry
• Contestants should live within driving distance of the Dedham store (950 Providence Highway, Dedham MA) so they can be present at the Recipe judging event on March 30^th.
• Participation is limited to individuals who are legal US residents, at least 18 years of age.  Officers and employees of Whole Foods Market (The “Sponsor”), their respective affiliates, subsidiaries and agents, and the immediate family members of the foregoing, are not eligible to win.

Prizes: There will be one Grand Prize Winner, who will receive a $100 Whole Foods Market gift card and two First Prize Winners, who will each get a $50 Whole Foods Market gift card.

CONTEST TERMS & CONDITIONS: All recipes submitted become the sole property of the Sponsor, who reserves the right to edit as they see fit. By submitting a recipe, entrant gives Sponsor the rights to utilize submitted recipe, ingredients, and/or comments and entrant names in Sponsor’s future marketing and promotional efforts without further compensation or release. Winner and all entrants agree that the Sponsor, their affiliates, agencies, vendors, and employees shall not be liable for injury, loss or damage of any kind resulting from participating in this promotion or from the acceptance or use of the prize awarded.  Taxes on prize, if applicable, are the winner’s responsibility. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

Void where restricted or prohibited by law.

OK, enough with the rules and disclaimers, time to start cooking!  Good luck experimenting and have fun.

Dann & Martha at the Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, from Somerville, MA, considers their endeavor a ”gypsy” brewery because they have no permanent brewing home.  They’d rather wander about exploring the world of craft beer with other passionate brewers and creating beverages inspired by mischievous hops,  transformative miniscules of yeast and a lot of whimsy.  Their flagship beer is Jack D’Or inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass.”

You can follow their adventures on-line and taste their beer for yourself on Thursday, March 10 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm in our Beer & Wine Department!