With the warm weather on its way, Creative Delites and Mindful Health are teaming up to get you feeling your best this spring. Go ahead, indulge your health….

The Challenge: Submit a comment of 100 words or fewer describing “The Best Produce Find on the Upper West Side”.  It could be from a fruit stand, farmer’s market, bodega, supermarket, you get the idea. To give you an example,  Creative Delites best produce find is the fruit stand on Broadway and 96th street. We love the friendly service and perfectly ripe bananas at 25 cents apiece!

Rules: The produce has to be found within the boundaries of the UWS.  The UWS extends north from Columbus Circle at 59th Street up to 125th Street, bordered by Central Park West and Riverside Park.

Submit your comment in the comment field below and email it to Nicole Glassman at Nicole@mindfulhealth.biz. Make sure to include your name, email address, and comment.

Submission Period: Comments must be submitted and received between Friday, March 12 and Friday, March 26.

Selection of Winner: Creative Delites and Mindful Health will select the winner.

So, what will you win?

A “Mindful Health Restore Gift Basket”, includes:

• A Bloom Journal, a writing tool for exploring everything from relationships to nutrition goals



• Mindful Health’s signature essential oil “uplift” (a blend of ginger and citrus to uplift the mood and awaken the senses)
• A lamp ring in order to use the essential oil in any room of your home



• Pure Inventions blueberry and white tea extracts– a great addition to tea and water.



• Mineral bath salts (Note: If you live in NYC, and you don’t have a bath, or don’t want to use the one you have, try bringing the salts with you when you get a manicure or pedicure and ask them to pour some of the salts into your foot bath! Or, you can buy your own foot bath (only around $20) and use the salts anytime!



• A gift certificate for a 30-minute nutrition counseling session with Nicole Glassman, plus a non-invasive allergy screening and antioxidant screening.



The basket will be on hold under your name at Mindful Health, located at 1841 Broadway, Suite 505. And, the winner’s produce pick will be posted on Creative Delites!

Good luck! Let the best produce win!

Mana Organic Cafe serves up health-conscious soups, salads, sushi, and homemade pastas, many with Asian-inspired flavors, for the Upper West Side neighborhood.  A decent spot for vegetarians and fishetarians alike, with a wide selection of tempeh and seitan dishes as well as simply prepared fish entrees. The cabbage wakame salad and miso soup are just average– definitely skippable.  Instead, go straight for the homemade pumpkin ravioli with beet sauce ($13). The dishes don’t come cheap, but the oversized portions will keep you satisfied for at least a few hours.

Creative Delites stopped by the WFM Wine Store last night for their Whole Planet Foundation fundraiser, wine tasting, and amuse bouche pairing. The event featured five local wine producers from Long Island, and local food pairings prepared by Chef Corwin Cave of Fatty Crab, a trendy Malaysian restaurant on the UWS.  For three hours, guests were treated to a sampling of whipped salt cod served on sliced baguettes with a selection of flavorful garnishes (recipe posted here), goat cheese appetizers with pickled beets, veal involtini and mushrooms in a white wine cream sauce, and a CD dream come true– Fatty Crab’s salty-sweet-spicy dark chocolate bars.  Here’s some of what we saw, tasted and sipped, in slideshow fashion for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Notes from the Event and Chef Corwin:

Chef Corwin did most of his food shopping at the Whole Foods Market, from the raisins, which were pickled, to the salt cod. The seafood comes from New Brunswick County, just north of Maine, about as local as cod gets. The scallions are local. The apples come from Red Jacket Orchards in New York. The raisins are not local. “The chillies come from Chinatown, so I consider that to be local.”

Fatty Crab also showcased their locally manufactured candy bars, properly called “Fatty Bars”. Coming from a health foodie stance, I asked him to reassure CD readers. “They’re not really fatty. They actually used to be a lot bigger. Chocolate is full of antioxidants,” Corwin said. Creative Delites concurred!

Beer or wine with chocolate? “Personally, I’d drink beer with chocolate,” Corwin said. “The great thing about this milk chocolate is that it’s not just chocolate. It has crystallized ginger. Spicy ginger works with a sweet Riesling. For the dark chocolate you would probably want something pretty heavy, red, something Italian.”

Corwin explained his approach to wine, that’s both unique and fun:

“I don’t really believe in a lot of boundaries when it comes to wine. If something is good you should just drink it. There’s not a whole lot that’s going to be so offensive.”

“For instance, we have a Southeast Asian restaurant that’s mainly Malaysian, so when we started making the wine list, it was difficult because all of our food goes with beer. When you are eating anywhere in Southeast Asia you are not drinking wine, you are drinking beer, or whiskey.  So, we wanted to make a really progressive wine list because we knew our food could work with wine. We had never really taken those steps before, this was years ago. We sat down. We have a house made sambal-- a really intensely, spicy condiment we serve on the table.  We were literally just eating sambal while tasting wines. We wanted to get the complete extreme– as spicy as it’s going to get, we wanted to make sure that it works. That’s how we built our wine list and that’s how we educated our palettes to go in that direction.”

“I tend to drink a lot of sparkling wine. A lot of people don’t, and I don’t really know why. Like a red Lambrusco is great thing for fish– it’s red, but it’s still light. It’s cold and bubbly. It’s obviously great during the summer. They make a red and a white…Because of the restaurant I’m in, I drink a lot of wines from Austria and Germany, Italy: Riesling, Refosco, things like Blaufrankisch– a little deeper and darker red. But, if you want to go with fish, something like the cod, your boundaries are limitless, because you have something that’s spicy, something that’s acidic. You could go with a Blaurankisch or go completely white and it would probably work out really well.”

I asked him why sushi goes so well with white: “The fish is so salty. Salty and sweet is what everybody loves to eat. If you think about any packaged food or fast food — McDonald’s fries have sugar and salt. It’s what our palettes are addicted to. And that’s a lot of basis for our food – for a lot of traditional Asian food. If you are doing Thai, or Singapore, Indonesian, Malaysian— it’s all the same stuff– it’s all fatty, salty, sweet and spicy– and it hits all of those levels. That’s why people drink beer – because it’s cold and refreshing. But you can drink wine. There are some really cool grape varieties– red and white.

For this taste test, we chose a variety of whole-wheat, whole-grain breads and scored them on a 10-point scale (10 being the highest). We focused on nutritional value, taste and texture. All of the breads come from the Whole Foods Market, UWS, and are part of our test drive through 105 of their new food products.  Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Country Boule
9
Nutritional Info: The first ingredient is organic whole-wheat flour. Contains about 160 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, and 1 gram of sugar for two slices (that’s two large slices).  The bread is more filling than most store-bought brands, so it’s an excellent bread to pack for lunch.
Verdict: This is a delicious, golden-brown whole-wheat bread that is baked in-house. Comes in a round loaf, but the market will slice it thinly for sandwiches. Incredibly fresh, with a chewy crust and soft inside. Crisps up nicely in the toaster and sandwich press.  This bread received the highest rating because it is good for you and tastes great.

Flax Quinoa Wheat Bread
8
Nutrition Info: This bread is also made predominantly with whole-wheat flour. This is exactly what you want because it is full of natural fiber. The bread is also made with quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), an excellent source of protein, and flax seeds, one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. All of the ingredients are organic. The bread has no sugar, no preservatives, and no sweeteners. All of the ingredients are clearly posted on the bag. If you want the nutritional info for the breads made in-house, all you have to do is ask the bakery staff. They have a book with all of the info you could possibly want to know.
Verdict: This hearth bread has a wonderful, whole-grain nutty flavor and a nice, substantial crust. The inside is moist and tastes great with PB&J. Great for vegetarians and those watching their weight.

Whole Wheat Naan
5
Nutrition Info: 260 calories and 7 grams of fat per flat bread. The good news is that the whole grain whole wheat flour is listed as the largest ingredient, but there’s still some wheat flour. Again, it sounds healthy, but doesn’t provide all of the health benefits of whole grain.
Verdict: Tasty and light. Not as flaky as freshly baked naan.  Also comes in plain and garlic.  The whole-wheat flavor is definitely your best bet in terms of nutrition. Try grilling the flat bread and then adding your favorite topping.

Oatmeal Bread
4
Nutrition Info: This bread is made with a combination of “wheat flour” and organic “whole-wheat flour”, which means that the bread isn’t entirely whole grain.  Ideally, the bread contains 100 % whole wheat flour.  When you see “wheat flour” on the ingredient list, you know the bread is made using some white flour and processed grains (don’t let the word “wheat” fool ya). 100 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of fiber (per slice).
Verdict: Tastes like white bread, and while the oats make the bread look wholesome and hearty, they don’t add much in the way of flavor or texture. Overall, this was a good, standard sandwich bread, but it wont tempt your taste buds after a slice.

Whole Wheat Pita
3
Nutrition Info: This is the healthiest of these choices in terms of ingredients and calories, but it tastes like health bread.  The first and only flour listed is organic 100 percent  stone ground whole -wheat. There are only 80 calories per pocket  and 0 grams of fat. Good choice with some humus for a healthy snack.
Verdict: If you are looking for a flavorful, fluffy pocket, then trying making your own homemade pita. On the other hand, if you are satisfied with a simple envelope for fillings, then this bread will do.  Flexible enough to open without cracking. Stores well in the refrigerator. Toasts well over low heat.

As an aside, our all-time favorite is called “Seduction Bread”– the best bread we’ve ever bought in a supermarket. As its name implies, it’s not so good for you, so we didn’t include it in the healthy bread taste test.

The Whole Foods Market Wine Store, UWS, and Fatty Crab, the trendy Malaysian restaurant on Broadway between 76th and 77th, are putting on a wine tasting Thursday, March 4. Enjoy a selection of local wines paired with local amuse bouche, including small bites prepared by Chef Corwin Kave of Fatty Crab, recipe below.  The evening is free; donations go to the Whole Planet Foundation.

Whole Planet Foundation Fundraiser: Wine Tasting and Amuse Bouche Pairing
When: Thursday, March 4th, 2010, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. (Wine Thursdays run through March 18)
Where: Whole Foods Market Wine Store, 808 Columbus Avenue (at 97th street)

Whipped Salt Cod Recipe
Courtesy: Fatty Crab Restaurant, UWS

INGREDIENTS:

1lb salted cod fillet
note: soak overnight in cold water (change water as often as possible)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup milk
1 bay leaf
lardo (substitute cream or butter)
sea salt and white pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Soak the cod fillet in cold water overnight, changing the water as often as possible.
2. Break up the cod fillet into smaller pieces so that they fit in a stainless steel pot.
3. In the pot, heat the olive oil over medium low heat and add the cod.
4. Cook slowly until the fillet starts to break up.
5. Add the minced garlic and bay leaf, sweat for 2 minutes.
6. Add the milk and cook over medium heat constantly, stirring until the mixture is smooth like mashed potatoes.
7. Turn off the heat and add the ground lardo or fatback (this step is optional, it will add some richness. If you do not want to add the pork fat you may add a bit more cream or whole butter).
8. Check the seasoning. Add salt and white pepper as needed.
9. Serve warm or room temperature with a crostini. Try Amy’s Bread or a thin sliced baguette of your choice tossed with salt, pepper and olive oil. Toast in the oven at 400 F for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

GARNISHES:

- Green scallions, sliced thin
- Local apples, minced and held in acidulated water to preserve their color
- Thai Bird Chili, deseeded and sliced thin
- Cured Lemon Powder. To make use house cured lemons (can be found at specialty stores), quarter and remove the flesh and pith. Then, place the lemon rinds in a dehydrator for 24 hours at 135F. Finally, put the dried rinds in a spice grinder and spin until it forms a powder.

Nutritionist Nicole Glassman says you should soak your nuts and seeds before eating. See the process below.

• Nuts and seeds contain an enzyme inhibitor which actually protects them from sprouting prematurely. But this inhibitor is tougher on your digestive system and it prevents you from absorbing the nutrients found in the nuts and seeds.

• Soak your nuts and seeds in water (preferably room temperature) to remove this outer coating and increase the number of vitamins your body can absorb. After you have soaked them drain the water and put the nuts in a container in your refrigerator.

• Soaking times vary. Almonds are 8-12 hours, cashews are 2-3 hours, sesame seeds are 8 hours, and walnuts are 4 hours.

AUNT FREDA’S curried chicken salad recipe is sweet and tart, crunchy and creamy all in one bite. Nuts are optional, as are the raisins, but they heighten the contrast of textures and flavors. In order to make the salad exceptionally crunchy, I followed a great tip from Slashfood on how to find crisp apples: “Try to indent the apple with your index finger; if it doesn’t yield, chances are you’ve found an apple with crunch.”

For the non-meat eaters out there my Aunt Freda suggests substituting tuna for the chicken (she says it’s just as good). I like to serve a generous helping of the salad on a big toasted roll with spicy mustard, romaine and sliced tomato. For a real taste of my Aunt Freda’s kitchen, try washing it down with some sparkling apple juice. Enjoy!

Aunt Freda’s Crunchy Curried Chicken Salad Recipe
Servings: 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces (or tuna in oil, drained)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 tart apple, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (I used 1/2 of a tart, green Granny Smith and 1/2 of a sweeter Pink Lady)
1 lemon
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup miracle whip (or mayo)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, stir together the miracle whip, mustard, honey and curry powder.
Note: Toss the diced apple with the juice of 1/2 a lemon so it doesn’t turn.
2. Gently fold in the chicken, apple, celery, dried cranberries (or raisins).
3. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust curry powder seasoning if necessary.
4. Serve hot or cold (even better the next day).
5. Garnish with toasted walnuts.

Every kid’s favorite lunch bread is Wonder white, but just in case you want a change from this juvenile staple, Creative Delites is holding a taste test over the next few weeks to pick out the top sandwich breads. Always looking to try out new ones, so let us know your favorites…

Whole Foods Brand Organic Oatmeal Bread
Verdict: 4

Appearance: Unfortunately, the bread looks better than it tastes.
Texture: The crust is soft (but not too soft). The firm inside makes it easy to spread. Two slices stand up nicely to extra chunky peanut butter and jelly.

Flavor: Tastes like white bread, and while the oats make the bread look wholesome and hearty, they don’t add much in the way of flavor or texture. You are better off with a bread that has a slight crunch from nuts or seeds. The touch of molasses gives the bread a slightly sweet flavor
Cost: $3. 79 for a loaf (about 20 slices). Not bad for an organic product.
Health: Made with a combination of “wheat flour” and organic “whole wheat flour”, means that the bread isn’t entirely made with whole grains. When you see “wheat flour” in the ingredient list, the bread is made with more processed grains (feels like you’re being tricked). 100 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of fiber (per slice).

Recommendation: Store the bread in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. Toasted with eggs or some PB&J made it much better.
Resolution Stats: 24 new food stuffs tried, 81 more to go
Final Verdict: Overall, this was a good, standard sandwich bread, but it wont tempt your taste buds after a slice.

Tea is just the beginning.  At this hidden, Upper West Side cafe, you are transported back to your childhood with one taste of their toasted sandwiches, homemade graham crackers and blueberry-cream cheese scones. The story land-themed bakery also serves up a variety of daily soup and salad creations and crepes on the weekends. It really is a teatime wonderland!

Alice’s Tea Cup
alicesteacup.com
UWS Location
102 West 73rd Street at Columbus Ave.

Recommended Dishes:
Curried chicken salad sandwich ($11)
with chopped onion, celery, and apple, on semolina with golden raisins and fennel
Vegan black bean soup ($7)
Homemade graham crackers and honey ($7)
(This treat is part of the after school snack menu for kids, but in Alice’s I feel rather small, so I figure it’s ok)

For one weekend, the best restaurants and chefs on the Upper West Side will come together for a big tasting party!

As always, Creative Delites will be talking to food-loving New Yorkers and celebrating the foodie neighborhood of NYC.

SAVE THE DATE for the 2010 “New Taste of the Upper West Side”, coming Friday and Saturday, May 21 & 22. You’ll get to taste delicious offerings from esteemed chefs and culinary stars such as Jacques Torres, John Fraser, Michael Psilakis, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and many more.
  

THE MAIN EVENTS:

Conversations: Friday May 21st, 9:30 am – 11:30 am; $35 per ticket (reserved seating),  $25 per ticket

Divine Desserts: Friday, May 21st, 9 pm – Midnight; $85 per ticket

Best of the West: Saturday, May 22nd, 7 pm – 9:30 pm; $115 per ticket

MORE INFO:

212.721.5048; website & tickets

Below is a list of some of my favorite restaurants and chefs who will be at the 2010 event. See the complete list here. 

Fatty Crab, ZAKARY PELACCIO

Kefi, MICHAEL PSILAKIS

Josie’s/Citrus, LOUIE LANZA

Telepan, BILL TELEPAN

Jacques Torres Chocolates, JACQUES TORRES

Nanoosh, HUGO TRINQUIER

Isabella’s, JOHN LICTRO