Headaches, Adrenaline and Wine

Are you one of those people that gets headaches or gets really flushed after drinking wine? Do you turn down any and all red wine because you once got a headache or fell really flustered at night after drinking wine? Well, it happens to a lot of people and it is all due to the by-products produced during fermentation.

One reason people get headaches is that they are consuming inferior wine. Most good wine is made from the juice of grapes that have been pressed only once. This makes sure that you are getting the best and cleanest juice. Producers sometimes press grapes a second and even a third time to try to extract as much juice as they can. This is very cost effective since you are reusing grapes but the outcome is definitely not the same. When you press grapes this many times, you actually start to squeeze out some oils from the pips (seeds) and the stems. Once these compounds go in to fermentation, they produce by-products that your body doesn't agree with.

Remember that party you went to last New Year's and all the sparkling wine you had? There were so many bottles of bubbly yet the host was bragging about the deal she got. Guess what? This is a perfect example of over-pressed wine. Do you remember the hangover/headache you had that would have probably kill a small child? Blame it on the seeds and stems. So next time you are wondering why you get a headache after taking advantage of all the cheap wine on sale, this is the reason. This is the main reason why I look for great inexpensive wine from South America and the Iberian peninsula. Their price is reasonable but their wine is not questionable. There is definitely some truth to the saying that "cheap wine makes you sick" and no it's not a snobby statement.

The second reason for feeling bad after drinking certain wines is again caused by fermentation. However, in this case, the producers are purposefully causing a certain type of fermentation to take place and this is where some of the by-products pop up. The type of fermentation is called malolactic fermentation. It converts malic acid in to lactic acid, in other words, makes some wines less acidic and gives it a rounder feel. Wines that usually go through this process are most reds and many chardonnays. This type of fermentation can give the wine a creamier, smoother taste.

The problem with this fermentation is that it produces a by-product called tyramine. The tyramine initiates a chain of chemical reactions that leads to the production of adrenaline. Yes, the very same adrenaline that causes your heart to race and your blood vessels to constrict. Sure, if you were out camping, drinking wine, and suddenly your local, friendly grizzly bear were to walk through your campground, I could see how it might be an advantage. Yet, I don't think many of us are sipping on red wine in the middle of the forest on a regular basis. Instead, you are sitting at home trying to relax and let the stress leave the body. I'm not saying that everyone is going to experience this reaction but for those people sensitive to tyramine, I'd understand if they were mad at their wine for having this effect on them. So next time that you are feeling flustered and your heart is pounding after a glass or two of red wine, maybe you will understand the reason why it's happening.


Article about tyramine in wine.
Source: NASA tool used to analyze wine

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Do you know how to boil pasta?

Quite the rhetorical question, right? I don't think it is. Sure, I know you know how to boil water, whether you do it on the stove top or in the microwave, but did you know this is when you should season your pasta? You could salt and pepper the pasta dish all you want once it's plated but to truly season the pasta, you have to do it by seasoning the water.

Pasta needs two things to be added to water more than any other things you could add. Yes, even if all you are doing is making spaghetti to go with plain marinara, you should still add two things: salt and olive oil. Adding salt to the water is the only way of making sure the pasta is seasoned because it will absorb the salty water that it's being boiled in. How much salt should you add? Depends on how much pasta you are making, so if you're making a pound of pasta, you should add about a tablespoon salt to the boiling water. For a single serving of pasta, which is about a quarter of a box of pasta, throw in a teaspoon of salt. The olive oil, on the other hand, isn't for seasoning, but it makes sure you don't get that foamy, overflowing mess all over the stove. If you want to know what the foam is, it's the starch from the pasta mixing with the boiling water, thus the bubbles. The olive oil helps prevent the overflowing bubbles by changing the properties of the water. If you're a science geek, it creates a lipid layer around the starch that prevents the foam from building up. Simply put, no more mess. Again, a tablespoon of oil per pound of pasta. Start to incorporate these two things to your pasta. And try not to overcook your pasta.

You have the basics to great pasta. It's salted and now you can start to add flavor to the pasta. How about throwing in some dried basil or italian seasoning into the boiling water? Or maybe some red pepper flakes and garlic powder. Let's say you are cooking some chicken and the recipe calls for some cayenne and onion, then why not throw in the seasonings in to the water. I'm not asking you to overload the pasta with seasonings but give it some flavor. It will help bring the whole dish together. Now all you have to do is find a way to throw some wine in to the mix and you are set. (Don't do this all the time and don't add it to the water.)

Here's something to think about too. Spain has been seasoning it's rice with saffron for centuries in their paellas. Couscous is really just tiny little balls of pasta so you can follow these rules too. It's not some crazy idea I just came up with. It's just another way to play while you cook and make your meals unique.

Now go forth and create...

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Have you had an avocado lately?

So enough about wine. I'm going to tell you a little secret. Fat is good for you. No, seriously it is. Did you know that cholesterol is a building block to the walls of your cells? Scientific word time: Phosholipid bilayer. Translation: Fat molecules layered in a double layer. Translation to that: This is the outer boundary to your cells.

So why am I telling you this? Well, to just prove that not all fat is bad. I know the catch phrase is trans fat right now. Do you know what that means? If not, read up on it at wikipedia. But to see if you know at least some of the differences between the fats. Match the following with the correct type of fat. Here are the types: Unsaturated, Trans, and saturated fat.

• Butter
• Canola Oil
• Margarine

Butter is not a trans fat, it's mostly saturated fat. Canola (Poor Man's olive oil) is unsaturated and Margarine is trans. So ask yourself, which one do you cook with?


Well, besides these obvious sources of fats, did you know that a source of good fat (UNSATURATED) is the avocado. Don't believe me? Read the nutritional label. It is a perfect replacement for sandwiches, salads or dips. Want to replace the ranch dressing? Cut up some avocado, sprinkle some olive oil and squeeze a lime over the salad. Trying to cut back on the mayo? Go make some fresh guacamole and spread it on. Same goes for dips. That is if there are any avocados left after the Super Bowl shopping spree.

Before I get ahead of myself, let me ask, would you know how to pick out a ripe avocado. First of all, I'm talking about Hass avocados. You either find them in a green color or in the black color like the picture above. Let me make this clear. All green is not ripe, some black is okay, all black is best. The secret is to find an avocado that still has a bit of firmness but that gives when you squeeze the top and bottom of it.

Now that you have some fresh ripe avocados. You can play with them. Remember, I want you to play with your food. Slice the avocado in half, take out the pit, and then decide whether you want guac or avocado chunks/slices. If you go with slices, drizzle some olive oil, squeeze some lime on top and s&p it to taste.

My favorite is to make guac. It's a great snack in between meals. I could eat it like yogurt, but baked tostitos hit the spot as does a quick turkey sandwich. If you have a great recipe for guacamole, well then you know what to do. If not, well I'll soon follow up with an easy and healthy guacamole recipe. I just don't want to overwhelm you for one day...

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A Kitchen Can't Live Without It (part 2)

So continuing from part one. This time I want to focus on wine and glassware. For wine it comes down to really two things, make sure you have an easy to use, fool proof opener and one good glass to pour your wine in to.

I know you've seen the fancy openers with the lever, sometimes resembling a rabbit. These are good, but pricey. You are also familiar with the cork screw that you screw in to the cork, then pull down the arms on each side of the opener, these are inexpensive but they can tear up the cork very quickly. The easiest and most reliable way to get your bottle open is to learn how to use a waiter's corkscrew. They cost under 10 dollars for a quality one and you can find it at most wine shops. Once you learn how to use it well, you will never have to rely on anyone or anything else.

Check out this video. It will teach you how to properly use the waiter's corkscrew.



Great! You got your wine open. Which glass are you going to pour it in to? You probably have come across the glasses at crate and barrel that tell you they are perfect for a particular type of wine. If you can afford each variety, more power to you. However, I think all you need are two types of glasses. A red wine glass and a white wine glass. If you drink a lot of pinot noir, get the glasses that look like a large bowl, but again these are not as practical as the standard red cabernet glass. Check out the two examples.

The red wine glass on the left has a bigger bowl and narrower opening. The white wine glass on the right has a slightly larger opening.

One last thing to keep in mind. Make sure your whites are chilled well. Put them in the fridge an hour before you open them. For reds, you want these slightly chilled too. If you keep your reds in your kitchen, either on your counter or on top of the fridge, first thing to do is smack your left hand. Bad, very bad. Keep all your wine in a COOL, dark place. Make some space in your closet. Throw out those old Nikes, unless you want your wine to smell the same. Before opening that red, grab it, throw it in the fridge, not the fridge door, for about 10-15 min. Red wine should be consumed between 59-61 degrees. Just like it was when French monarchs had no heat to keep their castles warm. You'll realize how much of a difference this will make to your wine.

Now go... Find your red wine... Start practicing your waiter's corkscrew skills.

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A Kitchen Can't Live Without It (part 1)

I've come to realize that my kitchen is unlike the average kitchen. I have accumulated quite the collection of random spices over the past year to year and a half. Ask yourself how many times you've used cumin, ginger, nutmeg, tarragon or Hungarian paprika. Probably not that often. You probably also never wanted to buy them because you knew that you would use it once and that would be it. But who knows, maybe you'll find "that" dish and realize that ginger should be in everything.

Therefore I've decided to throw a list together of things I think a kitchen can't function without. I feel that, regardless of your mood or situation, you can make a great meal as long you have these.

Spices

They are the socks and underwear of every meal. Sure, you could go and live happily without them, but deep down you know that something is just not right. And just like an old pair of t-shirts or boxers, spices have a tendency of accumulating over the years and also lose their purpose the longer you keep them. DRIED SPICES DO GO BAD. It won't make you sick, but it will drop the ball in terms of flavor. Check the expiration date at the spice company's website.

Buy small amounts if you won't use the spice regularly, but just keep in mind that they can get pricey.

So here is the list of can't live without spices:

• Salt and Pepper: a given here, give a pepper mill a shot (you might enjoy pepper when it's freshly cracked) plus we all have that friend that S&Ps her food even before she tastes it
  
• Garlic Powder: garlic is great on almost anything, garlic bread is easy, goes great on pizza, steak gets a boost too
• Onion Powder: you'll realize that garlic and onion powder are like salt and pepper on many recipes
• Italian Seasoning: from pizza to sauce, to meat marinades, it's the one you can count on for a much needed boost
• Red Pepper Flakes: you like spicy food, you just haven't realized how to do it right, boring to new in two shakes
• Lawry's Salt: because salt needs to stay hip and steak and potatoes love it
• Dried Oregano: italian needs more oregano, and so does the water you boil for pasta
• Dried Basil: try to find basil that can be used year round and lasts longer than 3 days
• Cinnamon: it's about time you make your own french toast, just don't try the cinnamon dare
• Hot sauce: if you find a quality sauce, it will go on just about anything especially your soups

If you need more detailed info on spices, check out this spice advice.

Fridge Door Things

You have shelves inside the door for a reason. If you're lucky they can carry a variety of bottle sizes from chubby Keg cans, to wide pinot noir bottles to tall german white wine. I of course have an idea of necessities for this special holding area.

• Ketchup: given
  
• Mustard: if you hate it, you've never tried spicy brown or dijon. It's the other half to ketchup
• BBQ Sauce: choose your variety, I'm a traditionalist, but your kitchen is a dark, dreary place without it
• Minced Garlic in a Jar: you deserve to be ready for anything, and garlic is easy to forget off your list
• Prepared Horseradish: Give me cocktail sauce and I will make it better, give me bloody mary and the celery will dance, look forward to colds because I will help you breathe
• Grated Parmesan: yes, the block of parm is amazing, but this is ready to go and you can be liberal on the use
• Picante Sauce: eggs love it, perfect snack with chips, not made in New York City
• Soy Sauce: an onion, a green bell and some chicken would love to be stir fry
  

If you have never thought of having these in your kitchen, well, catch up. You're missing out. You've punished yourself long enough.

What you will also realize is that your favorite style of food dictates all your other random spices. Love chinese or thai, get ready for some ginger, sesame seeds and hoisin sauce. Love southwestern/mexican, get ready for cayenne, cumin, and coriander.

With the right collection, you can experiment and realize why your mom told you not to play with your food. She knew you would give her a run for her money when it came to dinner.

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