The Eclectic Cooking Newsletter 

Monday, August 20, 2001

Lydia Jensen, Editor: Lydiajj@get2net.dk 
Lars Jensen, Webmaster/Publisher: Lars@Eclecticcooking.com
www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm 

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By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of
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=> Featured article: Health Fraud: Tips-off's to Rip-off's.
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Writer 
=> New Recipes of the Week 
=> Hot Tip 
=> Fruit/vegetable in focus
=> Joke/Story of the Week 
=> Next week's Issue 
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information 
=> Will you vote for us?


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which has all of our past articles, tips and jokes - Plus, something 
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---------------------------Featured Article-------------------------

Health Fraud: Tips-off's to Rip-off's.

You do not have to look far to find a health product that is
totally bogus--or a consumer who is totally unsuspecting.
Promotions for fraudulent products show up daily in newspaper
and magazine ads and TV "infomercials." They accompany products
sold in stores, on the Internet, and through mail-order
catalogs. They are passed along by word-of-mouth. 

And consumers respond, spending billions of dollars a year on
fraudulent health products, according to Stephen Barrett, M.D.,
head of Quackwatch Inc., a nonprofit corporation that combats
health fraud. Hoping to find a cure for what ails them, improve
their well-being, or just look better, consumers often fall
victims to products and devices that do nothing more than cheat
them out of their money, steer them away from useful, proven
treatments, and possibly do more bodily harm than good. 

How can you avoid being scammed by a worthless product? Though
health fraud marketers have become more sophisticated about
selling their products, Aronson says, these charlatans often use
the same old phrases and gimmicks to gain consumers'
attention--and trust. You can protect yourself by learning some
of their techniques. 

Take a look at these products' promotions. They are rife with
the kind of red flags to look out for when deciding whether to
try a health product unknown to you. 

Tip-Off's to Rip-Off's 

'Natural' 

"Healthy, simple and natural-way to help you lose and control
your weight." 

Don't be fooled by the term "natural." It is often used in health
fraud as an attention-grabber; it suggests a product is safer
than conventional treatments. But the term does not necessarily
equate to safety because some plants--for example, poisonous
mushrooms--can kill when ingested. And among legitimate drug
products, says Shelly Maifarth, a compliance officer and health
fraud coordinator for FDA's Denver district office, 60 percent
of over-the-counter drugs and 25 percent of prescription drugs
are based on natural ingredients. 

And, any product--synthetic or natural--potent enough to work
like a drug is going to be potent enough to cause side effects. 

Time-Tested or New-Found Treatment 

"This revolutionary innovation is formulated by using proven
principles of natural health based upon 200 years of medical
science." 

Usually it is one or the other, but this claim manages to suggest
it is both a break-through and a decades-old remedy. 

Claims of an "innovation," "miracle cure," "exclusive product,"
or "new discovery" or "magical" are highly suspect. If a product
was a cure for a serious disease, it would be widely reported in
the media and regularly prescribed by health professionals--not
hidden in an obscure magazine or newspaper ad, late-night
television show, or Website promotion, where the marketers are
of unknown, questionable or nonscientific backgrounds. 

The same applies to products purported to be "ancient remedies"
or based on "folklore" or "tradition." These claims suggest that
these products' longevity proves they are safe and effective.
But some herbs reportedly used in ancient times for medicinal
purposes carry risks identified only recently. 

Satisfaction Guaranteed 

"... Guarantee: If after 30 days ... you have not lost at least
4 pounds each week, ... your uncashed check will be returned to
you ... ." 

Here is another red flag: money-back guarantees, no questions
asked. 

Good luck getting your money back. Marketers of fraudulent
products rarely stay in the same place for long. Because
customers won't be able to find them, the marketers can afford
to be generous with their guarantees 

Promises of Easy Weight Loss 

"Finally, rapid weight loss without dieting!" 

For most people, there is only one way to lose weight: Eat less
food (or fewer high-calorie foods) and increase activity. 

Note the ambiguity of the term "rapid." A reasonable and healthy
weight loss is about 1 to 2 pounds a week. 

Paranoid Accusations 

"Drug companies make it nearly impossible for doctors to resist
prescribing their expensive pills for what ails you ..." "It
seems these billion-dollar drug giants all have one relentless
competitor in common, they all constantly fear--natural
remedies." 

These claims suggest that health-care providers and legitimate
manufacturers are in cahoots with each other, promoting only the
drug companies' and medical device manufacturers' products for
financial gain. The claims also suggest that the medical
profession and legitimate drug and device makers strive to
suppress unorthodox products, because they threaten their
financial standing. 


Meaningless Medical Jargon 

"... Hunger Stimulation Point (HSP) ..." "... thermogenesis,
which converts stored fats into soluble lipids ..." "One of the
many natural ingredients is inolitol hexanicontinate." 

Terms and scientific explanations such as these may sound
impressive and may have an element of truth to them, but the
public "has no way of discerning fact from fiction," Aronson
says. Fanciful terms, he says, generally cover up a lack of
scientific proof. 


More articles:
http://www.eclecticcooking.com/articlesindex.htm


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How to Be Featured as our Guest Writer:
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Please contact the editor or Email your article to: 
Lydia Jensen at Eclectic Cooking: Lydiajj@get2net.dk 

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Added recipes and article for August 20
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RECIPE: Mushrooms and cream cheese starter
RECIPE: Tomato lasagna
RECIPE: Pasta with salmon and spinach
RECIPE: Tuna salad
RECIPE: Pears poached in red wine
RECIPE: Caponata
ARTICLE: Health Fraud: Tips-off's to Rip-off's.


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Mushroom and Cream Cheese Appetizer


10 oz (300 g) fresh mushrooms
A little olive oil
5 fresh bay leaves (if available)
3-4 large cloves garlic
6 oz (200 g) cream cheese
Fresh herbs, finely chopped, e.g. parsley, basil,
coriander, oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash, clean and slice the fresh mushrooms. Finely shred
the fresh bay leaves and finely mince the garlic. In a heavy 
skillet, pour a little olive oil (ca. 1-2 Tbsp) and sauté the
mushrooms, garlic and shredded bay leaves until most of 
the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are a light
golden brown. Remove and set aside. Stir the cream 
cheese and freshly chopped herbs and mix with the
mushrooms. Serve with toast rounds or plain crackers.


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Salmon with Pasta and Spinach

(Serves 4)

16 oz (ca. 450 g) salmon filet
13 - 16 oz (4-500 g) pasta
8 oz (ca. 250 g spinach (preferably fresh)
2 small Spanish onions (red onions)
2 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes 
8 oz (ca. 250 g) light sour cream
4 Tblspns concentrated tomato paste
1 tsp brown sugar (or raw sugar)
Salt and pepper to taste 
Remove the skin from the salmon and cut into
bite-sized cubes. If the spinach is fresh, wash,
remove stems and tear into smaller pieces. 
Chop the onions. If the sun-dried tomatoes are
in oil, drain and chop; otherwise, soak them in 
a little water until they are softened and then
chop them up. Cook the pasta, following the
directions on the package.

Put a little olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the
onions and sun-dried tomatoes. Add the salmon
and cook gently until it turns an opaque color.
Add the fresh spinach (or if using frozen spinach,
squeeze out excess water) and place over the
salmon mixture, cover with a lid and steam 1-2
minutes. Add the drained, cooked pasta. In
a separate dish mix the light sour cream, tomato
paste, sugar, salt and pepper and pour over the
pasta and salmon. Serve immediately.


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Tomato Lasagna 

(Vegetarian)
(Serves 4)

9 lasagna sheets

Tomato Sauce
1 kg fresh tomatoes
2 medium-sized onions
2 large cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Cup (1 dl) vegetable or chicken stock
2-3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

8 oz (ca. 250 g) cottage cheese
3 oz (90 g) gorgonzola cheese
1-1/2 oz freshly grated Parmesan or grana padano
Freshly chopped basil for decoration

Chop tomatoes. mince garlic and sauté in a
little olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes and
simmer with a lid on for about 10 minutes. 
Season with salt and pepper. Add freshly
chopped basil and set aside. Mix the cottage
and gorgonzola cheeses. 

Butter a casserole dish and starting with and
ending with the tomato sauce, place layers of 
tomato sauce, cottage and gorgonzola cheeses,
and lasagna. Sprinkle the freshly grated cheese
over the last layer of tomato sauce. Bake for ca.
30 minutes at 200 C (400 F). Sprinkle with freshly
chopped basil and serve.


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Pears Poached in Red Wine

(Serves 4)

4 good-sized pears

1 bottle full-bodied red wine
100 g raw sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
1 tsp whole pepper corns
1 tsp allspice

Vanilla Cream
1 Cup natural yoghurt or light sour cream
1-2 Tbsp good honey
2-3 drops vanilla

Peel pears but leave the stem in place. Place
the red wine, raw sugar, vanilla, cinnamon stick,
cloves, pepper corns and allspice in a saucepan. 
Make sure that the saucepan is large enough for
the pears to be upright. Bring the liquid to a boil,
cover with a lid and let the pears simmer for 15-20
minutes or until the pears are tender but not too
soft. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let
the pears cool.

Mix the yoghurt, honey and vanilla. Place one pear
in a dessert dish with a little of the juice from the pears,
and top with a little yoghurt mixture. Serve the re-
maining yoghurt separately in a dish.

Pears can also be served with softened vanilla ice
cream or plain whipped cream.


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Tuna Salad

(Serves 3-4)

200 g (6 oz) burghul
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp freshly grated black peppercorns
1 orange
1/2 kg ripe tomatoes
Salt
Little sugar
small tin tuna
1 tsp capers
1 small Spanish onion (red onion)
1 large clove garlic
dash of cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
Freshly chopped herbs e.g. basil, mint, parsley,
or oregano

Rinse the burghul and pour boiling water and let them 
soak 12 hours. Remove any hulls which float to the top. 
Rinse the burghul and cook in plenty of water with bay 
leaf, grated black pepper and strips of orange (use a 
potato peeler to make the strips of orange peel). Cook 
for 30-45 minutes or until the burghul is tender. Drain 
and pour the olive oil and lemon juice over the burghul 
while it is still hot.

Cut the tomatoes in quarters, remove seeds and chop into 
cubes. Place the tomatoes in a sieve and sprinkle with a 
little salt and a little sugar (ca. 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 
tsp sugar) and let them drain for about 20 minutes. 

Mix the cooked burghul, tomatoes, tuna, chopped red 
onions, capers, minced garlic and half of the freshly 
chopped herbs. Season with salt, sugar, cayenne pepper, 
freshly grated black pepper and a little more lemon juice 
(if desired). Set aside and let the salad season for 
about an hour in the refrigerator.

Sprinkle the rest of the fresh herbs over the salad and 
serve. The salad can be made ahead of time and will keep 
for a couple of days.

If you do not like burghul, you can use couscous - 
follow the directions on how to prepare couscous on the 
package. 


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Caponata


2 egg plants (aubergines)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium-sized onion
1/2 Cup young leaves of celery
4-5 medium-sized tomatoes
ca. 1 Tbsp sugar
ca. 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 oz (30 g) pine nuts
1 dl small seedless raisins
1 Tbsp capers

Preheat oven at 220 C (425 F). Cut the egg plants
(aubergines) into small cubes and place on baking
paper in the oven for about 15 minutes to roast.
Chop the onions, celery leaves and deseed and chop
the tomatoes.

In a saucepan heat the olive oil and sauté the 
chopped onions until just tender but not browned.
Add the chopped celery leaves and roasted egg
plant and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the 
tomatoes, the red wine vinegar and sugar, a little
salt and pepper. Simmer the vegetables for a few 
minutes without a lid for about 30 minutes or until
the vegetables are tender and there is very little
sauce left. Remove from burner.

Roast the pine nuts in a dry pan until they just turn
a light brown color. Add the pine nuts, raisins and
capers to the cooked vegetables. 

Serve with meat such as chicken, lamb or beef, or
serve as an appetizer with small rounds of toast.
Can be served either warm or cold.




More of our are recipes are here:
http://www.eclecticcooking.com/recipesmenus.htm 


----------------------------------Hot Tip--------------------------------

Milk and milk products should be stored away from citrus
fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapes etc. because they
can give an unpleasant after-taste. This also applies to
when you do your shopping. Place them separately in
bags and store them separately in your refrigerator.


-----------------------Fruit/Vegetable in focus--------------------------


Water Melon (Citrullus Ianatus)

The water melon has been thought to originally com from 
India but some think that it may have come from Africa. 
Inside of the water melon's thick outer peel there is the 
fruit's meat with an unusually high concentrate of water. 
The meat is usually a red color. Because of the large 
amount of water this fruit contains, it is a very refreshing 
fruit. Water melons are usually cut in slices but they can 
also be cut into a hollow shape and filled with other fruits
or in which to serve a punch. Water melons can last one 
week in the refrigerator and are available from April to 
September in many countries.



------------------------------------Jokes--------------------------------


Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Isn't it just stale bread to
begin with?

Sayings:

If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished.

If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made
of meat?

He who laughs last ... thinks slowest.


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Next Week's Issue, August 27
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RECIPE: Fresh Peach Sangria
RECIPE: Grilled jumbo shrimp
RECIPE: Paraguayos Fruit Salad
RECIPE: Chicken with Raspberry Sauce
RECIPE: Celery and Carrots Julienne 
ARTICLE: Book review: COCOLAT (fantastic chocolate recipe cookbook!)
GUEST ARTICLE: Kathy Thompson: The Secret to Permanent Weight Loss

www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm 

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