When love dies, what happens to your appetite?
Some experience the need to eat -- anything and everything. Others stop eating except for the bare minimum they need to sustain life. We get fat or we get thin. Eventually we get well.
Some of us resolve to become better human beings, to eat more responsibly. To those so inclined, I commend to you the 1971 book “Diet for a Small Planet,” by Frances Moore Lappe, social activist with a special interest in food and feeding the world's population.
Among other things, Lappe contends vegetarianism is not only good for you, but good for planet Earth. (Lappe, by the way, was honored as Humanitarian of the Year on Monday by the James Beard Foundation.)
When the love of your life is gone, comfort food can help, though it's probably not a good idea to make her or his favorite dish, not right away at least. Too many memories.
My advice is when you've gotten over the blues, and you're looking to start afresh, include new food in your repertoire, whether you cook it or look for it in your dining out adventures. Go for quality. If living well isn't really the best revenge, it's certainly worth doing for many other good reasons.
Try not to binge. Your former S.O. isn't going to care and you'll only hurt yourself.
Aim for simplicity in the kitchen. There's much to be said in praise of a simple egg sandwich, whether it's a fried egg or scrambled or freshly made egg salad. A simple omelet is a thing of beauty if properly executed.
Consider soul food. It's definitely good for what ails you. Your mother was right. Chicken soup is always a good idea, and you know how to make that or you can find out very easily.
Lock the liquor cabinet. Self-medicating is understandable but too cliche and too damaging.
If you must indulge, consider chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. A pint, not a quart or half-gallon. Everybody's making it now, but of course it should be Ben & Jerry's. I've found their Cherry Garcia to have therapeutic qualities as well.
How do you feed a broken heart? I'd love to hear.
Tomato wellness
We received an alert the other day about an outbreak of Salmonella that was traced to raw tomatoes. It wasn't considered a problem at first in this part of the country, but now it seems to have mushroomed, spreading to 16 states, and a number of fast-food chains and grocery stores have pulled raw tomatoes from their menus and produce aisles.
There's no risk in consuming processed tomato products like ketchup, soup, juice, sauce and paste because the processing heats the ingredients to at least 160 degrees and pathogens like Salmonella are killed at 145 degrees.
The Tomato Products Wellness Council (TPWC) wants you to know you can use canned whole or diced tomatoes in salads and other recipes calling for raw tomatoes and avoid any risk of illness.
What struck me as interesting about the whole topic is that there is a Tomato Products Wellness Council. TPWC says it exists to fund scientific research on tomato products and their link to helping reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Tomato growers, processors and product manufacturers make up its membership.
For more about the Salmonella issue, you can visit the FDA Web site at http://fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html or the Centers for Disease Control Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/saintpaul/.
Oyster trouble
Thoughts of Baltimore and the Chesapeake are likely to evoke memories of the Inner Harbor and crab cakes for me. But oysters are also a major crop in the bay, though sadly a dying one.
The Washington Post ran a fascinating piece the other day about the government's efforts to rejuvenate the oyster population of the Chesapeake and about its abysmal failure, despite pouring $58 million into the effort. Today, the Post reports, there are fewer oysters and fewer oystermen trying to harvest them than there were in 1994 when the effort began.
The problem apparently is dirt in the bay which chokes the oysters, along with many diseases which kill them by the millions.
And it's not just a problem for those who love dining on the bivalves. Scientists are quoted by the paper as saying the whole Chesapeake will struggle with the loss of a species that is an important link in the ecological chain of the bay.
And you know you're a true foodie if that dismal report makes you want to run out and order oysters on the half-shell. You know, before they're all gone.
Questions, comments and suggestions are welcome. Add them to the blog or write to Irv Dean at dean@dailygazette.com.
