Tag: allies

Water houses, allies of the environment (and of our pockets) – Italian Cuisine

A public water house in the municipality of Melzo (Milan).


If in 2010 there were only 213, today their number has increased tenfold. They allow saving and protecting nature, avoiding the production of millions of plastic bottles and the consumption of carbon dioxide for their transport

They deliver chilled and controlled water, smooth or sparkling, and reduce plastic consumption. The water houses in Italy are more and more numerous: today, as Aqua Italia tells us, the association of water treatment plant manufacturers, in view of the UN World Food Day (scheduled October 16), there are over two thousand.

Water houses on the territory

The spread of these plants has been increasingly rapid: if in 2010 there were only 213, today their number has increased tenfold. The regions with more kiosks are Lombardy, which was the first to offer them, and which has 574, Lazio with 271, Piedmont with 233, Emilia-Romagna with 181 and Tuscany with 150. But the plants are more and more numerous also in the center and in the south: in Abruzzo there are 90, in the Marche 79 and in Umbria 67. The kiosks are more common in the North than in the South, and generally more in small municipalities than in the big cities.

A public water house in the municipality of Melzo (Milan).
A public water house in the municipality of Melzo (Milan).

How much you save (even in environmental costs)

Water is distributed free or at a low cost: in 36% of the plants, the cost is 5 cents per liter, for chilled and sparkling water. The kiosks draw on the municipal aqueduct: the one they distribute is safe water, which often improve further filtering any corpuscles, sand and chlorine and disinfecting it with ultraviolet lamps. They can add carbon dioxide and refrigerate it.

But the most significant contribution of the kiosks is to protect the environment: each plant, from which an average of 300,000 liters of water is taken each year, allows avoid the production of 200 thousand bottles from a liter and a half in Pet (the plastic that is used to bottle water and drinks), which correspond to 60 thousand pounds less (each bottle weighs 30 grams), and save 1380 kilos of carbon dioxide for their production and 7800 kilos for bottle transport. For the benefit of nature, and therefore also for ourselves.

Water house of Cinisello Balsamo (Milan).
Water house of Cinisello Balsamo (Milan).

GARLIC AND ONION allies in the kitchen for health – Italian Cuisine

170794


They are the "parsley" of Italian cuisine (but not only because they are used throughout the world), because they give scents and flavors to many recipes, traditional or contemporary. There are those who adore them for their intense and persistent aroma and who, precisely for this reason, hates them. But how many of us know that garlic and onion are real "superfood"? Yet it is so. These humble bulbs they are among the foods with the greatest health properties, thanks to their high content of substances with effects antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, such as polyphenols. But above all they stand out for their ability to help prevent many cancers, especially the head, nose, throat and gastro-intestinal tract. The action antitumor of garlic and onion is due to their compounds sulphurous, ie to those substances that determine its characteristic smell. These precious compounds, therefore, must be protected if they are to be done effect. And how? The answer is provided by some studies that have verified the bioavailability of these beneficial substances and revealed that, often, in our dish they arrive well few. But all is not lost, especially if garlic is onion they are chosen, cooked and eaten in the way quite right.

the good is in their aroma
Points of power of garlic and onion reside in over 200 volatile components that give them smell and taste, and which have one matrix common: lo sulfur. These compounds are divided into two large families: those fat-soluble (that is to say that they dissolve in fats) that seem able to inhibit the formation of tumors, and those water-soluble (ie melting in water) that have antioxidant properties e detoxifying. That's why garlic and onion "they work" on two fronts at the same time: they provide molecules that block the formation of substances (such as nitrosamines), which cause alterations genetic and, therefore, predispose to cancer, and also remove the enzymes and metabolites that participate in the formation and proliferation of cancer cells. They are also effective for countering theHelicobacter pylori, that causes an inflammation related to the tumor al stomach, and also have a beneficial role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

170794Step 1: they are not all equally beneficial
To take advantage of their antitumor power, garlic and onion should be bought from Greengrocer and not in the pharmacy, because, remember theAIRC, only fresh bulbs have properties cancer. On the other hand, garlic and onion supplements contain only i precursors of these beneficial molecules but not the enzymes necessary to transform them "Activate" in the human organism. Equally important is doing the right shopping: that is, to prefer them variety and the types with a more intense flavor, that is richer than sulfur compounds. Better still if they are coloredbecause it also means that they also bring more antioxidants, like i flavonoids.

170791Step 2: better raw
The second step to get the best from garlic and onion consists of "Do not cook them", that is when consumed raw, because cooking (especially if prolonged) decreases consistently the available quantity of antitumor compounds. The varieties of onions ideal to be eaten raw are the sweet ones (such as the red onion of Tropea and that of Cannara), and the spring onion, or young onion, harvested before it becomes completely ripe. For garlic, go-ahead, therefore, to the classic Bruschetta or adding raw to recipes. The raw garlic is not right there? Try rubbing a slice on the sides of the salad bowl, to soften the aroma, or to add a little bit of fresh ginger, which helps digestion.It is proper to them cook better do it for a short time: the onions should be removed from the fire as soon as they are golden and when they are still "Al dente", that is still firm and fragrant, and retain all their heritage of inulin, a fiber known for its prebiotic action, mildly laxative and capable of normalizing the intestinal flora.

170800Step 3: knife go
The third health "trick" consists in breaking or grind finely garlic (also in the mouth, chewing it well), because this way you activate theallinase, the enzyme that originates allicin, the one that gives garlic its aroma prickly. Yeah, but how do we put it on your breath? To avoid problems, just close the meal by chewing a grain of cardamom, of anise or fennel, in order to mask the pungent odor of allicin with a more aroma strong.

Manuela Soressi
February 2019

photo credits

© SIPMM Oignon

Fennel and oranges, our detox allies – Italian Cuisine

Fennel and oranges, our detox allies


WATER
LEMONS
CARROTS AND RAPES
ARTICHOKES
APPLES
PINEAPPLE
ORANGES
POMEGRANATE
GREEN LEAVES
BLUEBERRY

January and February are the months par excellence dedicated to detox and nature, it seems to want to help. Fennel and oranges are two seasonal ingredients who seem born to travel on the same track, meet in light and rich dishes and taste to join us on a path of purification and detoxification. That's why they are so precious and how to prepare them.

Read also

Detox is not the same as a diet

The properties of fennel

Fennels are known and appreciated thanks to their renowned properties digestive and depurative, but also contribute to reduce swelling. To make this vegetable a detox food par excellence, lEssential oil anethole which is able to counteract the formation of intestinal gases that cause pain, aerophagia and flatulence. Able to fight inflammation, fennel is also indicated for those who suffer from irritable colon and is therefore valuable to protect the gastro-intestinal system in general.
Rich of mineral salts and vitamins, are considered excellent antioxidants thanks to vitamin C and flavonoids that they strengthen the immune system and fight free radicals.

The power of oranges

The most cultivated citrus in the world is a real concentrate of well-being thanks to the excellent concentration of C vitamin, Fundamental to the correct iron absorption and capable of stimulating the formation of collagen. This fruit is also capable of reduce the absorption of sugars thanks to the fibers present in it. To benefit from this virtue however, it is necessary consume it with all the pulp: squeeze it in fact eliminates the fibrous part and leads us to absorb only its juice with the relative sugars. As well as fennels, oranges contain antioxidants, terpenes and polyphenols and they fight free radicals and progressive aging.

Why bet on vegetables and fruit

After an intense and disorganized period like that of parties, it is good to provide our body with all that is missing in the most convivial lunches and dinners. Or abundant portions of fruit and vegetables, maybe to be served raw and with a light dressing. Just a teaspoon of oil to make a great special dish prepared simply with finely cut fennel, oranges and black olives. Taste it without salt and you will not regret it.
With the same ingredients reduced in small cubes you can also prepare a good one spelled salad or a warm cous cous to mix with fennel and raw oranges to which you will add small diced onion, a precious ingredient thanks to its purifying properties.
In this way we will pamper our body with vitamins, mineral salts and water: three from the bases from which to leave to forget the swelling and find the right balance. And always about hydration, say of no to alcohol, carbonated and sugary drinks and fruit juices It will help you reach your detox goal. In fact, our body simply requires plenty of water, and we must satisfy it by drinking at least a liter and a half a day from the moment it is awakened. If you have a juice extractor or a centrifuge, you can then prepare purifying drinks based on fennel and oranges, perhaps even mixing them with small portions of lemon and carrots.

The recipes

In the gallery below, we have prepared a collection of delicious and easy to prepare recipes that focus on the winning combination of fennels and oranges. Appetizers, pasta dishes, side dishes and desserts to discover how many creative ways you can benefit from these precious seasonal ingredients without getting bored.

Tempura of fennel and beetroot
 Pumpkin and fennel cream
Burnt cream of fennel
Flan of fennel
Marinated grouper with fennel
Fried egg, fennel and oranges
Mackerel in carpione with orange, fennel and spices
Ginger chicken with fennel and orange salad
Fennel, pear, trevisana salad
Seafood salad with fennel and oranges
Salad with fennel, oranges and apples
Salad of green apple, fennel and orange
Octopus, chickpeas, fennel and orange salad
Fennel salad, apples and walnuts
Fennel salad and fruit with honey
Fennel with catalan sauce
Cuttlefish, fennel and orange salad

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