Tag: good

What is lecithin? Is it good or bad? Everything you need to know – Italian Cuisine

It is obtained mainly from soybeans, the legume more like meat than there is. In theory it does much more good than harm. Practically? Controversial, just like soy sauce is.

Lecithin is a miscela of phospholipids present in all plant and animal cells. That extracted from soy is the most used in thefood industry, mainly due to its function as emulsifier natural fat (that is, it has the ability to hold together aqueous substances and fatty substances, normally not miscible with each other). IS ubiquitous for example in ice cream, in homogenized milk and in sauces such as mayonnaise. It is also used a lot in industry cosmetic and pharmaceutical in the preparation, balms and ointments.

At the health level, its main property is that of fights excess cholesterol (here the other elements in the diet that help to increase the "good" cholesterol and keep the "bad" cholesterol at bay). In fact, lecithin prevents the cholesterol in the blood from being deposited in the arteries and cleans the jars from the fat that has settled on them. And soy lecithin, in this sense, is particularly effective: is present in soy beans and also in soybean oil, if cold pressed. Although to a much lesser extent than in soybeans, it is still found in egg yolk in primis, in the walnuts, and then yeast, oils vegetali, legumes such as lentils is peas, cauliflower, cereals and in particular in rice and in the wheat germ, in fveal egato and in milk.

THEand its properties do not end there: the lecithin improves metabolism body e promotes fat digestion. Rafforza antioxidant action of some vitamins, in particular A and E – for this reason, on an industrial level, it is also appreciated because it blocks the fat rancidity. IS rich in omega-3, omega-6 and minerals such as iron, calcium and phosphorus. Recent studies also indicate it as potentially beneficial in Alzheimer's, since the choline contained in it favors brain functions and improves memory skills. Finally it carries out action reconstituent, good for the liver and nervous system. CWith all these fantastic properties, what contraindications could it ever have?

Well, first of all the notorious GMOs: if the data say that at least 80% of soy world-wide is genetically modified, experts say that by now we can no longer speak of non-GMO soy on the planet Earth, including countries like Italy, where in theory it should not be. With all the problems that GMOs involve.

Second but not secondary: lecithin is obtained through a highly industrial process, and as we know foods and ingredients, more are industrially processed, less they are genuine and healthy. It is shown for example that in highly processed food the antioxidant action is lost and Omega-3 is lost. Furthermore, doubts about the carcinogenic (but also mutagenic, or damage to DNA, and other) potential of substances such as lecithin are not yet avoided. That is obtained from soy by mechanical extraction orppure extraction chemistry, using substances such as the hexane (a solvent); the acetone, thepetroleum ether, the'ethanol, the benzene, in addition to hydrogen peroxide to whiten it. This does not prove or mean that it is toxic in itself, but it is certainly not a fruit just picked from a tree that grows in an orchard biodynamic …

Carola Traverso Saibante
November 2019

DISCOVER THE COOKING COURSES OF SALT & PEPE

All the organic good in your recipes – Italian Cuisine

At the start Restaurants against Hunger: to do good at the table – Italian Cuisine

In the month in which the is celebrated World Food Day, which aims to draw attention to food emergencies in the world, restarts Restaurants against hunger, the initiative of the international humanitarian organization Action against hunger present in Spain, United Kingdom, France, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Guatemala and, since 2015, also in Italy.

HOW DOES IT WORK
The mechanism is simple and tested. The restaurants participating in the project (for the complete list, click here) can donate directly 2 euros for each dish or "solidarity" menu combined with the initiative. But also organize special evenings or dedicated events by donating the collection, in whole or in part, to Action against Hunger. In addition, they can invite customers to make a donation, adding 2 euros to the final bill, perhaps "taking advantage" of "Truffle of happiness", the limited edition chocolate made for the occasion by La Perla di Torino.

A BIT OF FIGURES
The 5th edition in our country is also the time to draw conclusions. In numbers, the results achieved are significant: 600 restaurants involved, 500,000 customers, 350,000 euros collected. And especially, 12,000 children of the world who have received life-saving therapeutic food.
Unfortunately, equally significant are the figures relating to the crises underway, which put 40 million people at risk of malnutrition, of which 5 million are small. The populations involved are concentrated in difficult realities such as Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Afghanistan, but also in regions such as the Sahel and East Africa. And the first triggering cause is war and violence, endemic in many areas and directly responsible for the increase in hunger, famine, and water shortages.
THE WORD OF THE CHEF
"We have joined this concrete action because at this moment, as never before, we need to be united and educate to compassion, a value of life that is too often ignored." Cesare Battisti of the Ratanà, one of the Milanese chefs involved in the initiative since the dawn together with many colleagues working on this front throughout the campaign period, and even beyond.
"We are promoters of various initiatives related to Action against hunger," he says Andrea Provenzani of the Liberty. "We immediately married the cause, we contribute as a restaurant and we try to raise awareness among our customers, inviting them to donate. It is a moral duty to those less fortunate".

On the same wavelength Tano Simonato: "For us, who have everything, it should be an automatic gesture to do our part to help those who do not have our possibilities. Action against Hunger is a serious association with high credibility. This is why I decided to join immediately and with immense pleasure. And this year I will dedicate to the fundraising the opening night of my new restaurant ". The new Tano pass me the oil in fact it will open on November 24th, moving from the Navigli to Via Petrarca.
In his restaurant, Claudio Sadler decided to link the initiative to the tasting menu: "It's what I sell the most, so I'm sure to make a good contribution. It is important to participate to feed even those who otherwise would not."
As a note Felice Lo Basso, of the Felix Lo Basso Restaurant, "our premises recall luxury and it might seem a contradiction to talk about world hunger. But, on the contrary, this is an opportunity to show everyone that we have a heart, and we know how to open it to those in need".
"We should all have the right to a healthy and complete meal a day and it is shameful that there are millions of children who die of hunger when we sail in food," he emphasizes. Elio Sironi of the Ceresio 7, which confirms that the public, over time, has always given good feedback. This year, his solidarity dish will be a risotto with fermented 'nduja and saffron: "Risotto always goes, this one especially intrigues while remaining close to tradition and I bet it will bring a good result".

A CONSTANT INVOLVEMENT
The enthusiasm of the chefs is also due to the fact that the restaurants are constantly kept up to date on the goals achieved by Action against Hunger. "So, we are really involved and it becomes easier to raise awareness of those sitting at our tables. And then, doing good is good for us too", notes Daniel Canzian that from the restaurant menu Daniel has chosen to offer its bestseller, the contemporary vegetable soup: "Besides, it also has a nice symbolic value, being a simple and nutritious dish of popular cuisine".
Also Tommaso Arrigoni of Innocent Evasions he chose one of the first to go the most popular, beetroot dumplings and chestnut flour with duck sauce in red wine. "Participating in a solidarity operation is good for the heart. And it is nice to see that with so many colleagues, you are teaming up throughout the whole initiative and in the end, when we meet again for the final event. Where you cook, laugh and joke but above all, something important is shared ".

Francesca Romana Mezzadri
October 2019