Tag: Holidays

Valle d’Aosta micóoula, the sweet bread of the holidays: recipe – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

There Valle d’Aosta micóoula means “small, slightly special bread” in the local patois dialect. It was born in Hône, an Italian municipality of around 1200 inhabitants in the province of Aosta and, also thanks to a non-profit association in the town, it has been produced by hand for years, especially during the Christmas holidays. A poor black bread, but enriched with local products such as chestnuts, figs, walnuts and raisins. The dough is prepared by mixing rye and wheat flour with water and salt, to which the yeast is added and then left to rest for about an hour. The other ingredients are then added. Place it in the oven and leave to cook for about an hour and a half.

«There were four of us who started and now we are about ten, all volunteers explains Flavio, secretary of Amis de la Micóoula, the association founded in 2008 by a group of young people from Hône, in Valle d’Aosta. The aim of the members is to rediscover the local tradition, recover the fields and rural buildings – such as mills, ovens, dryers – revalue the villages, the return of young people to their origins and above all the involvement of the whole community in a linked project to the territory. «Michel is the president, I am the oldest (32 years old, ed….). The others are all between 24 and 25 years old. We grow wheat non-commercially, but only to maintain tradition. Wheat, like all crops, needs rotation, so at the end of the wheat harvest, we sow potatoes.”

Courtesy Amis de la Micòoula

Glycemic index during the holidays: how to keep it under control – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

The Christmas period is the sweetest time of the year ever and we need to take shelter how to keep your glycemic index under control during the holidays. A rapid increase in blood sugar, i.e. blood sugar levels, as highlighted by several Education pushes an organ of our organism called pancreas to produce more insulin, a hormone which, in addition to influencing the sense of satiety, immediately makes you feel tired and sleepy and in the long run increases the risk of gaining weight, suffering from various types of diseases, including metabolic ones, but also of aging earlier and even have a greater risk of early mortality. We talked about it with the nutritionist Giulia Vincenzo.

What happens to the body with a blood sugar spike

When blood sugar spikes become frequent in the body they increase oxidative stressthe glycation and theinflammation, three conditions that increase the likelihood of suffering from various pathologies such as chronic ones, for example type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. And between greeting toasts, lunches and dinners based on rich and elaborate dishes and dishes, the risk of having glycemic peaks is truly high. «A multi-course menu such as that of holidays provides many simple sugars present in desserts, drinks, juices and refined carbohydrates, which are rich in breadsticks, bread, baked goods which can trigger a rapid increase in insulin, the hormone that has the purpose of lowering blood sugar by passing sugar into the tissues and organs, then giving the signal to “put it aside”” says the nutritionist Giulia Vincenzo. «Keeping the glycemic index under control allows you to first of all enjoy satiety for longer, therefore eating less and reducing the urge to gain fat, therefore gaining weight explains the expert.

How to keep your glycemic index under control during the holidays

Start lunches and dinners with a salad

The first course of an abundant and rich lunch or dinner like those of festive days in which foods and dishes dominated at the table high glycemic index such as bread, risotto, potatoes, refined pasta, baked goods, sweets it should be vegetable based. «The fibers in which the latter are rich represent a sort of buffer against the assimilation of sugars says nutritionist Giulia Vincenzo. «In addition to curbing the appetite at the beginning of the meal, they slow down the assimilation of carbohydrates and sugars present in the other courses. So yes to vegetables not only as a side dish, but also as an appetizer.”

The sweets? Better to eat them as a last course

Sweets, panettone, nougats, white fruit are among the delicious foods that are difficult to give up on holidays, but their consumption should always be moderate. The ideal is to indulge in them at the end of the meal rather than after hours. «Consuming them at the end of lunches and dinners in which there are also foods that provide fiber such as vegetables and greens, proteins in particular meat, fish, eggs and fats, such as dried nuts allows you to avoid that the simple sugars they are rich in raise blood sugar levels too much.

Avoid drinks and beverages rich in sugar

During lunch and dinner better andavoid consuming drinks rich in sugar, including carbonated ones but also fruit juices often present in aperitifs. Then avoid sugaring your coffee: sucrose, the classic sugar, has a very high glycemic index. «The risk is of contributing to changes in blood sugar. The sugars they are rich in are quickly transformed into glucose and absorbed very quickly.”

Eating green during the holidays is possible. Here’s how to do it – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

Eating green at Christmas? You can, or rather you must. This holiday represents the ideal time to shelter at home with family and friends, sharing special moments and, of course, delicious meals. But what exactly does “good food” mean today? In addition to organoleptic qualities, food must respect criteria that go beyond simple taste. As Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food, claims, food must be «good, clean and fair. Clean, i.e. produced according to environmentally friendly methods; fair, capable of guaranteeing respect for those who work there. Here are some rules to follow during Christmas holidays to adopt a greener approach to food.

10’000 Hours

Eating green: what food choices to make during the holidays

During the holidays it is time to favor high quality foods, possibly organic or from integrated agriculture with low environmental impact. Reduce your meat consumption and, when you choose it, opt for meat from controlled farms and organic. Prefer local, regional or national products to reduce the environmental impact of transport and, if possible, purchase them in bulk, to avoid unnecessary packaging. The choice of wine can also be oriented towards organic options. For those who want alternatives to meat, legumes are a valid option, providing high-quality proteins and ingredients for tasty recipes.

Avoid foods at excessively low prices, as they often hide hidden costs for the environment and workers. Avoid buying products from distant places and choose sustainable alternatives to endangered fish such as salmon. Opt for lesser-known, but equally tasty fish, a low environmental and seasonal impact, such as horse mackerel, zerro, tuna, tombarello, dolphin fish and red mullet. Also molluscs such as clams, mussels and oysters; and shellfish such as white shrimp (if coming from specific regions) and corn on the cob are conscious choices.

A sustainable celebration: don’t waste!

Reduce wasteespecially at the table, carefully preserving food and avoiding throwing away what remains. Avoid plastic films and prefer reusable containers with caps. When you go shopping, calculate the precise number of people and prefer bulk products to reduce packaging. When setting the table, avoid disposable plastic tableware and, if necessary, opt for compostable alternatives.

Too Good to Go together with Yougov have reported the data regarding the waste of Italians at the table during the holidays: the 40% of Italians waste over a quarter of Christmas food, with panettone leading the way, despite its high cost. However, they also emerge positive behaviors: