Most people will concur that “carbohydrates are bad for you.” But just as there are good oils and bad oils, there are healthful and bad carbs.

COMPLEX CARBS = GOOD CARBS

“Good carbs,” more scientifically called complex carbohydrates, are important in your diet. Their chemical structure and density of fiber require the body to work harder to digest them, so energy is released over a longer time (this is the definition of “low glycemic”). They are:

 
For the most part, good carbs are consumed in their “natural” state or close to it. They include:

It’s easy to add good carbs to every meal—even in dishes more humble than lobster on quinoa. Photo courtesy David Burke Kitchen.

Consume three to five portions of them daily.
 

SIMPLE CARBS = BAD CARBS

Now for the bad news. Many of the foods that are staples of the American diet are bad carbs. They are calorie-dense, not nutrient-dense. They include:

 
Why are these carbs bad? They’re:

WHOLE GRAINS: CHECK THE LIST

Here’s an exercise for National Nutrition Month. The list below contains whole grains, some of which may not be familiar names. But they are available in natural foods stores and they are all delicious.

1. PRINT out the list below and put a check at the left side of each whole grain that’s part of your weekly diet. Use one check mark for each time you consume the grain during an average week.

2. REVIEW all the others, and select five whole grains you’d like to try. Check those grains on the left side of the list.

3. BUY those new whole grains and plan to try at least one over the next five weeks.

4. WORK more of the whole grains you already use into your meal plans. Replace potatoes and white rice.

 
*Grits are refined and are not whole grains.
†Salba is a trademarked name for chia. Kamut® is a trademarked name for khorasan wheat.
‡Chia and flaxseed are best used sprinkled onto foods or mixed into recipes for extra nutrition.

HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED?

Eat three or more servings of whole grain daily.

The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January 2011, recommends that all adults eat at least half their grains as whole grains. That’s at least 3 to 5 servings of whole grains; children need a minimum of 2 to 3 servings.

Yet, the average American eats less than one daily serving of whole grains; some studies show that more than 40% of Americans never eat whole grains at all.

But you, an educated, concerned consumer/parent/whatever, can do the right thing!

For more information, visit WholeGrainsCouncil.org.

While meat and seafood have been served at the same meal since since the dawn of plenty, and Diamond Jim Brady (1856-1917) consumed platters heaped with steaks and lobsters, the pairing known as surf and turf originated in 1960s America.

It became the darling of American steakhouse menus, combining the two most expensive items on the menu: lobster (surf) and filet mignon (turf). It has its own food holiday, February 29th, National Surf & Turf Day.

But we can’t wait until the next leap year, 2016, to share this treat: surf and turf sushi.
 
 
SURF & TURF HISTORY

The earliest earliest print reference found by FoodTimeline.org, our favorite reference source on the history of all things food, was published in the Eureka [California] Humboldt Standard of August 14, 1964:

“An entrée in restaurants in Portland [Oregon] is called surf and turf—a combination of lobster and steak.”

Some sources claim that the concept originated on the East Coast, based on a 1966 print citation newspaper article in the Miami News.

The columnist says that the restaurant La Hasta has created the best thing since lox and bagels—surf and turf; and that on some weekends the management had to take the dish off the menu, since demand exceeded supply.

Sorry, East Coasters: 1964 beats 1966.

Yet a third claim from a food writer couple, without printed proof, that the same dish by the same name was served at the Sky City restaurant in the Seattle Space Needle, at the 1962 World’s Fair.

That may be, but documentation is required. If anybody remembers it from the World’s Fair: Please raise your hand. There’s a bonus if you have the menu.

Fun fact: The beef-seafood combo is called “Reef and Beef” in Australia.

[1] Luxury sushi: a lobster-avocado maki topped with torched tenderloin, sweet eel sauce and a garnish of togarishi and rice crisps (photo © Ten Prime Steak And Sushi | Providence).

[2] Salmon sushi topped with pork tenderloin at Sushi Seki in New York City (photo © Sushi Seki).

The original may have been lobster and filet mignon; but as long as there’s something from the surf and something from the turf, you’ve got surf and turf! We “invent” a different combination for our monthly surf and turf dinner. The past year’s pairings have included:

 
And now, we’ve discovered surf and turf sushi from Ten Prime Steak And Sushi in Providence.

Our maki-rolling skills are rusty, but we’ll try it right after we master our March recipe, surf and turf meat loaf. (So far, ground chicken and whole baby scallops are the mix of choice.)

[3] Surf & Turf Eggs Benedict: lobster and filet mignon (photo © Bonefish Grill).

[4] A steak and lobster sandwich (photo © Sutter Home).

MIX & MATCH

You could fill every day of the year with a different option and not run out (and if anyone decides to start a restaurant based on that concept, send a hefty ideation fee here).
Pick your favorite seafood and meats: crab cake, crab legs, scallops or shrimp with lamb chops or pork chops, for example.

 
And props to Allen Brothers, purveyor of prime meats to restaurants and the public, for the idea of creating the surf-topped filet mignon.

The company topped filet mignon with a crown of lobster “stuffing” (chopped lobster, fresh herbs (try tarragon or thyme), scallions, cream, butter, sweet onions, bread crumbs and a touch of garlic), as well as a lump crab meat version with mozzarella, chopped spinach, garlic and rosemary.

(You’ll have to make your own, though; the company has updated the product with new, non-surf, toppings.)

Try your own hand at the new surf and turf and let us know your favorites.

 
 
WANT MORE?

Check out these Surf & Turf ideas.

[1] Stuffed peppers are a global favorite. Try this recipe stuffed with quinoa (photo © Whole Foods Market).

Peppers stuffed with lamb and feta (photo and recipe © McCormick).

[3] Red and green bell peppers (photo © Burpee).

[4] Sultanas (above) and slivered almonds (below) perk up almost any stuffed pepper recipe (photo © Faire).

[5] Slivered almonds (photo © Murray’s Cheese).

Stuffed peppers are enjoyed in cultures around the world. They’re a versatile food: for a first course, a light lunch or dinner or a side. You can stuff them with anything, including leftovers. And you can find them in “holiday colors,” from red and green for Christmas to purple, gold and green for St. Patrick’s Day.

A large pepper* is hollowed out (removing the ribs and seeds), stuffed and baked. The same technique is applied to eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini and other vegetables.

In more recent recipes, small stuffed peppers are served as hors d’oeuvre and snacks:

 
August 28th is National Stuffed Green Bell Pepper Day. But if you want to use orange, purple, red or yellow peppers, go right ahead.

November is National Pepper Month.
 
 
STUFFED PEPPERS AROUND THE WORLD

Get inspiration for your own recipes from these:

 
 
RECIPE: MEDITERRANEAN STYLE STUFFED PEPPERS

The delicious stuffing features ground beef, brown rice, golden raisins and almonds seasoned with flavorful, aromatic spices.

The recipe (photo #2) is also different because it slices the peppers in half, vertically, rather than cutting off the top (photo #1) to create a deep dish.

Prep Time is 10 minutes, cook time is 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. HEAT oven to 375°F. Mix rosemary, cinnamon, oregano and salt in small bowl. Set aside.

2. COOK ground meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 5 to 7 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally to break up meat. Drain fat. Add spice mixture; cook and stir 1 minute.

3. STIR in tomato sauce, raisins and almonds. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add rice and egg; mix well. Arrange bell pepper halves, cut-side up, in 13×9-inch baking dish. Spoon beef mixture evenly into bell pepper halves. Pour 1/4 cup water into dish. Cover with foil.

4. BAKE 45 minutes or until bell peppers are tender. Sprinkle filling with feta cheese. Bake, uncovered, 12 to 15 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned.
______________

*We find it easier to use shorter, wider peppers rather than taller, narrower ones.

†You can substitute conventional purple raisins, or currants.

Create your own stuffed pepper recipe by choosing different ingredients from among these:

 
Why don’t we include fish? While the Basque cod-stuffed pepper is very popular, and brandade (mashed cod in olive oil) works, we haven’t found other recipes that really sing. The delicate flavors of most fish (or shellfish) get buried.

If you have a great recipe, we’d like to try it.

Gumba-what?

If you can’t decide between gumbo or jambalaya for Mardi Gras (this year on March 4th), go for gumbalaya, a combination of both.

 
And gumbalaya (photo #1)?

After the widespread popularity of the cronut, Chef Mike Valentine of Ford’s Oyster House in Greenville, South Carolina thought it would be fun to create a mash-up of the two Cajun classics (photo #1).
 
 
RECIPE #1: FORD’S GUMBALAYA

Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Place chicken in a roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes. Let it stand for five minutes after taking it out of the oven, then cut into half inch pieces.

2. COOK andouille sausage in the oven for 8 minutes at 350°F. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

3. PLACE butter and flour in large saucepan. Turn on medium heat and cook while stirring constantly, until it becomes a light chocolate color. ADD green peppers, celery, onion, chicken, andouille sausage and bay leaves.

4. ADD chicken stock, stirring constantly so the roux fully incorporates with the stock.

5. ADD black pepper, cayenne pepper, Creole seasoning, hot sauce, oregano and thyme. Let the gumbo cook for 15 minutes. Add salt as needed.
 
 
RECIPE #2: JAMBALAYA SAUCE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add celery, onion and bell pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes.

2. ADD garlic, fresh thyme, oregano, cayenne, Creole seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Lastly, add the marinara sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Salt to taste.

3. ADD cooked rice to jambalaya sauce; combine thoroughly.

4. SERVE the gumbo in bowl with a heaping scoop of jambalaya/rice mixture and a side of toasted French bread. Option: Garnish with a sprinkle of cayenne and thyme (see photo #1).

[1] Ford’s Gumbalaya recipe combines the best of gumbo and jambalaya (photo © Ford’s Oyster House | Greenville, South Carolina [now closed]).

[2] A classic Louisiana gumbo (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

[3] Jambalaya. Here’s the recipe from Gimme Some Oven (photo © Gimme Some Oven).

[4] Andouille sausage from D’Artagnan (photo © D’Artagnan).

[5] Cooked and sliced andouille sausage (photo Wikipedia).

*You can buy or make your own Creole seasoning. Here’s Emeril Lagasse’s version, which makes about 2/3 cup: Thoroughly blend 2-1/2 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon cayenne, 1 tablespoon dried oregano and 1 tablespoon dried thyme. Store in an airtight container away from light. Use within three months.

†FOOD TRIVIA: Andouille, pronounced on-DWEE, is a spicy smoked sausage made with pork and garlic. The word is French, from the Old French andoille. Andoille dervies from the Medieval Latin inductilia, things to be introduced, from the Latin inductus, past participle of indUcere, “to introduce into a casing.” Whew!

In addition to movie-watching (or movie award show-watching), gourmet popcorn goes well with cocktails, wine and beer.

Don’t like cheese or rosemary? Head to Popcorn.org, the website of the The Popcorn Board, for scores of flavored popcorn recipes.

The recipes yield four quarts of flavored popcorn: 16 one-cup servings (or for our family, four one-quart servings).

We made these recipes with imported Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese because we love the superior flavor; but you can use domestic Parmesan.

You’ll get better flavor if you grate it freshly, rather than buy pre-grated (and please, nothing from a can!).

Here’s the difference between the imported and domestic versions.

Brighten up cheese popcorn with some rosemary. Photo courtesy Popcorn.org.

Ingredients For 4 Quarts

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the popcorn in a large serving bowl.

2. MIX the butter, olive oil and rosemary together in a small bowl; microwave 20 seconds to melt butter. Stir the butter mixture and pour over the popcorn; toss. Sprinkle the cheese, garlic salt and pepper over the popcorn.

3. TOSS again and serve.

Ingredients For 16 One-Cup Servings

 
Preparation

1. PLACE popcorn in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle popcorn with hot sauce, Parmesan cheese and garlic salt.

2. TOSS and serve immediately.

It’s a pleasant surprise: home-popped popcorn is one of the healthiest snacks you can enjoy.

It’s full of polyphenols, antioxidants that help to neutralize the free radicals that contribute to aging. In fact, popcorn has one of the highest levels of polyphenols of any plant food.

It’s also a whole grain, packed with fiber. If you use just a little butter or cheese, you’re adding a bit of cholesterol; but it’s just as easy to skip the cheese, use olive oil, and pile on lots of herbs and spices.

Note that prepackaged, store-bought microwave popcorn is less good for you, made with chemicals and synthetics for flavoring and coloring.

So pop it yourself—it’s easy enough! You can also make the following recipe without oil; but the amount we use is neglible. For an interesting twist, experiment with other oils you may have on hand: nut oils, sesame oil, etc.
 

RECIPE #3: EASY MICROWAVE POPCORN

Ingredients For 3 Cups

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the popcorn and oil in a bowl and mix to coat. Add to bag and sprinkle in the salt. Fold the top of the bag over twice to seal in the ingredients.

2. MICROWAVE on full power for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes, listening until you hear pauses of 2-3 seconds between pops and remove the bag from the microwave. (Even though there may be some unpopped kernels, to continue cooking risks burning the popped kernels.)

3. OPEN the bag carefully, releasing the hot steam; then pour into a serving bowl.