Valentine Fun: Famous Couples In History

Five Must-Read Books for 2012

Sweet Corn: Five Ways To Make Polenta

Polenta is an Italian dish made from boiled grains of cornmeal. Also known as grits, it’s an inexpensive, filling staple that can be cooked in a wide variety of ways. If you’ve never tried it, here are five simple recipes for polenta that you can make at home:

• Cook the polenta in chicken stock to add more depth of flavor and stir in fresh rosemary, golden raisins, and grated Parmesan cheese. This is an excellent side dish that goes with just about any main course.
• For breakfast, cook the polenta in milk instead of water to give it a more robust flavor. Mix in shredded Cheddar cheese, top with a fried egg and serve for a Southern-style start to the day.
• Polenta makes an excellent base for many kinds of meals. Serving a traditional ratatouille (a mixed vegetable stew) on top of a cake of polenta will let the flavors seep into the corn, perfectly finishing the plate.
• If you are cooking for people with a sensitivity to wheat gluten, polenta makes an excellent pizza crust. Cook as normal, let dry and smooth over the base of a pizza pan. Top as normal, bake in a hot oven and serve.
• Polenta cakes are also a great way to serve the dish. Mold them into the size and shape of a can lid, quickly fry them in a pan and top with shredded chicken, chipotle peppers, and shredded cheddar cheese. Bake them in an oven to melt everything together.

Liquid Gold: Five Ways To Save Water

It used to seem like water was an inexhaustible element, but in recent years the supply of potable water has dwindled, and many places on Earth have no access to clean water. Saving water can lead to savings in your utility budget as well as environmental benefits, and here are five simple ways to cut your consumption at home:

• When you wash dishes by hand, don’t keep the water running throughout the process. Plug your sinks up and fill one with soapy water and one with clean water for rinsing. You’ll use dramatically less hot water.
• For drinking water, fill a pitcher and leave it in the refrigerator. That way you don’t waste water waiting for the tap to cool. You’ll have a refreshing beverage whenever you want one and you’ll save water to boot.
• When washing fruits and vegetables, fill a pan with water and rinse them inside the pan rather than rinsing them under the faucet. You’ll get them just as clean with a fraction of the water usage.
• Taking shorter showers can be a massive water savings. If you shave in the shower, stop – doing it at the sink can reduce your water consumption by hundreds of gallons a month. Make sure not to let the shower run excessively before you step in as well.
• Save doing laundry until you have a completely full load – running the washing machine is one of the most water-intensive tasks, and doing a full load lets you stretch that water to its limit.

‘I Have Health Insurance. How Does the New Health Care Law Change My Life?’

It’s easy to get drowned in information (not to mention paperwork!) when it comes to figuring out your health insurance. The advent of the Affordable Care Act has added even more questions to mix. Here's an outline of how the new law can help you:

1. Your Right to Appeal

Under the new health care law, you now have the right to ask your health care plan to reconsider denials of payment for services. If your plan still denies payment, you can arrange for your case to be brought before an independent review organization. Read more here: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/rights/appealing-decisions/index.html

2. New Approaches To Prevention

The Affordable Care Act has made insured people eligible to receive more no-cost preventive services than ever before. Depending on your age, these services might include vaccinations, screenings, counseling, and flu shots. Click here to learn more: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/rights/preventive-care/index.html

3. Grandfathered Plans

You have the right to maintain your health plan according to any coverage you established before the law came into being. But it’s ‘grandfathered’ health plans aren’t necessarily eligible for all of the consumer protections created under the new law. Reading more can help you decide what’s best for you: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/rights/grandfathered-plans/index.html

4. Doctor Choice & Emergency Access

Note these three new developments: people can choose any doctor from their network as a primary care provider, women are free to access OB-GYN services without health plan barriers, and out-of-network emergency room services are available to all insured people.  Click here for more: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/rights/doctor-choice/index.html

5. Children with Pre-Existing Conditions

Many parents will take heart at this new development: under the Affordable Health Care Act, health plans can no longer restrict or deny coverage to a person under the age of 19 due to a pre-exiting medical condition. More details here: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/rights/childrens-pre-existing-conditions/index.html

Roll Out: Understanding Sushi

Sushi is no longer a novelty in America – you can find a Japanese restaurant in just about any decently-sized town, and some of them are even good. But there's still a barrier to entry when it comes to sushi. It’s a complicated food with a great deal of cultural tradition behind it. Here’s a simple field guide.

The first thing you need to know is that “sushi” doesn’t just mean “raw fish.” Sushi is the product of combining a protein or vegetable with a special kind of rice, prepared with vinegar and sugar. Sushi rice is the real core of the meal, and it needs to be made fresh.

There are two major types of sushi: nigiri and maki. Nigiri is the most “pure” form of the food – a cut of the main ingredient – typically fish – on top of a small dollop of sushi rice. Nigiri is designed to communicate the essential flavors of the fish without any other tastes masking them, and is the best way to evaluate the freshness of a sushi bar.

Maki, also known as rolls, have become the most popular form of sushi from Americanized restaurants. Ingredients are wrapped in a layer of sushi rice, rolled into a cylinder and sliced. A number of other things can be added – traditionally, a sheet of seaweed is used to hold the roll together, but restaurants use tofu skin as well. Rice on the outside is called an “inside-out” roll. These rolls are often topped with sauces or other fish.

Five Poets You Should Know

The poet Williams Carlos Williams once said “It is difficult to get the news from poems / yet men die miserably everyday for lack of what is found there.” His words point to the power of poetry as a source of sustenance for human beings. Here are five must-know iconic poets whose works are certain to enhance your life:

Robert Frost - If you think you know this poet because of some exposure to him in school, think again: diving into Frost’s body of work will reveal a very different poet from the one so often presented in cursory classroom exercises. His poems, ranging from funny to plaintive to dark, will excite your ear and energize your heart and mind.

Elizabeth Bishop – This is a poet whose impeccable eye for detail will astound you in poem after poem. She holds a vivid lens to the world and records it precisely as it is, continually testing the bounds between perception and truth. 

Richard Wilbur – One of the greatest living poets, Wilbur writes poems that will captivate you with their sounds while they challenge you with their content. His poems beg to be read aloud and memorized.

Sylvia Plath – Though the biographical details of her life sometimes overshadow Plath’s poetry, her work remains some of the most electrically charged and influential poetry of the 20th century. The poems burn on the page, flashing with a skillfully controlled energy force.

Philip Larkin - Considered one of the best English poets of the twentieth century, Larkin is poet whose works will dazzle you with their wry intelligence and sonic power. His poems, known for their often less-than-sunny world-view, never present one version of reality but instead acknowledge the complexity of experience.

How To Make Perfect Hummus

Middle Eastern cooking has become more and more popular in recent years, as the cuisine has won fans all over the world. One of the most essential elements in any meal is hummus, the delicious spread made from chickpeas. Sure, you can buy it in the store, but it’s remarkably easy to make your own. Here’s a great recipe that’s simple to follow and packs magnificent flavor.

Start with a 16 ounce can of chickpeas. Reserve a quarter cup of liquid from the can and drain the beans.

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, three tablespoons of lemon juice, two tablespoons of tahini (a paste made of ground sesame seeds, available at most grocery stores), two tablespoons of olive oil, three cloves of crushed garlic, and a dash of salt.

Blend in the food processor until the ingredients are mixed together and add the reserved liquid from the chickpeas.

After the liquid is added, blend again on a low setting for five minutes or until the mixture is smooth.

Serve with toasted pita bread as a snack or appetizer.

If you want to add some variety to your hummus, there are a number of things you can include during the mixing phase. The spicy condiment known as harissa can add some zest to your recipe, as can a dash of cayenne pepper. Other spices also create unique favor combinations – try coriander seeds or dill.

Serve fresh or refrigerate immediately after mixing to preserve your hummus longer. Enjoy!

The Soundtrack to Autumn

Autumn is here, so put on a warm jumper, make a cup of tea and turn on these tunes. They’ll help you reconnect with friends and reflect on the year gone by.

Neil Young – ‘Harvest Moon’

The title track of his 1992 LP has become one of Young’s signature songs.  It’s a perfect distillation of that romantic and ethereal October vibe.

Yo La Tengo – ‘Autumn Sweater’

The days are shorter, it’s getting cold, and we don’t know how to feel about it. Sure, those trees are pretty … but where did all the time go? You can’t help wanting to get away, and Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan understands. Over surprising drums and a warm, undulating organ, he croons ‘We could slip away/ Wouldn’t that be better?/Me with nothing to say/And you in your autumn sweater…’

R.E.M. – ‘Endgame’

This gentle almost-instrumental (with gorgeous, sleepily harmonized vocals) is about the bliss of letting go.

Cat Power – ‘Lived in Bars’

Life’s going slower now … but wasn’t the party great while it lasted? Cat Power’s Chan Marshall dazzles on this slow-burn torch song.

The Mamas & the Papas – ‘California Dreamin’

An obvious choice? Some would say it’s the only choice. Summer will be back, but for now, snuggle into the sofa, close your eyes and dream of sunny California.

Pure Goodness: Which Fruits And Vegetables Should You Buy Organic?

Organic produce is becoming more and more popular in the supermarket, as people learn more and more about the harm that pesticides can cause to our bodies. But different vegetables are affected differently by chemicals. Here are some that you should opt for organic whenever possible, and some for which it matters less.

The most important fruits to buy organic are tree fruits, especially stone fruits. The meat of nectarines, peaches, plums, and the like is exceptionally porous and absorbs and retains pesticides very well. In some studies, over 90% of those fruits, when tested, had noticeable levels of pesticides. In addition, leafy greens are also grown with excessive pesticides – lettuce, spinach, and celery in particular. Purchasing these fruits and vegetables grown organically is a good idea.

Some fruits and vegetables, however, don’t retain pesticides nearly as well and can be bought from conventional farms. Most notably, root vegetables are virtually pesticide-free. Carrots, onions, potatoes, yams, and other staples that grow under the ground don’t receive the amount of bug killer that above-ground plants do. In addition, most grains and legumes are fine to purchase conventionally. They are dried and processed so well that the residue of the pesticide is removed.

Organic food is more than a fad. And smart shopping will help you separate the necessary purchases from the needless expenditures!

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