Discovery Health - A Lyon in the Kitchen

Creatures of habit.

This blog is geared towards a gentleman who wrote in with a question about what to serve with salmon, and it really peaked my interest.  For two reasons, one, he recently found out that he’s diabetic, and two, I applaud Dad’s that desire to cook.  He commutes three hours a day, then cooks for his three kids then separately for he and his wife.  My suggestion for what’s in season right now?  Citrus baked Salmon, paired with braised turnip - mustard - or beet greens, and a warm spiced roast butternut squash soup.  Or perhaps paired with braised lentils with prunes and crushed toasted walnuts?  Balsamic braised radicchio?  Not one thing I’ve mentioned is processed, there is no extra fat, they are all ridiculously nutritious, and all are in season two of A Lyon in the Kitchen.  Yum. 

Salmon with squash?  I wouldn’t pair salmon with summer squash right now because soft squashes (squash and zucchini) are not currently in season.  Squashes have a lot of water and quite frankly, unless you go to the Farmer’s Market and pickup different varieties that you might not see in the stores, aren’t the most flavorful on their own.  Zucchini bread doesn’t count.  So we need to turn up the heat, quite literally.  Oven at 450*F, or on a grill, EVOO, Kosher salt and pepper, thinly sliced squash, cook until nicely colored, then in a bowl - toss with EVOO, finely minced garlic, a splash of good quality balsamic, then allow to sit for a few minutes.  What was once bland is now flavorful and slightly sweet!  However now, in the beginning of March?  Cut up carrots, parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes, toss with EVOO, thyme, Kosher salt, pepper, powdered ginger/cinnamon, some apple cider/Maple syrup, then bake at 400*F until nicely glazed and cooked through.  Stir occasionally. 

Now in my opinion, the best, fastest, and most flavorful way in which to prepare salmon is to quickly sear, then bake it.  The zest of one lemon, freshly chopped thyme, salt and pepper, rub, allow to sit at room temp for 25 minutes THEN … hot pan, EVOO, skin side down, straight into the oven at 400*F for approximately 12 to 14 minutes until opaque for a one pound salmon fillet.  Do not over-cook, plus a squeeze of lemon at the end.  Serving size?  No more than ½ pound per adult, believe me … that’s a lot of fish.  How about spinach?  Well, creamed spinach is darn good and can be made with a non-dairy creamer like Silk, however the best way is to steam, or better yet, sauté!  Ready?!?  The biggest sauté pan you own, very hot, then add EVOO, minced garlic for 5 seconds, toss in a handful of spinach – not too much – then season, sauté until wilted.  Remove to a side plate and repeat.  You want to quickly sauté the spinach in the pan, so it doesn’t steam.  Same holds true for nicely caramelized mushrooms, cook in smaller batches, not all at once.  Otherwise the spinach ‘bleeds’ – i.e. green water all over your plate.  No thanks.

Keep this in mind for everyone who is looking to loose weight and get healthy.  Unprocessed is healthy.  Seasonal is healthy.  Local is healthy.  Exercise is healthy.  Everything else should be consumed in moderation.  Physiologically, alcohol, for example, is a poison.  Thus, alcohol poisoning.  So when we drink, most of the food in our systems will be, more than likely, stored as fat until we can rid our systems of the poison.  Nothing wrong with a glass of wine now and again, and thank God for that because I love wine.  You ever hear of a beer-gut?  Me too.  How about a veggie-gut?  No?  Me neither.  Best of all, the healthy life-style habits of the man who wrote in will now be part of his children’s vocabulary, and that makes for healthier kids, fewer potential health problems, and perhaps, may even equate to a happier childhood.  Daily exercise, seasonal eating, simple cooking techniques, and time with the family.  Gotta’ love that.

There’s nothing like being a creature of habit, because right now, winter’s never tasted so delicious.

Mother Earth

Tasty, fresh, seasonal cooking.  Our grand-parents did it, so why can’t we?  Nature makes pairing foods a snap with simple geography, and the four seasons.  For example when would you ever serve watermelon and collard greens?  Butternut squash with a ripe nectarine?  Winter and summer foods just don’t go together.  There are reasons why our bodies crave gazpacho in the summer; it’s cooling for one, and the fruits and vegetables which go into making gazpacho are plentiful, full of delicious liquid, and the flavors blend oh so perfectly.  In the winter?  Warm hearty stews, braised meats, risotto with cheese, and dark rustic greens, warm both the body and soul.  Also … tomatoes, onions, garlic, leafy greens, olive oil, and fish?  All found in the Mediterranean, and so, work seamlessly together in recipes.  So, not only do the flavors in each season work wonderfully together, but the foods found in specific regions of the world do as well!

I am currently sitting at 36,000 feet, on a flight back east to raise funds and awareness in support of Michelle’s Earth Foundation (MEF), an environmental organization with which I am honored to corroborate.  I will be visiting the local Farmer’s Markets in the DC area tomorrow morning and then pairing flavors in order to cook for 100 on the evening of my 37th birthday in the cafeteria of my old high-school.  So, let’s see.  What are the facts?  It is currently 4 PM in DC, the temperature hovering around 32 degrees.  Oh, and it’s supposed to snow tomorrow.   Apples?  Yes.  Winter gourds?  Yup.  Dark hardy greens too?  Oh yes, and local eggs, cheeses, honey, and local milk which means homemade ricotta!  All right!  Now we are getting somewhere.  That sounds like the makings for a nice dessert.  Before I left Los Angeles I looked on the internet, typed in ‘Arlington VA Farmer’s Markets’, held my breath (for a sense of drama) and pressed enter.  Within seconds (cue really cool music and strobe lights) I had phone numbers, names, locations, what’s currently in season, links to CSA’s, local government … it’s all right there!  Sweet. 

Cooking with the seasons.  Just sit quietly and listen to Mother Earth because she has much advice to offer us.  As it turns out, Mom is always right.  Who knew?

Seasons

   I had to take off my favorite tee-shirt sheets today and replace them with heavy-weight cotton.  In a handful of weeks even this won’t be enough to shield me from the crisp air that sneaks in my bedroom window at night. Soon my comforter will wake from its slumber and stretch out over the corners of my bed like the pastry lattice over a fresh apple pie. 

    I love this time of year.  Today was the first day, when I looked into the sky and breathed in the cooling air that I thought, Fall is coming.  Which means for some of you, who live up north, the chill has already arrived.  Perhaps even the comforters, too.  It is currently 11:12 PM and 66 degrees here in Hollywood, 82 in the south of Florida, and 37 in Maine. Two ears of fresh corn sit in the fridge, while sweet potatoes bake in the oven.  Ebb and flow.  The seasons change as do our wardrobes, and ultimately, as do our menus. The apples, winter squashes, and dark leafy greens will soon be at the local market.  I say, bring it.

   I can see it in the faces of my Farmer’s Market customers.  They know that soon the peaches, nectarines, and plums will be pushed aside for Asian pears and persimmons.  White sangria for persimmon custard.  My chilled gazpacho, replaced by warm minestrone.  Grilled replaced by braised, and sorbet for sweet potato pie.   My Farmer’s tan replaced by the stark reality of my Scottish heritage.  I will have waited almost seven months for a proper wild mushroom risotto, a side of braised kale, or ragu alla Bolognese with freshly shaven Parmesan Reggiano!  Oh dear, where are the marshmallows and a warm mug of hot cocoa?  Not the powdered stuff, REAL hot cocoa!  Or the spiced apple cider my Mom would have ready for my brothers and me on the cast-iron stove after a brutal winter snowball fight. 

    As the changing season brings modifications to our lives—our wardrobe, our menus, our ways of celebrating the day—there is one constant for which I am thankful: The many viewers who have sought me out, either on MySpace, or by leaving notes on the Discovery Health posting board, or by stopping me in the street to share your thoughts.  It’s nice to know that you would take the time to communicate your cooking thoughts with me, or to simply say hello.  I have done my best to design Season Two around your comments.  Hey, without you guys my dream to share on Discovery Health is only that … a dream.  Thank you all. 

    So fall is only the beginning, really.  The rebirth of comfort foods, which brings us together, quite literally at times, if for no other reason but to keep warm around a fireplace.  So let’s do as the ants do and gather up everything we need to ensure a wonderful, peaceful winter.

   It’s amazing the difference half a loop around the sun will make.

Related Links:

A Lyon in the Kitchen site

Nathan's Myspace page

Healthy Living Center

Cooking Essentials

I love cool stuff.  Preferably, things that look both fast and ergonomically correct just sitting on the shelves of my kitchen.  But more times than not the excitement and romance of my new purchases are fleeting.  Most of my space-age machines are not independently useful, so other items must come into play, like a cutting board and knife, so that the food actually fits in said container so as to be quickly pulverized, whipped, fried, folded, or my personal favorite … thinly sliced.  Yet in the end what works best are some basic “no frills” items. 

   A good chef’s knife must fit your hand properly.  The handle should not be too big or small, with your index finger and thumb on either side of the blade, for ultimate control.  Don’t hold the handle like you would a hammer or tennis racket; rather, wrap the handle into your fingers (post any questions on this one).  My favorite knife (eight-inch chef’s knife) cost me $38.  Plus, a nice paring knife is good to have on hand too.  A big knife for your big jobs, a small one for smaller jobs.  Nice.  A timer?  Absolutely.  Measuring spoons, cups, a nice rubber spatula, and a vegetable peeler are a must.  A pot, some sauté pans, and a saucepan.  I’m not big into purchasing a massive 17-item “set” if I only use four.  Same with knives.  Next, a food processor and professional mixer are two items built to cut time spent in the kitchen.  There are smaller versions of both machines that can be just as useful, if not more versatile, than the larger versions for single people like me. Also, if space is an issue (like in my kitchen), a hand-wand with attachments that double, or triple as other helpful tools is a great investment.  A blender, whipper, chopper, slicer, and puréer all in one.  Useful and cool, who knew?  Is “puréer” even a word? 

    Sure, shiny things are always a lot of fun to have around the kitchen.  I feel faster somehow, as if my moves are more efficient and smooth like the lines of the machines themselves, but too many machines usually makes me slower, not faster.  In the end, great food comes from skill, passion, and love … plus I only have one outlet in my kitchen, clearly not enough for all my gadgets. 

Related Links:

A Lyon in the Kitchen site

Nathan's Myspace page

Healthy Living Center

Living in California

    I specifically recall, at the age nine, walking home after delivering newspapers with my daschund in tow. It was wintertime and my fingers and toes were frozen from the sleet-covered air.  When I finally reached home, my Dad was reading the paper: the forecast for Washington DC was 34 degrees while southern California read 74.  How was that possible?  Did those tanned people in southern California eat canned beets, beans, and whatever else they could shove into a can during the winter months back in the 70’s?  I used to dream of delivering papers in 74-degree winters.  A simple dream, sure, but what a luxury that would have been. 

Fast-forward 27 years and here I live in southern California, loving the warmth and lack of allergens that would plague my youth back in Virginia.  But there is always compromise.  Humidity?  Traffic?  Foliage?  Clean air?  Working at Farmer’s Markets gives me first pick of fresh produce in the area, which as a chef, is heaven.  I have also learned just about everything I know about organic and sustainable farming while living here in California, however at an ironic cost, as I rent an apartment with no yard.  When I go back east to visit my parents I see loads of incredible produce, in both markets and stores, a far cry from the lack of variety I would see as a child.  But I also see trees, yards, and gardens too.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is the simple fact that every state has something to offer.  Some states are warmer than others, but it’s those colder states that offer the best cherries, apples, wine varieties, and incredible seafood.

Los Angeles is an amazing place to live, if only for nine years thus far.  The traffic, air quality, and real estate prices are certainly of concern but it’s nice to open a newspaper in December and know that I live where the high temperature might just break 74 degrees … at least for now.

Related Links:

A Lyon in the Kitchen site

Nathan's Myspace page

Healthy Living Center

The Sweet Life

    I sell fruit.  Fancy huh?  Of all the things I enjoy most, selling fruit is … well, second.  I mean come on, I love educating my customers about farm-fresh produce, but it’s hosting A Lyon in the Kitchen that makes me giggle as I turn off the lights every evening.  I have arrived to a place that feels as natural, and as nurturing, as being back home with my friends and family, and it feels mighty good, I’ll tell you what.

    I don’t know what else I would love doing more than hosting a healthy cooking show.  Looking back on my dysfunctional flow chart called life, the conscious decisions that I made along the way seem to have come together in perfect fruition. From washing dishes, to bussing tables, to waitering, bartending, catering, and even driving cross-country with my buddy Jason without working lights or a functioning speedometer.  Okay fine, scratch the last one, but travel does play an important role in the show too, so let’s keep it on the list.  Everything happens for a reason.

    I love being a part of a community: my immediate neighborhood, the Farmer’s Markets, Discovery Health, and also those who take the time to e-mail in their comments after watching.  We all can benefit from a little loving constructive criticism, and I most certainly appreciate people taking time out of their lives to share their thoughts with me.  Life is funny like that.  Like an old comics clipping from Gary Larson’s “The Far Side,” crazy as it seems, through my comedy of errors called life, to host a healthy cooking show does make sense.  I’ll tell you, I do love selling fruit at the Farmer’s Market, but nothing’s as sweet as finding one’s calling in life. 

Related Links:

A Lyon in the Kitchen site

Nathan's Myspace page

Healthy Living Center

Julia

One day, around the age of seven, I met Julia.

    Julia Child ruled my elementary and middle school afternoons.  My Mom and I would watch her show as she cooked with total abandon.  And with every episode, Julia—along with Graham Kerr, the “Galloping Gourmet”—would empower me to cook and have fun doing so.  From both chefs I learned that it was a joy to spend time in the kitchen. 

    Dreams of a restaurant blossomed from this time, and around the age of 12, I began collecting used Gourmet magazines.  The moldy pages drove my allergies crazy, but I still flipped each page with conviction.  Assisting with dinner became a regular practice.  Then, just prior to turning 16 my parents asked what I wanted to do for my birthday.  Now far be it from me to turn down putt-putt golf or bowling, I mean who doesn’t love that?  But I said that I wanted to cook.  I wanted to choose a recipe from an old Gourmet magazine, invite my friends over for dinner, and make a feast.  And so it was.  For the next few years, in celebration of my birthday I would receive money from my parents, purchase food, and have my friends over for dinner.  It beat acid-washed jeans every time.

    Like I said, inspiration comes from the strangest places, as do those things that influence us.  Be it family, friends, mass media, or perhaps some random snack that you picked up while driving across country.  Allow everything to effect you and the path of culinary arts will be a fun one indeed.  Just please keep your hands inside the car at all times, and enjoy the ride.

The Road To Discovery Health

My road to being a chef has been the road less traveled.

Growing up the youngest of three boys was great at times, when they would take me to parties with them, and not so great when they would do what older brothers do best: beat me up.  But either way it's no secret that the youngest gets the most attention, bruised or not.

My grandparents lived a mere four houses down the street so that I could easily escape my brothers' wrath to the safety of my grandmother's kitchen or garden, where my grandfather would be gardening for her. So my relationship with fresh food developed during these early years. Even growing up in Arlington, Virginia made the Blue Ridge Mountains, picking fresh peaches and apples, and ultimately my great-grandmother's farm, fairly accessible. Gathering fresh eggs from under the chickens and helping to dig up thistles (sharp spiny plants) so that the cows wouldn't eat them was a treat. One less chicken somehow translated into an amazing grilled chicken dinner. Both sets of grandparents also had modest cabins near water, so my family would go fishing and crabbing at least once a year. Fresh seafood has never been more delicious than when you catch it yourself.

At a young age I had a natural attraction to the arts, drawing inspiration from my Mom, in the fields of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and cooking. I also developed quite the work ethic, which I learned from my Dad. I inherited my paper route from my oldest brother, Craig, whom I used to assist free of charge. Years later I began waitering, then I was a dishwasher, landscaper, worked at a nursing home, and even spun records during college. I enjoyed acting too, which began while playing The Lion in our third grade production of The Wizard of Oz. Seemed like an appropriate role don't you think?

My degree is in Health Science, which involved anatomy (cadavers), physiology, chemistry, and biology. So when I moved out to Los Angeles it made since to complete a course in which to become an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). So I find the human body an amazing thing with which to respect and care for, inside and out. I even had the wonderful opportunity to join others and help raise money for AIDS research by bicycling from Fairbanks, Alaska to Anchorage. A life changing event, indeed.

Now at the age of 36 I work with farmers at local farmer's markets, and have finally attained my dream, that being to share and teach. What better medium than television? What better a network than Discovery Health? Who knew that the majority of my jobs, activities, and education were all somehow applicable to what I am doing now. Total fruition. Totally happy.

"Local" & "Organic"

When given the choice, I purchase local over organic. When an organic item is shipped great distances, there is an environmental price that is paid. I don't support organic produce being shipped across the country, thousands of gallons of fuel being used, when I can find the same produce, conventionally grown, close by. I support my immediate community too, be it my butcher, fish monger, or the woman who sells me cheese. They know from where, when, and how these foods were made. I like that. Do super-duper-mega-marts have intimate information to offer me? Not so much.

I enjoy driving to local farms and learning about the manner to which my food is grown. I enjoy shaking the weathered hands of those that plant, water, and pick my food. Just as my Grandfather's hands looked after a lifetime of gardening for my Grandmother in his own backyard. I love seeing rich, deep, brown soil, and an occasional bug scamper by my feet. I recommend organic first, when it comes from a local source, followed by California grown, then US grown, but above all else ... make it seasonal.

Patience my friends, patience. Great food is worth the wait.

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Related Links:

About Nathan Lyon

See Recipes from Nathan's TV Show

Visit the "Lyon in the Kitchen" website on Discovery Health

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