The City That Eats

And While We Are Discussing Health Benefits Of Certain Foods . . .

Consider those of curry:

The spice that gives many curries a yellow colour could help halt the spread of breast cancer, research suggests.

Scientists found that curcumin, the main ingredient of turmeric, appeared to stop tumours spreading to other parts of the body.

It proved particularly effective when combined with an existing chemotherapy drug.

Researchers described their findings as 'exciting' and said they hoped patients would be able to benefit from the discovery within a few years.

Scientists took 60 mice with breast cancer and, after removing the tumours, gave some curcumin and others a normal, drug-free diet.

The rest were given a common chemotherapy drug called Taxol, or a combination of curcumin and Taxol. The team found that 96 per cent of those on a normal diet with no medication developed tumours in the lungs that were visible without a microscope.

By contrast, none of those given curcumin and Taxol developed clearly visible tumours.

Even when examined under a microscope, only 28 per cent of the mice given a combination of curcumin and Taxol showed signs that the cancer had spread.

Mice given only curcumin also saw a 'significant reduction' in the number of visible lung tumours.

Scientists think that the spice helps shut down a protein that plays a key role in the spread of cancers.

Get thee to an Indian restaurant. Here's a list of Indian restaurants in Chicago.

Confirming The Health Benefits Of Fish

We've noted this before, but it is worth noting again that fish is very good for you:

Eating fish at least once a week slows the toll aging takes on the brain, while obesity at midlife doubles the risk of dementia, a pair of studies concluded on Monday.

Omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish have been shown to boost brain functioning as well as cutting the risk of stroke, and eating fish regularly appears to protect the brain as people age, the six-year study of Chicago residents said.

"The rate of (mental) decline was reduced by 10 percent to 13 percent per year among persons who consumed one or more fish meals per week compared with those with less than weekly consumption," wrote Martha Clare Morris of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

"The rate reduction is the equivalent of being three to four years younger in age," she added in the report published online by the Archives of Neurology.

The protective effect from eating fish was evident even after researchers adjusted for consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Now, if only fish weren't so expensive to obtain . . .

Everything They Told You Is True

Green tea does a body a good:

An ingredient of green tea may help to protect the brain against the ravages of Alzheimer's disease, research in the US suggests.

University of South Florida scientists found the component prevented Alzheimer's-like damage in the brains of mice bred to develop symptoms.

The component - EGCG - is already strongly suspected of offering protection against certain cancers.

The study is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

It provides evidence that EGCG decreases production of the beta-amyloid protein thought to play a key role in the development of Alzheimer's symptoms.

It is this protein that forms the characteristic plaques found in the brain of Alzheimer's patients which are thought to lead to nerve damage and memory loss.

After treating Alzheimer's mice for several months with daily injections of pure EGCG, the researchers observed a dramatic decrease - as much as 54% - of brain-clogging Alzheimer's plaques.

Lead researcher Dr Jun Tan said: "The findings suggest that a concentrated component of green tea can decrease brain beta-amyloid plaque formation.

"If beta-amyloid pathology in this Alzheimer's mouse model is representative of Alzheimer's disease pathology in humans, EGCG dietary supplementation may be effective in preventing and treating the disease."

But a caveat of sorts is in order:

Green tea contains many antioxidants, including those known as flavonoids, that can protect against damage to the brain caused by charged particles called free radicals.

However, the Florida team showed that other flavonoids in green tea actually block EGCG's ability to prevent the harmful build up of beta-amyloid.

Thus drinking green tea alone would not likely have a beneficial effect.

Dr Doug Shytle, who also worked on the study, said: "This finding suggests that green tea extract selectively concentrating EGCG would be needed to override the counteractive effect of other flavonoids found in green tea."

"A new generation of dietary supplements containing pure EGCG may lead to the greatest benefit for treating Alzheimer's disease."

Food That Does A Body Good

Fans of olive oil should be happy about this news:

Freshly pressed olive oil can ease the pain of living too well — literally — researchers said Wednesday.

The throat-stinging squeezings of the pulped olive — the only vegetable oil that can be consumed without processing — contains a compound that has the same pain-relieving effect as ibuprofen, scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia reported in research published in the journal Nature.

The discovery of a natural anti-inflammatory agent in extra virgin olive oil offers a reliable biochemical insight into the well-documented but puzzling health benefits of a Mediterranean diet, which appears to lower the risk of cancer, heart ailments and some chronic diseases even though it is high in fat and salt.

In the kitchen of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, where chefs drizzle, dip and splash $10,000 worth of Tuscan extra virgin olive oil every month, and the chic corporate corridors of Gourmet in New York, this newest finding about the pharmacology of food prompted bemused looks, skepticism and more than one deeply satisfied smile.

"It is always reassuring to hear that something so good has a health benefit," said cafe chef Russell Moore at Chez Panisse. "But it does seem strange that there would be whole cultures of people eating an anti-inflammatory all the time."

However, only the freshest — and usually most expensive — olive oil has significant amounts of the pungent compound, called oleocanthal, the researchers said. Aging and cooking destroy it.

The irritating intensity of the taste of a fresh extra virgin olive oil turned out to be directly related to how much oleocanthal the oil contained.

The highest levels are found in the olives grown in Tuscany and the lowest in many California olive groves.

Liquid Intelligence

I have a feeling that this link is going to make me a lot of friends.

You're welcome.

The Best Hamburgers In Chicago . . .

Are mentioned here. As readers will recall, I had the pleasure of dining at The Capital Grille while in New York a few months ago. The Chicago location is mentioned as a good place to get a burger--meaning, of course, that now I have no choice but to try it sometime.

Life can be so demanding. So very demanding.

Review--Taste of Chicago

This isn't exactly a restaurant review per se, but it seems important enough for the purposes of this blog. I attended the Taste of Chicago on the Fourth of July and while I enjoyed it overall, I do have a gripe.

It is, of course, axiomatic that Chicagoans love good food and that much of that good food is supposed to be rather bad for one's arteries. Thus, witness all of the attention paid in Chicago to deep dish pizzas, hot dogs, steak houses, etc. There were plenty such establishments at the Taste plying their wares. I don't begrudge their existence and I certainly like my share of unhealthy food (he says guiltily).

But where was the healthy food??? Surely, there had to be some. And Heaven knows, I looked. Perhaps I chose to look on the wrong day. Perhaps I didn't look hard enough. But even if both of these hypotheticals were true, it would still lay open the possibility that healthy food was too hard to find. And that is unacceptable.

And of course, no one says that healthy food has to necessarily be bad. Fish is incredibly good for you and quite tasty as well. And hey, we have a lake in Chicago! We can catch fish from it. So where was the fish? Why couldn't we have some--if only to alleviate all of the guilt we might have felt as a result of ingesting too much pizza and hot dogs?

'Tis a mystery. I hope someone chooses to resolve it by the time the Taste of Chicago rolls around next year.

Warning The Populace

The Taste of Chicago begins this weekend in my beloved hometown, and I urge all and sundry to go out and have themselves a grand time at this venerable institution. At some point during the Taste, you may very well see me there as well. Try to pick me out amongst the throngs.

But when you go, for Heaven's sake, be careful of what you eat:

A company convicted of running a rat-infested warehouse where 22 million pounds of meat and poultry were condemned by federal investigators was ordered Thursday to pay $10.2 million in fines and restitution.

U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber imposed a fine of $2 million, four times what lawyers for LaGrou Distribution Systems Inc. had hoped for, saying it was clear that "food was being held under unsanitary conditions."

Leinenweber also ordered LaGrou Distribution Systems to pay $8.2 million in restitution to companies whose food was destroyed because the Agriculture Department feared it had been contaminated by the rodents.

The 500,000-square-foot warehouse, now shuttered, had furnished food to stores and restaurants throughout the Chicago area.

"It was a real nail-biting experience," said Christian Brix, president of C.K.F. Foods Inc. of Mount Prospect, who was in court to watch.

Brix said the decision to destroy food he had stored in the warehouse forced him to seek new financing to keep his business going. "I had the pleasure of having a million pounds condemned," he said.

At the trial in January, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Sussman described the warehouse as "an amusement park for rats and a house of horrors for the city of Chicago."

Well.

Naturally, this story is disgusting. I doubt that it will prevent me from going to the Taste of Chicago and having myself a good time. But it is worth noting.  Watch what you eat, folks. Watch what you eat.

The Value Of The Blogosphere Reaches New Heights . . .

Thanks to this exceedingly informative post.

Restaurant Review: Ambria

After one trip to Ambria, it has qualified as one of my absolute favorite restaurants ever. Ever. Let us examine the reasons why.

For one thing, the meal started out delightfully with a very refreshing cold broccoli soup. It is meant to cleanse the palate and does a very good job of that, but it is also quite tasty--causing one to wish that it came in a slightly larger bowl (it comes, in fact, in a small cup). That was followed by a duck consommé soup which was hearty and superb. Very highly recommended.

Another palate cleanser--this time a lemon sorbet--followed. Again, quite refreshing.

Then I had the rack of lamb. (See the menu for the full description.) For those of you who wonder about how I might quantify the lamb, let me say that it was, perhaps the Best. Lamb. Ever. Despite the fact that it was cooked medium rare, it did not come out tough or excessively bloody, which I appreciated a lot. The lamb jus and the black coco beans complimented it especially well. Again, extremely hearty and very enjoyable. Also--unlike a number of foo foo dishes at French restaurants--this will fill you up. Fear not.

The coffee was gourmet quality. The raspberry sorbet was fruity and cool, but not too cold to administer brain freeze. Then there were chocolate candies that were delivered and they were just excellent. You have to eat them fairly quickly after handling them because otherwise they may begin falling apart in your hands, but that is just testament to how fine and how exquisitely they are made. And when you actually do pop them in your mouth, the experience is heavenly.

A very good wine list is available, including wines that are served by the glass. Unfortunately, the list of wines served by the glass is significantly less than the wines that one can buy by the bottle, but that is to be expected. Additionally, there is a bar at the front of the restaurant that is very well-stocked.

Note that you will have to pay a pretty penny in order to eat at Ambria. And when I say "pretty penny," I'm not kidding--a meal for one can easily cost $75 and maybe as much as $100. Also, jackets are required for both men and women, so be sure to dress properly.

But it's worth it. It is so worth it. Ambria easily qualifies as a very good "special occasion" restaurant where one can celebrate enjoyable happenings. And as I write this, I am plotting and scheming as to how to engender another "special occasion" so that I can go back.