Better With Butter
Plan now to indulge later
This summer, I made a quick dessert on repeat for my husband and son: macerated strawberries with whipped cream. Yes, I whisked up a batch of whipped cream at least once a week, sometimes twice. I used real organic grass-fed heavy cream, organic sugar, and organic vanilla. I taught my son how quick and easy it is to grab a bowl and hand mixer, pour three ingredients in, and, voila, whipped cream.
Surprised? It gets better. Yes, I not only make dessert for my family with sugar and full-fat cream but—I hope you’re sitting down—I also bake chocolate chip cookies a couple of Sundays a month. You may be thinking I am a health heretic, but my logic is based on experience and evolutionary reasoning.
I vividly remember a trip my husband and I took to Paris in the 90s. I was struck by how many bakeries there were; it seemed like there was one on every corner, yet the people bustling about outside on the streets all appeared svelte and slender. Peeking inside the boulangeries, we were greeted by beautiful big cases brimming with buttery croissants, fruit-filled pastries, and beguiling treats. Our breakfast often consisted of a couple of the aforementioned croissants (they were super airy) with slabs of deep yellow butter…I honestly couldn’t get enough. But I was perplexed. How were women so willowy with all these pâtisseries?
Real ingredients are best
It didn’t make sense at the time, but now I understand the dichotomy. The majority of the French diet—especially 30 years ago—was real food, not the over-engineered fodder that flooded the American market beginning in the 1980s. Plus, the baked goods were interestingly not as sweet as what is customary for an American palette. And, of course, people living in the city walked a lot, everywhere, every day.
All these decades later, there is beginning to be an enlightened understanding of the havoc these highly processed Frankenfoods wreak on our health. These wholly manufactured ingredients, which have not been an integral part of our evolution, could very well be responsible for the skyrocketing rates of obesity and the myriad of diseases plaguing our nation.
Unbelievably, over 11,000 food ingredients are allowed stateside but forbidden in the EU, Japan, and other countries. Coloring dyes, azodicarbonamide bleach, BHA and BHT preservatives, brominated vegetable oil, rBGH growth hormone, and potassium bromate are just a few examples of ingredients our bodies don’t know what to do with. As an interesting side note, while the rate of type 2 diabetes is on the rise in France, it is less than half the rate in America.
I’ve written plenty about how my mom’s health dramatically improved when I eliminated her packaged foods habit and cooked her meals from scratch. She was in her late 80s when she lost close to 90lbs and was weaned off of high blood pressure and high cholesterol medications. Through her whole-body transformation, I experienced firsthand the ability to take control of one's health and make a difference for the better.
Healthy holidays
With the holiday season approaching, I see “healthier” recipes popping up on social media and gracing magazine covers, but these honestly don't appeal to me. One year, we were at a friend's home for Thanksgiving, and I was mortified that they were using non-fat milk for mashed potatoes. (For the record, I’m not convinced that the processes used to make low-fat anything are good for our health; in fact, it’s very much the opposite.)
My philosophy is quite different. It is vastly more important to eat clean, whole, real food as a lifestyle and to make holiday meals with the best, most indulgent ingredients possible so that they are delicious, genuine treats to anticipate and savor, as befits a celebration. In our house, that means cooking and baking with the real stuff.
My strategy
Right now, I’m stocking up on Kerigold grass-fed butter (both salted and unsalted for baking), organic flour and sugar (the Whole Foods brand is affordable), Bob’s Red Mill baking powder (aluminum-free), baking soda, and arrowroot to thicken gravy (all the Bob’s Red Mill products are sound), and Bonafide organic chicken bone broth as a stock base. I take a cue from the French desserts and use slightly less sugar than what a recipe calls for…no one notices, and we are spared that typical sugar rush.
About a week from Thanksgiving, I’ll shop for other staple items such as vegetables, potatoes, fresh herbs, half and half, and heavy cream. I like organic A2 cream, which comes from A2 cows that only contain the A2 beta-casein protein that is easily absorbed and digested. In contrast, most cows found in the US contain the A1 protein that causes indigestion and allergies. If that’s an issue for you or your family, look for A2 dairy products—Alexandre Family Farms is a favorite.
I also make bread cubes for the dressing. It couldn’t be easier to cut up a French loaf, spread it on a cookie sheet, and let it air dry for several days. That way, I know precisely what is in the dressing. Please don’t use the StoveTop variety, where high fructose corn syrup is the second ingredient, even before onions…I kid you not!
It’s never too late or too early
Wherever you are on your health and wellness journey, it’s never too late to clean up or tweak your diet. Eliminate the hidden sugars lurking in many foods, from “healthy” tea drinks to pasta sauce to bread. Forego highly processed products containing artificial ingredients our bodies don’t recognize or utilize. Cook and bake to control the ingredients.
Butter and cream may not be the villains we have been led to believe they are, especially in moderation. I believe there is room for them in a diet absent processed and packaged foods. While I’m not advocating for dessert every day (sorry!), I firmly believe natural, occasionally indulgent ingredients are part of a healthy lifestyle, especially during the holidays. After all, eating well and celebrations are an integral part of living well, aging great.