London Student » Food

Science of…New Year’s Resolutions!

Harriet Jarlett — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:30:26 +0000

It’s a new year, a new start, and for many Londoners it’s time for a New Year’s resolution. Thousands across the city have taken the pledge to lose weight and get healthy. London Student spoke to Miguel Alonso Alonso, Instructor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, whose research is based on eating behaviour and obesity, to find out the secrets of what makes a diet plan successful.

Professor Alonso says that most diets end in failure as dieting “requires big effort”, he goes on to explain: “On a normal day, deciding what to eat is usually pretty easy and far less demanding in terms of effort: we eat what is available, tasty, appealing, or what people we trust or love cook for us. So dieting, a form of goal-oriented behaviour, is hard to maintain over time.”

With a new diet fad surfacing every other week it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pick a good diet plan over those based on ‘junk’ science. “If a diet promises too much, that should raise a red flag,” says Professor Alonso, “people should be very cautious when they hear for the first time about a new diet that looks exciting and magic… At this point it should be clear to everybody that there is no magic diet or magic pill to lose weight.”

Picking the right diet is only half the battle, many struggle to let go of bad eating habits. What’s the secret to sticking to your new diet? According to a new study from the Harvard Neurology Professor, exercise is more important than initially thought.

The study, published in Obesity Reviews, showed that exercise improves your awareness of being full, reducing the likelihood of overeating during meals, and this awareness can also have longer-term effects on how a person responds to being around food. Exercise can also help suppress impulsive eating urges. The study draws on past research that has shown exercise creates more connections in the prefrontal part of the brain, improving cognitive functions, which can help you resist ‘forbidden food’ and overcome temptation.

A great diet and exercise plan means very little if you’re not in the right state of mind when making your resolution. Professor Alonso said: “Motivation, attitude and mood are very important. A person who is trying to lose weight should be determined and able to set realistic expectations, have time and energy for this effortful process, and be able to keep a positive attitude to work hard, accept failures and learn new skills.” Your new diet should be less focused on immediate weight loss and more on a gradual lifestyle change. Professor Alonso emphasises the importance of being “long term-oriented”, as previous research has shown this is key to not only losing weight but keeping it off.

Dieting, while a popular resolution, still remains one that most people break. It’s important to remember that dieting requires changing a fundamental aspect of yourself, and this requires a great deal of effort.

Cut out and keep: Bake away

Renie Kam — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:17:43 +0000

My all time favourite activity is baking, purely because there is nothing more therapeutic and satisfying than creating your own delicious treats from scratch – something you could never get with store bought goods. There’s nothing better than whipping up a delicious batch of triple chocolate and orange cookies or super simple cakes and sharing the warm fuzziness of baked goods with friends and family. Here are some fun and easy recipes to get you in the mood for baking!

Nutella and banana cake

Ingredients:

-2 ripe bananas (overripe will do)

-170g caster sugar

-170g self raising flour

-170g butter

-3 large eggs

-A few drops of vanilla essence

-2 large tablespoons of Nutella

-5 Toblerone triangles broken into small chunks

1// Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius/gas mark 3.

2// Mash bananas and mix with other ingredients until well combined.

3// Pour into a lined loaf tin.

4// Bake for an hour.

5// Tip out when cool and enjoy!

MatchA (green tea) shortbread

Ingredients:

-90g icing sugar

-142g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

-219g plain flour

-3 large egg yolks

-1.5 tbsp Matcha (powdered green tea)

-100g granulated sugar (for coating)

1// Preheat the oven to 350F (175 C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2// Whisk the icing sugar and green tea together in a bowl. Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture and mix until smooth and light in colour.

3// Add the flour and mix until well combined.

4// Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a dough forms.

5// Form the dough into a disc and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).

6// Roll the dough out to ½ inch (around 1cm) thickness.

7// Cut the dough with a cookie cutter.

8// Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat.

9// Place the sugar-coated cookie on a parchment-lined pan.

10// Bake at 350F (175 C) for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.

Chocolate and orange cookies

Ingredients:

-125g dark chocolate (use a good quality Fairtrade chocolate)

-125g white chocolate (use a good quality Fairtrade chocolate)

-150g plain flour

-30g cocoa powder

-1 tsp bi-carb

-125g butter, cut into cubes and softened

-75g light brown sugar

-50g caster sugar

-1 egg

-Zest of 1 orange

-Optional: A few drops of orange flavouring

1// Pre-heat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3 and line a large baking sheet. Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave in 30 second blasts or over a pan of barely simmering water until melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

2// Place the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, orange flavouring and salt into a bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and sugars together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the cooled melted chocolate and beat to combine.

3// Beat in the orange zest and egg, followed by the flour mixture. Once combined stir in the chocolate chunks.

4// Roll the dough into small or large balls, depending on what size you want your cookies, and place on the baking tray. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of a cookie comes out clean.

5// Once baked, remove from the oven and leave the cookies to cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

D.R.I.N.K: LAB

Renie Kam — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:16:22 +0000

Opened in 1999, LAB (London Academy of Bartenders) has been the place to go for well priced and good quality cocktails. With an extensive cocktail list, there is an abundance of choice.

We kicked off with a Jack Bauer Sour and the Bon Bon – unfortunately the Jack Bauer was pretty disappointing – I was expecting a potent mix of Beefeater 24 Gin, Suze and Chartreuse Herbal Liqueurs, egg white and green tea syrup but instead, was presented with something that tasted weak and oddly soapy.

Luckily, the Bon Bon saved the day – deliciously sweet and creamy, the Limoncello and tangy lemon juice cut across the warmth of the vanilla vodka, butterscotch schnapps and vanilla sugar, creating a perfectly balanced cocktail.

Other favourites included the Tiramisu cocktail – a creation from the LAB kitchens, it was a delectably rich mix of flavours of the Patrón XO Café Tequila, Mozart white and dark liqueurs and mascarpone cheese all topped with an invigorating shot of espresso and dusted with rich dark chocolate powder.

For those who don’t fancy an alcoholic tipple, there are a few delicious creations in their “Hall of Shame”. We sampled the Melonie, a refreshing blend of watermelon, apple and cranberry juices shaken with lemon juice and elderflower cordial and also the fantastically flamboyant Parade which consisted of a passion fruit and raspberry puree mixed with fresh apple, orange and lime juices.

The only downsides are the fact that bartenders can take quite a while to concoct your drinks – but this is small price to pay for the excellently crafted drinks they come up with. I’ve also heard complaints that the cocktails are too sweet so if you like a cocktail that packs a punch, it might be a good idea to ask the bartenders to tone down the sugariness.

LAB bar is great place to hang out with friends and soak up the great vibe and atmosphere – excellent cocktails and friendly service means it will continue to be a good place to chill and relax.

Details, details:

12 Old Compton Street,

London W1D 4TQ

020 7437 7820

E.A.T: Taro, Soho

Renie Kam — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:10:08 +0000

Nestled in Brewer and Compton streets lie what I believe to be one of the best Japanese sushi and noodle bars in London. I came across Taro around a year ago, after a particularly unfulfilling meal at Leon (yes, I had two dinners and feel proud, rather than ashamed at revealing this potentially embarrassing fact).

The menu had a pretty good variety of noodles, sushi and bento sets but I decided to order the chicken teriyaki-don on the recommendation of my companion. I wasn’t expecting anything particularly amazing – it was late, I was hungry and at that point would quite happily have devoured a small woodland creature. However, when my chicken teriyaki arrived, I was impressed.

The box itself was pretty unassuming, but within there was a bed of fluffy, perfectly seasoned steamed rice on which lay roughly cut chunks of fresh, succulent chicken, draped in a thick curtain of oozing, syrupy and rich teriyaki sauce.

What surprised me the most was not the perfect execution of this Japanese staple, but the way in which the chicken was cooked was totally, and blissfully perfect. The chicken still had the skin perched precariously on the flesh, but it had crisped up into a delicious curl of salty fat and was not dissimilar to torikawa, which is often serves as a bar snack served in Japan. The sauce was also superbly delectable – it perfectly balanced the saltiness of the chicken with its sweetness.

As I dug into my food, my companion, an avid traveller who had recently returned from a four month stint in Osaka casually mentioned that he had been to Taro for many years and that the teriyaki here was far better than any he had eaten in Japan. After berating him for his neglectfulness I went on to order more gems from the menu.

The sushi was similarly fantastic – the salmon, eel and octopus were super fresh and the portions were generous. There were thick slices of fish on the rice, as opposed to thin, anaemic looking slices that you usually get in sushi bars in London.

Taro is also exceptionally good value – we ate very well and spent around £18 each, including drinks. There are also two locations, one in Brewer Street and Old Compton Street, which are within a five minute walk from one another. The staff are friendly and you can often see Mr. Taro himself at the Brewer Street branch. Taro gets super busy at weekends on both sites but there’s no need to book, unless there’s three or more of you – just turn up and you should be able to get a seat, as long as you don’t mind feeling a tad cramped.

Overall, taro is truly awesome – good quality food at a price that won’t make you baulk – quite a rare occurrence when it comes to sushi in London these days.

Details, details:

61 Brewer Street, London W1

Tel: 020-7734 5826

10 Old Compton Street, London W1

Tel: 020-7439 2275/020-7494 1603

E.A.T: Liven your lunchbox

Helena Goodrich — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:09:07 +0000

There are some alternative ideas to the typical “sandwich and crisps” lunch. You can proudly show your friends your amazing cooking skills and get to bring in a cute little plastic tupperware box (if you don’t have one, immediately purchase this amazing invention from a supermarket). It is usually easier to make lunch the night before!

NB: Always remember to bring a fork to avoid awkward eating with fingers situations.

Roasted Vegetable and Feta wraps:

A pack of soft tortilla style wraps

1 small onion

1 courgette

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

100g whole baby tomatoes

75g feta cheese cut into cubes (or alternatively dollop of humus)

Lettuce leaves (pref. mixed leaves)

1 tsp chopped dried mixed herbs (optional)

A spoon of tomato and chilli pasta sauce, green pesto or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat your oven up to 130 degrees C. approx

2. Roughly chop the onion, courgette, peppers and tomato then place them on a baking tray. Drizzle them in the olive oil, season and sprinkle with dried mixed herbs if you have any.

3. Roast them in the oven for 25 minutes or so, until the vegetables are soft and turning slightly brown. You can wander off and do something else at this point only not for too long, there’s nothing worse than burnt vegetables.

4. Leave the mixture to cool.

5. Place some lettuce leaves in the centre of your wrap along with the feta cheese (or humus) and any sauce.

6. Place a healthy dollop of Roasted Vegetable mixture in the centre on top of the other fillings.

7. Roll the wrap tightly because you don’t want your filling to fall out (it’s easiest to fold in two sides of the circle slightly then roll from the other direction). Cut the wrap in half and wrap in tin foil.

Quick and Easy Pasta Salad:

This is a great summer dish, good hot or cold and can be easily adapted depending on what ingredients you have.

300g penne pasta

2 desert spoons olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

1 avocado peeled and sliced

100g cherry tomatoes, halved

50g Mozzarella cheese cut into cubes (or shavings of parmesan if you prefer)

Salt and pepper to season

Add Rocket leaves, fresh Basil, sun-dried tomatoes, black kalamata olives, prosciutto ham, pine nuts.

1. Cook the penne pasta for 10-12 minutes, until still al dente (a tiny bit chewy)

2. Drain pasta and drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice if you like. Season well with salt and pepper.

3. Add the avocado, tomatoes, cheese, basil and any of the additional ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Plum compote and granola yoghurt pot:

A home-made version of the Prêt “yoghurt pot”. Easy to make yourself and bring into university in a small Tupperware pot.

Compote is good with yoghurt and breakfast cereal at any time of day and will keep for a few days in the fridge.

You could also make a tasty compote using stewed red fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and redcurrants.

12-15 Plums, stoned and quartered

150g (or about 10 spoons) Caster sugar

1tsp cinnamon (optional)

Crunchy Granola/ Muesli

Greek Yoghurt

1.Put the plums, sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan, put the lid on and simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes or so until you have a soft gooey mixture and leave to cool.

2. Spoon 3-4 dollops of yoghurt into a small pot, top with a big spoonful of the plum mixture and sprinkle with granola.

Cut out and keep:

Snita Pandoria — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:37:51 +0000

Honey cake

Ingredients ( serves 8 )

170g clear honey
140g butter
85g brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
200g self-raising flour, sieved
water
55g icing sugar
1 tbsp honey
hot water

method

1 // Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 3 and butter and line the bottom of a 7in/18cm cake tin.
2 // Add the honey, butter and sugar to a large pan. Add a tablespoon of water and heat gently until melted.
3 // Remove from the heat and mix in the eggs and flour.
4 // Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until the cake is springy to the touch and shrinking slightly from the sides of the tin.
5 // Cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.
6 // Make the icing by mixing the sugar and honey together with 2-3 teaspoons of hot water. Trickle over the cake.

Baked apples and cinnamon cream

Ingredients

50g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
zest of a lemon
2 tbsp sultanas
4 green apples, cored
150ml of double cream
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1 // Preheat the oven 170C/350F/Gas 3.
2 // We need to first make a butter mixture to place in the cored apples. To make this, place 50g of the butter, sugar, lemon zest and sultanas in a bowl and mix well.
3 // Spoon the butter mixture into the apples and stand the apples in an ovenproof baking dish.
4 // Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. The apples should be beginning to soften.
5 // Remove the foil and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, when the apples should be completely soft and beginning to brown.
6 // To make the cinnamon cream, whip the double cream with sugar and cinnamon.
7 // Serve the apples straight from the oven with spoonfuls of whipped cream.

Poached pears with chocolate sauce

Ingredients

4 pears
120g caster sugar
1 lemon for the juice
270ml water
Icing sugar
110g dark chocolate
75ml double cream

Method

1 // Peel the pears but leave them whole.
2 // In a pan, mix the caster sugar, lemon juice and water. Bring to the boil. Skim off the froth from the surface of the syrup and then carefully add the pears.
3 // Gently poach the pears until they are soft, but not mushy (about 20 minutes). Take off the heat and allow to cool.
4 // For the chocolate sauce, break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water’s surface. Stir the chocolate continuously until it has all melted.
5 // Slowly stir the cream into the chocolate. Take the bowl off the heat.
6 // To serve, drizzle the chocolate sauce around the pear. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Eton Mess

Ingredients

1 punnet of strawberries
Sugar
meringues, broken up
cream, softly whipped

method

1 // Mash the strawberries with a little sugar,
2 // Fold in broken meringues
3 // Add the softly whipped cream and mix well.
4 // Serve immediately

Short and sweet

Renie Kam — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:34:26 +0000

“All good things must come to an end,” a phrase first echoed by Chaucer in 1347 and, more recently, by Nelly Furtado – albeit through a different medium – certainly rings true in the following tale to which I now relate. This is because a short while ago, I made the life changing decision to do a sugar detox, that is, completely give up on dessert and excessively sugary snacks for an extended period.
This self-induced tragedy may seem quite melodramatic to most ordinary folk; however any seasoned dessert lover will know that kicking this decadent, sugary habit is worse than giving up smoking. There are no friendly and supportive helplines to call when you feel like you’re missing out on a sugar rush, no NHS funded counselling, no patches, or even some sort of bizarre inhaler to help counteract the longing for something luxuriously sweet and yummy tap dancing on one’s palate.
I did however, have an extremely good reason for taking this somewhat drastic step. For the majority of my life I had happily succumbed to the temptation of every yummy treat presented to me, be it a decadent Ladurée macaron or the humble sticky toffee pudding, with sheer and unabashed abandon – completely reckless as to the possible consequences of my inability to curb my appetite for anything that consisted mostly of sugar. Like a bad boyfriend I had indulged for too long, my relationship with sweetness had actually soured my love for dessert and was playing havoc with my system in the form of an expanding waistline and constant sugar highs which needed constant refuelling lest they fall into the dreaded sugar lows: all this possibly furthered by my potent fear and hatred of rigorous exercise.
This was quite an extreme regime, but I did want to distance myself away from anything too sugary for a fortnight to ensure that my evil sugar dependence was well and truly annihilated. I have to admit the no-cake rule was somewhat painful but I soldiered on, knowing that it was for the best. I have never crash dieted, mainly because I have zero self control and I am easily persuaded by food adverts (M & S anyone?) so this was really a test of my willpower.
My most embarrassing moment, by a mile, was probably when I spent a considerable amount of time eyeing up a gorgeous cupcake display in a boutique bakery not unlike a slimy pervert giving a couple of buxom maids a long and salacious look of lasciviousness. I was, however, brought back to my senses by an assistant who peered at me through the other side of the shop window worriedly and gave a small wave. Although this was nowhere near as bad as being caught playing strip poker by one of my form tutors in senior school, it was pretty high up on my personal “everyday life embarrassing incidents” scale, somewhat above the ordinary awkwardness of say, walking out of the house with hair rollers still attached or perhaps dropping a silver platter on a child’s head (unfortunately all real life incidents that have actually occurred within my lifetime).
Although this was not a particularly pleasant experience, I now had plenty of time to reassess my excesses. What had originally been occasional comfort eating had turned to a discomforting habit and after my sugar-free fortnight, I saw the benefits. My waistline had (not surprisingly) shrunk and I was no longer a victim of my mid afternoon sugar grouches. With great trepidation I have now decided to hit the dessert trolley once more but this time, instead of my previous regime of careless abandon, there will definitely be some casual calorie control going on.
One profoundly interesting thing I did discover though, when I took the time to retrain my palate, was that I was enjoying eating dessert far more than I previously had. I was no longer on a crazed, one woman mission to devour every single type of known dessert on the planet, for I had somehow managed to retrain myself to relish one tasty dessert and leave things be. And so readers, I leave you with another well known saying which summarises what I have learnt from this experience…when it comes to dessert and sugary treats, less is most definitely more.