Health Food

I know my family, and especially my wife, is going to laughh at this post and the new category "Health Food" because we have a bit of a joke going on in our family, many years old. By the way, "Health food" as I have titled it, in my eyes represents the following: Crunchy stuff, hard nutty stuff, dry dusty bran, hard as stones dry raisins, tasteless soya stuff, plain boring meals stuffed full of strong spices and herbs to try and liven them up, no sauces, tons of brown or gritty looking rice etc etc ad nauseum!

You will no doubt conclude that I have had very very bad experiences with "health food" over the years.
But...BUT.. This must change. I am going to have to have a total re-think at this whole health food thing. A check up at the doctor two weeks back revealed that I have high blood presure and I need to do something about it.
So my mornings now start off panting and gasping and stumbling around in the half dark over my wifes skipping rope whilst trying to dream up tasty healthy meals which don't break my gastronomic spirit!

I have a few conflicts though. My cooking lore dictates that flavours are trapped and carried by fats. I also am an old fashioned cook that bases meals around meat and then add side dishes to balance the predominant flavour.
So... I am determined not to slide of into that demoralizing foggy area of tastless food bland veggies and no fats. Rather I will work hard to design meals that still contain meat, fish and poultry, but that are healthier (cholesterol wise) yet are still flavorsome and satisfying. Smaller meat portions will replace large and compensate for some of the less healthy components like a bit of butter, skins left on poultry, a nicely marbled beefsteak from time to time as well as pork, lamb and offal.
So expect some changes ahead! By the way I have learnt a lot from a fellow foodie blogger Adura, who like me is African (she black African and me White) and who blogs very practically about health, beauty and fitness as well as food. Her blog is here . Another, is a very gifted person, also an African, living out of Africa who prepares fantastic franco/african food with a Cameroonian theme. She is here..LAM BASSA'A

African people, especially those living in rural areas in Southern Africa are ten times more healthy than Westerners. You will note for example in Lambassa'a just how much natural ingredients she uses. Although living in London (or thereabouts I think!!) she sticks with what she knows.That is most likely how she was taught and brought up. Most African people here eat a lot of cereals, beans, root vegetable and fish. Meat is pretty much a luxury apart from fish and shellfish in some regions.

Anyway, look forward to some great but healthy food still with an African style in the blogs ahead.