QUALITALY

FEB. MAR. 2017

XVI

the risk of doing damage and not

satisfying the customer. If you do

not have the opportunity to be able

to call upon an expert, it would be

better to remain with simplicity and

traditional suggestions.

An innovative, original and sure

proposal however is the use of Sake

during a meal, it is no accident that

this product is also commonly called

“rice wine”! If someone would like to

try this experience, I would suggest

making a stop at Sakeya in Milan, a

brand new locale where the union

between cuisine and the Japanese

drink is proposed in an exemplary

manner.

______________________________

BOX

COCKTAIL SAKARI

cl Katori Sake 90

cl Umeshu Gekkeikan

cl syrup of reduction of Campari

and lavender

1.5

cl soda of green tea and lime

dash Angostura

______________________________

AT PAGE 50

Detox even

in the restaurant

By Barbara Panterna

We’ve just left behind the winter

festivities characterised by endless

meals, Befana stockings full of

sweets, chocolates and everything

that’s bad for you.

It is a known fact that in winter,

thanks to both the cold and tradition,

one tends to spend more time at

home nibbling sugary foods which

give us a fleeting gratification and

many fatty foods which inevitably

lead us to put on weight, which

we then have to lose quickly with

drastic, often “DIY”, diets, tucked

away in solitude and missing

out on restaurant dinners and

generous aperitifs. Here I address

the restaurateurs: in a bid to avoid

losing customers, after the holidays,

you could opt for a detox cuisine

conceived as a “post-binge shock

treatment” based on the use of

certain measures and foods that will

help to put the organs compromised

by the tour de force cooking we were

subjected to during the holidays back

on track.

The organs in question are especially

the liver/pancreas, kidneys and

intestine (known as the excretory

organs, that is to say organs to

eliminate toxins and metabolically

unnecessary substances that

accumulate in our body.)

Having said that, in order to use them

in your recipes, it is good to know

what foods are considered depurative,

i.e. able to accelerate the excretion of

toxins, thereby assisting the function

of the excretory organs.

Starting with vegetables we find,

for example, the artichoke which

has an important “detox” role,

thanks to its content of cynarin (a

compound that helps to stimulate

the activity of liver, promoting

biliary secretion) and fibres (which

improve bowel movement), chicory

is another to which digestive and

diuretic properties are attributed,

both precious allies of the liver and

kidneys. In addition, leak, cucumber,

lamb’s lettuce, celery, asparagus,

pumpkin, fennel, courgette play an

important depurative role.

Instead of the use of sauces, butter

or margarine as condiments, raw

extra virgin olive oil is always

recommended, to allow the

contribution of good fats that should

always be present in a balanced diet

and to improve bowel movement.

Apple vinegar, which performs

an antiseptic/anti-inflammatory

action and cleanses the intestine,

lemon juice which performs an

alkalizing action on the organism

and is therefore cleansing; pink

salt that contains low amounts of

sodium chloride thus limiting the

risk of hypertension and water

retention, ginger that plays an anti-

inflammatory/antiseptic role and is

considered in Chinese medicine to

be both an excellent tonic and an

antiemetic/antinauseant; lime juice

and aromatic herbs such as rosemary,

thyme, chives, marjoram, parsley and

basil are definitely more depurative

and have less calories than harmful

stock cubes and white salt.

Use also light yogurt to create dietetic

dressings, for example by combining

it with extra virgin olive oil, pink

berries and chives. Yogurt is an

enzyme-rich food capable of breaking

down and eliminating toxins,

improving intestinal function. For

first course dishes it is advised to use,

for example, buckwheat pasta with a

lower GI than “traditional pasta” and

without gluten, making it therefore

more easily digestible; it also

accompanies both seasonal vegetables

and the previously mentioned

depurative vegetables better. Even

basmati rice is advisable compared to

classic rice (e.g. Carnaroli) because

it has a lower GI and contains less

starch making it more beneficial to

the intestine, likewise barley and

spelt are excellent to prepare tasty

vegetables soups and flans and even

quinoa to use with chickpea flour

and vegetables to create meatballs

and light hamburgers. For main

course dishes both white meat and

fish dishes are recommended, as they

contain less “bad” fat while allowing

a good source of protein.

Use also octopus and grilled squid on

your menus; they contain few calories

and are excellent for preparing

main course dishes combined with

vegetables or as unique dishes paired

with velvety pulses (e.g. lentils and

chick peas). With regards to fruit, if

eaten immediately after a meal, it’s

better to choose something acidic, in

particular with cleansing properties

such as pineapple which contains

bromelain, an enzyme that facilitates

the digestion of proteins and has an

anti-inflammatory effect on tissues

congested by culinary excesses.

Also dried prunes, despite being

sugary, are considered a depurative

ally because the sorbitol, contained

within, is a sugar with laxative

properties, while the magnesium

present is a mineral salt that, drawing

water, works in synergy with the

sorbitol to assist bodily function and

the disposal of toxins.

Organ symptoms/signs of post-excess

suffering:

• Liver: ex.: dry mouth, bad breath,

itchy skin, digestive difficulties etc.

• Kidney: ex.: dark turbid odorous

urine.

• Intestine: ex: constipation,

meteorism, flatulence, cramps.

• Lymphatic system: ex: water

retention, periorbital and ankle

edema (swelling).

MAGAZINE