PULLED PORK

I’ve told you before that I’m not much of a meat eater.  I don’t crave it that often, and it’s a process as far as preparation goes.  BUT, there are a few exceptions (as with everything, right?).  Two, in my book.  And those are filet mignon and pulled pork. 

These are two foods that I seek out.  I will stand in line, wait hours, for a medium rare filet or juicy pulled pork sandwich.  And if you stopped by the “Pork in the Park” festival this past weekend, that’s exactly where you would have found me.  In line, waiting for The Swinery to serve me up some of the greatest pulled pork I’ve ever eaten. 

This pulled pork was slow cooked to perfection- moist and juicy with the slightest crunch from the charred outside acquired during the smoking process.  The apple BBQ sauce slathered on top gave it a subtle sweet flavor (for which The Swinery took grand champion at last years' festival), and the creamy new mashed potatoes served on the side paired nicely and provided a contrasting smooth texture. 

Go ahead, reach for the pulled pork because aside from the beneficial protein, vitamin B6 (cofactor for enzymes involved in metabolism), thiamin (a coenzyme needed for the breakdown of sugars and amino acids), and niacin (involved in DNA repair and the production of hormones), I don’t want you to miss out on a taste of heaven.   If you haven’t bit into a tender pulled pork sandwich, you’ll be so absorbed that you won’t care about that BBQ sauce that’s found a home on your cheek.

Just make sure to watch the amount of pulled pork you eat.  You’ll reap benefits from a decent 4 oz serving, but any more than that could put you over the limit on your daily saturated fat intake.  Take your time and enjoy that 4 ounce portion, though.  It is definitely worthy of being savored and appreciated.       

 

"SEED"UCTION BREAD

It wasn’t until about 2 months ago that I really started missing whole food stores and co-ops.  Salisbury has any fast food restaurant you could ever hope for, but not a single health food store.  I miss those rows of clear bins with the various grains, nuts, and flours.  The bins with the scoops that allow you to choose exactly how much of the product you want to put in your clear plastic bag.  That’s why I get ecstatic when I have to go across “the bridge” and into Annapolis for a day or weekend.  In my mind, crossing the bridge =  a glorious stop at The Whole Foods Market. 

This store is literally my favorite grocery store in North America.  It even tops Grand Central Station’s market in New York because it has such a larger variety of foods.  Picture this:  Upon entering you see produce tables piled high with the freshest in-season fruits, a 20 foot long cooler of the finest cheeses, an olive bar with 35 types of olives, and a smoothie/ coffee bar.  Then you’ve got your rows and rows of Indian spices and other ethnic foods, fresh seafood and meats, 5 hot/cold wells of food laid out buffet style (cooked and prepared in the back kitchen), a soup station with 8 different kinds of soup that you can dish up yourself, and 3 “fast food” counters where you can pick up homemade pizzas, sandwiches, and hot entrees.  My personal favorite, however, is the bakery. 

When I think of the “bakery” in a typical grocery store I picture the counter where they serve cakes, donuts, cupcakes, and fresh baked cookies.  At the Whole Foods Market, they have this area within the store, but in addition have a separate section for homemade breads.  The first time I stopped it took me quite some time to look through all of the breads they offer.  They had everything from your basic white and whole wheat to pumpernickel rye, focaccia, and (Sarah’s personal favorite) “Seed”uction.  They even had a bread slicer, so all you had to do was pick your bread of choice, place it in the slicer, close the lid, and BAM!  You’ve got perfectly sliced homemade bread to devour at your convenience. 

This “Seed”uction bread not only tastes good, but its presentation is spectacular, too.  As you’ve already guessed, this bread is packed full of seeds- pumpkin, millet, sunflower, and poppy, which are sprinkled all over the top of the loaf.  Every bite contains these wonderful seeds, giving it a full, nuttier flavor.  And the texture is unbelievable.  Chewy, dense, and all-natural.   Honestly, this bread is so good by itself that I’d have to slap your hand if you tried to add any jam, butter, or peanut butter to it. 

The best part is that this bread has less than 10 ingredients and is made from natural, straight-from-the-earth products.  The seeds are full of vitamin E (antioxidants that fight free radicals), zinc (aids in cell development), magnesium (essential to all cells), niacin (decreases cholesterol levels), and protein (builds muscles). 

Go check out a whole foods store.  Find your way to the bakery section and instead of grabbing the largest chocolate chip cookie, ask instead for their freshest loaf of homemade bread.  I have a feeling you’ll love the switch.