DEANES in Belfast

Our first dinner was at DEANES Restaurant, Michael Deanes flagship site and the only restaurant to receive a Michelin 1 Star rating in Belfast.

Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants offering the finest cooking, regardless of cuisine style.  Stars represent only what is on the plate.  They do not take into consideration interior decoration, service quality or table settings.

As our custom, when a restaurant offers a tasting menu paired with wine, we usually select it.  DEANES was no exception.  It is a great way to taste smaller portions of cuisine and wine.

Not only did we enjoy the tasting we discovered 2 cheeses from Ireland and witnessed love in bloom at the table next to us. More on that later.

We particularly loved the first pairing of Chilled gazpacho with crab & avocado paired with Sancerre Domaine Andre Dezat.

Now as we were waiting on our meat course we notice a gentleman 2 tables over being presented with the cheese selections for his Cheese Course.  Well we instantly decided that we would indulge after our meal was complete.

The meat tasting was Tapenade poached Lough Erne lamb & confit lamb belly, Pissaladière & artichoke barigoule and was a little disappointing I that for all the flavors on the plate there really wasn’t a “star”.  It was all beautifully cooked, just blaze’ in taste.

The next tasting course was Strawberry & watermelon soup, basil ice-cream which was quite delightful combinations of flavor and texture.  It was a nice palate cleanser for the chocolate dessert.

Valrhona chocolate & caramel tart, pistachio ice-cream & Amarena cherries was amazing in flavor and textures and paired with Fischer Trockenbeerenauslese sweet wine.  Excellent paring.

An now for the Cheese Course.  It was FABULOUS!  The two standouts were a smoked Knockanore from Waterford NI and Durrus from Lorck IE.  You will find those on one of my next Cheese Courses at home soon.

Our general consensus was that the kitchen had some issues with getting the food out in a timely manner.  Since this was on a Thursday night it wasn’t a full house.  Waiting 25 minutes between a few of the courses was a little weary.  Which since the Michelin Stars doesn’t have anything to do with service, that is something to be remembered.

Oh yes … I haven’t forgotten … Click to read about Love, One Table Over

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Maven Missive: Foods to Eat Every Day

As I have read more about diabetes, obesity and food related diseases it is important that we identify the food that make a difference in everyday health along with the superfoods.

Making those foods a staple in our pantry will make a difference in not only a change in what we reach for but the quality of our life now and 25 years from now.  So what are you going to tweak in your diet this week?

Tweak of the Week:  Foods to Eat Every Day


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Up Time America!

There is no need to say more after watching this!  It’s Up Time. Well said!

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Happy Valentines Day!

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An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! This is a saying that has stayed with us for many years. It is believed to have come from an ancient Roman proverb. The Romans truly believed the apple had magical powers to cure illnesses. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why this might be true.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028061_apple_doctor.html

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Understanding Cancer

I ran across this information and have not confirmed that it came from Johns Hopkins.  However it is information that is widely known and now compiled in one article.

To remain healthier and/or if I was diagnosed with cancer, I would want to understand everything possible.  I believe we are only as healthy as the food we choose to eat.  I liken our bodies to a Ferrari.  If I owned one I would never put substandard oil, gas, fluids in that vehicle.  Why?  It would not run at its full potential and would make the parts wear out quicker.  Our bodies are our God given Ferrari that will eventually wear out, of that we are certain.  But does it have to work overtime combating the chemicals and substandard food that we choose to eat?  It only makes our parts break down faster and sometime they cannot be repaired.

It is imperative that we become conscious eaters. Pay attention to the quality and the quantity of the food you eat.  You will be healthier for it!

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AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO COMBAT CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINSIS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY.

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person’s lifetime.

3. When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc., and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

WHAT CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

a)   Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg’s aminos or sea salt.

b)   Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soymilk, cancer cells are being starved.

c)   Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d)   A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.

e)   To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

f)     Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water–best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body’s own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body’s normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.  Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

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