These look so elegant yet are a snap to make with packaged puff pastry (I love the Dufour brand because it uses real butter). Flaky and delicious on their own, they’re sublime when topped with a slice of Brie and some fig jam.
Ingredients
1 package frozen puff pastry dough, defrosted overnight in the fridge
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon Ground Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 tablespoon Caramelized Onion Powder
1 small egg, beaten
Directions
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, gently roll out any folds in the dough. Sprinkle the entire surface with the tomato powder, herbs, and onion powder (use your fingers as needed to spread them out evenly).
Step 2
Slice the dough in half lengthwise, then roll up each half lengthwise, jelly roll style. Next, cut each roll into rounds about 1-inch wide. Place the rounds flat on two cookie sheets and brush the tops and sides with the beaten egg. Bake for 25 minutes until nicely puffed and browned.
Fresh Herb Marinade Recipe, Spotlight on Authentic Balsamic Vinegar, and Keeping Your Blood Pressure and BMI Under Control
Grilled or roasted, even the best cuts of meat benefit from marination, and the following marinade recipe is a hands-down winner. To impart just the right amount of sweetness, it uses the wonderfully rich balsamic vinegar called Condimento Barili Exclusivi from my new T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections collection of artisanal vinegars.
Also in this issue of the Newsletter are two studies crucial to the fight against heart disease and other ills—one on keeping BMI in check and the other on the importance of blood pressure control.
This marinade imparts deep flavor to meat, especially when marinated overnight. Consider the following herbs a suggestion—make this recipe your own by combining your favorites, fresh or dried. Note: This Condimento Barili Exclusivi marinade is excellent for beef, lamb, and game; you can adapt it to chicken, pork, and fish by using Condimento Bianco Senape from my collection instead of Barili Exclusivi.
Ingredients
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
If using fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs, strip the leaves and place them on a cutting board along with the tarragon, basil, sage, garlic, and salt. Coarsely chop them all together. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the vinegar and black pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until thoroughly blended.
Yields about 2/3 cup
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Authentic Balsamic Vinegar
As those of you who have already been enjoying the vinegars of the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections know, after years of requests from members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, I made it my mission to source the best artisanal vinegars on the planet. That started with distinguishing true aceto balsamico, or balsamic vinegar, from its many pretenders.
With so many bottles on store shelves labeled “balsamic,” it’s important to know how to choose correctly. First and foremost, the vinegar must be completely crafted in Modena, a city within the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, according to exacting, centuries-old standards enforced by the local consortiums. Anything else is, quite simply, not balsamic vinegar. Also, it can only be made from very specific grapes. Of course, the ultimate quality of a Modena balsamic depends on the skill of the producer, including knowing what wood to pick for each period of barrel-aging.
For the past five years, I’ve worked with the artisans at Società Agricola Acetomodena to bring you the finely crafted balsamic vinegar, Condimento Barili Exclusivi, in my collection. The “condiment” designation allows producers more freedom to craft a vinegar that goes beyond strict requirements of traditional balsamic vinegar, or aceto balsamico tradizionale, and with the perfect balance of acidity, sweetness, and woodiness from the barrel aging—thick, rich, tangy, and velvety. I liken it to when vintners create a cuvée, blending wines from various barrels to create a finished product that is greater than the sum of the parts.
Why you should have this vinegar in your kitchen: Balsamic vinegar is a culinary essential. It adds the perfect finish to cheeses, salads, grilled foods from vegetables to meat, and even fruits, like strawberries, figs, and pineapple. Pair it with your fresh-pressed olive oils to enhance mature or fresh cheeses, from aged Parmigiano-Reggiano to fresh burrata, and to make sauces, marinades, and vinaigrettes. Drizzle a few drops as a finishing touch on flatbreads, steak, risotto, French toast, and even ice cream.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Deciding Between Vinegars
It’s important to always have a wide selection of vinegars in the pantry. Sometimes I want a sweeter note, other times one that’s more tart. While I don’t believe in any hard-and-fast rules, I do like to pair milder vinegars with milder oils so that one doesn’t overwhelm the other.
Think about the foods on your plate, too. If you’re making a salad with bitter greens, add sweetness with a sweeter vinegar like Condimento Barili Exclusivi or a mildly acidic note with citrusy Calamansi Vinegar. If you’re making a chopped salad with provolone and salami, a vinegar like my Raspberry Vinegar will balance the richness of the meat and cheese.
I also like to combine vinegars. For a vinaigrette with great complexity, use equal amounts of a sweet vinegar and a tart one. The beauty of having many wonderful vinegars is that you can have fun discovering the pairings you like best.
For Your Best Health
Is Your Blood Pressure Under Control?
According to a study in JAMA Network Open that looked at data on more than 3,000 people over the age of 18, the numbers are alarming: More than half the adults in the US with uncontrolled high blood pressure aren’t even aware that they have it. This was especially true for younger adults between the ages of 18 and 44 years—high blood pressure, or hypertension, is not just a disease of older age. There is also concern about people who take medication for high blood pressure: For more than two-thirds, it remains uncontrolled. Because this was a weighted study, researchers were able to estimate that of the approximately 120 million American adults with hypertension, for about 92.9 million people it’s not under control.
The researchers stated: “These findings have serious implications for the nation’s overall health….Uncontrolled hypertension, which is a leading factor associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and events, including heart attack and stroke, is also associated with an increased risk of diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cognitive decline.
“Additionally, despite engagement with the health care system, we found that 70 percent of adults with uncontrolled hypertension who were aware of their condition reported taking antihypertensive medication. While antihypertensive medications are effective in reducing blood pressure and preventing CVD across demographic groups, our results support existing evidence that a prescription alone does not guarantee improved hypertension control at the individual or population level….These findings underscore the need for efforts to improve outcomes across levels of the hypertension control cascade.”
This study points to the importance of having your blood pressure checked regularly and following up regularly as well to see if treatment for high blood pressure is working.
Fitness Flash
Keeping BMI in Check
According to a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, to keep weight in check, it’s important to consider not only what you eat but also the times when you eat. Two specific habits associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) in the long term are keeping a longer overnight fast and eating breakfast early.
This research, led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), involved more than 7,000 volunteers between the ages of 40 and 65 who answered questionnaires about their weight and height; eating habits, including meal times; other lifestyle habits; and socioeconomic status. In 2023, after five years, more than 3,000 participants made a follow-up visit to the research team, where their measures were registered again and new questionnaires were completed.
“Our results, in line with other recent studies, suggest that extending the overnight fast could help maintain a healthy weight if accompanied by an early dinner and an early breakfast,” explained Luciana Pons-Muzzo, researcher at ISGlobal at the time of the study and currently at IESE Business School. “We think this may be because eating earlier in the day is more in line with circadian rhythms and allows for better calorie burning and appetite regulation, which can help maintain a healthy weight. However, it is too soon to draw definitive conclusions, so recommendations will have to wait for more robust evidence.”
Added Camille Lassale, ISGlobal researcher and senior co-author of the study, “There are different ways of practicing what is known as ‘intermittent fasting’ and our study relates to one of them, which is overnight fasting. What we observed in a subgroup of men who do intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast is that this practice has no effect on body weight. Other intervention studies in participants with obesity have shown that this tactic is no more effective than reducing calorie intake in reducing body weight in the long term.”
“Our research is part of an emerging field of research known as ‘chrononutrition,’ which focuses not only on analyzing what we eat but also [on] the times of day and the number of times we eat,” says Anna Palomar-Cros, a researcher at ISGlobal at the time of the study. “At the basis of this research is the knowledge that unusual food intake patterns can conflict with the circadian system, the set of internal clocks that regulate the cycles of night and day and the physiological processes that must accompany them.”
This study provides continuity to a line of ISGlobal research on chrononutrition, which in recent years has published two other studies with results in the same direction. In these studies, it was observed that eating dinner and breakfast early was associated, respectively, with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
This marinade imparts deep flavor to meat, especially when marinated overnight. Consider the following herbs a suggestion—make this recipe your own by combining your favorites, fresh or dried. Note: This Condimento Barili Exclusivi marinade is excellent for beef, lamb, and game; you can adapt it to chicken, pork, and fish by using Condimento Bianco Senape from my collection instead of Barili Exclusivi.
Ingredients
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
If using fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs, strip the leaves and place them on a cutting board along with the tarragon, basil, sage, garlic, and salt. Coarsely chop them all together. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the vinegar and black pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until thoroughly blended.
Lemon Mousse with Blueberry Compote Recipe, Spotlight on Calamansi Vinegar, Whipping Cream, Achieving Greater Work Satisfaction, and Travel – A Fountain of Youth
I hope you’re in the mood for citrus because I have a rich and creamy lemon mousse recipe to share with you. The secret to its depth of flavor is Calamansi Vinegar, part of the quartet of the latest T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections collection of artisanal vinegars. I’m also sharing two studies that touch on the work-life balance so important for well-being. The first reveals a simple step to increase work satisfaction, while the second focuses on time off and details an unexpected benefit of travel.
Calamansi Vinegar adds depth to the lemon curd that’s then folded into whipped cream for this silky mousse, and it imparts just the right amount of tang to the berry compote. Both the mousse and the compote can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Layer any extra compote with yogurt for breakfast the next day!
Make the curd: Zest the lemons with a microplane grater, and then juice them—you should have 1 or more tablespoons of zest and 1 cup of juice. Some pulp is fine to include in the juice, but remove any seeds.
Step 2
In a saucepan, whisk the eggs and yolk thoroughly, and then whisk in, one ingredient at a time, the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, vanilla, and salt. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk constantly as it comes to a very low boil. Cook for 2 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary to prevent a rapid boil. The curd should be thick enough to coat the whisk.
Step 3
Remove from the heat. (If you see bits of egg white, use the blade of a spatula to press the curd through a fine strainer into a bowl.) Slowly whisk in the olive oil until completely blended. Pour the curd into a glass bowl or jar and allow it to come to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the fridge to thicken further, about an hour.
Step 4
Make the blueberry compote: Mix 3 cups blueberries, cornstarch, sugar, water, vinegar, and salt in a frying pan (this allows for more even cooking than a saucepan). Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the blueberries break up and the mixture thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. While still warm (but not hot), fold in the olive oil and the last cup of berries. Let it come to room temperature before serving (refrigerate if not using within an hour).
Step 5
Make the mousse: Whip the cream and sugar until stiff. Gently fold in the lemon curd with a large spatula until mostly combined. Chill until ready to serve.
Step 6
To serve, spoon ample amounts of mousse into dessert bowls or glasses. Stir the compote, then place dollops randomly around the mousse. If desired, use a microplane grater to top each serving with lemon zest.
Yields 8 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Calamansi Vinegar
If you’ve never tried Calamansi Vinegar, you’ll find that it adds a zesty layer of flavor to recipes that call for citrus. Drizzle it over seafood dishes like ceviche and tuna tataki, crudo, vegetable and grain salads, greens (raw or cooked), and roasted vegetables. It’s excellent in a marinade for grilled fish and as a finishing drizzle on chicken piccata and other dishes with a lemon sauce. Swap it for lemon juice in aioli and in homemade mayo and for lime juice in guacamole and in mango salsa. It enhances citrus-based desserts, from granita to lemon curd, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks like margaritas or plain sparkling water. A scant teaspoon—the equivalent of a squeeze of lemon—delivers a punch of flavor.
Just what is a calamansi? Also called a calamondin or Philippine lime (where it’s now primarily grown), it’s a citrus fruit native to many countries in Southeast and East Asia, such as Indonesia and (southern) China, and a staple of many cuisines in these regions. It’s often described as a cross between a kumquat and a mandarin orange, though its taste makes me think of exotic yuzu enhanced with a blend of traditional citrus—lime, lemon, tangerine, and orange. In my Calamansi Vinegar, you’ll taste notes reminiscent of fresh ginger, lemongrass, lemon verbena, lemon candies, and makrut lime leaves.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Whipping Cream
A simple step often overlooked is to chill your bowl and beaters in the fridge for 15 minutes before whipping heavy cream (if you’re in a rush, just pop them in the freezer for 5). Keep your cream in the fridge right up until you’re ready to whip it so it too will be cold. If you start to whip on a low speed, you won’t find yourself covered in splatters; gradually increase the speed as the cream thickens. If you’re mixing other ingredients into the whipped cream, make sure they’re cold or no warmer than room temperature since warmth will deflate the cream. To retain as much loft as possible when folding in any ingredients, use a spatula in a “J” motion, from the center of the bowl to the outer edge, making quarter-turns of the bowl with every stroke.
For Your Best Health
Achieving Greater Work Satisfaction
On average, we spend three and a quarter hours a day looking at our phones. In a recent study from Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany, researchers found that cutting back this time by one hour a day is not only good for our mental health but also helps us feel happier and more motivated at work, with a better work-life balance.
For their study, the researchers assigned each of the 287 participants all from different professional sectors to one of four groups of roughly equal size: The smartphone group reduced their private smartphone use by one hour a day for one week, the sport group increased their daily physical activity by 30 minutes, the combination group did both, and the control group didn’t change their routine at all. All participants completed online questionnaires before these interventions, immediately afterward, and two weeks after the intervention period ended, providing information about their well-being with regard to both work and mental health.
The researchers found that in the smartphone and combination groups, work satisfaction and motivation, work-life balance, and mental health had improved significantly. What’s more, the feeling of work overload and symptoms of problematic smartphone use were significantly reduced. All interventions led to a reduction in depressive symptoms and increased the participants’ sense of control.
“A conscious and controlled reduction of non-work-related screen time, in combination with more physical activity, could improve employees’ work satisfaction and mental health,” concluded Julia Brailovskaia, PhD, corresponding author of the study and a professor at Ruhr, adding that these interventions could either become part of established company programs or serve as a time- and cost-efficient, low-threshold stand-alone program.
Fitness Flash
Travel: A Fountain of Youth
Researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia believe that travel could be a great way to forestall aging. For the first time, an interdisciplinary study has applied the theory of entropy to tourism, finding that travel could have positive health benefits, including slowing down the signs of aging. Entropy is defined as the general trend of the universe toward death and disorder. The entropy perspective suggests that tourism could trigger entropy changes, with positive experiences mitigating entropy and enhancing health.
“Aging, as a process, is irreversible. While it can’t be stopped, it can be slowed down,” ECU PhD candidate Fangli Hu said. She noted that positive travel experiences could enhance individuals’ physical and mental wellness through exposure to novel environments, engagement in physical activities and social interaction, and the fostering of positive emotions. These potential benefits have been acknowledged through practices such as wellness tourism, health tourism, and yoga tourism.
Travel therapy could serve as a groundbreaking health intervention when viewed through an entropy lens, she added. Tourism typically exposes people to new surroundings and relaxing activities, and novel settings can stimulate stress responses and elevate metabolic rates, positively influencing metabolic activities and the body’s self-organizing capabilities. These contexts may also trigger an adaptive immune system response, the research found.
T. J. Robinson and international olive oil expert Duccio Morozzo della Rocca in a Chilean olive grove selecting the best of the best fruit—the first step in our quest to bring you, Club members, the finest oils on the planet.
“Put simply, the self-defense system becomes more resilient. Hormones conducive to tissue repair and regeneration may be released and promote the self-healing system’s functioning,” said Hu. “Leisurely travel activities might help alleviate chronic stress, dampen overactivation of the immune system, and encourage normal functioning of the self-defense system. Engaging in recreation potentially releases tension and fatigue in the muscles and joints. This relief helps maintain the body’s metabolic balance and increases the anti-wear-and-tear system’s effectiveness. Organs and tissues can then remain in a low-entropy state.”
Travel that encompasses physical activities such as hiking, climbing, walking, and cycling, can also boost metabolism and energy expenditure. “Participating in these activities could enhance the body’s immune function and self-defense capabilities, bolstering its hardiness to external risks,” Hu said. “Physical exercise may also improve blood circulation, expedite nutrient transport, and aid waste elimination to collectively maintain an active self-healing system. Moderate exercise is beneficial to the bones, muscles, and joints in addition to supporting the body’s anti-wear-and-tear system.”
It’s still important to account for the flip side of travel: The research pointed out that tourists could face challenges such as infectious diseases, accidents, and water and food safety issues, all of which should be considered when planning a trip.
