Dr. Gourmet Newsletter:
April 16, 2007

Chef Tim Says...

What should I have in my pantry?

This was a question asked of me recently about what are the best and healthiest ingredients. The conversation was about having a list of good choices to purchase when at the grocery. What is a good cut of beef that will taste great and be healthier? Which oils to use? How about butter and other dairy products. In essence, what are the best supplies for stocking a pantry with ingredients that taste great and are great for you -- a master shopping list if you will.

Over the next few weeks I am going to break this down to help you create a master list of what to choose when you’re in the grocery and this week I am going to start with beef. Even though this is a “Chef Tim” column there’s a lot of “Dr. Tim” information that goes along with what you are going to buy so I have included that as well.

Beef: Beef is okay for you but best in my opinion to not to eat it more than about once a week. It is the amount of fat in beef that you want to keep an eye on and choosing lean beef is the key. I try to keep my choices under 10 grams of fat with less than 4 grams of saturated fat in a four ounce serving. In Your Pantry: Beef

Featured Recipe

Skirt Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms
This is a super simple recipe and just like that steak house dish -- full of great grilled beef flavor and savory mushrooms. The addition of the butter may seem a bit "unhealthy." While this is a higher fat recipe than I usually create, the butter is the perfect flavor for this dish. Think of this steak as your splurge meal -- terrific with any mashed potatoes, especially mashed yams, and a side dish of veggies -- the perfect American meal.

Ask Dr. Gourmet

Your recent recipe for Ginger Chicken called for frozen soybeans (edamame). Where in the world can these be found? They don't seem to be in any supermarkets in the Northeast. Any ideas?

Dr. Gourmet Says....

Edamame are more widely available in most supermarkets. I have found them in Giant, Safeway, Food Lion as well as Whole Foods. Often you will find these in the "organic" or health food section of a store.

Many health food stores will also carry frozen soybeans.