Fresh Local and Best Top 10 in 2010

2010 marked a turning point in a sequence of tough years for my husband and I.  We, along with the rest of the world, were grappling with one of the worst recessions in history, one that for better or worse brought us to New York City in early 2009. Amidst a flurry of big changes in our lives, there are three big events that made 2010 a memorable year.

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Classic Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Pumpkin pie, it's the sweet ending to our family's celebration of gratitude that we look forward to all year long.  The warm spices are woven into a custard puree of sweet and creamy pumpkin, all of which is cradled in a delicate, flaky and buttery crust. I use a recipe that is perhaps not out of the ordinary, but I do take measures to ensure that the ingredients are top-notch, which is the difference that makes this pumpkin pie a classic. For example, the sugar pumpkin is freshly roasted, which yields a much more intense fresh naturally sweet flavor. The spices are freshly ground and grated whenever possible, and the butter - the main ingredient in the pie crust - must be of good quality.

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DUCK A L'ORANGE RECIPE

Last week while watching The Departed, a Martin Scorsese movie, one of the main characters played by Matt Damon pompously laments toward the end of an elegant dinner at a French restaurant that it was able to offer an extravagant-looking dessert but not duck a l'orange. Do all fancy French restaurants serve duck a l'orange? Not from my experience, but that was probably the point.

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APPLE CIDER SPICED BRINE BLEND

It has grown significantly colder in New York this week as frost and snow has arrived in neighboring regions. It's only a matter of time before the city gets dumped with snow.

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Turmeric Anti-Alzheimer's Spice

What part of the world is the incidence of Alzheimer's nearly unheard of? You might be surprised to hear that Alzheimer's affects just 1% of people over the age of 65 living in the villages of India compared to 4 times that level for the same age group in the United States. How is this possible? While the research is ongoing, a team medical scientists from UCLA believes that turmeric may play a role in slowing down the progression Alzheimer's disease.

Quick Statistics on Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

• One in eight persons over 65 and nearly half of those over 85 have AD
• Women, who on average live longer than men, are more likely to have AD
• Age is a significant risk factor for AD, but AD is not a normal part of aging
• A small percentage of Alzheimer cases is caused by rare, genetic variations found in a few hundred families worldwide
  

Turmeric, which is a root related to ginger, contains curcumin which is the property believed to fight Alzheimer's disease. It works by blocking a potent protein that promotes an abnormal inflammatory response in the body.

Photo by Karen Vaughan

Moreover, clinical trials have found that turmeric is effective at obstructing a natural chemical called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) which contributes to cancers and arthritis and is resistant to chemotherapy drugs.

 Photo by Sensetalks

If you're now itching to sprinkle turmeric on everything you eat, you can probably start by using more curry powder; turmeric is one of the key spices in the flavorful mix. Whole Foods has a page on turmeric with extensive detail on the health benefits and food combination, such as how turmeric and onions may help to prevent colon cancer or how turmeric and cauliflower may prevent prostate cancer. So sprinkle liberally and stay healthy!