What is the Origin of ‘Vittles’ for Food?

 By EricT_CulinaryLore

Vittles Definition

Vittles is an old-time word for food which we tend to associate with the rural South, cowboys, pioneers, mountain men, and the like. It actually comes from Middle English, by way of French.

It is sometimes suggested that victuals is the proper way of saying vittles and that vittles is simply a vulgar misspelling of a more refined word. The history of the word in English and in French tells a different story.

Vittles is actually a shortened and simplified spelling of the Middle English word vitailles, which arrived via the Old French word of the same spelling. It has been used in English since at least the early 1300s.

The word vitailles was in use when it was discovered that the original origin of the word was the Latin word victualia. This caused some to imagine a ‘proper’ course of action would be to respell vitailles as victailles, which became the curious word victuals, supposed to be the proper spelling of vittles.

Vittles actually remained the most common use of the term, but the confused etymology caused many to think that vittles, all along, had been a misspelling and mispronunciation of victuals, which is pronounced without the ‘C’ as VIH-tuhl.

This practice of attempting to refine English by aligning words with their supposed Latin etymons is actually fairly common and is yet another way that English spelling can be so confusing, as unnecessary letters are added to “Latinize” English words.

origin of the word vittles for food

Some cowboys out on the range having some vittles,

 chuckwagon in the background, c. 1880-1910

Just for curiosity’s sake, here is a list of other words that were Latinized. For the first words in the list, the pronunciation of the words never changed, only the spelling. Here are some other examples:

    dette to ‘debt’ to match Latin debitum and dubitare
    sisours to ‘scissours’ to scissors to match Latin scissor
    langage to ‘language’ to match Latin langua
    receite to ‘receipt’ to match Latin receptum (the word recipe came from receipt)
    samon to ‘salmon’ to match Latin salmo
    quire to ‘choir’ to match Latin chorus
    aventure to ‘adventure’ to match Latin adventura (pronunciation changed to pronounce the ‘d’)
    avis to ‘advice’ to match Latin advisum (‘d’ pronounced)
    perfeit to ‘perfect’ to match Latin perfectus

Two Glove Karma

I brushed Romeo's teeth and clipped his nails. Then we walked downtown. I found my first pair of gloves of the season in the street and they are exactly like what I wear. Brown cotton garden gloves. All they need is a bath.

Seven Lessons

  7 lessons about eating 

https://www.insider.com/healthy-fat-weight-loss-diet-tips-how-to-eat-lessons-2019-6

Rachel Hosie

Losing weight isn't the route to happiness, but for me it's been a symptom of finally prioritizing my health. Here I am in October 2018 and in June 2019. Rachel Hosie

    Losing weight may be simple, but it isn't easy.
    Over the past six months, I've lost about 35 pounds, mainly through changing my relationship with food.
    From why you shouldn't cut out carbs to why the number on the scale means very little, I've learned a lot about how to make fat loss sustainable along the way.
    Here are seven of the most important lessons I've learned about healthy weight loss.
  
Losing weight is, in theory, simple. But that doesn't make it easy.

The vast majority of people, and women in particular, are always trying, or at the very least wishing, to lose some weight, no matter how much, for health or aesthetic reasons.

If it were as easy as it appears on paper — that is, take in less energy than you're burning — the multibillion-dollar diet industry wouldn't exist.

Whether it's a reality-TV star peddling a bikini blitz workout DVD, an influencer plugging laxative teas, or a tabloid claiming to have come up with a diet plan that will see you losing 10 pounds in a week, supposed quick fixes are everywhere, because we all love the idea of putting in minimal effort and getting results fast.

But the truth is, none of these things work. There is no shortcut, and anything that results in rapid weight loss won't be healthy or sustainable. You didn't gain 10 pounds in a week, so how could you possibly lose it that quickly?

Over the past five months, I've lost nearly 35 pounds, or over 15 kilos.

Like many, my weight has fluctuated over my adult life, but at the end of 2018 I was the biggest and heaviest I'd ever been. I felt sluggish, hated shopping, and barely fit into any of my clothes (smocks were life), but I don't think I realized quite how much weight I'd gained until I had a body scan at the end of November.

I'd put on 11 pounds, or 5 kilos, since I'd last weighed myself the previous July, and seeing the number on the scale was the wake-up call I needed.

There's nothing wrong with gaining weight if you're healthy, but I wasn't, and my weight gain was a reflection of the fact that I wasn't looking after myself.

The weight had crept up over the years, as it so often does. I will always love to eat and drink, but as a 20-something living in London, I'd lost all concept of moderation or balance, regularly binge-drinking and overeating.

My diet wasn't necessarily unhealthy, and I was very active, but I was simply consuming far too much, frequently eating to the point of pain.

I had an unhealthy relationship with food and my body, and that's what I decided I would consciously work on come the new year — might as well capitalize on the "new year, new me" vibe, after all.

Losing weight wasn't my main incentive, but it was part of the overall lifestyle switch I've successfully made. And that's what's made this time different to every other time I've lost a few pounds.

It was time to start putting myself, my health, and my happiness first. No restrictive plans, no strict rules, no thinking of myself as being on a diet, but rather approaching it as a journey toward creating a healthier, happier, sustainable lifestyle.

And it worked.

As a lifestyle journalist with a focus on health, food, wellness, and fitness, I was already well informed about how to live a healthy lifestyle. But there's still so much I've learned this year, from how to train to how to deal with saboteurs (both separate articles entirely).

But perhaps the most important changes I've made have been regarding my diet. So here are seven lessons I've learned about how to eat to lose weight sustainably.
1. Cutting out foods just results in bingeing.

Cutting bread, sugar, or anything else you enjoy out of your diet is not a good idea as you'll only end up bingeing on it. Do you want to cut those delicious foods out forever? Didn't think so.

While you may think you "can't do" moderation (stopping after a few squares of chocolate and not eating the whole bar), you can if you stop demonizing the food. There's no such thing as "good" and "bad" foods, although, yes, there are more and less nutrient-dense foods.

For me, it's also helped to think of foods in terms of macros — are they a source of protein, carbs, or fats? So a bar of chocolate is a carb, just like a banana or oats, and they can all be part of a healthy diet.

If you love doughnuts, you don't have to give them up forever to lose weight, and this can make them easier to resist when your colleague brings in a box of Krispy Kremes — you know what they taste like, you'll eat doughnuts at a later point in your life, you don't need to eat one just because they're there. But at the same time, if you really want a doughnut, just eat one and enjoy it!

If you feel like you're punishing yourself, it's never going to work.
2. Working out won't result in fat loss if you don't also address your diet.

Before I changed my lifestyle, I already worked out four to five times a week, doing a mixture of weight-lifting, dance classes, and netball. I was also active in my day-to-day life, walking at least 14,000 steps a day. But I was still overweight.

The past six months have shown me how much truth there is in the adage, "You can't out-train a bad diet." Or, more specifically, a diet that simply involves consuming too much.

Working out is great for you in so many ways, and it certainly helps the fat-loss process (more on that another time), but if you think exercise alone is going to see your weight dropping off, you may be disappointed.
3. Upping your protein intake will help a lot.

It's a complete myth that eating for fitness means plain chicken and broccoli with a protein shake on the side for every meal, but it's true that keeping your protein intake up is important.

In fact, studies have shown that following a high-protein diet can help maintain muscle and boost metabolism, keep you feeling full when trying to lose weight, and reduce hunger.

"Eating a sufficient amount of protein when you're losing weight is paramount in order to preserve lean muscle mass," specialist registered dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine told INSIDER.

"Eating around 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight," she said, "alongside resistance exercise, helps to maintain both muscle strength and metabolic rate" — the rate at which your body burns calories. "The digestion of protein also requires more calories in comparison to carbs and fat, and help to keep you feeling full too."

I haven't been counting macros, but I have been trying to eat at least 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of my bodyweight every day, and it hasn't been even remotely painful, as there are lots of delicious ways to get your protein in (Greek yogurt, I'm looking at you).
4. Don't fear fats — they'll satisfy and keep you full.

We're often told to eat complex carbs like whole-grain pasta and brown bread for slow-release energy and to keep us full between meals, but if you don't ensure each meal has some fat too, you won't be satiated and will be craving something else shortly after.

What's more, eating fats are essential to our overall health.

"All macronutrients — carbs, protein, and fats — should be included as a part of a healthy and balanced diet, with some proteins and fats being essential to eat as without them our bodily simply couldn't function. Essential amino acids as well as fatty acids need to be eaten as they cannot be made within the body," Ludlam-Raine said.

"Fats in particular are essential in the diet as they help with hormonal function, vitamin absorption — A, D, E, K — and help to keep our hearts and blood vessels healthy.

"The predominant type of fat in our diet should be unsaturated, which is found in vegetables such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds, as well as oily fish."
5. Cutting down on booze will make a huge difference.

You can still have a glass of prosecco from time to time and lose weight.  

While I've never had a drinking problem, London is a city that revolves around booze, so if you're a sociable person you can find yourself drinking a lot just by being out and about. That was my life for a long time.

I did "Dry January" — going sober for the first month of the year — and felt so much better that I've drastically cut down my drinking since, and I have no doubt it's helped me lose weight, not just because alcohol is so incredibly high in calories but because you always tend to eat more energy-dense foods both while drinking and the next day when you're feeling somewhat worse for wear.

What's more, drinking significantly less has definitely helped me get stronger and fitter. You don't need to give up alcohol altogether if you want to lose weight, because if you enjoy a drink, that's never going to be a sustainable way to live. But if you can cut down, it'll help a lot.
6. The number on the scale means very little.

We all talk about "weight loss" and many of us have been conditioned to live and die by the scale. But, realistically, we should be aiming for "fat loss," and the scale can't measure that (even high-tech scales which claim to measure body fat percentages aren't considered to be entirely reliable).

For women in particular, the number on the scale can vary wildly depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle, when you last ate, and how big or salty that meal was (salt makes your body retain water), when you last went to the bathroom, and other factors.

You also have to remember that if you're putting on muscle, that affects your weight too.

I've learned to detach myself from the number on the scale, seeing it as just one measurement of data and nothing more. Whether it's gone up or down no longer affects my day, it merely allows me to see a general trend over months.

Instead of obsessing over the scale, take progress photos every month and log your body measurements using a tape measure.
7. Overall calorie deficit is what it comes down to, but it doesn't need to be drastic.
I now feel happier and healthier after working on my relationship with food. Rachel Hosie

Despite all the fad diets we're bombarded with wherever we look, ultimately losing weight comes down to being in an energy deficit.

But you need to make sure that isn't too drastic.

There are two reasons for that. First, if you cut your calories too low, your body will start burning your existing muscle as well as your fat, which isn't what you want.

Then there's the fact that living off 1,200 calories a day and being hungry all the time is horrible and unsustainable.

"Calories are king when it comes to weight loss, but it's not quite as simple as 'eat as few as possible,' as our bodies don't like to go without and will fight back by either ramping up appetite, which could lead to a binge, or by causing you to feel lethargic, which will cause you to burn fewer calories as you do less," Ludlam-Raine said.

"A moderate daily deficit of 300 to 600 calories (created through a reduction in calories eaten and in addition to burning more through movement) is sufficient to burn 1/2 to 1 pound of body fat a week initially."

The only way you'll make lasting change is if you enjoy your lifestyle while you're losing weight. Just try to make sure you're eating a little bit less than you were before, the pounds will come off, and you won't hate your life in the process.

Favorite Quote

Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.

STEPHEN KING

Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads. ERICA JONG

Red Hand Fies by Nick Cave

Issue #175 / November 2021

The Truth is that I betrayed the very essence of my soul and No knowledge can heal that wound. Is like constantly moving in the fog with nowhere to go or be. I just can’t forgive myself.

THOMAS, LONDON, UK

Dear Thomas,

As far as I can see your options are rather limited — you either remain suspended in a state of misery and self-loathing or you move toward some sort of self-forgiveness. In your estimation you feel you have committed an unforgivable act, which may or may not be true. There are indeed some acts that are reprehensible, that are simply beyond the pale, and we need to be alert to this, to be repelled by these acts, in order that we do not repeat them, or draw these offences back into our lives. It runs contrary to our own sense of human dignity and justice to think otherwise. However, even though the act may appear unforgivable, forgive we must.

To forgive is perhaps the supreme human capacity, it can feel counter-intuitive yet it is wholly crucial to our survival, not just of our own selves, but also of our species in general. It is what Derrida calls, ‘a madness of the impossible’. In short, we must strive to forgive the unforgivable.

This act of radical forgiveness is exceedingly difficult because our instinct for justice and vengeance feels far more natural and human than to find it in ourselves to forgive, however, as is clear from your letter, this instinct turned inward can be absolutely disastrous.

There is a way forward though, and it is this — we must attempt to separate the act itself from the person who has carried it out. We condemn the act but we are merciful to the one who committed it. This can feel like an impossibility, especially when the person who needs clemency is oneself. However, the fact that you feel so abject about whatever you did indicates that you are indeed heading toward some form of absolution.

We all have regrets and, as bad as they may feel, they are signals of our growth as human beings. A person with no regrets is simply leading an unexamined life. Personally I try to look at our trespasses not as sins but as sufferings — that we have at our core an essential goodness, but that over time this goodness is loaded up with layers of suffering that lead ultimately to all manner of fucked-up behaviour.

It is worth bearing in mind that we are mostly good people who do bad things — all of us — and forgiveness, as contrary to our instincts as it so often feels, is the crucial component that can usher us out of the darkness and back to the world.

Love, Nick

https://www.theredhandfiles.com/i-just-cant-forgive-myself/

The Journey

 “A monk is simply a traveler, except the journey is inwards.” Jay Shetty

“Swap ‘Why is this happening to me?’ to ‘What is this trying to teach me?’. It will change everything.” Jay Shetty

“The best lesson I have learned in life came from the worst feeling I ever felt in life.” Jay Shetty

“Your new life will cost you your old one.” Jay Shetty 

 “What if Oprah listened to her haters and doubters? What if Steve Jobs settled for a real job? What if The Rock never broke through depression? What if Ellen never overcame the bullying? Imagine a world where everyone lived their passion. We would be better people. We’d be better partners. We’d be better parents.” Jay Shetty

“Motivation comes from meaning. Everything comes from meaning.” Jay Shetty

 “When nobody else celebrates you, learn to celebrate yourself. When nobody else compliments you, then compliment yourself. It’s not up to other people to keep you encouraged. It’s up to you. Encouragement should come from the inside.” Jay Shetty

“Starve your distractions, feed your focus.” Jay Shetty

 “Don’t let someone be a priority when all you are to them is an option.” Jay Shetty

 “Don’t be afraid of new beginnings, from new people, new energy, new surroundings, and new challenges. Embrace new chances at happiness.” Jay Shetty

“Go the extra mile, it’s never crowded.” Jay Shetty

Best in the World

 A friend made this and it is the most amazing thing on everything.

Cilantro-Date Chutney

By Samin Nosrat

• Yield 1 1/2 cups
• Time About 15 minutes

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Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Inspired by two classic Parsi recipes from the chef and anthropologist Niloufer Ichaporia King, this sauce introduces the toasted cumin and medjool dates from her date and tamarind chutney into her classic green chutney, full of fresh ginger, jalapeño and lime. The ginger and the sweetness of the dates echo many of the flavors already present on the Thanksgiving table, and the cilantro, chiles and lime bring a much welcome vividness. It’s a delight! This sauce is also fantastic on leftover turkey sandwiches, and, other times of year, it makes for a great condiment on rice, fish, chicken and vegetable dishes alike.

Featured in: How To Make Your Thanksgiving Dinner Less Boring. 

Condiments, Cilantro, Jalapeno, Lime Juice, Medjool Date, Thanksgiving

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 10 medjool dates, pitted
• ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste (from 2 to 3 limes)
• 2 jalapeños, stemmed and thinly sliced (remove seeds if desired for a milder sauce)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 6 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 4 cups loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems (from about 2 large bunches)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

1. Place cumin in a small skillet and set over medium-high heat. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes, or until seeds just begin to change color and emit a faint aroma. Immediately dump seeds into a spice grinder or mortar, and grind to a powder.
2. Place dates, lime juice, jalapeños, ginger, garlic, salt and cumin into the bowl of a food processor and pulse, stopping periodically to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Try to get this mixture as uniformly puréed as possible, though a little texture is fine.
3. Add the cilantro and continue to pulse to break it down. Then, add as little water as possible — about a tablespoon — to get the blades moving and turn the mixture into the sauce. Continue scraping the sides and pulsing until no large bits of stem or leaf remain and the sauce is a lovely, almost-but-not-quite-smooth texture. Taste, and add lime juice and salt as needed. Cover and refrigerate until serving. This sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Tip

• This sauce can be made up to 1 day in advance.

Magnesium + Serotonin

 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-magnesium-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_11

https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/foods-that-could-boost-your-serotonin 

John Frame Studio

https://johnframestudio.com/#

https://johnframestudio.com/projects/little-man-metallica/ 

https://johnframestudio.com/studio-work/recent-period/

Boing!

Every time I place my mug down on the dining table it makes a BOING cartoon sound like a gigantic rubber band. It's Hilarious! On Sat we moved the table to vacuum and probably loosened a spring. It's only at my spot. We don't want to fix it because it makes us laugh EVERY TIME!

Maybe we need to design furniture with built in hilarious side effects.

Carrie Cantwell

https://blogs.webmd.com/my-experience/20200811/how-i-accepted-my-bipolar-disorder-and-learned-to-thrive

https://darknessandlight.org/5-reasons-why-im-thankful-for-my-bipolar-diagnosis/

3 Important Articles

 BP Magazine
The Essential Guide to Recognizing Hypomania
By Carrie Cantwell
Last Updated: 9 Dec 2020

Hypomania can be easy to dismiss��it often masquerades as joy, ambition, and productivity. Which is exactly why recognizing your hypomania �red flags� is essential.
recognizing-hypomania-bipolar-mania-signs

Because I have bipolar disorder, I don�t experience the world like everyone else does. My highs are like a jet breaking the sound barrier. My lows are akin to detritus at the bottom of the Marianas Trench. Those extremes are easy to recognize, but what about hypomania? It�s a lesser form of mania, and it�s sneaky. It feels great, and it often masquerades as happiness.

When I�m hypomanic, music sounds beautiful, food tastes delicious, and I believe everyone loves me. I think I�m invincible. I frequently refuse to accept when I�m hypomanic. I convince myself and insist to others that I�m just happy. But that�s an illusion. Hypomania isn�t an emotion. It�s a chemical imbalance just like depression or anxiety. And the elation that accompanies it is false. It�s a mirage induced by brain chemistry that�s out of whack.

Hypomania can be easy to dismiss. It often masquerades as joy, ambition, productivity and passion. Because hypomania feels good, it�s tempting to refuse treatment. It�s a high that�s addictive, and, like all addictions, it�s dangerous and unhealthy.

Hypomania never lasts. It�s just a stop on the way to mania. Mania is scary, and it can be fatal. When I�m manic, my mind races so fast I can�t think or sleep, and I make dangerous, potentially life-threatening impulsive decisions. I�ve broken relationships and myself in the throes of mania. Suicidal tendencies increase when mania is thrown into the mix.

I�ve identified my hypomania red flags. Your symptoms may be different, and I encourage you to figure out what behaviors are indicators for you.
Sleep disturbances

Disruption in my sleep cycle is the first sign that things in my brain are going haywire. Regulated sleep is one of the most important self-care techniques for bipolar disorder. Sleep irregularity throws me off the deep end. And it�s a vicious cycle. If I get less sleep for a few days, that can trigger hypomania. In turn, hypomania makes me sleep less. I wake up before the alarm clock with ideas buzzing around in my head like a swarm of bees. I know I�m hypomanic when I feel more energized although I�ve gotten less sleep. 

Overconfidence

When I�m hypomanic, I talk to everyone from the busy bank teller to the homeless guy who just wants $1. I chat incessantly with everyone I encounter whether they want to talk to me or not. I think the entire world wants to hear my every little thought because I�m just that darned interesting. That overconfidence is a dead giveaway that I�m hypomanic. 

Not listening

When I�m struggling with hypomania, another telltale sign is my speech. I do most of the talking in social situations, and I don�t listen. It�s almost impossible to wait for anyone to finish a sentence. I constantly interrupt because I think people take too long to get to the point. 

Spending money I don't have

I love shopping, but when I�m experiencing hypomania, I love it too much. I know something is wrong in my brain if I lose my ability to reign in my spending. When I suddenly believe I need 6 expensive black cocktail dresses or I simply must have 12 kinds of coconut facial moisturizers, it�s obvious I must be hypomanic. 

Not eating enough

When I�m hypomanic, I lose my appetite. My nutritional needs suffer. It often leads to weight loss which�for me�is particularly dangerous, because I also struggle with an eating disorder. My hypomania feeds (pun intended) my anorexia and my eating disorder makes my hypomania worse. That has long-term damaging physical and psychological effects. It can even be fatal. If I find myself losing weight and feeling better despite skipping meals or going days without eating, I know I�m hypomanic. 

Hypersensitivity to external stimuli

When I�m hypomanic colors look brighter, smells are more pungent, and even faint noises can be deafening. From the wafting scent of perfume to the sound of a siren in the distance, when I�m hypomanic I�m more acutely cognizant of what�s around me. This hypersensitivity�the constant sensory stimulation�can be overwhelming.
Irritability

The sensory overload I mentioned previously grates my nerves when I�m hypomanic. Even the faintest sound like a sneeze makes my skin crawl. Imagine being forced to wear an itchy wool sweater and being unable to take it off. That�s what it physically feels like to be hypomanic. I often get cranky and my temper flares easily. I�ve snapped at people I care about when I�m in this state, and that puts a strain on my relationships. 

Demanding �justice�

I once wasted 6 hours on the phone with a hospital financial office and my health insurance company arguing about a bill I felt was unreasonable. In the end, I lost. I had to pay the bill anyway. And I�d wasted almost an entire day because I just couldn�t let go of the idea that it was unfair to charge me so much for a routine medical procedure. To my detriment, hypomania took over my day and ruined it. 

Denial and defensiveness

The worst part of hypomania is my refusal to admit I�m hypomanic. I deny deny deny. When someone in my support network�like my mom, who not only knows I have bipolar disorder but is also a psychotherapist�expresses concern, I snap at her and insist she�s wrong. I can�t tell you how many times I�ve said, �I�m fine� when I knew deep down, I really wasn�t.  

I was diagnosed in 2002. I used to ignore the warning signs of hypomania. Now, when I notice myself experiencing any of these symptoms, I suck it up and ask for help. I must also be willing to listen to feedback from others when they see me flying too high.

I have a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist who help me keep an eye on my moods and behavior. I�m open with my friends and family about my bipolar disorder. They know which symptoms to watch for. I�ve made verbal contracts with people I�m close to, to tell me when they see my mood changing. My end of the agreement is to listen to them. I, like so many other people with bipolar disorder, need external feedback. The lack of self-awareness that comes with this illness necessitates outside observation and communication.

Because I have bipolar disorder, I never let my guard down. If I start feeling happy, even if my reaction is warranted, I question my emotions. Once I recognize the warning signs, I admit to myself that I might be hypomanic, and I ask for help from my health care professionals. Hypomania can be curtailed and recovered from much more easily than full blown mania is. Although it can be tempting to ignore hypomania, I must be willing to acknowledge it if I want to stay healthy.

hypersensitivity, hypomania, irritability, signs of mania 

About the author
Carrie Cantwell
Carrie Cantwell is a graphic artist and writer with bipolar disorder. She�s the author of Daddy Issues: A Memoir, about growing up with a volatile father who had bipolar and whom she lost to suicide, and how accepting her own diagnosis taught her to forgive him. Carrie began her career as a feature writer for an online publication. She then worked as a film and television graphic designer for 16 years. In 2021, she retired from the entertainment industry to focus on mental health advocacy and suicide prevention. Carrie writes for bpHope Blog, bp Magazine, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), Medical News Today, the Stigma-Free Society, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), and WebMD. Her website is DarknessAndLight.org.

Can Bipolar Disorder Symptoms Cause Loss of Appetite?
Jenna Jarrold 

Bipolar mania and not eating are commonly linked. Find out why those with bipolar disorder can experience a loss of appetite on HealthyPlace.

If you are experiencing bipolar mania and not eating, you are not alone.  Many people in a manic phase of bipolar disorder have a loss of appetite. Sometimes because of forgetfulness, or perhaps an increased sense of contentment, bipolar mania and not eating are commonly linked. 

Bipolar Mania and Not Eating

If bipolar mania is causing you not to eat, it is imperative you identify ways to get back to nourishing your body in a healthy way. Diet and nutrition are vital aspects of everyone�s mental health. Yet when it comes to those with bipolar disorder, a healthy diet is essential to symptom management and thus, the overall quality of life.

Of course, the severity of one�s bipolar disorder (and the length of time in the manic phase) can affect the level to which appetite is affected. For some, a loss of appetite can last a day or two, while others experiencing bipolar mania may not want to eat for weeks.
Bipolar, Manic, and Loss of Appetite

Being in a bipolar manic state and not eating due to loss of appetite can be very dangerous. Although you may not be feeling your regular hunger cues, it is essential you continue to incorporate a healthy diet and eat on a consistent basis throughout the day (Do Vitamins for Bipolar Help at All?). Following a healthy diet for bipolar will not only help you stave off the potential physical problems of not eating, but it can also aid in the management of your bipolar mania symptoms. A healthy bipolar diet consists of:

    Beans � beans are rich in magnesium, and according to much research, magnesium has shown to reduce mania symptoms. So, if you have bipolar mania and are not eating, beginning to incorporate beans could be a good place to start.
    Salt � using salt consistently, as those with bipolar have a sodium imbalance in the brain. Sodium imbalances can lead to mental confusion, mood swings, sweating, fever, and diarrhea.
    Omega-3�s � found in mackerel, herring, trout, salmon, and tuna.  Omega-3�s are synonymous with healthy brain function, and healthy brain function which can help with the impulsivity associated with bipolar mania.
    Turkey � tryptophan is an amino acid found in turkey.  Although it has become synonymous with the sleepy feeling experienced by many after Thanksgiving dinner, tryptophan helps in the production of serotonin.  Many also believe tryptophan aids in bipolar mania symptom management.  If you do not like turkey, tryptophan can also be found in eggs, tofu, and cheese.

If you trying to stay consistent with your diet when in a manic phase and experiencing a loss of appetite, it is important to know there are certain things to stay away from.  Following a healthy diet for bipolar disorder means cutting out:

    Caffeine � caffeine can cause sleep interruption and loss of appetite, which can worsen bipolar symptoms overall.  Additionally, caffeine in itself can trigger bipolar mania (Coffee and Bipolar Disorder Don�t Mix).
    Alcohol � alcohol not only negatively impacts the effectiveness of bipolar medications, but it can also exacerbate mood swings.  Plus, if you have bipolar mania and loss of appetite, alcohol may contribute to the impulsivity you might be experiencing.

If bipolar mania and not eating go hand-in-hand for you, beginning to incorporate a diet consisting of the above-mentioned foods can be helpful.  Yet, if you find you are having difficulty managing your bipolar and loss of appetite, it is important to seek the advice of a medical professional.


Eating for Bipolar Disorder: Best and Worst Foods for Bipolar
Jenna Jarrold


In eating for bipolar disorder, which are the best and worst foods for bipolar disorder? Find out on HealthyPlace.

Eating for bipolar disorder is a natural way to treat and manage the difficult symptoms associated with this mental health disorder.  With the knowledge of which foods to eat for bipolar disorder management, you can begin to make small changes to your diet.  In choosing the best foods for bipolar disorder, chances are you may notice a significant change in how you experience symptoms and notice an overall increase in wellbeing. 

Eating for Bipolar Disorder

Eating for bipolar disorder may look different depending on the specific person.  Although there isn�t one specific bipolar diet every person with bipolar disorder is recommended to follow, there are certain foods every person with bipolar disorder may want to try for symptom management. 

Best Foods for Bipolar Disorder

Research indicates there are many foods that one could benefit from incorporating into his or her diet if living with bipolar disorder.  Diet is a great approach to naturally managing bipolar symptoms. If you have bipolar disorder, try incorporating the following five foods into your diet:

    Whole grains � not only do whole grains have a positive effect on your heart and digestive system, they are essential when mindfully eating for bipolar disorder, as they tend to have a calming effect on the mind. Whole grains are some of the best natural foods for bipolar disorder you can choose.  Try whole grain pasta, brown rice, oatmeal or quinoa.
    Beans � beans are a primary part of any healthy diet, yet individuals with bipolar disorder may benefit from focusing on increasing their intake of pinto, garbanzo, and mung beans, which have the highest concentration of vitamin B9. Vitamin B9 helps sustain adequate homocysteine levels, which, when too low, can increase bipolar disorder symptoms.   
    Dark Chocolate � chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which have various �mood-lifting� ingredients, including phenylethylamine (known to relieve symptoms of depression).  Phenylethylamine is found mostly in dark chocolate.
    Tofu � tofu is made from the curds of soybean milk and, in general, is considered to be one of the most �health-giving� foods available. Tofu is a highly nutritious source of protein and contains omega-3s.  Omega-3�s contribute to mood stability.
    Turkey � this may seem like an odd choice, but turkey, which is high in the amino acid tryptophan, is a vital part of eating for bipolar disorder. Tryptophane helps your body make serotonin, and increased levels of serotonin are helpful with bipolar depression.

Worst Foods for Bipolar Disorder

    Caffeine � Although small amounts of caffeine don�t tend to exacerbate the symptoms of bipolar disorder, caffeine can cause sleep deprivation, which can trigger mania and mood swings. Generally, caffeinated beverages like cola and coffee don't mix well with bipolar disorder.
    Sugar � Eating a diet high in sugar isn�t recommended for anyone, but especially for those with bipolar disorder. Research has shown sugar can interfere with bipolar medication treatments and make them less effective.
    Alcohol � Alcohol is a depressant for anyone, but if you have bipolar disorder, you are more prone to being affected by depressants. Not only can alcohol affect mood, but it can also negatively interact with medication. High-fat foods � those with bipolar could benefit from limiting their trans- and saturated fat intake. These fats can significantly delay the beneficial effects of bipolar medications.
    Grapefruit � This citrus fruit is known to negatively interact with many commonly prescribed bipolar medications.

Making small, gradual changes to your diet is a good place to start.  If you are anxious to begin eating for bipolar disorder and want to make major changes to your diet, it is advised you seek the advice of a medical professional.

 

Brown Bag it

Bringing your lunch to work is a breeze with these quick and simple strategies.

Get into the habit: Pack your lunch

Bringing your lunch to work is a breeze with these quick and simple strategies.

How often do you just grab whatever's available when you're hungry, even relying on a vending machine to supply your midday meal? Reinvigorate your lunch, save money and eat healthier with the following packing tips:

• Pick foods from a range of food groups to maximize your energy. Choose fruits; vegetables; low-fat milk, yogurt or cheese; whole-grain bread, cereal, pasta or brown rice; and lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs or beans for your lunches.

• Think beyond the typical sandwich and chips. Stuff whole-grain pita bread with sliced chicken, cucumbers, red onion, low-fat feta cheese and a dash of light dressing. Make kebabs with cut-up fruits and pair with low-fat yogurt as a dip. Replace peanut-butter sandwiches with another nut or seed spread like sunflower-seed butter.
• No microwave? No problem. Keep hot foods hot with an insulated vacuum container such as a thermos. Fill with hot stew, chili, vegetable soup or leftovers for a satisfying meal on a cold day.
• Have easy brown-bag options handy. Pair low-fat cheese sticks and smoked turkey slices with whole-grain crackers, crunchy raw vegetables and a handful of grapes, or try whole-grain pasta salad — made with chicken, vegetables and shredded Parmesan cheese — with low-fat pudding and a crisp apple. Another option: Layer hummus, sliced tomatoes and reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese over whole-grain bread for a taste-tempting sandwich. Add a handful of baked potato chips and a fresh pear for a satisfying meal.
• Revive leftovers. Don't let food from the day before go to waste — turn it into a tasty lunch! Pasta dishes can be enhanced with vegetables, such as a serving of broccoli or a handful of baby spinach. Bring salads to life by adding your favorite raw veggies or protein, such as a boiled egg, chicken or tofu.

Packing lunches can be challenging if you aren't already in the habit. Look within yourself to find barriers to success and plan solutions that work for you…and save money while you're at it!

How often do you just grab whatever's available when you're hungry, even relying on a vending machine to supply your midday meal? Reinvigorate your lunch, save money and eat healthier with the following packing tips:

• Pick foods from a range of food groups to maximize your energy. Choose fruits; vegetables; low-fat milk, yogurt or cheese; whole-grain bread, cereal, pasta or brown rice; and lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs or beans for your lunches.

• Think beyond the typical sandwich and chips. Stuff whole-grain pita bread with sliced chicken, cucumbers, red onion, low-fat feta cheese and a dash of light dressing. Make kebabs with cut-up fruits and pair with low-fat yogurt as a dip. Replace peanut-butter sandwiches with another nut or seed spread like sunflower-seed butter.
• No microwave? No problem. Keep hot foods hot with an insulated vacuum container such as a thermos. Fill with hot stew, chili, vegetable soup or leftovers for a satisfying meal on a cold day.
• Have easy brown-bag options handy. Pair low-fat cheese sticks and smoked turkey slices with whole-grain crackers, crunchy raw vegetables and a handful of grapes, or try whole-grain pasta salad — made with chicken, vegetables and shredded Parmesan cheese — with low-fat pudding and a crisp apple. Another option: Layer hummus, sliced tomatoes and reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese over whole-grain bread for a taste-tempting sandwich. Add a handful of baked potato chips and a fresh pear for a satisfying meal.
• Revive leftovers. Don't let food from the day before go to waste — turn it into a tasty lunch! Pasta dishes can be enhanced with vegetables, such as a serving of broccoli or a handful of baby spinach. Bring salads to life by adding your favorite raw veggies or protein, such as a boiled egg, chicken or tofu.

Packing lunches can be challenging if you aren't already in the habit. Look within yourself to find barriers to success and plan solutions that work for you…and save money while you're at it!

Rita Moreno on the Time Marlon Brando Told Her She 'Needs Therapy'

Returning to her West Side Story roots, legendary actress Rita Moreno proves her star still burns bright. Before turning "the big 9-0," she looks back on decades of highs, lows, and laughs in Hollywood.

By As told to Jennifer Ferrise Nov 22, 2021 @ 9:00 am

Entertaining has always been in my bones. As a 4-year-old child in Puerto Rico, I would boogie my little behind off whenever my grandpa put on a record, and he'd laugh and applaud. When I was 5 [in 1936], my mother and I moved to America. My mom had a friend who was a Spanish dancer, and when she saw me bopping around our New York City apartment, she said, "I think Rosita has a gift." So she took me to the studio to work with Paco Cansino, a dance teacher who had great fame in Latino circles because he was Rita Hayworth's uncle. He taught me some steps and eventually took me to a nightclub in Greenwich Village, where we danced and played castanets together. Of course the audience was enchanted. How could they not be? There I was, this little girl with big eyes, twirling around as fast as I could. It was my first performance, and I knew I wanted more.

I became enamored with movies after that — I loved the giant screen and the wonder of it all. I'd pack a sandwich for lunch, get to the theater at 10 in the morning, and stay until 3 in the afternoon. It was joyous fun. I remember thinking, "How amazing would it be if I was up on that screen and people from all over the country would pay 25 cents just to see me? What could possibly be bad about that?"

In those days, there weren't really any actresses that a Puerto Rican girl could look up to, so my role model became Elizabeth Taylor. It didn't occur to me that her skin was lighter or that she had violet eyes. We were around the same age, and she had such huge success, so my mom and I bought a waist cincher and did my hair and my eyebrows like hers. Sure enough, when I got a chance to meet Louis B. Mayer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios fame, he said, "My God, she looks like a Spanish Elizabeth Taylor." And I got signed on the spot.

I accepted whatever parts were offered to me because there weren't many roles for Latinas back then. Instead, they'd ask me to play a Native American or an Indian or an Arabian. I did the best I could with each role, but it was frustrating. Whenever I did find a role I'd be good for, they wouldn't even consider me. I was always underestimated. And when you hear someone say over and over that you don't have value, you eventually start to believe it.

My friend Marlon Brando, who I was going with at the time, said, "You really need to see a therapist," which, of course, is hilarious, because it was one loony telling another loony, "You need help." But he was absolutely right. And boy, was it life-changing. It helped me define my self-respect and figure out who I wanted to be in this industry. The other thing that helped was getting the part of Anita in West Side Story. Anita was Latina and proud of it. She had such a sense of dignity and always spoke up for herself. I had never experienced that before. Playing her inspired me to find my voice, and that is something that has stuck with me forever.

When I won the Oscar for West Side Story [becoming the first Latina to receive an Academy Award], it was truly the moment I realized that people were cheering me on. I barely got any fan mail back then because my Latino community didn't know where to send letters. But when my name was announced at the Oscars, I heard that my neighborhood in New York went up in smoke. People were screaming "She did it!" out of their windows. What they were really saying was, "We did it." And that made me feel marvelous.

Fame is ephemeral, though; it comes as quickly as it goes. But you can't let that frighten you. Because no matter how tough it gets sometimes, performing is the only thing I've ever wanted to do. That's why I'm still doing it all these years later. It's my version of the American dream. And when people tell me how much West Side Story or Singin' in the Rain or The Electric Company means to them, I still find it astonishing. I was at an event the other day, and Angelina Jolie came up and said how happy she was to meet me — I damn near peed my pants. [laughs] In this business you never know who is watching or what could be right around the corner.

So when Steven Spielberg called to tell me that he was remaking West Side Story and asked if I wanted to be in it, I couldn't believe it. I thought, "How am I still functioning in this business long enough to see a remake happen almost 60 years later?" [laughs] But Steven and [screenwriter] Tony Kushner wanted to get it right and to correct the original film with respect to the Hispanic characters, so I knew it was in good hands. Tony wrote the character Valentina just for me, and she's the heart of the film in a lot of ways.

Being back on that set was a wild full-circle moment for me. What's crazier is that the film comes out the day before I turn the big 9-0. And just for a few minutes, I wish my mom were alive to see it. She would've never believed it. And I think she'd be proud that I'm still dancing, whether it's onscreen or just around my house to Bruno Mars. Why stop now?

Moreno is a star and executive producer of West Side Story, out Dec. 10.

For more stories like this, pick up the December/January 2022 issue of InStyle, available on newsstands, on Amazon, and for digital download now.

• By As told to Jennifer Ferrise

The 1954 Oldsmobile Cutlass show car

 

Zeynep Tufeki

 

Opinion

Zeynep Tufekci

Omicron Is Coming. The U.S. Must Act Now.

Nov. 28, 2021

The New York Times

By Zeynep Tufekci

Opinion Columnist

There’s very little we know for sure about Omicron, the Covid variant first detected in South Africa that has caused tremors of panic as winter approaches. That’s actually good news. Fast, honest work by South Africa has allowed the world to get on top of this variant even while clinical and epidemiological data is scarce.

So let’s get our act together now. Omicron, which early indicators suggest could be more transmissible even than Delta and more likely to cause breakthrough infections, may arrive in the United States soon if it’s not here already.

A dynamic response requires tough containment measures to be modified quickly as evidence comes in, as well as rapid data collection to understand the scope of the threat.

Vaccine manufacturers should also immediately begin developing vaccines specifically for Omicron.

The United States, the European Union and many nations have already announced a travel ban on several African countries. Such restrictions can buy time, even if the variant has started to spread, but only if they are implemented in a smart way along with other measures, not as pandemic theatrics.

The travel ban from several southern African countries announced by President Biden on Friday exempts American citizens and permanent residents, other than requiring them to be tested. But containment needs to target the pathogen, not the passports. As a precaution, travel should be restricted for both foreign nationals and U.S. citizens from countries where the variant is known to be spreading more widely until we have more clarity.

We need stricter testing regimes involving multiple tests over time and even quarantine requirements for all travelers according to the incubation period determined by epidemiological data. We also need more intensive and widespread testing and tracing to cut off the spread of the variant. This means finally getting the sort of mass testing program that the United States has avoided and which has been part of successful responses to Covid in other countries.

If we aren’t willing to do all that, there is little point in a blanket ban on a few nationalities.

The reason we can even discuss such early, vigorous, responsible attacks on Omicron is because South African scientists and medical workers realized it was a danger within three weeks of its detection, and their government acted like a good global citizen by notifying the world. They should not be punished for their honest and impressive actions. The United States and other richer countries should provide them with resources to combat their own outbreak — it’s the least we can do.

The government should also be clear about when and by which benchmarks these restrictions will be modified. Travel bans can remain in place too long because they become more a matter of political signaling than public health.

Perhaps the best example of responding intelligently to an early warning is Taiwan.

Weeks before a prevaricating Chinese government finally acknowledged that the Covid virus was being transmitted between people in Wuhan, on Jan. 20, 2020, Taiwanese officials had suspected that was the case. They quickly started to screen travelers and initiated stronger restrictions soon after, including quarantines of travelers from China and, later, elsewhere as well. The Taiwanese also masked up early — rationing to ensure everyone could get some of limited supply — worked aggressively to find cases that slipped through, to stomp out local outbreaks.

Image

Workers checked temperatures of Taipei Metro passengers in March 2020.Credit...Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Even though many travelers had arrived from Wuhan before these measures were put in place, Taiwan quashed the initial spread and has effectively contained the crisis for almost two years.

What didn’t work was the way the United States went about it last year. Travel was initially restricted only from China and late in the game. The ban did not apply to American citizens and was not paired with wide-scale testing at the border and throughout the country. Mr. Biden’s ban has similar problems — it won’t even start until Monday, as if the virus takes the weekend off.

That’s pandemic theatrics, not public health.

Last year, many of the first cases came to the United States from Europe, not China, because it had already spread extensively and tests were rarely conducted on anyone who had not been to Wuhan.

In detecting Omicron, we have a key advantage, by a stroke of luck. For many variants, scientists need to sample the full sequence to clearly distinguish them. Like a few other variants, Omicron has a particular genetic signal that shows up in PCR testing, making it easier to track with our regular testing infrastructure and easier to include tracking this variant as part of a mass testing effort.

South Korea demonstrated the importance of early mass testing. Its first Covid case was announced the same day as the first one in the United States, Jan. 20 of last year. Weeks later, a superspreader event at a South Korean church made it the first country to have a significant outbreak outside of China. Its dense cities and crowded public transportation made it a perfect place for an epidemic to bloom.

However, they were ready with a huge testing system, including free drive-through tests, and aggressive tracing. By the end of March, they had gotten the initial outbreak under control. As of now, the country of over 50 million has had a total of about 3,500 deaths during the entire pandemic — less than a week’s terrible toll in New York during its peak wave in April 2020.

The United States already needs to test more, because of the ongoing Delta surge.

Tragically, one reason South Africa put in place the advanced medical surveillance that found the Omicron variant was to track cases of AIDS, which continues to be a crisis there.

The antiviral cocktail that turned AIDS from a death sentence to a chronic condition was developed by the mid-1990s, but pharmaceutical companies, protected by rich nations, refused to let cheap generic versions be manufactured and sold in many poorer countries — they even sued to stop South Africa from importing any. Millions died before an agreement was finally reached years later after extensive global activism.

The callous mistreatment of South Africa by big pharmaceutical companies continued into this pandemic. Moderna, for example, has run some of its vaccine trials in South Africa but did not donate any to the country or even to Covax, the global vaccine alliance, until much later.

Decades of such policies have contributed to high levels of medical mistrust in South Africa, including vaccine hesitancy. Only 35 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated despite sufficient supplies. (Vaccine supply problems persist elsewhere in Africa: only about a quarter of even health care workers in the continent are fully-vaccinated — a horrible situation).

Image

A Covid-19 trial volunteer reviewing research paperwork after being given a second shot at Soweto’s Chris Sani Baragwanath Hospital.Credit...Jerome Delay/Associated Press

It’s possible this variant developed through a persistent infection in an immunocompromised patient, such as someone who may not have been treated properly to control an H.I.V. infection. Such lengthy infections are suspected of having allowed other variants to develop as well.

This is all the more reason that if the developed world is going to impose restrictions on South Africa, and other countries, it should provide them with financial support.

In about two to three weeks, lab research and epidemiological data should start to provide a clearer picture of how transmissible this variant is, how it affects the severity of illness, and whether and how much it can evade some vaccine protection.

If results assuage the worst concerns, officials should roll back restrictions. The public will trust the authorities more with early aggressive action if they know restrictive measures will be kept only as long as necessary. It may even turn out that this threat fizzles out completely, or that the variant causes milder disease.

If the worse fears are confirmed, we need to direct the rest of our arsenal to fighting this threat.

There is good news on that front as well.

BioNTech/Pfizer has already said it could have vaccines targeting this variant in as little as three months. The company, and other vaccine manufacturers, should start to produce them immediately. At worst, they will have wasted a few weeks of effort and can treat it as a dry run for a future rapid effort.

Even if current vaccines lose some effectiveness against preventing Omicron breakthrough cases, it’s reasonable to expect them to maintain a good level of protection against hospitalizations and deaths — something we’ve seen with other variants. This is because preventing breakthrough infections and blocking progression to severe disease involve different parts of the immune system — the latter is more able to keep recognizing a virus and continue working well despite some mutations. Still, we can do much better.

All vaccines are still designed to protect against the original virus that emerged in Wuhan, even though that version is rarely found at this point. The Food and Drug Administration has previously said it was ready to approve variant-specific vaccines without the same scope of trials required for the initial vaccines. The F.D.A. should start getting ready for that possibility.

In other good news, new antiviral drugs that may cut down death rates and hospitalizations in high-risk patients by as much as 90 percent are not affected by mutations in variants because they target enzymes that the virus needs to replicate. At the moment, this recent antiviral drug (yet to be authorized even in the United States) is expensive, though Pfizer has talked of cheaper access for lower- and middle-income countries.

Such drugs need to go wherever there are outbreaks, not be hoarded by wealthy countries with early contracts, and their production or price cannot be held hostage to the vagaries of even more profits by companies that have received substantial taxpayer support and use publicly funded research to develop their drugs.

Wealthier nations must provide financial support, as well, for nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as improved ventilation and air filtering, higher-quality masks, paid sick leave and quarantine.

All this requires leadership and a global outlook. Unlike in the terrible days of early last year, we have an early warning, vaccines, effective drugs, greater understanding of the disease and many painful lessons. It’s time to demonstrate that we learned them.

Happiness Days

 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/28/opinion/happiness-memory-best-days.html

Pedal Pedal Glide

 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/28/opinion/culture/grief-cycling.html

Dress for the Weather

I had a long walk to the pond with my dog ROMEO today and I ran into a  skinny mailman and my skinny friend Peter both of whom were not dressed for the damp 38 degree weather and complaining about the cold. 

Peter jumps in the ice cold pond every day, year round hydro psycho shock therapy. 

They both were only wearing a single layer sweatshirt and vest. I wear 2 sweatshirts and two Carhartt vests, a hat, the 2 hoods, gloves, and a fleece Turtle Fur neck gator. I also warm up from walking my dog.In the winter I'll wear thermals under my jeans.  

When you dress for the weather the cold is enjoyable.

http://www.mountainsongexpeditions.com/never-be-cold-again.html

Peanut Butter+Chipotle Sandwich

Chipotle in Adobo sauce pureed and eaten fresh on homemade Italian semolina bread with natural peanut butter. Today's discovery!

UPDATE: I just googled and found this.

Olive Oil Lemon Curd

 

By Melissa Clark

• Yield About 2 cups
• Time 10 minutes, plus cooling and 1 hour’s chilling

Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

This dairy-free version of lemon curd is lighter than more traditional, butter-enriched versions, but is just as tart and creamy. The olive oil gives it a complex flavor that can range from herbal and grassy to earthy and mellow, depending on the brand. Mound this lemon curd into a tart, use it as a cake filling, pile it onto a Pavlova, or serve it as is, topped with berries or other fruit. It keeps for at least a week in the fridge and freezes well for up to 1 month. And you can even make it in the microwave (see Tip).

Featured in: Three Hanukkah Desserts That Skip The Fryer. 

Custards And Puddings, Egg, Lemon, Olive Oil, Dessert, Hanukkah

Ingredients

• 1 cup/240 milliliters freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 to 6 lemons)
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• Pinch of kosher salt
• ½ cup/120 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

1. Place the lemon juice, sugar, eggs, egg yolk, lemon zest and salt in a blender, and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the motor still running, slowly pour in the oil until just combined.
2. Fill a medium saucepan with about an inch of water and bring water to boil over high heat. Transfer lemon mixture to a metal mixing bowl that can nestle into top of the saucepan without touching the water. Reduce heat to medium-low and, using a potholder or towel to protect your hands, whisk constantly until the curd thickens and looks like mayonnaise, 6 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook. (If you have a double boiler, you can use that here instead of the pot and the bowl.)
3. Remove bowl from the heat and inspect the curd. If you see hard bits of coagulated egg, strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve, pressing with a rubber spatula. (If it looks smooth, you can skip this step.) Transfer curd to a container and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal. Let the curd cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.

Tip

• To make the curd in the microwave, pour the lemon-olive oil mixture from the blender into a large glass bowl and cook in the microwave, on high power, in 1-minute intervals for 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk furiously between intervals, especially at the edges. Reduce power to 70 percent and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes (stirring every minute), until the curd thickens and looks slightly puffed and spongy. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and let the curd cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.