Greek Innovations

Culinary historians credit the Greeks for developing bread baking into an art.

Proper front-loaded bread ovens originated in Ancient Greece.

The Greeks created a wide variety of doughs, loaf shapes and styles of serving bread with other foods.
Baking developed as a trade and profession as bread increasingly was prepared outside of the family home by specially trained workers to be sold to the public.

The Greeks also pioneered sweetbreads, fritters, puddings, cheesecakes, pastries, and even wedding cakes.

Often prepared in symbolic shapes, these products were originally served during special occasions and ceremonies.

By 300 AD, the Greeks had developed over seventy different kinds of bread.

The first true breads

The first true breads were probably developed in the Mediterranean area and Middle East around 2500 BC when fermented doughs (sourdoughs) were added to flour to make flat cakes rise when baked.

Like many innovations, sourdough leavening probably came about by accident.

An early improvement on baking bread on top of coals or griddles was the addition of a clay bell-shaped dome that enveloped the baking dough.

This insulation technique improved the rising action and cooked the dough more evenly.
Baking molds and ovens further refined this process.

The Ancient Egyptians baked breads in stacked molds placed in an oven.

The Assyrians used a different approach all together:

They placed doughs in heated earthen pots that were sealed and buried in the ground.

The First Foods Made from Grains

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Wheat and barely have been discovered at Jericho (in modern Jordan), the oldest known site of human civilization, which dates back to 10,000 BC.

However, millennia would pass before bread was developed as we know it today.

Whole or cracked grains were first eaten raw or after being dried, like modern seeds and nuts.

The direct predecessors of bread were porridges (grains mixed and cooked with water) and flat cakes (doughs baked directly on coals, or on heated stones and tiles).

Various forms of porridge or mush are still eaten daily by a large percentage of the earth's population.

Ancestors of early flat cakes are still common today in the form of crepes, pita, rice cakes, papadum, fritters, nan, pancakes, tamales, and, of course, pizza.

The Twin Births of Cultivation and Civilization

The development of grain cultivation is closely linked to the cultural history of humankind.

Indeed the original meaning of the word culture is cultivation.
As we all recall from our history classes, humans lived as wandering hunter-gatherers for eons.

The first civilizations arose as humans developed agriculture and animal husbandry.

These monumental innovations enabled humans to live in permanent settlements because they provided adequate food production to sustain life in a fixed location.

Since the dawn of civilization grain products have formed the base of the human diet.

Starch

Starch, a carbohydrate that makes up about 70% of flour by weight, also gets in on the act.

When starch granules are attacked by enzymes present in flour, they release the sugars that yeast feeds on.

Starch also reinforces gluten and absorbs water during baking, helping the gluten to contain the pockets of gas produced by the yeast.

Sometimes, a baker will let the dough rise several times, allowing the gluten to develop more completely and the yeast to add more of its flavors.

When the dough is finally cooked—either in an oven, over a fire, or in a steamer, depending on what kind of bread you’re baking—the yeast inside it continues feeding, and the pockets of gas in the dough continue to expand.

As the temperature of the cooking dough rises, the yeast eventually dies, the gluten hardens, and the dough solidifies. Et voilà! Bread!

Leavening agents

Leavening agents would just be bubbling brews without something to contain them.

Here’s where flour comes in.
There are lots of different types of flour used in bread, but the most commonly used in raised bread is wheat flour.

This is because wheat flour contains two proteins, glutenin and gliadin, which, when combined with water, form gluten.

As you knead the dough, the gluten becomes more and more stretchy.

This gum-like substance fills with thousands of gas bubbles as the yeast goes to work during rising.

Yeast

Yeast, on the other hand, is a live, single-celled fungus.

There are about 160 species of yeast, and many of them live all around us.

However, most people are familiar with yeast in its mass-produced form:
the beige granules that come in little paper packets.

This organism lies dormant until it comes into contact with warm water.

Once reactivated, yeast begins feeding on the sugars in flour, and releases the carbon dioxide that makes bread rise (although at a much slower rate than baking powder or soda).

Yeast also adds many of the distinctive flavors and aromas we associate with bread.

Baking powder

Baking powder or baking soda work quickly, relying on chemical reactions between acidic and alkaline compounds to produce the carbon dioxide necessary to inflate dough or batter (more on this later).

Baking powder and baking soda are used to leaven baked goods that have a delicate structure, ones that rise quickly as carbon dioxide is produced, such as quick breads like cornbread and biscuits.

Bread

Bread is the most basic of foods, but it’s also one of the most complex.

Each time you bake bread, you choreograph a complex dance between flour, water, and a leavener.

How do these elements interact to give us the loaves, rolls, and flatbreads we love?

From Chinese baozi to Armenian lavash, bread comes in thousands of forms.

What do they have in common?

On the most basic level, they all involve cooking a mixture of milled grains and water.

Leaveners come in two main forms: baking powder or soda and yeast.

Soy

Go for soy milk (preferably fortified), tofu and meat alternates made from soy to obtain a host of benefits including anticancer action and blood cholesterol lowering.


As kidney function may decline with increasing age, soy is easier on kidneys than protein derived from animal products.

Opt for at least one serving of soy a day.

A cautionary note for women with certain types of breast cancer: it’s best to speak with your physician about whether soy is right for you.

Tomatoes

Tomato products, chock full of lycopene, the pigment that gives tomatoes their red colour, have been shown to decrease the risk of prostate cancer. But tomatoes are not for men alone.


Lycopene acts as an antioxidant, a substance which may slow or prevent oxidation (a process that’s the culprit in the development of a range of diseases).

Lycopene may also be a player in slowing macular degeneration and preventing cancers of the breast, lung, bladder, cervix and skin.

And while raw tomatoes are packed with nutrition, canned or cooked tomatoes contain lycopene that’s more easily absorbed.

flax

Flaxseed meal Good things come in small packages.

That’s especially so with these small brown seeds. Grind the seeds into your food in order to obtain their assorted nutritional perks.

If bowel irregularity is a problem, sprinkle the meal on cereal, yogurt, soup or salads (work your way up to 3 tablespoons/45 ml a day).

Its soluble fibre is a boon for lowering blood cholesterol and regulates blood sugar.

The oil contained is of the omega-3 fatty acid variety. And, last but not least, compounds known as lignans may protect against breast, prostate and colon cancers.

greens

Spinach (and other dark leafy greens)

These superstar greens contain a wealth of disease-preventing compounds.

Besides fibre and antioxidant vitamins E and C, they supply folate, a B vitamin that lowers the blood levels of an artery-damaging protein called homocysteine.

Folate is also linked to protection against colon and breast cancers.

And the colour in these vegetables, provided by the pigment lutein, doesn’t just add visual appeal. Lutein-rich foods may defend against colon cancer and macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

Research shows that spinach helps guard against age-related declines in cognitive function. Add greens to your diet every day.

fish

Salmon (and other cold-water fish)Just brain food? Hardly.

Fish with its omega-3 fatty acids plays an influential role in preventing and treating a wide range of diseases.

For example, omega-3 fatty acids can decrease the levels of artery-damaging triglycerides and lower blood pressure readings.

Add to the mix their ability to lower the rate of blood clotting, which reduces the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

And if a heart attack does occur, fish eaters are less likely to die from an irregular heart rhythm that may follow the heart attack.

Anti-inflammation effectResearchers are also investigating the anti-inflammatory effects of these fatty acids on arthritis, autoimmune disorders and inflammatory bowel diseases, as well as possible protection against Alzheimer’s disease and a number of cancers, including prostate and breast.

So reel in some fish, even canned varieties, at least three times a week.

healthy foods

Variety is the spice of life, especially when it comes to food.

Eating a wide range of selections from all four food groups is a way to ensure top-notch nutrition.
For the 50-plus set, certain foods supply the essentials for maintaining good health and also provide an arsenal of compounds to fight disease.

Over the next few days we will list 10 super foods to add to your grocery list.

If you’re taking certain medications, such as blood thinners, check with your physician before making significant changes to your diet.

soup

Step Three:

Puree the slightly cooled mixture in a blender.

Or puree just half, leaving the remainder chunky.

You might be surprised that a soup's "feel" as it rolls over your tongue strongly influences its appeal.
Some people like smooth soups; others prefer a more substantial texture.

The process of pureeing releases both starch and fibers, which thicken the soup.

With starchy vegetables, pureeing breaks down cell walls so their starchy contents spill through the broth.

In vegetables such as broccoli, the cellulose that once held the stalk stiff is now transformed into minute fibers, which also add to the thickness of the soup.

Now that the vegetables have done their job, the final touches are up to you.

A little freshly ground pepper? A touch of wine or sherry? A dollop of yogurt or crème fraîche?
Any month is a good time to practice on soups.
Try thickening with purees, improvising with ingredients and seasonings, and experimenting with various textures.

À la soupe! Anne and Sue

soup

Step Two:

Peel the vegetables (butternut squash peels easily) and cut the flesh into cubes.

This step increases the surface area of the vegetable exposed to both heat and liquid, resulting in a shorter cooking time and a faster transference of flavors into the liquids.

Now combine the sautéed onions or other aromatics with the cut vegetables and chicken or vegetable stock (or with squash try fresh apple juice). Use roughly 2 cups (500 ml) liquid to 4 cups (1 l) of chopped vegetables.

If you are featuring just one vegetable and it isn't particularly starchy—broccoli, for instance—add a small, thinly sliced potato or a 1/2 cup (125 ml) of rice.

You won't notice either in the finished soup, but each swells during cooking and works well as a thickener. Simmer gently until the vegetables are tender.

the begining of soup

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Step One:
Begin by sautéing aromatic vegetables, such as onions, leeks, or garlic, in a small amount of butter or olive oil.
While these ingredients aren't noticed in the finished soup, they do add to its underlying character.
As they sauté, their cell walls soften, releasing their inherent flavors and aromas.
The fat or oil used in sautéing carries not only their own (now mellowed) flavors but also the flavor of any spices you choose to add.
Consider grated ginger and sautéed shallots with carrot soup, coriander with broccoli, and nutmeg with parsnips.
For some real zest, curry powder adds definite pizzazz to squash soup.

heathy food

One of our favorites is butternut squash soup. It's similar to hearty soups made of pumpkin, potato, sweet potato or parsnip, all vegetables that are low in water and high in starch and fiber. As these vegetables cook, their starchy contents absorb liquid and swell, adding natural thickening power to the soup.

Making soups with such dense vegetables involves three basic steps, and each makes scientific sense.

Healthy Eating

With today's focus on healthy eating, even soups have changed.

Traditional cream soups derive their smooth texture from liberal amounts of milk or cream, thickened with flour or cornstarch.

Now when we make soups that are creamy, chances are they contain no cream at all: They're likely thickened with purees made from starchy vegetables.