Video: Torishin – The Only Michelin-Starred Yakitori Restaurant in America

Yakitori translates to grill chicken and at Torishin in New York City, master chef Atsushi Kono serves every part of the bird.

Watch this video to learn how grilling chicken skewers can be raised to the highest level of art.

Watch video at You Tube (9:20 minutes) . . . . .

Rice with Braised Beef Curry, Potatoes and Onions

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless beef short rib, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 large onions, cut into 1-inch dice
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 large unpeeled russet potatoes, washed, cut into 1-inch dice
4 cups fresh chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
1 lemon, cut into wedges
4 cups cooked white or brown rice

Method

1. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a stockpot or other tall wide pot over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, add the beef, in batches if necessary. Saute until brown on both sides, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Swirl, and when the oil is hot, add the onions, ginger and curry powder. Saute, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes, the meat and the chicken stock and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the meat is spoon-tender, about 1-3/4 hours.
5. Place the rice on four individual plates. Top with the beef and vegetables, garnish with the lemon wedges, and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Simply Ming One-pot Meal

In Pictures: Foods of the New Noma Restaurant in Copenhagen, Danmark

Chef René Redzepi Reopened the Restaurant Last Month

The Restaurant

Nutrition for Healthy Aging

When it comes to healthy aging and your diet, there are plenty of mixed up “facts” that need to be unraveled, says Johns Hopkins nutritionist Joshua Nachman, M.S., C.N.S., L.D.N. Here, he separates nutrition fact from fiction.

Myth: You should avoid dairy as you get older.

Truth: Only if it aggravates your stomach or digestive system.

Our bodies often become less tolerant of certain foods as we get older, says Nachman. Dairy is one of them because production of the enzyme lactase, which aids in the digestion of dairy, decreases as we age.

But unless you’re not feeling well after having dairy products (symptoms such as gas and bloating), there’s no need to start shunning dairy as part of your nutrition for healthy aging.

Myth: You can only get calcium from dairy.

Truth: Many other foods are surprisingly good sources.

If you can’t tolerate dairy anymore (see above), you can still meet the daily recommended amount (1,300 mg to help prevent osteoporosis) by eating foods like bok choy (79 mg per serving) and white beans (96 mg). Other foods with calcium: spinach (146 mg), salmon (181 mg) and sardines (325 mg).

Myth: You should switch to a low-carb, high-protein diet.

Truth: It’s better to follow a well-balanced eating plan that helps you maintain a healthy weight.

Protein does help build muscle mass—something our body naturally loses after the age of 50 (thus the importance of resistance training). However, Nachman says, what’s most important for those over 50 is achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

For that goal, he says, “Eat a plant-based diet of whole foods with occasional animal products while practicing sustainable calorie restriction.” One eating plan that most medical experts support for healthy aging is the Mediterranean diet.

Myth: You should avoid saturated fats.

Truth: Some can be good for you. Instead, focus on eating more healthy fats.

“There is good nutrition science supporting the benefits of good saturated fats like coconut oil or avocado oil,” says Nachman. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (found in foods like nuts and fatty fish) are also nutritional allies.

“Just don’t make fats—of any type—half of your diet,” he says. Bear in mind that fats help our bodies absorb many key vitamins and minerals for healthy aging.

Source: John Hopkins Medicine

Almost Any Amount of Exercise May Help Older Men to Live Longer

Lisa Rapaport wrote . . . . . . .

Older men may face a premature death if they spend most of the day sitting around, but it doesn’t require a huge amount of exercise to increase their chances of living longer, a study in the UK suggests.

Researchers asked 1,655 men, all between 71 and 92 years old, to wear accelerometers for one week. The goal was to assess their activity levels.

Among a subset of 1,274 men without cardiovascular disease or heart failure who wore the accelerometers as directed, participants logged a daily average of 616 minutes of sedentary time, 199 minutes of light activity and 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise.

After following the men for up to six years, there were 194 deaths.

For each additional 30 minutes of sedentary time on a typical day, men were 17 percent more likely to die during the study, researchers report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Every extra half hour of light activity, however, was associated with 17 percent lower odds of death.

“For those who are able, it remains a good idea to aim for at least 150 minutes each week of moderate or more intense activity, that is, activities that get the heart beating faster,” said lead study author Barbara Jefferis of University College London.

“Our results suggest that whilst moderate or more intense activity is best, for older men who are unable to achieve the target, doing even light physical activity is worthwhile for extending the lifespan,” Jefferis said by email.

Not surprisingly, researchers also found that men were about 40 percent less likely to die during the study when they got the minimum recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each week, compared to men who didn’t achieve that amount.

And the benefit was similar whether men got this total amount of exercise in brief, sporadic bouts of less than 10 minutes at a time or they exercised in longer bouts of at least 10 minutes or more.

“We found that as long as men accumulated 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week, it didn’t matter whether it was in long or short bursts,” Jefferis said.

“This is encouraging for older adults, as it is easier for them to reach the target without worrying about sustaining activity in bouts.”

While 66 percent of the men managed to get at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise in short bursts, just 16 percent achieved this in bouts of 10 minutes or longer, the study found.

The study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how the amount or duration of exercise men get might directly impact longevity.

Another limitation is that accelerometers used in the study didn’t distinguish between standing time and sitting, which might have different health effects, researchers note. Men who followed through with wearing the devices also tended to be younger and healthier than men who didn’t.

Still, the results add to evidence that any exercise is better than none, even if more intense activity is better, said Keith Diaz, a researcher at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City who wasn’t involved in the study.

“So, whether one walks for 1 minute at a time or 10 minutes at a time, any duration of activity at a time is healthful,” Diaz said by email.

“Regular exercise can lower blood pressure, blood sugar levels, body weight, triglycerides, and unhealthy LDL cholesterol; all of which can improve your heart’s health and, in turn, longevity,” Diaz added. “Exercise can also help memory and thinking by stimulating the release of chemicals in the brain that affect the health of brain cells and the growth of new blood vessels in the brain.”

Source: Reuters

---

Today’s Comic