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I'll be blogging about gardens, food, mind and more with a special emphasis on my home city, Washington, DC. I hope you'll visit!

Reformulating Our Ideas About Food

Photo: General Mills

The foods we love are getting a makeover.  They’re being changed and adapted as part of a growing worldwide initiative known as Food Reformulation. Reduced salt and lower sugar?  It’s now only part of the plan. Public health officials and food companies are thinking big. They’ve joined together to alter the entire content of our food so that we can combat diet-related diseases and improve our overall health.

What exactly is food reformulation? We’re all familiar with the call to reduce salt, popular since the 70’s, and more recently the adoption of a whole new array of sugar substitutes. Food reformulation has a broader goal. It aims to reduce the number of diet-related diseases (particularly cardiovascular) attributed to salts, fats and sugars by reducing the number of negative nutrients in food and increasing the good ones.

Remaking our foods isn’t easy

There are many challenges to overcome.  Reducing salt, trans-fatty acids and saturated fatty acids and replacing them with other ingredients is a complicated matter. First off, manufacturers need to make sure that replacing one ingredient with another will actually improve the nutritional value of the food. Second, consumers generally do not like change, especially when it comes to taste.

Consumers generally fall into two categories when it comes to changing their favorite foods: there are those who believe reformulated food won’t taste as good and there are others who don’t want to be told what to eat. This latter group is the one that orders two bags of fries just to prove a point.

Just changing the list of ingredients on the label has been shown to significantly affect consumers’ perceptions of the product, in some cases negatively. While ingredients, as minerals, vitamins or dietary fibers may seem desirable; they must first meet consumer expectation for taste, texture, even color. They also must be introduced gradually enough so that consumers can slowly adjust to the new properties.

The KIT KAT way 

Last year Nestle UK and Ireland announced it would be reformulating its iconic KIT KAT bar. The new improved recipe, the result of over three years of research, reduced saturated fats in the bar while improving its overall nutritional content. When announcing the change, Ciaran Sullivan, Managing Director of Nestle said,

“KIT KAT is our biggest confectionery brand and therefore the obvious choice to identify for sat fat reduction. Improving the nutritional profile of KIT KAT does not come at the expense of quality and taste and consumers will continue to enjoy the same KIT KAT as they have for over 75 years.”

A change in the recipe of the wafer filling in KIT KAT (UK-made) allowed for the reduction, while no changes in the chocolate retained the bar’s familiar taste. The new improved bar went on sale this year.

Recently food manufacturers have been cooking up even more ways  to accommodate consumers' more specific needs due to allergies and intolerances. They've been reformulating their products to eliminate ingredients such as gluten and more recently, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). General Mills recently has met this growing need with a reformulated Cheerios containing no GMO oats, corn, or sugars.

Our foods need salt, sugars and fat to stick together

Salt and some sugars are necessary ingredients in food, not only for taste, but also for preservation purposes. Fat’s role is to give calories and fat-soluble vitamins to food as well as to impart taste, texture and volume. Food companies commonly replace these ingredients with carb-based forms of protein from potatoes, corn, eggs, soy or milk, all of which mimic fat’s properties.

When replacing saturated with unsaturated fats, consistency becomes an problem. Unsaturated fats have a double bond structure and are liquid at room temperature. The more unsaturated fatty acids you add to a product, the softer the fat, which creates technological difficulties for the manufacturer. Fatty acids also serve to bind water in food, which prevents growth of bacteria and food spoilage.  Reducing these ingredients runs the risk of compromising the overall safety of the food and reducing the length of time you can store it.

Producers of sugar free and sugar-reduced products must meet another set of challenges.  While most people think of sugar as the familiar sweetener in the bowl, that isn’t half the story. Sugars are also produced commercially to add structure and texture to foods as well as to prevent food from spoiling. Reducing sugars means compensating for the sweetener with other sometime less satisfactory ingredients. These ingredients can include other forms of carbohydrates such as starches, which often contain the same energy content as the eliminated sugars.

Finally, new ingredients must always be evaluated in terms of overall composition and how they fit into the food. Does the chemical structure of the food hold up under the new food composition? How does the reformulated food fit in with the foods currently allowed in all countries? All questions to chew on as our foods continue to evolve.

Posted by Carole Funger

#foodreformulation #KITKAT

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Ten Top American Red Wines To Pair With Your Turkey

When it comes to Thanksgiving, consider going all-American when choosing the wines. From the spicy pinot noirs, to the fuller bodied cabernets and merlots, American red wines from California, Oregon and Washington State have never tasted better. I vote we give thanks to our nation’s vintners and make their wines part of our own Thanksgiving celebrations this year.  

This year’s Wine Spectator Top 100 List (just released on Monday), the Wine Enthusiast and intowine.com, an online wine-buying guide, are great places to get started.  Below, I've compiled a list from their recommendations.  You can follow the hyperlinks for more.

Pinot Noir

While California is home to many top pinot noir producers, Oregon is now becoming one of the premier pinot-producing regions in the world. In fact, the Willamette Valley appellation is consistently rated among the world’s best. Pinot noirs are known for their earthy blackberry taste with just a hint of spice, with some critics describing the Willamette Valley varietals as more cranberry than fruity. In either case, pinot noirs pair well with poultry and are a little softer on the palate than the fuller-bodied cabernets or merlots.

These Pinots are on this year’s Wine Spectator Top 100 List:

Emeritus Hallberg Ranch Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2011
Roar Wines Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands 2012
King Estate “Acrobat” Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Vineyards 2012
Pali Wine Co. “Huntington” Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 2012

Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the world’s most recognized red wine grape varieties, cabernet sauvignon tends to be full-bodied and tannic. The taste is often described as blackcurrant or black cherry, becoming more pronounced as the wine ages. In California, cabernets have developed their own characteristic style and reputation depending on whether they are produced by hillside/mountain vineyards or on the flatter terrain of valley floors. Vintners generally favor the use of new oak barrels to create a greater oaky taste.

These three cabernets are among the top 50 California cabernet sauvignons recommended by the wine experts at intowine.com:

Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Dunn Vineyard Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Merlot is grown across the United States, but California and Washington are the biggest producers. Merlot is the most widely planted grape after cabernet sauvignon. Known for its ripe blackberry flavor, some varieties also incorporate tastes of plum, tealeaf and black cherry. The 1980’s help put Washington, in particular the Columbia Valley, on the map as one of the world’s best merlot producers. Washington wines are often cited for their deep color and acidity.

 

Consider one of these three wines recommended by the WineEnthusiast:

Mt. Brave Mount Veeder Merlot 2010

Leonetti Cellar Columbia Valley Merlot 2006

Woodward Canyon Columbia Valley Merlot 2007 

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Whatever your choice, these wines are guaranteed to please.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by Carole Funger

#wine #Thanksgivingwine #redwine #americanredwine

At Hillwood Estate, the Gardens Are Always In Season

Photo: Hillwood Estate

This is the time of year when many gardens have lost their luster. Hillwood Gardens is not one of them. I recently visited the spectacular property on a crisp fall day to find plenty to still grab my attention.

The gardens are part of the Hillwood Estate Museum nestled high in the hills of northwest D.C. overlooking Rock Creek Park. The mansion dates back to the 1920’s, but the estate’s real history started when, in the 1950’s, Marjorie Post purchased the property and began an extensive renovation.

To expand the existing gardens, Post hired prominent landscape architects Innocenti & Webel, known for their ability to mimic the greatest gardens in Europe.  The team created the perfect foil for her refurbished home; thirteen acres of grand, formal gardens offset by large trees in a natural woodland setting.

The gardens, which are located adjacent to the house, unfold in a progression of ‘outdoor rooms’ with clipped hedge ‘walls’ all linked by corridors.  Each 'room' has its own character, flowing from one to the other via the pathways, just as rooms open off of hallways in a conventional home. 

Photo: Hillwood Estate 

I began my garden tour directly behind the Mansion on a large crescent-shaped lawn, called the Lunar Lawn.  It's framed by large American elms and encircled by masses of azalea, camellias, dogwoods and magnolia. This was Post's 'outdoor living room' and the site of many Hillwood parties, film screenings and special events. 

To the right of the lawn, a rectangular opening in a hedge led to the French Parterre, a formal garden designed to be viewed from the Mansion. The secluded 'room' is surrounded by walls of ivy and consists of low plantings beds, channels of moving water and a central ornamental pool. Gravel footpaths connect and divide the space. A raised terrace provided the perfect spot from which to appreciate the symmetrical pattern.

Photo: Hillwood Estate 

I found the Rose Garden located just a few steps behind the parterre. Circular in shape, it was designed by White House Rose Garden designer Perry Wheeler. The garden is divided into quadrants, each planted with a single variety of floribunda rose (many were still blooming at the time of my visit.) A semi-circular wood and brick pergola covered with wisteria and climbing roses overlooked the space. 

A pair of brick gateposts topped with lead sculptures of birds and children, marked the entrance to the Friendship Walk, an informally planted path leading from the Rose Garden to the circular Four Seasons Overlook. From a a low stone wall, decorated with four tiny lead statues representing the seasons, I could see down into Rock Creek Park.

Across the Lunar Lawn is the Japanese-Style Garden, which appeared to be sculpted into the hillside. A pair of large stone dogs and a tall granite lantern guard the entrance. I could just make out an arching bridge in the distance, tucked away among iconic Asian plants such as Japanese maple, gingko, bamboo and mugo pine.

At Hillwood there are many terraces and overlooks as well as ample seating that provide great vantage points from which to take in the panoramic views. I rounded out my visit with a break on the large flagstone patio, located directly behind the Mansion. From there, I gazed across the gardens towards a green field descending down the hillside where I could just make out the Washington Monument in the distance.

The gardens are open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information go to Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens.

#hillwoodgardens #hillwoodestate #gardens #hillwood

Great Falls Park Offers Spectacular Hiking for All

 View of the Potomac River from Great Falls' Olmsted Walk

Maryland’s Great Falls Park, located just 10 miles upstream from Washington DC, makes for a great day excursion into a land of stunning natural beauty and great geological significance.

One of the park’s most spectacular features is its series of 20-foot falls enclosed by dramatic cliffs bordering Maryland and Virginia. Crashing with fury over a series of steep, jagged rocks, the Potomac River descends rapidly as it flows through the narrow Mather Gorge on its way to the Chesapeake. The sheer drop, which covers 77 feet in less than one mile, makes Great Falls one of the steepest fall lines in the eastern United States.

There are many vantage points from which to view the falls. For visitors looking for a short walk from the parking lot, there is the Great Falls Overlook on Olmsted Island. Perched high on the rocks in the middle of the Potomac, the overlook platform provides spectacular views on the river as it crashes over the bedrock. The overlook is reached via a boardwalk that passes through protected forest then over a series of bridges that arch high over the water. The overlook is one of three located within a five to ten minute walk from the parking lot.

Miles of hiking trails also border the falls area. The Billy Goat Trail, popular with hikers since the mid-1800’s, is located on Bear Island and is made up of three separate trails designated A, B and C. The 7-8-mile circuit cuts a path between the C&O Canal and Potomac River and features lots of rock scrambles as well as spectacular views. Section A is more strenuous while Section B is more moderate. Section C is an easy walk through a mostly wooded area. The trail is accessed from the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center.

Other lesser-known hikes include the easy Falls Road Spur, which passes by the remains of the Maryland Mine (a gold mine from 1868-1939.) The more moderate Ford Mine Trail leads over streams and up into the hills to the mine, while the Gold Mine Loop takes you into the heart of the gold mine tract. The short River, Valley and Woodland Trails wind through floodplain forests and open valleys passing prospectors’ trenches and the remains of Civil War dirt defenses known as earthworks.

Great Falls Park is part of an 800-acre park including dense forests, swampland, ponds and streams. In addition to the falls, the park offers miles of hiking trails near and along the gorge as well as other popular outdoor activities, including white water rafting. Great Falls is operated by the National Park Service and is open daily from 7am to dusk. The park is closed Christmas Day. There is a small snack bar located near the main parking area.

Posted by Carole Funger

#greatfallspark #hiking #billygoattrail #DC #washington