# Starch meets greens



## erehweslefox

I haven't heard this term, but a friend, who is a very professional chef, after I had her over for dinner, said, 'you set a good plate, but you always seem to rely on starch meets greens'. 

It is telling, and I have to admit, for home cooking, this is the mantra I hold to, have a starch, have greens, and protein. (just being nice for vegans). 

Beloved wife, is upset if a meal does not confirm to that, no matter how many tomatillos in the sauce, there must be a vegetable side, and I can dump 8.5 ounces of flour into a beef wellington, still needs a potato.

Now of course, the solution of this is stew. When blessed Prometheus gave us fire on his mountain and was punished for it, I suspect we developed stew shortly thereafter. 

Also have to remind my friends, which, due to my explorations in different cooking styles and techniques might forget. I am no chef. I've worked in restaurants, but my heart is over a campfire, throwing stuff in a pot and hoping it comes out edible. And heck heart is an organ meat, there is a recipe somewhere for it.

I think stew, which is my shorthand for anything cooked slow in water or a stock, is my way out. A stew has all three right? 

Just wonder if anyone else has felt limited by this, inspired by this, or if you are a menu Formalist, tell me why this convention needs to be. 

I remain your friend,

TBS


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## erehweslefox

Oh I have to say, Starch, Meats, Greens, I thought the auto edit was charming so I let it go. 

For my vegan friends Starch, Protien, Greens. 

cheers


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## Andy M.

Did you discuss alternatives or ask her for suggestions?


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## erehweslefox

Andy M. said:


> Did you discuss alternatives or ask her for suggestions?



Think of it as a process, I know I do.


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## Steve Kroll

erehweslefox said:


> Just wonder if anyone else has felt limited by this, inspired by this, or if you are a menu Formalist, tell me why this convention needs to be.


It doesn't need to be. It's a habit. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The human body is remarkably adaptable and resilient. The only two things you need to eat in abundance are a fuel source and protein, and, to a lesser degree, certain minerals that can be derived from other foods. Protein is needed because it's a building block that your body needs to repair itself or grow new tissue. The fuel source can be any combination of carbohydrates or fat.

We eat the way we do because it's how we are taught.


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## dragnlaw

Andy M. said:


> Did you discuss alternatives or ask her for suggestions?





erehweslefox said:


> Think of it as a process, I know I do.



Foxy? I don't understand your answer to Andy??? 



Steve Kroll said:


> It doesn't need to be. It's a habit. Nothing more. Nothing less.
> ***
> We eat the way we do because it's how we are taught.



I agree completely...


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## GotGarlic

erehweslefox said:


> Think of it as a process, I know I do.



I think Andy meant the chef, not your wife


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## erehweslefox

Bad old habit, Dragon and GotGarlic. 

Cooking is a process. I do say, I do the cooking for our house. (I say that proudly and pride implies and deserves a fall)

Beloved Rachel, usually is absent from the process, aside from consuming on the end, or purchasing on the front end. She does not like to cook, so as I do, we sort it out in the end that way. 

I can make a frank horrible mess of the kitchen,  so she is a participant in cooking, but not really a participant. I think Beloved Wife, influences cooking by bying ingredients.


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## GotGarlic

I still don't understand your answer  Yes, cooking is a process. I don't get how that answers Andy's question.


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## GotGarlic

Steve Kroll said:


> The human body is remarkably adaptable and resilient. *The only two things you need to eat in abundance are a fuel source and protein*, and, to a lesser degree, certain minerals that can be derived from other foods. Protein is needed because it's a building block that your body needs to repair itself or grow new tissue. *The fuel source can be any combination of carbohydrates or fat*.



Not quite. Fat is required in the diet for the body to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Several years ago, I had a medical procedure done and the incision would not stop bleeding. Turned out I was extremely low in Vitamin K, which is required to make clotting factors. My pancreas was not making enzymes that break down fats in order to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. I've been taking those enzymes in pill form ever since. So if you have 0 percent fat in your diet, you can bleed to death. 

And you seriously need those micronutrients in sufficient amounts. I have neuropathy in my feet because I was deficient in copper.

Eating a variety of proteins, carbohydrates and fats is the best way to ensure you're getting everything you need to stay healthy. 



> Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients because they perform hundreds of roles in the body. There is a fine line between getting enough of these nutrients (which is healthy) and getting too much (which can end up harming you). Eating a healthy diet remains the best way to get sufficient amounts of the vitamins and minerals you need.
> 
> Essential nutrients for your body
> 
> Every day, your body produces skin, muscle, and bone. It churns out rich red blood that carries nutrients and oxygen to remote outposts, and it sends nerve signals skipping along thousands of miles of brain and body pathways. It also formulates chemical messengers that shuttle from one organ to another, issuing the instructions that help sustain your life.
> 
> But to do all this, your body requires some raw materials. These include at least 30 vitamins, minerals, and dietary components that your body needs but cannot manufacture on its own in sufficient amounts.



http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/vitamins-and-minerals.htm


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## GotGarlic

A stew does not necessarily have all three. I stopped putting potatoes in stew because I like it better over mashed potatoes. And stew has been around for many millennia. 

A stir-fry usually has all three, since it's typically served with rice or noodles. And curry is usually served over rice as well.

We've had several discussions about the differences between stewing and braising  You might want to look it up.


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## CakePoet

I coem from an area where  no dinner is complete without potatoes, yes some people say they are not really full without potatoes.  So curry, rice and potatoes,  spagetti, sauce and potatoes and the list goes on.  There has to be potatoes or it not a full meal.

I on the other hand will do meal with no starch side dish  or no veggies side dish because  taste better and  people will be full anyway.


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## CWS4322

I always start with the protein when developing recipes/menus. I go with the flavour profile off the protein and develop the sides from there, carrying the flavour profile and eye appeal based on what is in season.


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## Addie

Being a diabetic, I often forgo the starch. Sometimes even the veggie. Healthy diet? Far from it.


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## GotGarlic

CakePoet said:


> I coem from an area where  no dinner is complete without potatoes, yes some people say they are not really full without potatoes.  So curry, rice and potatoes,  spagetti, sauce and potatoes and the list goes on.  There has to be potatoes or it not a full meal.
> 
> I on the other hand will do meal with no starch side dish  or no veggies side dish because  taste better and  people will be full anyway.



My husband went to Finland for three weeks as an exchange student in high school. He said the host mother served potatoes with every meal, all kinds of ways - hashed, mashed, bashed and gashed, as he put it 

One day, he was so tired of potatoes all the time, he asked her to make a pizza. She didn't know what that was (this was in the late '70s, way up north near the Arctic Circle), so he described it and she made it for dinner. Imagine his surprise when he saw there were sliced potatoes on it! 

Filipino people I worked with in college said the same thing about rice - they don't feel full without it.


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## Andy M.

GotGarlic said:


> A stew does not necessarily have all three. I stopped putting potatoes in stew because I like it better over mashed potatoes. ..




Me too!  I always make pot roasts and stews without potato and serve them with mashed potatoes or, occasionally, noodles.


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## Steve Kroll

GotGarlic said:


> Not quite. Fat is required in the diet for the body to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Several years ago, I had a medical procedure done and the incision would not stop bleeding. Turned out I was extremely low in Vitamin K, which is required to make clotting factors. My pancreas was not making enzymes that break down fats in order to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. I've been taking those enzymes in pill form ever since. So if you have 0 percent fat in your diet, you can bleed to death.
> 
> And you seriously need those micronutrients in sufficient amounts. I have neuropathy in my feet because I was deficient in copper.
> 
> Eating a variety of proteins, *carbohydrates* and fats is the best way to ensure you're getting everything you need to stay healthy.
> Vitamins & Minerals: Are You Getting What You Need?


I'll concede that fat is absolutely necessary. What I meant to say is that "The fuel source can be any combination of carbohydrates AND fat." On a typical day, around 80% of my own dietary intake comes from fat.

And nowhere did I imply you don't need certain minerals to survive. I would argue, though, that even experts disagree on the amounts one actually needs. But certainly far less than your protein and fuel requirements, which is the point I was trying to make.

Carbohydrates, however, are not an essential human macronutrient. One can live without consuming a single gram of carbohydrate. Provided you're in relatively good health, your body is fully capable of manufacturing any glucose it needs from protein through a metabolic process called gluconeogenesis. This process is how low carb dieters (and very low carb dieters, such as myself) are able to maintain normal blood sugar levels.

Dr. Eric Westman's view on the topic:
Is dietary carbohydrate essential for human nutrition?


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## GotGarlic

Steve Kroll said:


> I'll concede that fat is absolutely necessary. What I meant to say is that "The fuel source can be any combination of carbohydrates AND fat." On a typical day, around 80% of my own dietary intake comes from fat.
> 
> *And nowhere did I imply you don't need certain minerals to survive. I would argue, though, that even experts disagree on the amounts one actually needs*. But certainly far less than your protein and fuel requirements, which is the point I was trying to make.



Right - I just wanted to emphasize for other readers why it's important to have fat in the diet. It's necessary for absorption of some essential vitamins. 



Steve Kroll said:


> Carbohydrates, however, are not an essential human macronutrient. One can live without consuming a single gram of carbohydrate. Provided you're in relatively good health, your body is fully capable of manufacturing any glucose it needs from protein through a metabolic process called gluconeogenesis. This process is how low carb dieters (and very low carb dieters, such as myself) are able to maintain normal blood sugar levels.



Yup. My problem is that I'm not that healthy and I have to limit high-fiber foods to prevent serious problems, so this diet wouldn't work for me. I'm trying to reduce the simple carbs I serve at dinner to help DH lose weight.



Steve Kroll said:


> Dr. Eric Westman's view on the topic:
> Is dietary carbohydrate essential for human nutrition?



That page isn't coming up for me right now, but I understand what you mean.


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