Kale vs. Watercress

Just when we were all getting comfortable with kale… along comes watercress to mix everything up.

Watercress vs. Kale Which one wins the Heavyweight Nutritional Championship? And why?!

So what is all this fuss about watercress packing more of a nutritional punch than kale?

Based on a study carried out by researchers at the William Patterson University in New Jersey, watercress ranked at the top of the list for nutritional benefits out of a whole list of leafy greens (47 of them to be exact) when analyzed for their Nutritional Density Score. The score was determined by how much of these 17 vital nutrients—potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K—the vegetables contained

Nutrition Density Scores

Here's the ranking:

• Watercress: 100.00
• Chinese cabbage: 91.99
• Chard: 89.27
• Beet green: 87.08
• Spinach: 86.43
• Leaf lettuce: 70.73
• Romaine lettuce: 63.48
• Collard green: 62.49
• Turnip green: 62.12
• Mustard green: 61.39
• Endive: 60.44
• Kale: 49.07
• Dandelion green: 46.34
• Arugula: 37.65
• Iceberg lettuce: 18.28

However, when broken down, what this analysis reveals is nutrition based on a serving size of per 100 calories. Since kale packs 33 calories per cup and watercress only 4, that's where we see these two power greens diverge.

According to nutrition experts, any amount of leafy greens you eat is going to be good for you. And the more the better!

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♥Chérie Du Vin

God Bless The Baroness

by Paige Donner

Last summer, while attending Vinexpo in Bordeaux, I had the great good fortune to be issued a Press invitation to the Gala Dinner held at Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, hosted by Madame Philippine de Rothschild. 

"The Baroness" Madame Philippine de Rothschild

The gala dinner that The Baroness (as her friends referred to her), Madame Philippine de Rothschild, was putting on was in honor of the first unveiling of their chateau's exquisite new cellars and museum on the premises of the venerable domain of Mouton Rothschild.

It was extraordinary to see the liveliness, ever present,  in such a courageous woman like The Baroness. She stood up on stage, alongside her son Julien and also the Mayor of Bordeaux, Alain Juppé, and spoke to the assembled guests of  250 people for a solid 20 minutes, unflagging. More than once she drew hearty chuckles from the crowd of some of the world's most esteemed winemakers and winery owners. She was still every inch a glamorous actress, even at 80.

Though petite in stature, her courage was immense. 

We all too often associate Mouton Rothschild and Bordeaux wines with tradition and venerability. And while I am not disputing its solid ranking in the history of wine, it is important to remember that the house has bucked tradition continuously since its founding. 

Firstly with the near-sacrilegious innovation of bottling at the chateau a couple centuries ago. Then, under Philippine's father's tutelage, dedicating label design to outstanding contemporary artists of the day. And, finally, appointing a woman, his daughter no less, to lead the house into the next millennium.

In a world of French wine all too often overshadowed by a huge majority of men, Madame Phillippine de Rothschild, The Baroness, showed courage, fortitude, leadership and an enviable sixth sense for business acumen (Chile!) and innovation (Mouton Cadet!) during her day. 

That's a legacy that will not be forgotten.

God Bless The Baroness. 

(More here about her life and legacy  on the NY Times)

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♥Chérie Du Vin

Trendy Wine Bars circa 2014 Infographic

This comes grace à la our friends over at VinePair.

Check out their awesome blog and Wine101 posts if you feel like picking up a trick or two about wine…

This one is awesome!

Originally from http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/stereotypical-trendy-wine-bar-circa-2014/

 

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♥Chérie Du Vin​

Ice Cream Truck On The Champs-Elysées

by Paige Donner

All photos copyright Paige Donner 2014.

Summer time means ice cream. 

But what a - NICE! - surprise to find an ice cream truck parked right on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

And not just anywhere on the Champs, but right at the corner of Avenue Montaigne and the Champs-Elysées. 

And the cherry on top?  It's all-organic sorbets and ice cream.

: )

Now we absolutely LOVE that!

All photos by Paige Donner

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♥Chérie Du Vin

Chilled Avocado Soup

The Avocado tree is native to Mexico and Central America...

The vitamins and minerals contained in this recipe can do everything from speeding cell turnover (to reveal healthier skin underneath) to protecting skin from the sun's damaging rays. Get plenty of moisturizing vitamin E from the avocados. Not only does vitamin E ease dry skin, but studies show it also may reduce free radicals and protect against damaging UV rays. Cucumbers are a great source of silica which, as a precursor to collagen, can help fight wrinkles. 

I like to serve this soup in individual glasses as a delicious appetizer. Sprinkle with a little dill and sprouted pumpkins.

Soup
In a blender, mix the following ingredients:

• 3 medium avocados, peeled and pitted and perfectly ripe
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into smaller pieces
• 1 cup cold water (start with 1/2 cup; you can always add more)
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup packed mint leaves
• 1 small garlic clove
• Salt to taste

Pour in individual glasses and chill for a couple hours.
If you have no time to chill, lower the water content and replace with ice cubes.

Sprinkle Options
Chives, dill, mint & dehydrated pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped.

Inspired by Green Kitchen Story

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♥Chérie Du Vin

Fast Food Solution

by Paige Donner

WHAT BETTER TIME THAN SUMMER TO

1. EAT HEALTHIER

2. SPEND LESS TIME IN THE KITCHEN

3. TRANSFORM YOUR BODY TO FANTASTICALLY FABULOUS

With these three goals in mind, is it any wonder then that Fast Food Solution caught my eye in a big way?!

North Americans spend more time watching Cooking Shows than cooking their own meals!

I just had to see what these guys were all about… So I've dived right in, ordered up the program (a humble $37 as a Beta launch price) and am learning from Nick and Gen, two young Canadians, how to eat healthy, cook my own meals in 15 minutes or less and spend less than $5 per meal.

Wowzaaa!!!

Where have you been all my life?! Is all I can say.

The coursework is abundant and I've only just started on their integrated platform of videos, MP3 downloads and PDFs (including cheat sheets with rich visuals).

So check back with me in a few weeks once I've worked through some of the recipes in my own kitchen.

But for starters, the support is terrific, their layout is SUPER user friendly, and they've sliced and diced all the information down into very bite-sized and digestible pieces.

Plus, here's a few stats from their website. (Now you don't want to be one of those TV-watching, overeating porkers do you?!)

Just as guilty as the 100 million folks who are subscribed to the Food Network and watch endless hours of Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen and other epic cooking shows every single day.

The numbers don't lie…

The average American watches more than 5 hours of TV every single day, but spends a mere 27 minutes cooking food.

and check this out…

Every single week, a whopping 89.7% of the US adult population
– 228 MILLION people — is getting scammed at the grocery store.

In plain English…

Everyone who is trying to eat healthy is basically WASTING $123.91 and 41 minutes every single time they visit the supermarket.

Why? Simply because they end up buying the wrong foods, and falling for the clever marketing tactics and fattening
traps that the Global Food Conglomerate has set up in every aisle.

We know it's hard to believe.

But if you buy any of the foods below, the food companies have already found an easy way into your wallet…(read more on Fast Food Solution).

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♥Chérie Du Vin

White Strawberries - The Originals

by Paige Donner

La Freizh, La Freizh!!

A young, impassioned wild strawberry producer - gariguette in French - named Julien Héliès has launched a limited production of White Strawberries.

Did you know strawberries were originally WHITE?!

You might not have known that 300 years ago, when strawberries were first imported to Europe from Chile, they were white berries.  But they were. 

That was back in 1714 when, after two years of travels around South America, the explorer, Amédée Frezier, arrived back in Marseilles with 5 plants from Chile he brought with him of these white strawberries. One of these was planted in the botanical gardens of Brest. 

A bit larger than a wild strawberries found in the woods and hinting of a taste of pineapple amidst their delicious sweetness, this limited and very confidential production can be found by contacting the strawberry grower/agriculture cooperative directly at Saveol.com where you can also read more about the history of the strawberry in France and around the world. 

Personally I am waiting with bated breath until I see some of the Parisian chefs, or any international chefs, serve these up, fired simply by their fruitful - ; ) - imaginations. 

Saveol.com 

Local Food And Wine

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♥Chérie Du Vin