Public awareness of product defects and dangers can work wonders. This appears to be the case with the recent Israel consumer awareness program Kolbotek that pointed out the dangers of cooking with some brands of  ceramic “no-stick”  coated cooking ware.

Kolbotek caused panic among Israeli consumers when the show pointed out that some of the ceramic cookware brands, such as Neoflam, contain high amounts of poisonous metals such as lead and cadmium. While the jury is still out on the effects of the pans, stores are slashing the prices to get rid of potentially defective and dangerous cookware. Maurice’s images above and below, show us so.

Colorful, and cheap, ceramic cookware
As a result of the Channel 2 TV Kolbotek program, narrated by Rafi Ginat, the Israel Health Ministry has begun an investigation into whether some of the suspected cookware brands are carcinogenic and a danger to public health.
What became evident is that the brands that Kolbotek says are safe to use, such as Arcosteel and Kenwood, cost more than other brands, especially “house brands” sold by large supermarket chains.

To get an idea of what has happened to the ceramic cookware market, in the wake of Rafi Ginat’s whistle blowing, Green Prophet paid a visit to one of Israel’s largest supermarket chain stores to see what is happening regarding sales of these products.

Kolbotek’s Rafi Ginat

The results of the Kolbotek program must have had an astounding effect on the store’s sales of ceramic cookware, as a huge display of this cookware had been placed near the entrance of the visited store, offering this cookware at “70% off the regular price”.

This kind of reduction makes it apparent that the store wants to cut its losses and rid itself of this merchandise before the Health Ministry decides to force stores to take these products off the market. This investigation was reported in a recent Jerusalem Post article.

The JPost article added that it posed the question whether ceramic cookware is safe for public use to Prof. Itamar Grotto, chief of public health at the ministry. After a number of exchanges, he assured the Post that it was “safe” to use them.

Upon asking the same question again to Prof. Grotto, who has previously been involved in assessing selected environmental pollutants that people have been exposed to Israel, told the JPost reporter that he stood by his previous statement from last year, saying that ceramic cookware that had passed the Health Ministry’s “official standard” could be considered as safe to use.

Obviously, the official standard of the Health Ministry only applies to those brands that are considered safe to use. As for the others, as the old saying goes, one gets what one pays for. So if being on the safe side means paying the higher price for the certified brands of ceramic cookware, this is surely the best option if one wants to use this kind of cookware.

Otherwise, it’s a definite case of caveat emptor – let the buyer beware!

More on ceramic cookware:
Ceramic Coated Cooking Pans May be Killing You With Color
Neoflam Cooking Pans Are Allegedly Carcinogenic: Causing Panic in Israel

Top two images taken by Maurice Picow, for Green Prophet.

We buy them at health food stores because the ceramic coated pans are supposedly safer than teflon, and good for the planet. A new investigative report by an Israeli consumer protection TV show called Kolbotek finds that ceramic cookware may damaging to your health, and could contain lead and cadmium, which cause a number of serious medical problems such as brain damage (especially in small children), and certain types of cancer. The problem is with the lack of regulation on the materials used to color the pots and pans, and these colors made with cadmium and lead, can leak into your food.

Color coated knives were also found to contain toxic metals

Various brands of ceramic cookware were tested by Kolbotek in an environmental testing laboratory Enviro Services Company (ESC), located next to Israel’s notorious hazardous wastes disposal site Ramat Hovav.

The tests found that certain ceramic cookware brands (not mentioned here due to reasons of sensitivity) contained amounts of toxic metals far above “accepted levels” (levels that do not constitute a danger to human health unless absorbed in large quantities).

Even some so called “green guard” brands using a coating called Neoflam were found to contain low levels of these metals, which might warrant then not to be used.

Kobotek also interviewed some prominent toxicologists to obtain their opinions on the dangers from using these products. One of these toxicologists is Professor Yoni Amitai a former Senior Physician at the Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, and Director of  the Department of Mother, Child and Adolescent Health at the Ministry of Health. Amitai  said that utensils containing high amounts of metals like lead and cadmium should not be used, especially for families with children.

While the nonstick coatings make these utensils very nice to use, the lab tests found that heating the utensils to very high temperatures, such as done when frying foods of a high fire, releases toxins from metals and other substances at a much faster rate.

The coated knives were found to release toxic substances when scratched or chipped.

A link to the entire Kolbotek program, aired on Israel’s Channel 2 TV of Monday, December 26, is posted here. Although the show is in Hebrew, those who haven’t seen the program should do so now.

The program did not say that all ceramic, non stick coated cookware is dangerous, but that some brands that contain high amounts of the mentioned metals should be avoided.

The general consensus from the program is for people to avoid using these ceramic coated utensils, even those considered as “safe”.

This is not the first time that consumers have been warned to avoid using utensils with nonstick coatings. Warnings against use of those with “teflon” non stick coatings have been issues for years, and also in the USA warnings against nonstick utensils have been issued; an example of such is noted here.

Maybe the best idea it to stick to good quality stainless steel utensils; or even better, to use that old cast iron skillet and cooking pot or dutch oven, and use lots of “elbow grease” to clean them afterwards.

Consumer protection programs have made us more aware of products that may be dangerous to human health. Some of these products already mentioned on Green Prophet include a food substance known as meat glue (transglutaminase), an article giving  warnings of possible toxic contraceptives; and a brand of silicone breast implants, PIP, that have been recalled by the French government for fears of leaks that could cause cancer.

In short: buyer beware if you want to protect your health.

UPDATE article (Jan 2): Public Launches Class Action Suit Against Neoflam

::Kolbotek video

More articles on dangerous products you should watch out for:
 PIP Breast Implant Warnings Hit the Middle East
Is Conscious contraception site selling a bag of dirty tricks?
The Meat You Eat May Not be What You Think
Meat Glue (transglutaminase): the meat industry’s dirty secret

Above image via waferboard

Summertime can be stressful with vacation from school, children around, not to mention the incredible heat we have been having here in the Middle East. When it comes to meal times, often we find ourselves lacking the time and energy to create a full, healthy meal. Still, the benefits of home-cooking means you know exactly what you are eating, so you can control the amount of salt or sugar in your food. There are a few time saving tricks that can help you out on those chaotic days.

1. Clear the way
Nobody likes working surrounded by clutter, so try to keep space clear on the counter tops and in the fridge. When you have space for your kitchen tools, you will feel more organised; after all, making meals is hectic enough without having to tidy up first.

2. Location, location, location
You will not use something unless you actually see it. This refers to food, utensils and containers. Have your drawers organised so the items you use most often are most accessible. Try the same for your fridge and pantry; keep the condiments, spices and other food items organised according to which you find most useful in your cooking.

3. Always have a plan
So now that your kitchen is neat and organised, you may find yourself standing and staring at the pantry, trying to decide what you really want to make this time. Even when I am really hungry, if I don’t know what I want to eat, I can spend ages just thinking about a menu. So save your time and think about a menu in advance.

4. Keep it clean
Once you have started cooking, the mess easily accumulates and soon enough you find yourself with piles of mess and scraps of food all around. It is relatively easy to keep the kitchen clean if you clean after each step of cooking, throwing away food scraps as you go and washing up utensils as you use them. Cleaning up an entire kitchen is a daunting task, so to save yourself the time and the headache, clean as you go.

5. Double batches is half the trouble
There are a lot of foods which will keep perfectly well in the freezer, whether it is soup, casseroles, meat dishes or cakes. If you know that your family loves a certain meal, go ahead and make a double batch and freeze half. It is just as easy to make one batch as two and this will save you time later on. Just make sure that you label it clearly before you put it in the freezer, otherwise you will forget what it is.

There are many time saving tips that will help you out in the kitchen (featured on Grist), so start with these and see how you go. Once your time in the kitchen is cut down, you will feel more inclined to go back and start again, knowing that you can use your time effectively.

More on summer foods:
Ten Tips for Keeping Your Food Safe This Summer
Recipe: Flan, A Sophisticated “Slow” Summertime Dessert
5 Good Reasons to Eat Watermelon This Summer

Above image via K.I.T.

One of the most common features of a set table is the salt shaker sitting neatly next to the pepper grinder. Saltiness is not only one of the basic tastes next to sweetness, bitterness and sourness, it is also one of the oldest forms of seasoning. From simple table salt to the mineral-rich salt of the shrinking Dead Sea, there are many forms of salt available.

Beyond existing in various forms, salt also has a multitude of uses in the kitchen, which exceed simply seasoning food. There are several tricks in regard to using, as well as removing salt, that can be handy in day to day life.

1. How many times have you accidentally slipped, pouring too much salt into a soup or stew? By putting a raw peeled potato into the stew or soup, you can remove some of that extra salt. As the potato boils, it absorbs the salt from the water, taking away the overriding saltiness of the food. Of course you can always repeat the procedure if you have had a major over-salting accident.

2. When it comes to meat however, the best solution is to soak the meat in water prior to cooking. Cured meat is often very salty, so letting the meat stand in water overnight is a great trick.

3. Adding salt to vegetables is relatively common, whether it is in salads or in cooking. The reason for this is that salt subtly enhances the natural flavours of the vegetables. If you are boiling any kind of green vegetable, you can add a fair amount of salt without having to worry about salt absorption. Green vegetables contain a great deal of water, so they will not absorb much of the salty water they are boiled in, just enough to taste great.

A watched pot never boils, but what happens to a watched pot with added salt?

4. If you want to boil water at a higher temperature salt can be handy. It doesn’t make the water boil faster, but it does make the water boil at a higher temperature. Keep in mind that the difference in temperature will vary depending on how much salt you add.

5. Salt is also useful in desserts in small quantities. Adding just a pinch of salt to cream and egg whites makes them whip faster, higher and better. It will give you that really stiff quality that is necessary in so many desserts, without impacting the flavour.

6. Another useful trick is to add just a touch of salt to garlic before you crush it. Making garlic into a nice smooth paste before adding it to your cooking means that nobody will find themselves biting into a piece of garlic. Instead the flavour will be evenly spread throughout the dish. Adding salt allows you to make a nice smooth paste very easily.

Despite the many health issues surrounding salt, it is an extremely valuable tool in the kitchen. This simple spice is extremely versatile, so why not try a pinch?

First image via Adventures of Pan & Frank, second image via beeeeeker

Read more about spices and herbs:
Cloves In and Out of the Kitchen
PART I: The ABCs of Traditional Middle-Eastern Spice Medicines (A through C)
Herbal Teas – A Natural Way to Cure What Ails You

Seared salmon, braised lamb, sauteed beef: sounds delicious, but what about vegetables? Here in the Middle East we love our kebabs, shawarmas and barbecues, but recently The Food Network aired an episode of Iron Chef America that gave us food for thought – a completely vegetarian menu.

A vegetarian menu is not a new idea, so naturally the show added a little twist. On Sunday 29 August,2010, the Iron Chef America featured Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto facing off visiting chef Amanda Cohen in the first ever strictly vegetarian competition. Each chef had to come up with and prepare a three course meal using a secret ingredient in each dish. In this episode the secret ingredient was broccoli.

Can you imagine a dessert based on broccoli, or even a dessert with some broccoli in it? Seems impossible, but these chefs were up to the challenge. Chef Morimoto came up with a shaved broccoli ice with broccoli syrup, served next to a waffle cone. Chef Cohen concocted a broccoli ice-cream with corn brittle and carrot caramel sauce. Who ever said vegetables aren’t versatile?

Working with vegetables is nothing new for Cohen since she opened up her vegetarian restaurant DirtCandy a few years ago. Many people consider a vegetarian diet for political reasons as connected to animal rights, while others are more concerned with the health aspect of the diet. Neither of these ideals led Cohen to start up a vegetarian restaurant;for her it is about the art of vegetarian cooking.

Watching this show is enough to make anyone consider switching to a vegetable-based diet. All the delicious foods prepared by these two talented chefs are mouth-watering, even via the television screen. There are many vegetarian options we can easily add to our diet. While a vegetable dessert might be a bit of a stretch for most of us, it is definitely worth while adding more vegetables to our daily diet and experimenting with flavours.

Above image via mckaysavage

More vegetarian ideas:
An Easy “Cous Cous and Roqaq” Vegan Iftar Menu For Ramadan
Vegetarians Hit the Streets of Jordan Wearing Lettuce
Fresh Tomato-Coriander Salad to Spice up Your Summer

Do you like chutney? Cooking your own seasonal (and preferably organic) fruit, you can enjoy locavore preserves that you won’t find in any supermarket. And you choose the sweetness and chili heat of your chutney according to your own taste. We’re enjoying the short apricot season now. Try this mild chutney, flavored with sweet spices rather than lots of fiery chilis and assertive onions.

Apricot Chutney

Ingredients:

1 kg. – 2 lbs. – 5 cups fresh apricots

10 oz. brown sugar – 1 1/2 cups

1 medium onion

4 oz. organic raisins – just under 1 cup. Black raisins make a darker chutney; golden raisins make a light.

1 tsp. fresh, grated ginger root

1 Tblsp. salt

1/2 pint – 1 cup – cider vinegar

1 tsp. coriander seeds

3 cloves of garlic

Method:

1. Rinse, halve, and pit the apricots.

2. Slice the onion and garlic thinly.

3. Put all the ingredients into a large pan.  Boil till the apricots are very soft.

4. Remove the apricots from the pan with a slotted spoon and put them into clean, dry jars.

5. Boil the remaining liquid until it becomes a thick syrup.

6. Pour the syrup into the jars; cover and allow to cool before storing. If not using sterile canning procedure, store the chutney in the fridge. It will stay good for up to one year.

Enjoy!

More locavore preserves from Green Prophet:

• How to Make Etrog Jam
• Home-made Strawberry Jam

Photo of fresh apricots by Miriam Kresh

This light, creamy cheesecake fits into your green Shavuot, especially if you make it with organic cheese and eggs. It’s also light on sugar.

The ancient Romans left a simple cheesecake recipe: ricotta cheese, honey, and eggs.  Pour into a clay saucer. Bake over coals. That still works, but for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, we favor this recipe. It’s  got just that hint of lemon and vanilla that makes you feel like you need another slice now, before someone else lays hands on it. And it fits into your domestic Jewish eco-activities, because it’s home-made – much healthier and more delicious than margarine-laden bakery products.

Have three bowls at hand, 1 large, 1 medium, 1 small. Prepare a cake pan either with baking paper or by greasing it with sweet butter and coating it with flour.  And do not preheat the oven: you want to start baking cold.

New York Cheesecake

6 servings: double the ingredients and bake in a larger pan for 12 servings.

Ingredients:

6 eggs

3 Tblsp. sugar, plus 6 Tblsp. later

500 grams – 1 lb. – 2 cups -  soft, creamy white cheese – here in Israel I use 9% white cheese

1 tsp. vanilla essence

Juice of 1 lemon

6 Tblsp. sifted flour

Method:

1. Separate the eggs.

Keep the whites in the large bowl.

Put 3 of the yolks in the medium bowl; in the small bowl, the other 3 yolks.

2. In the medium bowl, beat the 3 yolks with the 3 Tblsp. sugar and all of the cheese. Mix well till smooth.

3. Whip all the egg whites till stiff.

4. To the whites, add the 6 Tblsp. sugar and whip till the whites make smooth peaks.

5. Add the flour, the lemon juice, the 3 yolks from the small bowl and the vanilla.

Mix very well. This is the batter.

6. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the baking pan.

7. Mix the remaining third of the batter into the cheese mixture. Mix well.

8. Pour this new mixture straight into the center of the batter in the pan.

Bake at  300°F – 150° C for one hour.  Turn the oven off, but don’t remove the cake: just open the oven door a crack and let the cake cool inside. Once cooled down, store the cake in the fridge.

Enjoy!

More Green Prophet recipes for your Shavuot meals:

• Creamy Eggplant Soup
• Majadra: Middle-Eastern Lentils and Rice

Wherever you see  several old mulberry trees standing together in the Middle East, you can be sure that they are descendants of trees once cultivated to provide fodder for silkworms. And although the leaves have medicinal properties that humans can also enjoy, we two-legged folks are more likely to feast on the fruit.

Chutney and jam are two easy ways to preserve mulberries for eating later. The season is short, just a few weeks at the end of April-beginning of May, so if a tree or two grows near you, now’s the time to go foraging.

This chutney is chunky in texture and a little sweeter than most.

Mulberry Chutney

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh, ripe mulberries

1 small onion

1 small green apple, grated with the peel on

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

1 garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes

Method:

1. Put the mulberries and the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

2. Add all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring often.

3. Allow the chutney to boil till it forms a thick jam, about 20 minutes. Stir often.

4. Pack the chutney into a glass jar. Allow to cool, covered. Refrigerate. Wait a week for the flavors to marry. Eat soon afterwards.

If you prefer to make jam,  leave out the onion, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Add three leaves of fragrant, edible rose or lemon geranium for a real Middle-Eastern flavored jam.

Enjoy!

Photo of mulberry chutney: Miriam Kresh; Top image via mauroguanandi

More recipes from Green Prophet:

• Creamy Eggplant Soup
• Tehina Cookies
• Butternut Squash Stuffed with Quinoa

Do you love artichokes? We do. Here’s a healthy recipe perfect for the Middle East.

It’s springtime, and the markets of the Middle East display piles of these artichoke thistles with the succulent hearts.

The hot climates of North Africa and the Middle East produce a fantastic variety of vegetables that are easy to stuff and cook in a piquant sauce. These home-made delicacies are traditional in cultures where the housewife depends on local, seasonal produce (like in the Slow Food movement) rather than packaged foods trucked in from far away.

Take local produce, fill it, and simmer it. What could be a greener way to cook, or more delicious? It takes a little work, but it’s worth the effort for the tantalizing aroma and savory taste. (Vegetarian options are offered below.)

No fresh artichokes in your area yet? You can legitimately cook up  a bag full of frozen artichoke hearts. They are one of the few vegetables that stand up to freezing.

Moroccan Stuffed Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons white rice

1 cup boiling, salted water

14 frozen artichoke bottoms

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup minced onion

1 cup ground beef

2 large, minced garlic cloves

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 teaspoon. sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 fresh, chopped tomatoes

2 sliced garlic cloves

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup of water, stock, or white wine

Method:

1. Boil the rice, uncovered, in the boiling salted water, for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain. Put in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, add onion and cook over medium-low heat for 4 or 5 minutes.

3. Add ground beef and saute about 4 minutes or until all the meat has changed color. Take the skillet off the flame.

4. To the meat, add the minced garlic, cilantro, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and pepper. Mix well and add to rice. Mix the rice and meat well.

5. Sprinkle the artichoke bottoms with additional salt and pepper. Spoon stuffing into them. Spoon the remaining 1 tablespoon oil into a heavy pan or casserole and add the artichokes.

6. To the pan add the chopped tomatoes, sliced garlic, turmeric, and a little salt, plus more pepper to taste.

7. Add 1 cup of water, stock or white wine to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for half an hour or until artichoke bottoms are tender. Serve this dish hot, with a little of the sauce and chopped tomatoes spooned over each artichoke.

Turn this dish vegetarian.

• Eliminate the ground beef and cinnamon.
• Use brown rice or cooked quinoa.
• Quickly toast 1/2 cup of pine nuts in a hot skillet and mix them with the rice.

More about spices loved in the Middle East here:

• The ABCs of Traditional Middle Eastern Spice Remedies, Part I
• The ABCs of Traditional Middle Eastern Spice Remedies, Part II
• The ABCs of Traditional Middle Eastern Spice Remedies, Part III
• The ABCs of Traditional Middle Eastern Spice Remedies, Part IV

Looking for a quick, delicious and healthy side dish? Grab some sweet potatoes.

There’s lots of cooking going on at this time of year. Passover, Easter, vacation time – guests coming over, family at home, and festive meals to prepare. A busy cook needs easy, reliable recipes to fill out her or his menus. Sweet potatoes fill the description, and luckily they’re still in season. If date honey (a familiar ingredient in the Middle East) isn’t available where you live, replace it with maple syrup or plain honey thinned with a little water and blended with a very little lemon juice. This recipe is popular with everyone, especially kids. The sweet potatoes and date honey combine to make a lightly sweet side dish that has no artificial flavors, coloring, or white sugar.
.

Sweet Potatoes Roasted in Date Honey

serves 4

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

4 tablespoons date honey, maple syrup or diluted honey

Method:

1. Slice the sweet potatoes thickly and place the slices in a large bowl.

2. Drizzle the olive oil over the slices and roll them around in it.

3. Add the dry spices and roll the slices around again, making sure all surfaces are seasoned.

4. Let the sweet potatoes sit in the seasonings for 15 minutes.

Meantime, preheat the oven to 350° F – 180° C.

5. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray. Drizzle date honey over them.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or till tender.

There will be a small amount of cooking juices. Spoon them over the sweet potatoes and serve.

Enjoy!

More Green Prophet posts about spring holidays:

• Ecological springtime activities in Israel
• Avoid food waste during holidays
• Recipe: Eggplant Soup