With winter coming on, I am often asked how can I warm my food and still maintain the vital life force of the food.
We know high temperature alters the chemical structure of vital nutrients in our food. When we cook our food, we lose 50% of the protein, 80% of the vitamins andnutrients, as well as 95% of the phytonutrients.
During the winter we love miso soup. I use unpasteurized raw miso (Cold Mountain brand). We make use of an inexpensive kitchen thermometer to keep the liquid at a steady temperature of 115 degrees. In this way none of the vital elements are compromised.
We also rely a lot on chili peppers. Both hot and sweet contain substances that have shown to increase the body’s heat production and oxygen consumption for about 20 minutes after eating. Besides making you cozy, it allows you to burn extra calories.
Chili peppers have been in the human diet since around 7500 B.C. Again both sweet and hot are packed with vitamins A,C and K as well as natural carotenoids and antioxidants to prevent cell damage. And carotenoids have earned a reputation as an ally in preventing cancer.
Again, because I want to make sure this precious food source is not exposed to temperatures above 115 degrees, I make my own chili powder in the dehydrator. But I have also dried them on a dark dish in the hot sun. Just cut them up in small pieces, put them in the dehydrator till they are dry and crispy (about 24 hours). Then put them in a coffee grinder (I reserve one for this purpose), and grind them into a fine, fiery powder for winter miso soup. I feel sooo Raw Martha Stewart.
BIG WORDS OF CAUTION! Be sure to wear gloves when working with pepper! If not, superwash your hands after this project using a nail brush, and never touch your eyes. Oh, and careful not to breath in the fine pepper powder when grinding.
There is a careful Zen relationship with the hot chili pepper, but sooo worth the effort. A nice full jar will store all winter ready to toast your toes, and put pink in your cheeks. If you get excited enough about the benefits of the chili pepper and decide to join me, let me know how it goes.