Pharmacy vs the Produce Market

Here is some interesting political and financial crap that can really have an affect on us. If you were to research the impact that food can have as an "Anti-Cancer" Agent, you may be as surprised as I have been lately. I've been given and opportunity to cook for a three time lung cancer survivor, 3 meals a day. In my research, Ive learned about a great deal of produce that can cause cancer cell suicide in many different ways. Some foods promote healthy tissue that will reject the cancer cells that try and settle in, some convince the cancer cells to die, etc. The fact that its never prescribed or even recommended by a Dr comes down to this:

Dr's receive their up to date info mostly through published trade magazines, seminars and pharm reps who sit in front of them regularly to promote the newest drug. so how do these drugs get into this line of communication? Well, it takes about $500MM to $1B of human testing to become "proven" enough to be patented and sold. For example, one drug used to treat cancer earns the patent holder $1B a YEAR... so they make that money up from the testing very quickly

Now, take blueberries, broccoli, turmeric, cabbage, shiitaki mushrooms for example. Extremely effective in the fight against cancer, however, very natural and no possible way to hold a patent. So any company that will invest the $500MM in human testing isn't guaranteed to be the sole recipient of sales on those items, so in the end, Dr's aren't supporting and encouraging a healthy natural diet to cure and prevent many of our problems...

No Wonder CVS and Walgreens don't have a produce isle

Followers are Following

I want to post a link from one of our great neighbors who has been following along with the motivation to change the school lunch programs for the better. here's the link...

Thanks again Mike!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33388040/ns/health-kids_and_parenting

Elementary Education

You know what's crazy? Well, a lot of things actually, however here is one, some elementary schools in town contract Fast Food establishments to provide school lunches. Yeah, That's Brain Food Right? Nothing like a filling lunch of greasy fried food to put you to sleep for your afternoon class. Are we the only country that our children turn in not only their homework but also their classwork with French Fry grease on it? No wonder why the "Dog Ate It" it smelled like Taco Bell...

Other schools are offering hot lunch, but loaded with sugar and preservatives, why? Well kids like it, so they eat it or maybe its cheap... Is eating garbage really cheap? What if you ate candy bars everyday? How much would you spend? Ok, now add in the cost of going to the dentist, without insurance, what would your cost be now? Then when you go to the Dr because your stomach hurts, your head hurts and you feel fatigued all the time and don't forget how much money you DIDN'T make because you missed work. What's your cost now? Hopefully that creates a better picture of what the side effects of unhealthy food actually costs. Now, how expensive is eating a healthier diet that doesn't cause cavities, diabetes, nausea, fatigue, and chronic illness, but instead, gives you energy to concentrate and perform better. Helps children stay awake, study longer, concentrate on the teacher and pay attention to what they are reading. No worries about missing school anymore because our kids are sleeping better and waking up feeling rested, thanks to a healthy way of living.

Ghione's Go Fresh is proposing to cater to schools in Las Vegas, to design and provide healthy meals that your children and grand children will enjoy and benefit from. We can reduce the risk of obesity, one meal at a time.

KTNV LIVE @ 9

For anyone that missed the graphic display of the Weight Loss Results show yesterday, here the link to watch me demonstrate how much weight Bob and Norma Jean actually lost in their first of three month weight loss challenge.

http://www.ktnv.com/Global/category.asp?C=173250

For those that haven't followed along yet, Channel 13 is tracking results, weekly, of a Ghione's Go Fresh Kitchen Couple that we feed twice a day. In addition to only eating organic food, they work out at DragonRidge Country Club with trainer Troy Meir twice a week and meet with Success Coach Mary Ligon once a week. This project is coordinator by our dear friend at Elite Medical Spa, Dr Youmans. Amazing results the first month, just how much did they lose? Well, you'll just have to watch and see. Our segment is about 15 Minutes into the show.

7 for the Price of 6

I want to encourage my readers and customers to try something that I believe in. Something that will help us all feel better and look better, not to mention to live a healthier life. Try my weekly diet plan, pay for 6 days and the 7th day is on me, for giving us the opportunity to help you eat healthy and put you and your family on the preventative healthy care plan as opposed to reacting to symptoms.

Here's a fact, by the time you have symptoms of an illness, you're 10 years too late to prevent it. The foods that we consume, and I'm referring to the non-organic and processed foods, can cause plaque in our cardiovascular system. Side affects from this such as, heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, yup, all that good stuff.

So it's important to fill ourselves with beneficial foods. Familiar foods to our digestive systems, not just our taste buds. The difference, we may have grown up on meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but our bodies aren't good at processing that into 100% usable "compost". Instead, our compost piles inside us have left overs that we are forced to store, much like non-biodegradable plastics and such in the landfills. The more you add to it, the taller the pile gets.

For more health information contact Dr Simong Youmans at www.elitemedspa.net and to understand more of how our unconscious minds are tied into our over indulgence and lack of self controlled eating habits, spend some time talking with Behavioral Therapist, Mary Ligon www.maryligon.com You may find diet and exercise may be enough to lose weight, however, if we don't learn to change our behaviors, we will always be stuck in the "losing weight" mode rather than losing the weight and then living a new lifestyle that will maintain that Fun, Fit, New Look!!

Not Just Making Food but Making Strides!

In less than 30 Days, the Breast Cancer awareness month will take place. For the entire month of October, the American Cancer Society will be encouraging women to catch cancer before its too late. The first Saturday in October will be their Making Strides for Cancer Walk and Ghione's Go Fresh Kitchen has proudly committed to spending the rest of this month raising money for the Strides walk in October. All month, I'll be donating a percentage of the money that our customers spend towards Cancer Research, what a better way to give back?

Everyone of us has or had a mother, some have sisters and some have daughters. Some have lost a battle to cancer, some survived and some lucky enough to not have to have dealt with the fight, but all are at risk. Cancer is no stranger to men, but this charity hits close to home for me. You see, many years ago, someone just like me, many people actually, had jars on their counter, held a fundraiser and walked the Strides walk and raised money for cancer research and it saved my Mother's life...

Now, I want to help save your mother, sister or daughter. I hope they never have to fight for their life against cancer, but if they do I hope that cancer wont stand a chance against Medical Science.

Come Dine with us all month and we won't just make your dinner, we'll be "Making Strides"

Back to School...So What's For Lunch??

Its almost time to get the kids up early again and rush them out the door to school before we ourselves must get ready for our own day of work. As a kid, I can remember having a hot breakfast a couple times a week and cereal the rest. My mother was like a machine at that point. My bagged lunch was usually made before I got up, along with the rest of my sisters. How about you? What's your fondest memory of morning rituals before school?

Someday your children will be answering that question about what you used to do for them. So now is the time to create those answers. What is it that you want your kids to say about you? Is it that they got a breakfast hot pocket and a few bucks for lunch or maybe it will be something about the care you took in choosing the right foods for them to eat that are healthy and nutritious. Who knows, maybe even a good breakfast will help them pay attention in class without dozing off from the sugared cereal crash.

Breakfast is an important meal, sometimes overlooked, but probably one of the meals of the day that's within our control. What happens when we send our kids off to school with some lunch money? What is it they are going to eat? Keep this in mind, schools are short on funding, always have been and probably always will. Its unlikely that each school is going to spend the money on preservative free foods, locally grown and so on. Instead, they are trying to cook for the overcrowded schools on the smallest budget with the least amount of labor possible. So convenient, labor efficient, highly processed foods are the common answer to this equation. Schools are cooking for thousands of kids a day, however you may only be cooking for a few, perhaps only one. There are plenty of simple meals that can be prepared the night before or quickly the morning before you send your kids off to Camp Sugar for the day.

If you do chose to take advantage of the school cafeteria, demand that your school feeds your kids something healthy and nutritious, tell them you want your kids to eat brain food, not the pork and beans we used to eat as kids. 1 in 10 people in the United States are pre-diabetic with a majority of that number becoming diabetic within 10 years. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A DIABETIC. If you are diagnosed pre-diabetic, it can be turned around with diet and exercise. Your chances of becoming diabetic are incredibly less by dropping 7% of your body weight. Don't wait till its too late and don't let your kids tell people that their parents fed them Diabetes for breakfast and lunch... Love them instead, care for their health now.

Chef Live...sort of, it was recorded

Check it out!! ChefLive on http://www.hulu.com/ keyword search ChefLive and watch the "Last Minute Vegetable Minestrone" This is one of several episodes that I filmed, promoting eating organic and healthy. It was filmed a while ago when I was still at DragonRidge, so I was promoting how the country club is (then and now) committed to serving healthier food to their members. Something that today, I continue to do in my own shop.

Slowly but surely people are catching onto the "Daily Diet" plans. Maybe I should clarify some of the details of this plan.

First off, it could or couldn't be a "diet" plan. It can be for pure convenience as well. Secondly, the menu is customized for you. Each person has his or her own likes and dislikes and also each may have their own diet criteria. Maybe you are on 500 calories a day, maybe 1200. Perhaps you have an allergy to Gluten or sunshine, others avoid fats oils and elevators, but their trainers want them to eat meat and potatoes instead. Point is, what ever your needs our, you and I will sit or stand, definitely not over a jog, discuss it, create a menu, you pay me and I deliver food, to you, fresh, daily or maybe twice a day, three times? even better.

When my air conditioner was leaking, I called a heating and cooling tech. When I needed power run for my mixer, I called an electrician. Even though I flip a light switch 500 times a day, doesn't make me an expert on how it works, so, just because you've eaten your whole life, doesn't make you an expert on how many calories in 5 stalks of asparagus or 4oz of chicken. If you have dietary needs, let me help you get healthy and stay healthy, worst case, you'll feel better, best case, you'll lose weight, be in a better mood and reduce health problems, you might even become younger and grow more hair. Highly unlikely but if that's what you want me to tell ya' no problem.

A Jazzy Opening

If the world was all about me, you would have read the headlines by now that said "Ghione's Go Fresh Throws an Opening Bash!" Thanks to Renato Lebron of Trader Joe's www.tjwineguy.com (and check him out on Twitter) also special thanks to Martin Mancusso, Jazz Musician www.martinmancusso.com , we christened the Go Fresh Kitchen in style. Great Food, Wine and music was the setting for nearly 100 guests in this small venue. We featured Organic Wines from the Trader Joe's inventory to compliment a variety of organic foods that represent the best ingredients on the market used in our recipes. Stacey Escalante invited many of her former reporter colleagues from Channel 3 as well, many guests from other networks joined us in the event that consumed over 50 Pizzas!! Besides the Pizza, we served about 20lbs of the Organic Farmers Market best fruits, including Plums that taste like all natural Sugar because they are sooo sweet and also Peaches, Nectarines, Figs, Dates and Watermelon. Many sandwiches and roasted vegetables marinated in Balsamic and Herbs made an appearance. The saxophone wasn't the only thing making noise because people kept talking about the mini portions of the "Moo Moo" which is our Roast Beef Sandwich with marinated red onions, cucumbers and cream cheese.

With so many people in attendance, it was a great time to discuss our capabilities to cater to any diet and special needs, 7 days a week. Many people have begun taking advantage of the convenience of home delivery and customized menu's to maximize their medical weight loss management programs.

To hear more about Ghione's Go Fresh Kitchen, you can watch Channel 3 news this Sunday morning at 9am and I'll have more to say about our commitment to make eating healthier in Las Vegas more convenient.

New Opportunities at the Cost of Las Vegas

Recently, I got a call from a company that owns the two restaurants that are my "competition" in town. Coincidentally the gentlemen lives close by and he found out about us from a door hanger we left on his house. He is looking for someone to take over their business, they have other investments that perform much better than these two stores. So, at very little cost, I could take that business and with some TLC it would perform wonderful, its a great location.

I'm disappointed though. I say its a cost to Las Vegas because I want to see MORE organic or restaurants trying to do things healthier as is the case with this place, no LESS. For me, I don't see them as competition, I see them as another venue trying to do the same thing I am, making eating healthier in Vegas more convenient. The more places like that to eat, the more exposed and educated the public is and the more likely they are to change their lifestyle to eat better.

I have no secrets from other business owners. I haven't invented Organic Food and if anyone needs recipes or ideas to open a business, I'm open to help. Try and open an organic restaurant right next to me and I'll kick your butt, I've got a family to take care of. A few miles away, I'm all about helping you succeed.

So, if anyone would like to see another Ghione's Go Fresh Organic Kitchen on the North West Side, please send a check to 2540 Anthem Village......just kidding.

Go Fresh Kitchen

We've been open just over a week and the local support is growing. Its a wonderful thing. Our menu started out with Pizza, Salads and Sandwiches, but we are quickly growing. Within 1 week, we blew through 1,000 menu's handing them out to customers and potential customers. So with the new round of menu's just in, we've added four incredible entrees. You won't find any cream, butter or potatoes on these dishes and our Chicken, Salmon, Shrimp and Eggplant Cannelloni are keeping with the all-natural and organic theme. With every dish that has something cooked, we add something raw...no, we are cooking the vegetables and serving raw chicken. Its just the opposite, cooking vegetables reduces the valuable nutrients so even though some of our dishes contain cooked ingredients (why? because its gooood!) you'll often find something that's raw, could be peaches, could be creamed corn, point is, (John Travolta in Look Who's Talking) everything is prepared with your health in mind.

I also have a "Retail" produce cooler set up, come in, shop what I got. Our Peaches, Plums and Nectarines came right from the Organic Farmers Market in LA on Wednesday. My produce buyer calls me while he's there and says what's hot and what's not.

The Fat Tax - As Seen on TV

Yesterday Fox 5 Reporter Lauren Murphy aired a story on the "Fat Tax". She interviewed Dr Youmans and I about our opinion of taxing unhealthy foods, such as soda which I've mentioned before, along with snack foods and burgers, etc. Dr Youmans feels that the public should be educated before punished. I agree, however, I do like the message of the tax, which is, junk food is now being thought of causing similar negative affects on the body as liquor and tobacco.

So how do you feel about being taxed on fast food and junk food snacks? Lauren stated that the tax is unfair to poor people and "Organic Restaurants don't exactly have a dollar menu". Wealthy or Poor, people should still have the right to be healthy. Your quality of health shouldn't be a reflection of your status in society. Perhaps the Government should look at a Tax break instead for healthy foods?? Maybe then you won't have to spend more on unhealthy food, but you could save more by eating healthy?? Maybe then we could afford a dollar menu. I would support an organic dollar menu in an instant.

Attack of the Killer Cilantro!!!

OK, some of it has the potential to attack, but it hasn't caused any actual illnesses yet. The FDA has issued a recall on Cilantro from Macallan, TX on crops distributed between July 13th & 16th. Traces of Salmonella were found in this batch and apparently it takes a while to get the test results back, hence the reason its on recall instead of just being disposed of.

One may wonder how an entire field of vegetables can be contaminated like that. What's the reason for it? Usually the cause comes from the water source or a contaminated irrigation system. Salmonella is usually spread through human/animal waste so sometimes wild animals break into the fields to eat the crops and drop a load on the way out or they get in to drink the water at its source and have a pee party. Manure is also used as a fertilizer, could that be the cause??

We often associate salmonella with Chicken or Fish, not so much with vegetables, however, broccoli, green onions and sprouts seem to make the warning list more frequently these days. Alfalfa Sprouts has its own parking spot on the list. The cause of the problem in Chickens is usually because of the cages and how they are stacked on top of each other. Imagine what your health would be like if your neighbor upstairs relieved himself on head all the time (and think, we put that stuff in our mouths....)

This Ship has Sailed

Two things that don't go together are permits and patience. Luckily, that's mostly behind us and we've moved on from plumbing and lighting to herbs and seasonings. Right where we should be.

My wife is a tough cookie, that's for sure, but we are looking for our hard work to pay off soon. The sooner the better however...

We are excited to be open and we invite you all to join us in your new restaurant! We thank you all for your ongoing support

Boomer Babes are Booming

July 7th I had the honor and pleasure to speak to the Boomer Babes and it turned into a great discussion. As always, Dr Youmans house was the perfect place to host a party. Not knowing the group all that well, I wasn't sure how they would perceive my talk about eating healthy. Of course I want to promote my restaurant but more importantly, I want people to understand why I developed the concept. Eating healthy is on the verge of exploding, but its just not there yet nor has it become convenient. Our president wants to tax soda to make money of course but also discourage consumption. KFC is serving baked and grilled chicken and the produce section in the grocery stores have an organic section that is slowly growing larger and larger.

One of the points that I tried to get across is that our "Comfort Foods" maybe the start of our demise. Another is that just because you think you are eating well, you may have to think again. With over 700 approved food additives who knows exactly what we are consuming in our body??? Eating organic eliminates the surprise of what's inside, but if we don't create a healthy diet for ourselves, then we aren't maximize our health benefits. Portion sizes, ingredients and cooking techniques are all very critical to losing weight and feeling great. Along with that, our immune system starts working sooo much better that its fighting off problems we didn't even know we had.

Lastly, we had a couple questions that I wanted to clarify the answers on. First off, why does organic milk have a longer shelf life than conventional milk while organic produce has a shorter shelf life than conventional?

A: Unless one milk and not the other is "UHT" Ultra Heat Tempered, which would affect the integrity of the milk, but extend the shelf life, the expiration date on BOTH is 11 days after production (milking). So they both have the same shelf life.

Next, when shopping at the grocery store for fish and seafood, how do you know which one is the "cleanest" or "best" choice. Black Cod and Salmon are the only two species of fish that you could ever potentially see an "Organic" label on. That doesn't make it all organic, but those are the only two that have gone through the certification process.

So here's my advice:

• Always look for wild caught fish from cold waters
• Avoid Farm Raised because of the high amounts of antibiotics and unnatural feed
• During the summer months, stay away from stream fish like trout, the water is warmer and there is usually less water in the rivers so they become more stagnant, harboring more bacteria
• Its true that some fish are higher in Omega Fats than others, but what ever you choose, is still better than eating a cheese burger, so don't think too hard over it
• If you want to add more Omega's to ANY meal, add 1 teaspoon of UDO's 3 6 9 Oil for every 50 lbs of your body weight. This product is found in a cooler by itself at Whole Foods market

Contact me any time for Recipes, Cooking Demo's and Catering email me at chefghione@ghionedining.com

Ghione's Organic "Go Fresh Kitchen" will be open at the latest July 21. I hope to see everyone there! keep up to date at www.ghiones.com

Eat Well - Live Better!!

Its getting closer

The date of July 21st might not mean much to you, but it means something to the world of organic consumers. Ghione's is scheduled to open the latest on the 21st of this month. ChefLive has been airing the episodes that I filmed a month back. Locally in Las Vegas, you can catch the new shows on Channel 19 at 2:30pm. They will be up on Hulu.com soon, so I'll let you know when that happens.

Enjoy your 4th of July weekend. Remember you can always email me for recipes regarding a healthy outdoor BBQ. There are plenty of delicious options out there besides the smokey sugar based bbq sauce and red meat.

Elite BBQ

For those of you who missed last nights party, don't worry, there will be more. For the people that were able to attend, I hope I made many new friends and I hope you all took something away about how to eat, what to eat and how to cook. Here are some points that I hit last night as a recap:

• Typical BBQ sauce is loaded with sugar and preservatives, two ingredients that will turn your diet upside down
• Red Meat can be organic, but moderation is key to keeping healthy.
• Organic, All-Natural and Conventional. Key words to know when shopping. Organic, no additives and naturally handled, always. All-Natural, refers to proteins that never had hormones or antibiotics added however, they were fed conventional feed or raised on non-organic land. Usually more price effective and still better than conventional which is the traditional method of using chemical science to maximize growth and yield in all categories of farming
• Organic Food typically has better, more natural flavors because of the care taken in the soil. Fruits and vegetables are similar to growing grapes for wine. They are all influenced by the earth and climate that they are grown in.
• Be smart in planning your ingredients, avoid high-glycemic foods like white flour and corn, carrots and parsnips.
• Sulfates are slowly gaining competition by products that are naturally cured. Hormel is making deli meats like Ham, Roast Beef and Turkey with natural cures containing Celery Juice, Simple Sugars and Sea Salt. They are also making bacon the same way. Look for "Uncured Bacon" on the label technically Bacon isn't bacon unless its chemically induced.
• Always try and eat raw vegetables with every meal. The nutrients remain intact when vegetables are in their natural state. Marinades and Soaking are two ways to add additional flavor to your food without breaking down the nutrients.

Check back here very, very soon for recipes from last night. We enjoyed making Ceviche, Charred Vegetable Gazpacho, Grilled Artichokes, BBQ Oysters and Shrimp Kabobs. We finished off the night with Seared Ahi Tuna with Napa Cabbage, Cilantro and Watermelon Radish Raw Salad with Cashews and Sesame. The dressing was a Tahini Vinaigrette.

Learn how to create a balanced meal

Just because you choose to eat organic foods doesn’t mean you are on your way to better health and weight loss. Ok, maybe better health because your body will begin to detoxify itself and start pushing out all the additives absorbed in your body. However, in reality, over eating organic red meat can also be detrimental to your health, so keep reading, I’ll work on telling a joke or two, I promise. So lets get into some of what will lead to better health. The ingredients we chose to eat are so important because of how our bodies are designed to function. Food is designed to be fuel and nutrients for our body. Its ground up by our teeth, pushed into our stomach by the muscles in our throat, we’ve been given the gift of taste to enjoy that first step. Next our stomach begins to break down the food mash and later begins to be absorbed into our body through our intestines. This part is critical to our moods and health because when we absorb foods too fast, like sugar, it hits our blood stream so quick that our bodies glucose levels shoot through the roof and later crash just as hard. At this point with high spikes, the withdrawals cause cravings of more sugar. The way to avoid this up and down sugar swing is to eat low-glycemic foods. These foods are absorbed much slower into the blood stream keeping a much more stable sugar level and prevents up and down mood swings giving your body a sense of fullness for a longer period of time. Essential fats also slow down food absorption into the body also decreasing your cravings for food. Your body is now able to process, digest, foods much more efficiently preventing excess body fat, decreasing the risk of diabetes and other organ failures. Ok no joke yet, but I’m working on it. Knock Knock, ok not yet still more to talk about.
So intestines mean more to a Chef than just sausage casings, it’s the organ where the rubber meets the road on food quality. We’ve all had those great tasting meals that later ran right through us or were brought right back up for another vote. That’s because our body decided the food wasn’t worth keeping. Empty Calories. Useless food. Useless food often means we need to eat more of it because our body is trying to get the level of nutrients it needs and its not finding them in the bottom of the potato chip bag. If Frosted Flakes came with a hidden bag of nutrients instead of a pack of stickers that we find all over our walls in the house and usually on the back of our pant legs halfway through a day of work, life wouldn’t be so bad. However, that’s not the case. Consuming highly nutritious low glycemic foods means we can reduce our calorie intake and eat small portions. That means one less chin over time and instead of “sucking it in” we can actually breathe and smile for a picture.
The glycemic index has been published for public reference. This is a road map of what’s good for us and what we should stay far away from. Even vegetables, organic vegetables no less, aren’t always the best choice for health and weight loss. Carrots for example are often used in savory recipes to add sweetness and reduce acid and bitterness because they are so high in sugar. Natural sugars yes, but sugar none the less. A little will go a long way. Knowing what we eat before we eat it makes a big difference in weight management. So leave the carrots to the rabbits.

Peru, Chile fight over Potatoes

The origin of
the potato
has become
a hot potato
b e t w e e n
n e i g h b o r s
Peru & Chile.
The spud
dispute began
last week,
when Chilean
Agriculture
M i n i s t e r
M a r i g e n
Hornkohl said
99% of the world's potatoes derive from
spuds native to Chile. Peru, where the potato
is a source of national pride, said the potato
comes from a part of the Andes near Lake
Titicaca, most of which is located in modernday
Peru. The country claims to have some
3,000 varieties of potato. Now both nations
are fighting over bragging rights to the potato.
Chile's Austral University says archaeological
studies show evidence of human consumption
of potatoes dating back 14,000 years in southern
Chile, long before evidence of any spud
consumption in Peru, but Peru's Institute for
Agriculture says Chile's potatoes are mere
"grandchildren" of Peru's tubers.—AP (Lima)
STONE FRUIT: California tree fruit
continues to increase on Yellow &
White Peaches, Yellow & White Nectarines,
Apricots and Cherries.
TOMATOES: Market is very active.
The ongoing rains in Florida have
taken a bigger toll then expected.
The East coast is pulling product
from the West coast. Central CA is
14-15 days away from starting; Baja
has good supply of Romas; 4x4's
4x5's have tightened up. Cherries
Tomato market is active due to the
limited number of shippers. Clusters
have good quality.
CROP UPDATE Peruvian citrus
imports on
track for 2009
A Clementine

Ghione's Organic Delivery

Recently at DragonRidge I've had the time to really develop an idea of what identity I want to have in the community. Organic Ink has been my outlet of energy to share with the public my passion for food, especially organic unprocessed food. Since this past Saturday, I've established a concept, found a location and an investor and with in two weeks I will have ownership and launch Ghione's Organic Delivery, gourmet food, right to you.

I'm excited about this venture, I'm looking forward to improving peoples lives through what they eat and allowing them to enjoy what it is they are eating. What we put in our bodies has a direct effect on our mood, health and energy. I want to be able to use my knowledge and ideas to share with others. There is no point in knowing anything if you don't take the time to give it away.

The Wonder Beverage

Yup, Soda, again. What's with this stuff? There are more and more reports coming out about the "Side Effects" of Soda caused by long term consumption as well as consuming large amounts. From a business standpoint, this product has had unspeakable success. From the cute little Christmas Polar Bears skating on ice to Olympic Athletes on the sides of the cans...great marketing plan. However, lets look at the damage shall we?? You know there has to be something wrong with it for me to write about it right?

So here's the scoop. Soda is made up of three great, wonderful ingredients known as Glucose, Fructose and the almighty Caffeine. Continued consumption of this wonder Burp beverage causes an unhealthy drop in potassium and unless you also have an addiction to Bananas, this is going to cause a problem. The effects you may see range anywhere from mild weakness to paralysis. The other damage is an obvious one, Tooth Decay, and the not so obvious, bone demineralization, Diabetes, development of Metabolic Syndrome and Hypokalemia. Hypokalemia is caused by the low potassium levels.

So if TV commercials showed reality, you'd see those cute Polar Bears nudging each other around in wheel chairs and smiling with missing teeth. So Drink UP!! Soda is SOOO Good you can clean the corrosion off your car battery with it, so there is no way its harmful to the body right??

Take advantage of the Market

If you live in Las Vegas, one thing is obvious, Summer is here. As much as I dread this God Awful heat, there is an upside, the produce market is going strong, fresh, local produce. With local produce going strong, the harvests become larger, the yields are better and the delivery trucks have a shorter drive and the summer sun is packing the produce full of flavor! All that is in our favor because it means better quality and a better price, so take advantage of it while it lasts. In the peak of summer, the heat may also damage a lot of crops which will hurt the market but things will improve again heading into fall before the cold weather hits. Keep an eye out for something this summer. Look at oranges and lemons as you shop. During the hot summer months, you may see these two items looking green and unripe, however there is a good chance this isn't the case. Citrus will go through a "Re-Greening" phase to protect themselves from the heat, so this means they will ripen to their natural color and then turn green again in order to protect their skin from the heat. Its like an umbrella. So don't be afraid to try them because what's on the inside could very well be the best you've had all season long.

Grocery stores are starting to increase their stock on organic items, from produce to dry goods. The more we as consumers demand it, the larger their inventory will become and the better the prices will be. Be sure to ask employees where the Organic items are, even if you know already. The more the employees hear about consumers talking Organic, the louder the message to the "bosses" will be and they might show you something new along the way.

Whatcha Grillin??

It's a holiday weekend, thank the lord...

This weekend the propane and charcoal will be burning, the smell of bbq's will saturate your neighborhood and stimulate your senses. Unless of course you're a vegetarian. If you're trying to slim down, a traditional BBQ isn't your best bet to lose weight and here are a couple of reasons why:

BBQ sauce is loaded with sugar, that's what mostly smells sooo good on the grill. Potato salad has a couple of problems, potatoes and Mayo. Same with pasta salad. Baked beans have just as much sugar as the BBQ sauce and red meat?? forget it. I can hear you getting fatter

Here are some things to try out instead:
A lot of things are great on the grill, Corn for example (even though corn is generally a no no because of its sugar content). Try this, keep the husk on it and soak it in warm water for a half hour. Just fill your kitchen sink up if you can spare it or maybe a tall pot (you can use the tub too, but not the toilet). Then put it on the grill and keep turning it every 5 minutes or so.

Asparagus is another good one. Cut the root end off, it can be tough and your friends might look at you funny if they can't chew it and the kids might spit out in the pool. Lightly drizzle some olive oil on it, just a little because too much will drip and burn on the fire. Cook the outsides just a little brown. Finish with some balsamic vinegar and let it sit while you continue to cook.

Instead of red meat, try skinless chicken, shrimp, fresh fish. You can even grill Lobster in the shell. Make some chicken kabobs, if you use wooden sticks, soak them first for a few minutes, just like the corn. It keeps them from burning too quickly.

Here are some of my favorite menu ideas to cook outside:
Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche
Citrus Marinated Poached Seafood

Charred Vegetable Gazpacho
Chilled Summer Tomato Soup

Grilled Jumbo Artichokes
Garlic, Lemon and Olive Oil with Sea Salt

BBQ’d Oysters on the Half Shell
Garlic, Parsley, White Wine and Lemon

Charred Ahi Tuna
Napa Cabbage, Cilantro and Radish Salad

Grilled White Fish and Chicken Taco’s
Ezekiel Tortillas, Fresh Lime, Cabbage and Avocado

Jumbo Shrimp and Vegetable Kabobs

Any questions on where to shop, how to cook or what to buy? email me, chefghione@ghionedining.com

Remeber Keep it Organic

Is it Really a Happy Meal??

So my wife and I were sitting in the Doctors office today waiting to hear the news that our baby is a 70% chance of being a girl, when I was reading an article in Las Vegas Health Magazine. The article compared kids that ate fast food and happened to be over weight (go figure right?) to kids that had a leaner diet. To summarize the results, the healthy kids reported to be unhappy and depressed and the Greasy Happy Meal kids reported to be Happy. Isn't it wonderful to hear something so positive about fast food? Not really. As the Author of Organic Ink, I type each letter with the intent of exciting people about eating healthier and natural and I'm a firm beliver that our eating habbits start as children. That doesn't mean as adults we crave pureed sweet peas and apple sauce, but each one of us is most likely to define "Comfort Foods" as the food they once saw on their dinner table.

Reading an article saying that young children who don't know any better are happier than healthier kids has inspired me to give my opinion. Lets think about what the future holds for those children who's mood is affected by meals served in a box with a bribe called a "toy". As those children start to grow and continue with an overweight life style and continue to deprive their developing bodies with nutrients, their chances of developing allergies, congestive heart disease, diabetes and so on, are greatly increasing. That's something for them to be excited about right??? Doubtful because they are kids, they don't know any better and they rely on us for direction and protection, we don't let kids play in traffic, but we let them play in McDonald's instead? Good Job

Besides looking forward to a future of health problems, they have to listen to the banter and harassing cruelty of their peers. So why set them up for disaster? Teach them the value of good food while their young so they can grow and teach their kids the same.

What the Future Holds!

Coming up after this Memorial Day weekend, we have a few events that I'm in the process of planning.

1. Last week of June we will have an Educational BBQ at the fitness center to promote great recipes using healthy, organic ingredients

2. ChefLive!! Check out past episodes on www.hulu.com and search for ChefLive. My recently filmed shows will be on Channel 19 as well as Hulu.com so keep reading for those dates

3. ChefLive and Whole Foods: June 16th at 5:30pm ChefLive and I will be filming an outdoor cooking show at the Whole Foods store on Charleston and Rampart. I hope to see all the Organic Ink readers there

4. Low-Glycemic Organic Cook Out at Dr Youmans Palace, 16,500 square feet of a good food get away. Here at the beautiful MacDonald's Highlands. Contact her office through her website at www.elitemedspa.net for more details and information.

Taxes and Cancer

Today,
Our President is discussing taxing beverages with high amounts of Sugar, like soda. I'm not sure if his motivation is to tax something so popular to alleviate the financial disaster or if its to create awareness that products we Americans consume are doing more damage to our bodies than good.

Consider this, current consumables heavily taxed by the Government: Cigars, Liquor, Cigarettes, see a pattern yet? Now, the new addition, Sugar Drinks!! see a pattern now? Take the hint, processed sugars are bad!

Last night, I saw a brief preview to a TV show about a 12 year old girl who was treated for BREAST CANCER, yup, not 21, 12. What the hell? Hormones in Milk have been linked to being a cause of females hitting "Puberty" earlier and earlier in life and now breast cancer? So Milk does a body good right? I want to see the T-Shirt that says:

Got Milk?? and Diabetes?
Hey Men, Got Milk and Boobs??
Hey Kids, Got Allergies?

Pretty soon, girls will be going from Diapers to Tampons! Yum. Keep in mind that it's been proven that drinking 5 glasses of WATER a day can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 75%. Other causes of cancer is because of the higher amounts of body fat. Estrogen is stored in body fat and the excess hormones stimulate cancer growth.

The moral of the story... What you are feeding your family can be no different than Second Hand Smoke!!

In this blog, I look forward to giving you my opinion on the damage that our food industry is literally causing us to eat our way off the planet. I also want to give you my opinion, through personal experience and research, ways we can amend the damage done by how we choose to feed ourselves and as Culinary Professionals, feed others.

As it stands today, from the time our food is raised on a farm, delivered to our stores, consumed by us and the remainder of it travels to landfills, our food has contributed to 31% of the worlds Green House Gasses. Livestock alone in this world, the cattle, hogs, sheep and chickens contribute to 18% of global warming which is more damaging than the transportation industry alone.

Not only do animals create the byproduct gas, methane, but the pollution starts well before they expel their last meal. First off, the cattle require enormous amounts of food and to create the highest level of yield from the smallest amount of land farmers have chosen to use tons of Chemical Fertilizers and Petroleum Pesticides as a mere convenience to maximize their yield. The use of those chemicals degrade the soil so badly that the soil loses the potential to retain water, therefore, not only is the soil damaged and the environment polluted, but it also takes more water to nourish the crops. That’s more water passing through contaminated soil before returning to our eco system. Once the crops are grown, it takes petroleum powered machinery to harvest, process and deliver the feed to the farms. The larger the distance traveled to deliver food product to its destination, the larger the impact on global warming and green house gasses. From one city to the next is damaging enough, not to mention from one continent to another.

On a personal level; as the former Executive Chef for a large casino, I spent over $33 million dollars a year on food product. That volume alone has a huge impact on the transportation industry, farmers, fishermen and the packaging industry. Consider the amount of containers that takes to move that much food to a city that produces nothing itself and relies on outside sources of food. I purchased 40,000 pounds of Slipper Lobster Tail each MONTH out of Thailand. Consider the amount of energy it took to power the fishing boats, to power the processing plant, the amount of gas workers used to drive to work in those plants, cardboard used to create 30 pound packages and the gas used to ship from Thailand to Las Vegas. All that was for ONE restaurant in the casino. Only ONE!

Through education, I understand how I damage the environment and how I can make a positive difference. These are a few principals I use to create a “Greener” food service operation:

f I choose to serve REAL, Natural and Organic Foods as much as possible. The important reason is that there has been less chemicals produced to create the product
f I believe in locally composting food waste. Toxic gasses are created when landfills smother decomposing food without allowing it to breath. Smaller piles locally are easily turned and aerated, creating less gas and allowing the food waste to decompose gently and later be used to create new life
f I buy as locally as possible; this allows me to use what is freshest and in season and my product requires less transportation which is also less damaging on the environment. Not to mention, it supports local economy
f I utilize local Organic food as well. As mentioned above Organic food does not require the production of hazardous chemicals. Not only are the chemicals toxic, but it also requires a lot of energy to create them and that process also creates harmful byproducts. Organic food is healthier to the body to digest and more nutritious as well. If pesticides and fertilizers were compared to eating an indigestible penny at every meal, think about how much money a person would have trapped in their body in a matter of years, chemicals in food work the same way.
f These are the four steps I take to purchase product to support what I can’t grow myself. I’m currently working on a green house program to grow my own produce, here I can utilize my compost and eliminate the use of chemicals to fertilize and for pesticides. Also, it doesn’t require any fuel to deliver the product to my kitchen.

In the beginning of this document, I mentioned that I was self taught on my own environmental impact and went after this information for myself. It was freely given to me and in return, to better other people’s lives, I’m also committing to giving back to my community what I have learned through local schools. It’s very important for people to understand why the Green Concept is so very important to our environment and to us. Nothing that I’ve mentioned is something that I’ve invented. People have survived on these philosophies for centuries before chemical science ruled the agricultural world. If society does not change the way it eats, we will soon indeed, eat ourselves right off this planet.