Surely the Apple is the Noblest of Fruits*

I've been thinking about doing a blog for a long time. I now have a catalyst: none other than my lovely step-daughter Elinor. One day last month I noticed on her Facebook page a status saying she used a boxed "helper" for her ground meat, commenting that it "wasn't bad." I'm pretty sure my heart stopped for 2 seconds. After some deliberation and discussion with the best sounding board I know - my husband Larry - I decided that there is an untapped market of young people just getting into apartment life and not having a clue about how to buy and prepare simple, inexpensive and healthy food. Enter Bella Cucina Maria! I'm a few posts in to this project and thought it would also be fun to connect them with The Patch.

Last week's post was all about the apple. The title of the post* was quote made by Henry David Thoreau. Just Google the word “apple” and pages of links appear bearing stories, descriptions and recipes galore. So what is it about the apple that is so intriguing? We identify it as the “forbidden” fruit, yet it’s not specifically mentioned in the Book of Genesis. (They were painted into our consciousness by artists of the millennia.) Apples appear in Greek, Norse and Celtic mythology tied to gods and goddesses bribing, tempting and fighting over each other for them; Snow White bit hers and fell into a deep sleep; Irish folklore says a continuous peel from an apple tossed over your shoulder will bear the initial of a future beloved; in King Arthur’s mythical time the mystical isle of Avalon is believed to be the Isle of Apples; upon witnessing an apple falling from a tree Sir Isaac Newton developed his theory on gravitation, and an amusing one: Danish folklore says that an apple will whither around adulterers.  
 
Let’s deal with today. Apples come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, 7,500 of them to be exact. Whether they are called mela, manzana or pomme it’s a yummy and delicious fruit - and oh so good for you. We’ve all heard the proverb "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of many types of cancer and are a rich source of antioxidant compounds. The fiber contained in apples reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption, and (like most fruits and vegetables) they are bulky for their caloric content. We use them in all sorts of ways: snacking, desserts, sauces, juice and liquors. After reading many things about this ubiquitous ingredient I wondered what I could do that was just a little bit different?

Click here to see the expanded version: http://bellacucinamaria.blogspot.com/2011/09/surely-apple-is-noblest-of-fruits.html