Apples That Don't Turn Brown

A Canadian biotechnology company has asked the U.S. to approve a genetically modified apple that won't brown soon after its sliced, saying the improvement could boost sales of apples for snacks, salads and other uses. Essentially, the genes responsible for producing the enzyme that induces browning have been silenced in the apple variety being marketed as "Arctic."
Luckily, the approval process can take years, and it's not clear the apples will be accepted even if they pass government inspection.

Source: Yahoo

Classy Paper Stocking

Stocking made of recycled paper bag. Creative, beautiful, meaningful...genius!

Perfect statement for a green Christmas. Charming enough to be given away to anyone, at home or work.
What's more, they are so easy to make. Trace a template onto the bag, cut your shapes out, punch holes and then use embroidery floss to sew the bags together with a quick whip stitch.

Source:  Rock Scissor Paper

Felt Board = Loads of Fun

I just saw this on Crafting a Green World and loved the idea of putting together a long road with cars, turns, traffic lights, ... for my son. He loves to play with little cars and trucks, and this would be awesome!

For the main board, we can use traditional felt made from recycled plastic bottle. Tracing the shapes directly onto the felt with a Sharpie makes it a lot easier to cut.

If your kid is at least 2, he can make his own shapes, and get thrilled with his/her new toy. There is no lack of imagination when you let creativity juices flow. I guess we'll make 2 or 3 boards!

Sources: Crafting a Green World, Craft Knife

Scientists find way to reverse aging in mice

Scientists in Boston have made an astounding discovery, taking aging rats and turning them young again, like tiny little Benjamin Buttons.

Just like the title character in the Hollywood film edition of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," the mice appeared to not only stop aging but grow younger.

Molecular biologist Dr. Ronald DePinho at Harvard Medical School in Boston was able to pull off the feat by playing with "telomeres" -- the protective DNA caps on the end of our chromosomes.

The caps, which have long been implicated in aging, prevent our chromosomes from "fraying" and the genes within them from "unravelling."

Scientists have long known that a small bit of our telomeres erodes each time our cells divide. Previous research has shown that people with longer telomeres tend to live longer, whereas those with shorter telomeres suffer more from age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's.

Orange Ice Cream with Dried Cherries and Toasted Pecans AND a Kitchen Remodeling

OK. I promise...no more ice cream recipes until next spring. But this is such a super one for the holidays I couldn't resist posting just one more. I think I actually might like this one better than the cranberry ice cream!

This ice cream is boozey, chewy and crunchy all in one bite. Very much in tune with the holidays. It doesn't make much so if you have a bigger churn than I do, double the recipe. Trust me, you're going to need every bite. But don't make it too far in advance of serving, because the men in your family will keep dipping into it with a spoon. Speaking from experience here guys. Luckily, it doesn't freeze hard so you can make it ahead.

Holiday Orange Ice Cream
From Fine Cooking, Holiday Issue

 Ingredients:
2 medium navel oranges
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
large pinch of salt
1/4 cup skim milk powder (I didn’t have any so eliminated it)
5 large egg yolks
1/2 a vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 tablespoons Cointreau
3/4 cup toasted pecans, broken up slightly

Method:
Toast the pecans. Set aside.

Soak the cherries in the orange juice and cointreau for a few hours until soft.

Pare off the peel (not getting any pith) of the oranges. Set aside.

Fill a saucepan half way with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Combine the cream, milk, sugars, salt, skim milk and skim milk powder, egg yolks, vanilla bean and orange zest in a glass bowl and set it over the simmering water. Stir the mixture constantly until it reaches between 165 and 180 degrees. Test with a candy thermometer and keep the temperature in that range for 10-15 minutes. The mixture will thicken somewhat. Cool over an ice bath until it is cool, or 65 degrees. Add the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.When you are ready to freeze the ice cream, pour it through a sieve to remove the orange peel and vanilla bean. Add half the cherries and ALL of the excess soaking liquid. (I squeezed the cherries to get most of the liquid out.) Freeze according to manufacturers instructions and when the mixture is semisolid (like a stiff cake batter), add the remaining cherries and the pecans. Continue until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Pour into a covered plastic or steel container and freeze.

************************************************************************************************

A Kitchen Remodel

Penny over at Lake Lure Cottage thought it would be fun to peek into our kitchens. And because I did a complete remodel 4 years ago, I thought it would be fun to join in. She has chosen December 1st as the date to post so be sure to check in with her tomorrow. You'll love seeing what everyone else has done. 

My home is mostly blues and whites with lots of antiques. We thought it would be a nice contrast to make the kitchen very contemporary. Most of the photographs were taken professionally for a magazine right after it was finished. I still can't figure out why the cabinets looked so white in their photos; do they really like kitchens to look cold and uninviting?  It's really a warm room, with lots of family activity and messy cooking!

The final two photos I took more recently. The kitchen's end wall leads to a laundry room and is filled with  souvenirs from different Caribbean islands. I think the wall adds warmth to the kitchen and gives you a better idea of the true cabinet color, which is more a soft cream than white. And of course now, my cookbook shelf is jammed with books and notice the ceramic morel mushroooms; I have an ongoing love affair with morels and found these years ago in northern Michigan.
My kitchen hasn't looked so pristine since that first day!

 

On a very sad note, the paintings and painted objects on the back walls were mostly done by a local island artisan and friend named Matthew Paul who resided on St. Lucia. He and his family of 6 lived at the base of a small mountain and had a little gallery there. Their home was not very sturdy and the gallery was little more than a lean-to. My children and I have collected a great deal of his art over the years; it has always held a special charm for us.

We just found out that Matthew and his family were killed in a landslide during Hurricane Tomas which recently hit several Caribbean islands. St. Lucia was quite badly hit and there was a great deal of damage. The six of them were the only fatalities on the island. Can you imagine? Matthew was in the middle of doing one of his spectacular wall murals for Anse Chastanet, a resort we visit often. The owner tells me they will leave the unfinished mural as is.

A small section of Matthew's gallery....and my daughter, shopping. Don't you love the bright colors in his art work?

 

This Week

This Week is shaping up better yet for the Dancing in the Dark reader/dancers. But it is still getting to be too much trouble to chase down the doings. We need more input from the beneficiares. The publicity doesn't cost any one anything, just jot it down and email it to me. This is to Sunday, December 5th.

Nov 29, Monday:
See Dai Doo, 7 to 9 PM. haven't had time to check them out again. I have to give them face to face notice and then it will be up to them. Many of the same people at Makua Alii.

"One More Time" by Gordon McCrae

Nov 30, Tuesday:
Al Franz, classes, noon to one PM. Got to fit them in one of these days. Has be when I am going to Town on a Tuesday daytime. Like tomorrow appointment at the VA.

Line Dancers at Ward Centerstage, 7 PM. May fit these in with Dream to Dance on a Tuesday.

Dream To Dance Studio; classes 7 to 9 PM.
I get the news a little late but good.

 "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett

Dec 1, Wednesday:
Makua Alii, 6:30 to 8:30 PM. But have not received notice from them.They usually have something going for Thanksgiving but they did not say anything.

"Poetry is to prose as dancing is to walking."

Dec 2 Thursday:
Makua Alii, 6:30 to 8:30 PM. I think, but not sure.

Dance St. Louis; 6 to 9 PM. Got to check back  on the Ballroom Dancing need more photos there. Somehow Line dancers are not too interested. Gotta be careful.

Dream To Dance studio; Night Club 2 step, starts December 2nd.

"Wipe Out" by The Surfaris

Dec 3, Friday:
Honolulu Salsa 8:00 to 12 midnight. I have notified them on several occasions. I will try again next time.

"Bye Bye Blues" by Andy Williams

Dec 4, Saturday:
Yanna Samkova and Lucas Jaime of Divino Ritmo Productions Private and Group, 3:00 to 4:30 PM Big Show "West Side Story" coming up Decenber 10th

Zumba classes by Noe Hernandez 6:15 to 7:15 PM.

Dream to Dance Studio: Ballroom Dancing
7:30 to 9:00 Gotta get there too and get some photos of the action. DJ Rod, Salsa at 9:00 to 4:00 AM.

"Sunshine Superman" by Donovan

Dec 5, Sunday:
Al Franz Studio,  classes 6 to 8 PM. I made it for this Sunday and got great kokua. We give all the dancers all the publicity possible.

Charlie Castro of Salsa No Ka Oi
Terrific groop of some of the best dancers on this Island.
Salsa--Sundays, Lesson 6-8 pm, Dance Social 8-10 pm 

 

   "Dancers never have to look at their feet... They
know they are always at the end of their legs."

Eating Disorders Strike Younger and Younger

That was the explanation a current visitor to the Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness in West Palm Beach, Fla. gave when asked why she starved herself to the point of hospitalization. She was eleven years old.

Anorexia and its sister-disorder, bulimia, have historically been thought of as striking white, middle to upper class teenage girls. But a current report from the American Academy of Pediatrics warns doctors that eating disorders are happening to younger girls -- and boys -- at an alarming rate.

"People tend to have this plan of who gets eating disorders, but an eating disorder doesn't discriminate between age, gender, race, or class," says Johanna Kandel, founder and director of the alliance.

Sharp Increase of Eating Disorders for Children Under 12

According to an Associated Press released today, eating disorders data is showing a sharp increase in children's hospitalizations.Hospitalizations of children younger than 12 with eating disorders surged 119 percent between 1999 and 2006. That's according to government data contained in an American Academy of Pediatrics report released online Monday.

It is very sad that kids in key years of development are being exposed to bad nutrition, affecting their growth permanently in many ways.

The academy says doctors can help prevent eating disorders by stressing proper nutrition and exercise to avoid an unhealthy focus on weight and dieting.

Source: AP, msnbc

Keep Eating That Pumpkin!

We keep repeating ourselves over and over about pumpkin's healthy nutrients, and on how low in calories it is. Now, new studies have reinforced that. According to a report released in major news outlets, people with high blood levels of alpha-carotene, found in pumpkin, carrots and orange fruits, live longer and are less likely to die of heart disease and certain types of cancer.

Researchers from the CDC, analyzed blood samples from more than 15,000 adults who participated in a follow-up study of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, known as Nhanes, from 1988 to 1994. By 2006, researchers determined, 3,810 of the participants had died. But those with the highest levels of alpha-carotene were more likely to have survived, even after the scientists controlled for variables like age, body mass index and smoking.
Those with the highest concentrations of the antioxidant were almost 40 percent less likely to have died than those with the lowest; those with midrange levels were 27 percent less likely to die than those with the lowest levels.

For delicious recipes using pumpkin, please click here

Sources: nytimes, AP

Terrific Sunday

Whatta beautiful plan by the Master Planner, Moi! Actually I was just lucky it turned out that way. But I sure have to plan something like this in the future.

Left at five, the sun was still setting among the clouds and always giving me the most beautiful of panoramas. The ocean was calm and not too many people on the beaches.

"Sunrise, Sunset" by Roger Whitaker

Got the bike on the C bus, and with my music I had a pleasant ride, to Kapiolani and South street a little after six. And followed by a nice bike ride to the Twin Towers where Al Franz has his studio.

 Ready for the Hawaii Star Ball. No, it will take a couple more weeks.

Got in nicely and received some nice kokua which of course makes it easy to do everything I can for these people. Got a couple good pictures and raffled off a CD. We are going to get a bigger crowd next time.

 Herman and Leticia Tesoro, Tom Collins, Al Franz, Mabel Yeung,

Amy Wong and Tom Tsurutani.

Then biked over to Salsa No Ka Oi. Terrific bunch of dancers. These people are the "reel teeng." Good kokua and I know I have to go back and get some pictures of the "social" which I have heard from somewhere.

Charlie in above photo, working on developing the best Salsa dancers on this Island. No truth to the rumors that due to the increase in class size, Charlie is planning on renting the Blaisdell for next year. Otherwise no one tells us anything.

We gotta work on getting some better photos here. I will be stopping by more often. Gotta get some feedback from Charlie. Last time nuttin.

Then biked over to the bus stop, King and Alapai and wait. Since I just saw the #2 bus leave, the next would be the 13 or the B, which would be just fine. The B made it and I was at the Palladium a little after 7:30.

 

Paul and Yun Jin Coffman, Violet Mada, Tom Wong,

Julia McCormick and Bruce Kelly

A very difficult club to get the photos. The people do not seem to be with it. They are not a group or something. My only hope is Rusty Chun and Julia McCormick. There may be a club in there somewhere and I am willing to help.

"If you say you can, you can, but if you say you can't, your right!"

Of course once they get the paparazzi attitude, forget it. I certainly hope they are willing to kokua with what is offered or we can forget about it. I don't want to bother anyone. Help, yes we are going to help everyone that we can help. But they have to accept that it is a two way street.

"Live With A Thankful Heart"

Dancing in the Dark in front.

The blogs have been revealing so much lately. I really believe that no one has all the data necessary to really be an expert on dance blogging on these Islands. I have the most data available because of the quantity of my blogs, the stats from my hit counter and a little help from the Blogger stats. Most dance web and blog sites do not even carry a counter, so they simply do not know.

"Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds."

The number one item for a successful blog on our islands is to be social media and this means Information Contributors. This has not been proven yet beyond a reasonable doubt but I have very strong beliefs on this. From the most consistent Information Contributors, you develop the Guest Authors. With ten Information Contributors in each blog, the information available will be sought avidly by all the reader/dancers, shoving the hits up through the roof.

"Money (That's What I Want)" by Barrett Strong"

Next is the amount of blogging one does. I have those indexed by level numbers. Level ten is over 30 blogs per month. Nine is 25 to 30 blogs per month. eight is 20 to 25 and seven is 15 to 20. I don't have enough data to judge those at less than this. All of mine that count are in the level seven. I am also going to start an analysis monthly of hits per blog. I believe the more blogs per month will result in less hits per blog. But I do not know, because I have  never tested it.

Since I try to handle all the blogs as equal as possible, I can see that they differ in hits only slightly. The difference is only one or two average hits per day. And since I start every month new with somewhat erratic results, it takes five to seven days for the average hits to become pretty stable for the rest of the month and not likely to change.

"Green Onions" by Booker T. & The MG's

I have been looking for the law of diminishing returns but I do not see it anywhere yet. I have diluted the readership by having so many blogs so we are definitely in a plateau. When there are more Guest Authors there will be more readership. At present we are getting too many hits from outside our local community of reader/dancers. Perhaps 15 or so every month. So we have a ways to go to establish a strong readership of local dancers.

Dream to Dance is still in the running to establish a weekly dance guide for Dancing in the Dark. I am slowly setting it up as the anchor for the rest of the weekly news. Debby forwards a weekly schedule of Dream To Dance studio. I have to adjust the information to blog it every Monday.

'Time Won't Let Me" by Outsiders

With that in place I can flower the rest of the schedule with Al Franz, the line dancers, the Swing dancers and the Salsa dancers. That should give us a very good solid blog to supplement Town Dancer for downtown Honolulu. Town Dancer will probably lean more to the "Rootzi Tootzis" news. And they have the right to do as they wish. It is still in the plans for first independence, but it must be in first place before I can give it away. Probably on March sometime.

This requires work, so that those that would rather not participate in our endeavors would be gratefully eliminated and we can move on from there to help the ones that can use the help. And God knows there are plenty of those.

Pub's Note: Then there are Franks two blogs, "That's Dancing" and "The Dance Connection." Don't miss either of them, they contain a lot of interesting dance information that we just don't get.

 "What passion cannot music raise - and quell!"

Crudites

If you read my last post, you know that I was absent Monday. They were preparing the galantines and ballontines to be cooked off on Tuesday. They made a turduckin- chicken, in duck, in turkey.



Yup. That's basically what galantines and ballontines are- meat within a meat within a meat. Galantines are served cold. Ballontines are served hot. The galantines are, once again, covered in aspic.

Since two of my tablemates and I missed Monday, we got to prepare the fruit platter and the crudites. Crudites are basically a platter of raw veggies with a dip. The other two that missed decided to do the fruit. That left me the veggies to work with.

I remembered that things are supposed to be delicate in high end food. I also knew that just cutting and stacking all the veggies wouldn't go over well. So I got all my veggies out and stood there staring at them all trying to get an inspiration. I got the aspic cutters out (like teeeny tiny cookie cutters) and began messing around with them. I created 4 little discs that looked like poker chips. I loved how they looked, but knew I didn't have time to make ALL of them exactly that way. So I decided to do simpler versions and top off each row with the complicated one. A tablemate made the carrot strands underneath everything for me, I made cups out of zucchini to hold dip, and tucked tiny sprigs of dill into the grape tomatoes. Not too crazy, but I like how it came out and I think it would be awesome at a girls poker night.





I love this table's bird:



This was our fruit tray- I suggested cutting off the bottoms of the strawberries and making them into cups. They are filled with cream cheese whipped with raspberry sauce.





This is the fruit tray table-



This is a fish covered in Chaud Froid (Sho fraw). Chaud Froid is aspic, mayonnaise, and sour cream all mixed together. Ugh. As if the chicken jello wasn't enough on it's own, let's add sour cream and mayo. Geez. I did like the little Swedish Fish this table put on theirs, though.





Ian made the Lemon Sole Paupiettes. Fish was pounded out to be thin, rolled and poached. A sauce was then piped on top.


Weird, weird week this week. Not just in school, but overall. I just haven't felt myself. Hopefully next week will be better. Next week is the last week of production in Garde Manger, then come finals and cleaning. Next quarter I am taking THREE lab classes. Yes. THREE. I will be taking Classical, Asian, and Advanced Patisserie and Display Cakes. I am actually VERY excited about all three of those classes, and you all will be getting three times the blog posts!

Dr. Seuss Adventure

Check out these Dr Seuss and The Grinch eco-friendly and non-toxic collections from MiYim. The Cat in the Hat Blankie is made from non-toxic cotton that is untreated, unprocessed, and unbleached and also colored with the all-natural PureWaterWash^TM process. And The Grinch is as green as it can be: his fur is made from completely natural, unbleached cotton and colored using low impact dyes that means no toxic substances and less heat, energy, and water in the manufacturing process.

From miYim

Black Friday Now? Make That Never

At 5 a.m. this Friday, I was not to be found at any department store. I was sleeping "like a baby, endlessly rocking, gone from this world of cares," as Keith Donohue eloquently stated in his novel Angels of Destruction. I was not online after eating apple crisp Thanksgiving Day looking for deals on electronics, jewelry or apparel. An NBC News piece showed how you can take your over-priced gadget to the store and shop for even higher priced gadgets to get the best "deal." Even amid the Great Recession, upgrading from what we already have seems to be a national obsession.

Was Lucy on A Charlie Brown Christmas right - is Christmas run by a big Eastern syndicate?

Instead of running around a mall, I'm supporting the economy by....

Patronizing main street, independent restaurants, like Chapala Grill, in Bergenfield, New Jersey, which I picked to try for a belated birthday dinner my friend treated me to.

Feasting on vegetarian fajitas, $11.95, and a pineapple margarita, $6. We also took advantage of a 15% off coupon for the food items in the mail.

Giving business to the town cinema (this one in Westwood, New Jersey), which supplies jobs to local youths. In good times and bad, movies make a fun escape for all ages. Harry Potter: loved!

Donating to and shopping at charitable thrift shops (find one through ThriftShopper.com). While dropping off donations at a thrift shop of Housing Works, which helps homeless HIV-positive New Yorkers access medical services, housing, and employment, I picked up a brand new copy of Little House on the Prairie, a 6-disk season 1, for $18. I'll pass this on to a relative who so cherishes this show (as do I), not as a Christmas gift, but simply, "I saw this and thought of you at once gift."


Supporting animal friendly establishments, like New York City's all-vegan Blossom Cafe, where I dined after the Macy's Parade balloon inflation viewing.

Their seitan marsala: sautéed kale, roasted fennel, Yukon gold mash, mushrooms, and pan sauce, $21. A humane version of a dish more associated with chicken or veal. I shared the dish to off-set the high (for me) price of the entree.

I also shared their chocolate cake, $6: always a winner.

Supporting local food drives, like the one at my church. Find a local food bank through Feeding America. In Northern New Jersey, donate to the Center for Food Action.


Buying a charitable gift for a child in need. My church has an "Operation Santa Claus" program where you can purchase a gift (two gift suggestions are offered). I will be hitting Target to pick up the gift card that was requested - but to me, this is what holiday shopping is about - charity and children.

I also plan on attending a Colonial Christmas concert at the Bergen County Historical Society; purchasing Sting's If on a Winter's Night cd at an independent, main street record shop; having a tea party to celebrate the winter solistice, and will mail checks to any of my favorite charitites I haven't yet given to this year.

Depriving the economy by not shopping till I drop at the mall? I don't think so.

Let's Make It a "Good" Christmas and Hanukah

My first repeat post on this blog, but a message that feels as relevant for our times as ever, and worth revisiting on Black Friday. Here it is.

Kmart, Walmart, Gap, Banana Republic, among others: all open for business Thanksgiving Day, according to my local paper. Right below the story on the pre-Black Friday rush - an article on food pantries seeing record demand.

The day of dietary excess is always followed by a day of materialistic excess, but now they seem to be on the same day. I once heard the saying, "It's not a bargain if you don't need it." A simple yet powerful mantra to reflect on. No doorbusters for me today, only busting the myth that over-spending and shopping need to be part of a holiday.

"We've become a nation measuring out our lives in shopping bags and nursing our psychic ills through retail therapy," The Chicago Tribune lamented on Christmas Eve 1986. This statement can just as easily and accurately be invoked today.

Even two years after Ben Stein reflected on what makes a "good" Christmas or Hanukah, his sentiments seem as relevant as ever, and creates clarity on what really matters most.


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Says Stein:

"Maybe a good Christmas for this most blessed of nations would be when we as a nation and as communities made sure the homeless had a warm, safe place to sleep.

Maybe a good Christmas would not be about buying your kids the latest gizmo for listening to obscene lyrics, but about teaching them that if they are fortunate enough to have extra time or extra money, they can help out at the old age home or at the local animal shelter.

Maybe a good time would not be buying your parents sweaters they will never use, but taking a trip to see them and telling them how much you appreciate that they spent the heart of their lives taking care of you, feeding you, teaching you, putting a roof over your head, warming you with their love and concern.

Maybe the best time of all would be telling your husband or your wife or love partner that you would be lost without him or her and that you're sorry for the selfish things you did that year, and you'll be better next year.

Christmas and Hanukah presents rarely fit and rarely are to your taste. They sit in your closet and collect dust forever.

But gifts in this special, sacred time of love and caring to your family, your friends, and your neighborhood - those are never forgotten. They bring peace of mind for years."

Read the full commentary.

Lobster and Mango Cocktail

Black Friday has arrived...which always makes me sit up and take notice: the Christmas holidays are upon us. The Christmas trees have filled the lots on main street and the stores, bless them, have had their holiday decorations up since Halloween. It's that time, my friends....of good cheer, carol singing, happy children's faces and candy canes.

So, even before the turkey leftovers have disappeared, are you planning your next holiday meal? At least on paper? I am. I'm an inveterate list-maker. My Christmas list has been made for months and I'm nearly done. I like to finish early... no panic shopping for me.... so I can kick back and enjoy the sparkling tree lights, wrap gifts with care, cook with love, share egg nog with friends, help the less fortunate children among us with the Spirit of Giving Network, remembering what Christmas really means and taking time to enjoy the holiday.

I'm really looking forward to everyone's postings for the next few weeks...I just know you're all going to be chock full of great holiday ideas. I hope you can discover an idea or two here that will help with your planning as well.

Here's an elegant starter for a sit-down holiday dinner. I normally use lobster, but don't see any reason why you couldn't substitute shrimp or crab. I've never really cared for the Cognac addition (so unlike me!), but do a little taste test for yourself and  decide. I debated about using rum instead. Next time, perhaps. It has all those lovely Caribbean flavors, doesn't it?  Also, try to find a nice sweet mango. If it's unavailable where you live, you could try melon. Lots of possibilities with this appetizer.


Lobster and Mango Cocktail
From Gourmet Magazine, June 1992

Ingredients:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons Cognac (optional)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
four 1 1/2-pound live lobsters (I used lobster tails)
3 firm-ripe mangoes
1 cup finely diced celery
4 whole Belgian endives plus 12 leaves for garnish
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives plus 24 whole chives for garnish

Method:
In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, the yogurt, the Cognac, the ketchup, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and chill sauce, covered. Plunge the lobsters into a large kettle of boiling salted water and boil them, covered, for 10 minutes. Transfer the lobsters with tongs to a bowl and let them cool until they can be handled. Crack the shells, remove the meat, and cut it into 3/4-inch pieces. Transfer the lobster meat to a large bowl and chill it, covered. The lobster cocktail may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance.

Halve the mangoes by cutting just to the sides of each pit and, using a 3/4-inch melon-ball cutter, scoop the flesh from the mango halves. (There should be about 2 cups.) To the lobster meat add the mango balls, the celery, the whole endives, trimmed and sliced thin crosswise, the minced chives, and the sauce and toss mixture until it is combined. Divide the lobster mixture among 12 chilled small glasses and garnish each serving with 1 of the endive leaves and 2 of the whole chives.
Serves 12.

More Protein, Fewer Refined Carbs May Keep Weight Off

If you've worked hard to shed those extra pounds and want to continue the weight off, a new Danish study suggests that you consider eating more protein and fewer refined carbohydrates.

Based on the findings, the researchers advise consuming mostly what's known as low-glycemic index carbohydrates, such as whole-grain breads. The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the ability of carbohydrates to increase blood glucose levels; those with a low GI cause blood levels to raise more slowly, explained Dr. Thomas Meinert Larsen, a co-author of the study, published in the Nov. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

What is it about the high-protein, low-glycemic index carbohydrate diet that keep weight under control? "Possibly a stronger satiating effect and more balanced blood sugar regulation," Larsen hypothesized.