ROLL UP
At family-owned and female-run El Titan de Bronze, Cuban-trained master cigar rollers spend each day perfecting their craft. A small retail shop, open since 1995, offers views of the artisans at work.
LOOK THE PART
Traditional lightweight Cuban shirts called guayaberas line the racks of Havana Collection, a family-owned clothing and souvenir shop. Not only does the store sell the classic style that has kept it in business since 1972, it also stocks a trendier, slim-fit version of the shirt, as well as Panama hats and Cuban linen shoes.
CAFFEINE JOLT
The namesake of La Colada Gourmet, a cafe buzzing with coffee grinders and local banter, is a sweet and strong Cuban espresso drink traditionally sipped in the afternoon with company. It’s equally enjoyable while people-watching from a bar stool by the window.
TREAT YOURSELF Azucar Ice Cream offers a sweet escape from the Miami heat. Flavors run the gamut from Cuban-style Abuela Maria (vanilla ice cream mixed with Maria Cookies, cream cheese, and guava paste) to the adventurous Burn in Hell Fidel (bean-to-bar chocolate ice cream with cayenne pepper).
LET LOOSE
Originally opened in 1935, Ball & Chain has a fascinating past. Over the years, the spirited nightclub has hosted performers such as Billie Holiday and Count Basie. Today, it still presents Miami nightlife at its most authentic, with salsa dancing, live jazz music, and strong mojitos.
Nothing warms the bones and the soul quite like a hearty bowl of chili.
Best of all, recent breakthroughs in plant-based meat technology mean vegetarians can satisfy their carnivorous urges without the guilt. The veggie meats also allow genuine carnivores to snarf down on a meatless alternative that tastes as good as the real thing.
Jack Bishop of the PBS television show America's Test Kitchen has a vegetarian chili recipe that will both raise your taste buds and your eyebrows: Weeknight Meaty Chili.
It's from the new book from America's Test Kitchen titled Vegan Cooking for Two, which features more than 200 dishes designed for folks ranging from committed vegans to the veggie curious.
/ America's Test Kitchen
/
America's Test Kitchen
Jack Bishop is a celebrity chef, food author and chief creative officer of the PBS show America's Test Kitchen.
"This is a plant-based chili for people who love meaty chili but are trying to eat less meat," Bishop says. "I promise you when you're done with this, if you were to serve this to someone, they would think it was beef."
Morning Edition's A Martínez tested out the recipe in his Los Angeles kitchen as Bishop kept a watchful eye over Zoom from Boston.
The two last got together in July for a lesson on grilling the perfect plant-based burger. Martínez says that was his first plant-based meal, and he hasn't looked back since.
"I feel cleaner inside, if that makes any sense," he says. "It might be in my head, Jack. It might not be. It might be something real. But I feel like I am cleaner inside than I ever have been in my whole life."
But residents of Texans be warned! This recipe challenges some of the Lone Star State's most cherished beliefs.
Weeknight Meaty Chili gets a lot of its taste from the same ingredients that go into traditional chili; onions, garlic, cumin, tomatoes, chili powder. Plant-based meats from companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have developed a faux ground beef that not only tastes like the real thing but it feels right too. Bishop says the companies put a lot of research into giving the veggie meats just the right texture and chew.
The fake meats fall short, however, when it comes to protein. Four ounces of ground beef has about a third more protein than veggie meat.
The America's Test Kitchen recipe gets around the protein deficit by adding red kidney beans.
They might taste yummy but nothing could be more offensive to a Texan than adding beans to chili. Real Texas chili has meat, meat and more meat. In other words, beans ain't welcome in these parts!
Bishop says it's pretty easy to fool a meat lover into chowing down on veggie chili. But perhaps the less said, the better.
/ America's Test Kitchen
/
America's Test Kitchen
This plant-based meat chili is one of many recipes in America's Test Kitchen's new vegan cookbook.
Weeknight Meaty Chili recipe
Serves 2
Total time 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
1½ tablespoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 ounces plant-based ground meat
½ cup water
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until
shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5
to 7 minutes. Stir in chili powder, garlic, and cumin and cook until
fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in ground meat and cook, breaking up
meat with wooden spoon, until firm crumbles form, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in water, scraping up any browned bits, then stir in beans and
tomatoes and their juice. Bring to simmer, partially cover, and cook
until beans begin to break down and liquid is slightly thickened, 20
to 25 minutes. Off heat, stir in cilantro and season with salt and
pepper to taste. Serve. (Chili can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Use What You've Got:
Substitute other canned beans, such as cannellini, black, or pinto,
for red kidney beans.
Welcome to The Everygirl Podcast. Whether you’re looking for insider secrets from successful women that have your dream job, are interested in expert advice to transform your health and feel your best, or just want to be entertained and laugh along with us on your commute, we’ve got you covered.
‘Tis the season—that is, ‘tis the season for green beans to carry the entire nutritional value of our holiday meals on their backs. Healthy eating during the holidays can be incredibly difficult: from grappling with guilt for indulging to limited healthy options, sometimes an event that is meant to be festive can instantly become stressful.
This week on The Everygirl Podcast, we spoke with Lisa Moskovitz, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, to break down all of the stressors related to food and eating during the holidays, and exactly how to tackle them. Moskovitz is an expert on all things related to intuitive eating, maintaining a healthy relationship with food, and combating diet culture. So read on for Moskovitz’s top three tips for healthy eating during the holidays without stress (hint: the green beans are definitely gonna make the plate), and check out this week’s episode of The Everygirl Podcast for more.
1. Reevaluate your relationship with food through reflective journaling
Chances are that at some point in your life, you’ve heard that the most common time of year to gain weight is the holiday season, and–if you have a complicated relationship with food–you might find this fact very stressful. Moskovitz wants to put your mind at ease, because she has found through her own nutrition practice that the average winter weight gain for most people is less than 1lb (so it is not worth the stress!). For Moskovitz, the far more important thing than what you are eating during the holiday season is why you are eating it.
In order to combat some of the complex feelings about food and nutrition that can come up during the holiday season, Moskovitz recommends getting into journaling. This does not mean tracking your calories in a journal or even writing down what you eat; instead, Moskovitz recommends writing about how you feel about food and the holiday season first. Asking yourself why you might feel triggered by certain foods, or even just thinking about what it means to you to be able to sit down and truly enjoy a holiday meal with your loved ones can make all the difference in your mindset approaching the holiday season.
2. Eat balanced meals at regular intervals
We’ve all been there: it’s 3 p.m. on one of the busiest work days leading up to the holidays, and suddenly you realize that the last thing you ate was a plate of cookies and a glass of eggnog the night before. As busy as this time of year may be, Moskovitz emphasizes the importance of eating meals at regular intervals as often as possible. “With holidays, especially if you are someone who’s hosting or preparing or busy with deadlines, it’s very common and easy to skip meals,” Moskovitz said. “What I always tell people is that you can eat a little bit now, or you can eat a lot more later. It’s very important to be consistent with eating times and stay nourished.”
According to Moskovitz, eating balanced meals regularly will make it much easier to be mindful about your food choices during the holiday season. Her formula for a well-balanced meal includes fiber-rich carbs, lean proteins, and anti-inflammatory fats. When you stay consistent with your eating habits, you can feel the benefits of a stable mood, less anxiety about food, and more energy throughout the entire season.
3. Fill half of your plate with vegetables
As wonderful as they are, holiday buffets can be overwhelming. Moskovitz says there are just two key questions to ask yourself when faced with any food choices: what am I craving, and how can I make this more nutritious? She emphasizes that it’s not about labeling foods as good or bad, or about calorie counting: it’s about eating in tune with what you know will satisfy you and make you feel best. If you do want to follow a formula, Moskovitz suggests filling half of your plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein, and a quarter with a starch. She says that it is always important to include something you’re craving on your plate, whether it’s mac and cheese or a slice of pie, because doing so will allow you to eat healthy while still genuinely enjoying a delicious holiday meal.
What we eat as well as how much we eat are determined by a multitude of factors that go well beyond physical sustenance, such as culture, religion, income level, family, cooking skills and accessibility, to name a few. Social forces also play a significant role, especially when it comes to making healthier food choices.
Studies show that our co-workers, friends and family all have a significant influence on the foods we choose to eat. Furthermore, consumers often make inferences about the character of others based on their food choices. For example, whether right or wrong, people who eat “healthy” foods are generally viewed more positively than those who don’t.
But, what about when eating with people in different social groups, especially those outside of your social circle? Can this influence healthy food choices? The answer is yes.
A new study authored by UK researchers at Oxford and the Bayes Business School in London along with American researchers at the Kellogg School of Management in Illinois, shows people will choose healthier food options in the presence of outsiders in order to reduce anticipated negative judgment and make a good impression.
The study included four separate experiments and was based in a large American city and university and included a total of 1,000 adults. Researchers looked at how different racial groups, university affiliations, and workplace affiliation impacted participants’ food choices.
The first two studies looked at food choices based on in-group versus influences outside of the group. The study gave nearly 200 college students a choice of either M&M’s or raisins. When in the presence of an unknown fellow student from one’s own university, only 12% of students selected the healthier raisins. However, this number more than doubled to 31% when in the presence of an unknown student from another university.
The second two studies sought to shed light on why this effect might occur. The reason: fear of being negatively judged by outsiders. Researchers found that when consumers anticipate that they may be negatively judged by outside groups, they may strategically make seemingly healthier food choices in order to counter this negativity and create a more positive impression. This was demonstrated when a group of 200 subjects were told that others around them were either judgmental or tolerant. In the judgmental environment, subjects were more likely to choose carrots over cookies than in the tolerant environment.
The authors of the study believe these findings can be a strong incentive for making healthy food choices and have important implications for marketers and public policy officials. Eating healthy is important, but perceived social pressures may also backfire, shining an unintended negative light on healthy foods.
Environmental Nutrition is the award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts.
