Last night about a dozen Co-op members and supporters gathered at the home of the wonderful Sarah Radcliffe (Programs and Events Committee member and supplier of some great adult beverages) to Eat and Learn about healthy fats from certified health coach D'Arcy Webb. (Or rather, Learn then Nosh since D'Arcy smartly realized she'd hold our attention that much better with the promise of tasting the wonderful things she was describing.) Guests also enjoyed a growler of Homebrew Champion and Program and Events Committee member Andy Arsenault's Clymer Street Saison. (See... this is why we go to events like this... you never know what kind of treats will be there!)
In addition to learning from D'Arcy about the health benefits of grass-fed butter (which was consumed in great quantity last night), olive oil, olives, toasted sesame seeds and sesame seed butter, cashews, avocado (a fruit with 4 grams of protein), something called ghee, those assembled were also let in on the apparently magical properties of coconut oil. In fact, this writer is drinking coffee right now that contains a couple big spoonfuls of this elixir. Here's some other fun properties of coconut oil:
1. For aiding with teeth whitening and gum health, people have been known to swish a couple tablespoons of coconut oil in their mouths for about 15 minutes a day. Probably best done when you don't have an impending speaking engagement. (Just don't spit it down the drain since it solidifies at about 72 degrees which will be a bit of a problem for your pipes.)
2. Coconut oil is a fantastic moisturizer especially on the face.
3. Of course, you can cook with it in a number of recipes that call for other kinds of oil. It's a much healthier alternative to corn and canola oil, for example.
4. D'Arcy even claimed it to be good for... unmentionable regions... of the body for health and for fun. So there's that.
Following the chat, the group moved on to tasting some great sesame seed butter, olives, grass-fed butter, and the highlight of the night: a chocolate mousse made from avocado, dates, cacao powder and a dash of cinnamon. It tasted as good as any conventional chocolate mousse and was waaaay more healthy than that bag of nacho cheese chips you're probably holding right now. (This snack will be a regular part of this writer's diet!) To prove that she hadn't slipped some conventional mousse into the mix, D'Arcy made an additional batch in a small food processor and shared the end product with everyone. Dee-lish!
Special thanks once again to D'Arcy for a great evening, Sarah for hosting and providing beverages, Andy for the Saison, and our great Programs and Events Committee for yet another wonderful event.