What is an omega-3 fatty acid?
What is an omega-3 fatty acid?
Omega−3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in foods such as salmon. They're thought to help reduce circulatory problems, blood pressure and the risk of coronary heart disease.
The American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish at least twice a week for just this reason, although there are counter-concerns that high fish consumption will result in toxic levels of mercury.
Some nutritionists also recommend eating tofu and other soybean products, as well as canola oil, walnuts and flaxseed, which contain alpha-linolenic acid, which can be transformed into omega-3 fatty acid in the body.
Onion slices are versatile. In quick-cooking dishes, they stay distinct enough from the other ingredients that they don't permeate every bite as diced onions would. In longer-cooking dishes, they have enough surface area to turn soft and brown, but their natural shape and length keeps them intact.
To make contoured half-round slices, first cut the onion in half through the root.
Next, slice away the both ends of each half and pull away the onion's skin. Since the ends hold the slices together, cutting them off frees the slices to fall into individual pieces.
Starting on one side of the onion with the knife at an angle, make slices as thick or thin as you like.
Rotate the knife around the contour of the onion, bring it closer to perpendicular to the cutting board as you go.
What exactly is a baby watermelon?
What exactly is a baby watermelon?
A Sugar Baby watermelon is a variety of so-called "ice-box melon" that's smaller than your average watermelon.
Round, super-sweet and only about 8 inches in diameter, the Sugar Baby has a dark rind and red, yellow or orange flesh. It grows fast and is just the right size for picnics.
Related: Root Source: Watermelon
what you should know
Brundidge, Alabama. 1950. When the watermelon trucks stopped at the traffic light in town, Chip's dad would climb up into the back and drop a melon down to friends.
They would run the fruit out of sight, strike it on the hot pavement, and then -- as the poet Charles Simic described the act of eating watermelon -- "eat the smile and spit out the teeth."
toothless The popularity of seedless watermelon took some of the teeth out. Though it has a long association with the American South, watermelon is loved all over the world for its quenching, sweet flesh. In Japan, they've even developed square watermelon to satisfy demand and fit a small fridge.
look for scuffs When buying a whole watermelon (or stealing one off a truck), look for one with a flat, yellowish-brown side. That's a sign that the melon has sat for a long time on the ground while ripening. Another way to check for ripeness? Slap the melon.
waterlalala If you're ever stuck in a sing-a-long but don't know the words, just mouth the word "watermelon" over and over again. Works every time.
what you need
Instead of a melon baller, we use a larger OXO cookie scoop to carve out rounds of ripe watermelon.
For the modern lowdown on the food of the South, turn to John T. Edge. He's the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, a contributor to Gourmet and a guest food editor at the Oxford American. His most recent book is the Southern Belly.
We love to drink watermelon margaritas, martinis and agua frescas out of these acrylic goblets.
what you do
"What grows together goes together" is the rule behind this watemelon salad with arugula, walnuts and ricotta salata. It's from Efisio Farris' Sweet Myrtle & Bitter Honey.
Have you made watermelon pizza? If not, try it this weekend.
Watermelon basil agua fresca, from Coconut & Lime, is made for stifling days and food off the grill.
Speaking of the grill, while it's burning, throw some wedges on to make this grilled watermelon salad.
Featured recipe: Combine cool watermelon and hot peppers, and you end up with refreshing watermelon gazpacho. The recipe comes from FoodieTots, and is the featured recipe for this week's Root Source Challenge.
Ricotta is a moist fresh cheese made from whey that is used in Italian dishes like lasagna, manicotti and cheesecake. Ricotta salata is a variation of ricotta that has been pressed, salted and dried.
Ricotta salata is hard and white and has a mildly salty, nutty and milky flavor. It can be shaved or grated over salads, pastas and vegetable dishes.
