The Unique Qualities of Cornstarch

Is it misunderstood, underestimated, or simply taken for granted? Like salt and pepper, its cousins, cornstarch takes an exalted place in my kitchen. A little bit goes a long way into taking a dish to its rightful place in our meals. 

The staple in the kitchen cupboard has no rival. It's the cook's go to thickener for that clean, fresh appearance for blueberry or cherry pie or their respective tarts. And it's gluten-free. An extra bonus for our thyroid gland. Isn't that great? 

With a sluggish thyroid, there is no argument when  corn gluten comes calling. (The body cannot discern the difference between gluten and the thyroid hormone. Guess who wins?. Peace and tranquility is maintained throughout the dietary marathon when cornstarch is used..

Cornstarch is my ace for gravies. Mixed with cold water, this gluten free grain mixes easily and quickly. It is ready to be added to hot milk, oat milk or water for that clean look, again. Oh so yum. It is a great thickener when making puddings, too, alongside tapioca. Momsey loves tapioca and rice pudding

For that crispy taste from deep fried chicken pieces, it is an important ingredient. Crunch, crunch goes the delicious fried chicken pieces, by simply dredging the food in cornstarch and shaking off the extra before frying. Adding it to a yeasted dough seems to make the dough a fresher version of itself. It can lighten the flour load (gluten) when just a small amount is added to the dry mix when other flours are used. (It can improve recipes by allowing certain  flour modifications to occur.  Even altering flours in a recipe - with notations nearby- helps us use corn starch and other gluten free flours creatively) It would seem that cornstarch helps to liberate us in the kitchen. 

And finally, when crafting occurs, cornstarch can be made into a thick paste for those structures required of little children. And it's safe, a cost effective product, readily available for use whenever a mountain, hill or building is needed on the spur of the moment. It is quite the thing this cornstarch. It's a problem solver and taste sensation when cooked. A perfect mate, I'd say...Thank you, cornstarch, for making a difference. We need you!

The Ultra Processed Menace

Here we go again. Now we have ultra processed food.. The term referring to that very important process in our daily life called eating is now scaring us to another level of fear. More additives, preservatives, taste enhancers to increase the appeal of our food makes the act of eating fraught with danger. Our bodies deserve better. When does it stop?

Medications to stop the illness and disease slowly descending upon us are becoming a way of life. Gaining weight begins to show us that too much food and the wrong type have descended upon us. Eating out can become a minefield of uncertain choices. We buy comfort meals in the frozen food aisle in the grocery store to give us a break from cooking while being reminded that 'real' cheese is being used in those products we buy. I should hope so!

Once upon a time, grocery shopping was indeed a fun experience. We bought real food, took it home. And that was that. Worrying about food did not enter our consciousness, not ever. We knew what we were buying and trust the companies making our food. Now, what's the gig? 

Food companies began the sinister trick of trying to get us to eat more of their  dubious products, many of them aimed at our children. (Hallowe'en seems everywhere in the processed food supply.) We have begun to crave more calories than our bodies require to function and the calorie type is now highly questionable. We are not food scientists but they are!

Eating vegetables should not be a struggle but can be. The other 'stuff' tastes better. And now we are in the land of ultra processed food, a game changer. Processed food seems so last year, 

“I can't cook”, some would say. Of course you can. It's a simple act of health. No one can keep us healthy but us. We have that power, every minute of everyday. A simple trip to the produce aisle will suffice on our way to health. Listen to your body.

Stay in the kitchen where delicious can happen. Sugar in all its guises within the processed category is a constant threat to our healthy choices. Starches, sugars, syrups and glazes) If I want them, I decide where and how much. Eating salads with a touch of healthy oil, herbs and lemon juice can begin the treck into a gourmet world of food.

Simple ingredients, fresh ones, too, can help reduce the ultra processed menace plaguing us when meal time is near. Eat slowly, chew well and listen to our bodies. Pay attention. Our bodies do not lie! Please listen as they speak to us. The micro biome is king.