Bong appetit! New guide to the best cannabis recipes

 

I had no idea that weed meals were such a big thing.

I might have sampled an occasional brownie in my youth, but I've clearly been missing out on haute cannabis cuisine. Now its a pot topic. 

Cannabis culinary expert Vanessa Lavorato - dubbed by the Los Angeles Times as “LA’s Martha Stewart of weed”- is about to release her debut book How to Eat Weed and Have a Good Time. 

It is being promoted as "a playful, practical, and seriously stylish guide to making edibles that are as enjoyable as they are elevated". 

The tome will hit shelves on May 14 in Australia, and promises to showcase cannabis-infused cooking, breaking down everything from proper dosing to recipes like her signature pot-infused olive oil cake.

Lavorato has spent over a decade leading the charge on demystifying cannabis through a culinary lens.

I'm assured she "offers a fresh, empowering voice in the wellness-meets-weed space".



How to Eat Weed and Have a Good Time is described as "equal parts cookbook, manifesto, and lifestyle guide" - designed to help readers incorporate cannabis into their lives with joy, mindfulness, and a sense of occasion.

So much better than taking a toke or two on the back veranda, or munching on CBD & THC Gummies - which, it must be said - do absolutely nothing for me.

Maybe I need some high-energy pot stickers.    

Professor Star’s words of Christmas wisdom

When you have a name like Professor Star, people are compelled to pay attention.

With obesity surpassing tobacco as the leading risk factor for disease during 2024, Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) new Head of Nutrition and Dietetics is encouraging Australians to balance the joys of food and drink this silly season.

“I am big on the joy of sharing food, it’s such an important part of the Christmas season – but readers beware – is it really joyful when you’ve put on weight and injured your health with too much booze over the holidays?” Associate Professor Anita Star said.

Released this month, the Australian Burden of Disease Study reported Australians lost an estimated 5.8 million years of healthy life due to living with disease and dying prematurely in 2024.

Of the total disease burden, obesity or overweight health issues accounted for 8.3% surpassing the ills of tobacco use (excluding vaping) at 7.6%.

Listing pacing yourself, having a small amount of food you really love and making time to move your body as helpful ways manage intake over the next few weeks, Associate Professor Star also shared her rule of Joyful Five.

“I would encourage everyone to think of five other joyful activities to help them maintain balance and rejuvenate for the New Year,” Associate Professor Star said.

“On my to-do-list is go for a bushwalk with friends, read a book, complete a painting, spend lots of time in the pool with family, and plant some plants on my balcony.”

In a first for the Northern Territory, CDU will offer a Bachelor of Nutrition from next year, with the University also celebrating its first Master of Dietetics graduates in 2024.

“CDUs Bachelor of Nutrition is an important next step for attracting more local students to train to become Nutritionists, and if they wish, to go on to the clinical dietetics training in the Master of Dietetics,” Associate Professor Star explained.

“With the rates of obesity and chronic disease as high as they are, we need more Nutritionists and Dietitians in the Territory, and having local people means they are more likely to stay for the longer term.”

Smaller menus can pay big dividends

Smaller menus can pay big dividends for cafés and restaurants, a new study has found.

An Australian study of small- to medium-sized cafés has found making small changes could prevent hundreds of tonnes of food waste while saving struggling businesses thousands of dollars.

Creating shorter menus, ditching pie warmers and normalising doggy bags are among the top recommendations from the RMIT University study for End Food Waste Australia.

The researchers found food preparation and spoilage were the biggest culprits when it comes to both food and financial waste in café kitchens.

Difficulty finding time to plan and streamline menus and overproducing food was a key driver of waste and reduced profits.

Australia has the world’s largest café industry per capita outside of Europe, and the hospitality sector is responsible for more than 16% of the nation’s food waste.

Lead researcher Professor Tania Lewis said the sheer amount of food waste from cafés was huge.

“Up to 60% of an average cafe’s bin is filled with food and we're not just talking about peels and stems - it’s also edible, quality food,” she said.

But Lewis said cafes with paired back, seasonal menus waste less food and save more money.

“Our research found successful low-waste cafés worked closely with their suppliers and adapted the menu to use in-season ingredients,” she said.

“Fewer menu offerings make stock control easier, as does allowing ingredient substitution for meal components - like seasonal pesto, chutney or jams.

“Cafés have small profit margins, so they really stand to win in a big way by reducing waste.

“For instance, using more of the produce they are buying - broccoli stems are just as delicious as broccoli tops.”

Tony Green, CEO of the Australian Foodservice Advocacy Body, which took part in the research, said the study produced timely and helpful advice.

“With hospitality increasingly feeling the squeeze from the costs-of-doing business, we're pleased to be a part of this meaningful report to cut waste, hence reduced food costs,” he said.

"It's not up to the foodservice industry alone to solve these issues, but we're committed to doing our bit and that's made easier with research such as this powerful study.”

Researchers found businesses could reduce food waste and costs by teaching staff skills like reducing food trim and preservation processes like pickling, freezing and dehydrating.

Buying aesthetically imperfect produce directly from farmers could also be a major cost saver.

"When it comes to food, looks aren't everything and certainly are not a guarantee of flavour,” Lewis said.

“With their cooking knowledge, cafés are in a great position to lead the way in making delicious food from less-than-perfect produce."

Other recommendations include reducing plate and portion sizes and encouraging customers to take home unfinished food.

The report also calls for further financial support for infrastructure like cool rooms and compost systems to help preserve and recycle foods.

Subsidies and tax incentives to help cafés and restaurants make these changes, along with support around menu planning, design and implementation, form part of the report’s recommendations.

Sample low-waste menus and practical tips for cafe owners produced as part of this study are available on the End Food Waste Australia website.

The research was conducted by RMIT University for End Food Waste Australia, which is leading the development of Sector Action Plans as a key tool to reduce food waste through collaboration across the supply chain.

How what we eat can affect how we sleep

The foods we eat can play a major role in the way we feel over the holidays, says a leading sleep nutrition expert.

With processed food (47%) and takeaway (38%) sitting at the top of the ‘go-to’ foods Australians consume when feeling stressed, Olivia Arezzolo has warned of the ripple effect diet can have on sleep and overall health when good nutrition goes out the window during stressful or busy periods.

New data from the global nutrition and food tracking app MyFitnessPal reveals that one in six (60%) Australians admit to sleep being the number one aspect in their lives impacted by stress.

Attempting to get more sleep was also listed as the biggest priority (42%) for Australians during stressful times.

50% of Aussies admitted they turn to sugary or high-fat snacks during late night hours at least once a week.

This could have negative consequences for sleep as respondents who did this were also more likely to state their sleep quality had worsened over the past year (40% compared to 20% average).

“Sleep is intrinsically linked to the food we eat, so it’s not surprising to see that sleep is suffering the most during busy and stressful times, such as the holidays,” says sleep expert Arezzolo, who has a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology), Certificate in Sleep Psychology and a Diploma of Health Science (Nutritional Medicine).

 
“While it’s unrealistic to expect that the majority of Australians will completely cut comforting foods off their diet, knowing which snacks to incorporate and eat more of, can make a significant difference in getting a good night's rest.”

She has shared her five top snacks to encourage blissful sleep: kiwi fruit, banana and strawberry smoothie, a can of tuna or fatty fish, a handful of almonds, and sour cherry juice.

So I guess peanuts and pinot noir do not make the grade.

MyFitnessPal’s recently launched ‘Sleep’ app integration has been created to help users more easily keep track of how their food choices impact their sleep - giving them insights into their ‘wellness trifecta’ in one place.

By presenting users with sleep cycle information using data from connected sleep devices (such as Apple Watch or FitBit), alongside their food diary, users can see how their nutritional choices are impacting their sleep and overall well being.

Alongside its new sleep integration, MyFitnessPal is offering members a free ‘Eat Right, Sleep Tight’ plan that aims to help users break the cycle of exhaustion with a five-day plan that addresses meal timing, hydration, and a bedtime routine for a restful, restorative night’s sleep.

To learn more visit www.myfitnesspal.com.

Note: I have not tried this app and am not advocating it. 

Image: Serafima Trushnikova, Scop.io 

Get your grimace on: useful tips for solo travellers

Travelling is not much fun right now - and solo women travellers have been warned that travelling alone can also be dangerous if they are not careful.

With this in mind, The Knowledge Academy has offered up some tips to stay safe while travelling alone this summer. In my opinion, most of them apply to anyone travelling.

Their key tips:

1. Carry your accommodation address with you at all times

It’s best to be prepared for any uncertainties that may arise while travelling alone. Many rely on their phone for important information nowadays, but what if your phone dies when you are exploring and your accommodation details are on it? Bring a card that provides details of and directions to your accommodation so you can return safely. This is particularly helpful in countries where your language isn’t commonly spoken.

2. Share your location with loved ones 

By sharing your GPS location with loved ones whilst you are away, they can easily keep track of your whereabouts to ensure you are safe. You can set this up via platforms such as Google Maps or Facebook Messenger.

3. Fake your travel status

It is very important to make sure nobody you meet while travelling knows that you are alone. Whenever you meet someone new, pretend that you are meeting up with a friend in a few hours or that you have someone staying with you. A useful tip is to buy a pair of men’s shoes and leave them outside of your door, especially if staying in rented accommodation - this tricks people into thinking that there will be someone with you at all times and may help prevent unwelcome overtures.

4. Perfect that grimace!

Being too polite and friendly to strangers can make you more of a target for pickpockets and other criminals. Instead, practice looking ‘mean’. This should deter people from taking your kindness as a weakness. It is also important to try and blend in as much as possible with locals. Struggling to find your way around? Try to keep calm and don’t highlight that you are lost.

5. Spend extra money on staying safe

Spending a little more than expected to guarantee safety is very important. For example, if it costs more to fly to your chosen destination during the day rather than at night, pay it. Consider investing in a transfer that will drop you off at your accommodation too, rather than in the centre of the city.

All sound advice, except, perhaps, the "mean" look.

See https://www.theknowledgeacademy.com/  

Image: Rosshelen

How wine lovers can have a sommelier on speed dial

Have you ever enjoyed a bottle of wine in a restaurant, decided you'd like to buy a few bottles but then either forgotten, or found the wine hard to track down? 

A new digital service aims to make disappointments like this a thing of the past and promises to be your own "back pocket sommelier". 

VINNI is a new text-based wine delivery service that launched earlier this month. 

It seeks to provide an on-hand wine expert and a focus on being able to conveniently access the wine you are looking for. 

When a particular wine takes a consumer’s fancy, they are able to text VINNI an image of the label and the number of bottles they’d like, which are then delivered directly to their door in batches of six or 12.

To access VINNI, users sign up via the website and are sent their own private contact number to store in their phone. 

They are then free to use it as many times as they like, much as a friend would. Delivery is free to major urban centres and you can also receive wine suggestions from expert sommeliers.

VINNI founder, wine expert and sommelier Luke Campbell from Vinified, explains: “You're drinking that wine that blows your mind, at your favourite little wine bar but then can't find it in retail.

"Text your new best friend ‘VINNI’ with the label, and this effective little guy will not only source it, he’ll get it shipped to you pronto.”

I see potential issues with pricing, and sourcing the correct vintage, but it does sound like a good idea. One to suck and see, perhaps. 

“Having been in the wine industry for the past 20 odd years, I found I was getting endless texts from my mates asking where they could source particular bottles of wine while they were out and about," Campbell says. 

"I thought, 'a sommelier is something everyone could do with in their back pocket'!”

Choose from a monthly ($3.79 per month) or yearly ($40) subscription option for the service. 

For more information, please visit www.textvinni.com