Dija Know… Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter -115 June 2015
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Picnic season has begun
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One of our favorite environmental groups, Wild Earth Guardians, kicks off summer in their usual manner – a great picnic. Join in for lovely food, drink, and conversation. Thursday June 18, 5:30pm-8:00pm, 516 Alto Street, Santa Fe. Mingle with new friends, hear about new campaigns, bring a friend. They make this event free so everyone can attend. RSVP email Claire Nickel or call (505) 988-9126 x3. (Bears will be seated at separate tables).
Speaking of picnics let Joe do it! Chef Russ and Roland can orchestrate a large box-lunch affair for you or an intimate picnic for two. Tablecloth and tableware? That too. But bring your own champagne; we’re not licensed to sell takeaway alcohol . . . darn.
Richard Eeds will broadcast his morning show live from Joe’s again Friday June 5th. During Richard’s broadcasts bring a friend for breakfast and we’ll give you a two-fer. Ask waiter for details
Bill Todino’s gorgeous new photos of NM and the Southwest are a “must see” (they’re in the Red Room) and perhaps a “must own” . . . and for ridiculous prices! Bill, does that even cover the cost of the frame?
Yes, Joe’s will be open July 4th all weekend. Usual hours 7:30AM – 9:00PM.
Even my friends don’t believe me. And it seems this subject is still controversial — I’m talking about our need for sunshine. We are residents of a planet completely dependent upon the sun. The majority of us (there are rare exceptions) need and benefit from some exposure to that sun. We can replicate sunshine with Vit D supplements, but nothing is quite as good as the real thing. For 30 or more years* we’ve been cautioned by well-meaners: careful of the sun, put your sunscreen on, sun causes cancer, etc. And yes I have observed that those with years in the sun do have a sun-kissed appearance – cowboys, ranchers and farmers, field workers, residents of latitudes closer to the equator. Here’s the big but – studies are coming forth now to support that these same populations have a huge edge in protection against colorectal and breast cancers. My dear unbelieving friends (and you know who you are!) perhaps this information is worth your consideration. “Breast and colorectal cancer incidence rates are highest in countries distant from the equator and lowest in near-equatorial countries. It is known that adequate levels of vitamin D, which require sunlight for synthesis in the skin, tend to be associated with lower age-adjusted incidence rates of these cancers. Residents of near-equatorial areas synthesize far more vitamin D than those living at high latitudes. Countries that received the lowest solar irradiance had rates of breast and colorectal cancer that were several times greater than those of countries with the highest solar irradiance. Countries with intermediate irradiance had intermediate rates of colorectal and breast cancer incidence. Dietary differences might explain some but not all of this association. Further evidence is provided here for the protective effect of solar irradiance and photosynthesized vitamin D for these cancers. 10 to 15 minutes per day of exposure to sunlight between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM should be encouraged, without sunscreen, at all ages. At least one square foot of skin should be exposed for adequate vitamin D photosynthesis, preferably not the face. Such exposure would prevent 9 or more cases of potentially fatal internal cancers for each possible case of skin cancer that it might cause. Vitamin D is also available in oral form, but only in acceptable doses far lower than those associated with 10-15 minutes of solar exposure.” This research was supported by a Congressional allocation to the Hollings Cancer Center of the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC, through the Department of the Navy, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. So that is what the Hollings Cancer Center says about our need for sunshine. I’d like to add, many people take Vit D as a supplement. I have stated previously that if you do take Vit D3, it is imperative that it be accompanied by K2. K2 is deficient in most diets as it is found in grass fed organ meats, butter, eggs and some cheeses. Many of us do not eat these foods. Why is K2 so important? Because quite simply, it tells calcium where to go; to bones and teeth rather than to arteries, heart and brain tissue where it does inestimable harm. Additionally, K2 removes calcium from arteries and soft tissues! How about that for a cheap little supplement? Now on a related note, you may be interested to note that statins are falling from grace as the cardiac health savers they were once thought to be. In fact a recent study, reported in the Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology March 2015, shows (among other detriments) that statins inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K2 – the very element we need to keep our arteries and brain clean and clear of hardening, of calcification. Good Lord! So we wind our way back to sunshine. With sufficient sunshine, there is less need to supplement D3 and K2. You can still take good old cod liver oil as a back up. This from Dr. Mercola, “Statin drugs inhibit the function of vitamin K2 in your body, which means taking them may put you at risk of vitamin K2 deficiency, a condition known to contribute to a number of chronic diseases including: osteoporosis, heart disease, heart attack and stroke, heel spurs, kidney stones, brain disease, cancer.”
*And this just in – over the last 30 years there has been a rise in skin cancer rates. Could this be related to inadequate sun exposure? Who knows?
Now that we are well into the growing season, increasing amounts of Joe’s veggies are locally grown. So eat your veggies!.
Food cannot be mass-produced. I’m talking about real food with all its nutrients and enzymes intact. It’s a simple inarguable truth and I stand by it. Industrialized food production, animal and vegetable, has been a disastrous failure. It has failed horribly in its lack of compassion – lack of good husbandry of the animals – and its lack of nutrition. And beyond that it has become dangerously unpredictable.
Here’s Roland’s take on it, “If the price is too low, you know it’s crap!” Yes that’s a direct quote. Don’t be shy, Roland. Tell us what you really think.
For a sweet treat or impromptu gift for your dear ones, we now have lovely gift boxes for Joe’s melt-in-your-mouth French chocolate truffles. 4 in gift box $10, and 6 in gift box $12.50
It’s no secret we are deeply disappointed that the industrial hemp bills stopped at the governor’s desk. Please pick up the info flyer on the importance of industrial hemp to New Mexico agriculture and economy and see the last few newsletters in which I explore hemp’s phenomenal potential to invigorate New Mexico’s economy.
A Tuesday night tradition at Joe’s – it’s Spaghetti and Chianti Night. $29.95 for two will get you Caesar Salad, Spaghetti with homemade Bolognese and a great ½ ltr of Chianti. The Bolognese sauce is made with our local grass-finished beef. Wadda deal!
Why do we keep hammering on this “buy local” theme? Many factors are out of our hands when it comes to our food supply. Most of what ends up on the American dinner table derives from a shockingly few giant agribusinesses. Their influence reaches from designing the (GMO) seeds to planting, fertilizing, processing and shipping. We as consumers cannot with confidence hand over the entire stewardship of our food to these few multinationals. Our passion here at Joe’s is for a local sustainable food supply – food produced by growers who are accountable for what they grow. KYG – Know Your Grower. We are able to look our local farmer in the eye and ask him about his growing practices or even visit his operation. This gives us the confidence that we are eating food that is healthy, wholesome, non-genetically engineered, often better than organic, humanely treated and minimally processed. It is grown with a smaller energy-use footprint and transported short distances. We cannot divorce human health, the economy, ecology, personal (perhaps spiritual) satisfaction or honorable work from food. Food is fundamental. What we eat, where it
comes from, the stewardship of food animals, the nurturing and building of soils – all these factors affect us at a cellular and visceral level. Santa Fe is fortunate to have one of the very best Farmers Markets in the nation. Here at Joe’s we offer this bounty to you, keeping dollars in the community. In the interest of transparency, in 2008 Joe’s spent $30,000 on local foods. In 2009, $60,000. Each year since 2012 we have far exceeded $100,000 per annum.
Land, economy, health – inseparable.
Tired of still paying for BB’s (big banks) bailouts? Of lining the pockets of the uber-rich Wall Street bankers? And still no commensurate convictions? DiJa know…in 2011 a congressional audit of the Federal Reserve found that the Fed gave 16 trillion dollars from American taxpayers to bail out the “too big to fail” banks with a hefty portion of it going to CEO’s obscene bonuses. Can you imagine — had this staggering figure been re-directed to the people of the US, how different the picture could have looked today? Manufacturing starts, “shovel-ready jobs”, skills training, road and bridge repairs, national parks, education, etc. Had that been bailed out to the American people, each man woman and child would have received $50,000! Every time we use a credit card, part of that 3%-5% fee contributes to the BB’s. Now let’s be real – in today’s world one cannot function without a credit card, but there are still (legal) alternatives that reduce our dependency on the BB’s and actually save us money. We have a couple of suggestions: (1.) Joe’s Check List – If you are a “regular” and wish to pay by check, please ask your waiter to get you on the list. (2.) Joe’s own credit card/gift card – purchase a $100 gift card with cash or check or silver or gold coin, get a $10 free bonus!
Golf Giggles
Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today, it’s called golf
If you want to get better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age.
Joe’s
2801 Rodeo Rd (at Zia Rd) Santa Fe, NM 87507
505-471-3800 www.JoesDining.com
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