Dija Know… Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter -116 July 2015

Dija Know… Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter -116 July 2015

 

Summertime

 

I love summer. I love the heat. I love frying eggs on the sidewalk. I love sitting on the deck in the evening swatting mosquitoes. I love the early morning sun and the late sunsets. I love wearing just one layer of clothing (if that.) I love the smell of a hot sweating horse under saddle, the sound of distant thunder, the smell of rain moving in on dusty fields. I love watching greedy hummingbirds at the feeders. I love sidestepping the surprise of a bullsnake doing his job – catching mice. I love the cool breezy shade of a generous cottonwood. And not last or least, the anticipation of local sun-ripened tomatoes on Joe’s inimitable and famous Margherita Pizza – so good I could wear it! How much longer do we wait? Only Mother Nature knows.

Water. Anyone living in the Southwest does not take water or rain or snow for granted. It has become troublesome and expensive of late that so much of our food comes from water-stressed California. Many New Mexico farmers are well schooled in traditional water-use, water-saving and water-sharing methods. This is our acequia system. This communal system of irrigating was a response to the scarcity of water in arid regions and was key to the survival of agricultural communities. New Mexico is fortunate to have sustained this wise communal tradition. Others may have to learn it. After decades of damming great rivers and forcing their flow to meet our often-frivolous demands, growers might do well to study the frugal water methods of traditional New Mexico farmers. Here’re a few facts I was unaware of. Almond growers are currently under attack because of the significant amounts of water they need. But dija know – it takes a gallon of water to grow an almond, but 5-6 gallons for a head of broccoli. Almonds and beef apparently require about the same amount of water. But alfalfa uses more water than any other plant in California. Most of that goes to China because of our trade deficit with them. This of course impacts our dairy and milk prices. Because we have become accustomed to sourcing food from any and all parts of the globe, our food supply is the product of an incredibly complex relationship with water. Do I have a conclusion or solution to this water dilemma? Nope. Far too complex for my brain. But one tiny point – here at Joe’s we comply with the Santa Fe water ordinance which states that water is served to restaurant guests upon request only.
We have the delightful return engagement of not one but two local artists Nancy Dean Kreger’s vivid, sensuous watercolors in the main dining room and Mary Olivia’s endless creativity with quilts in the Red Room. Mary does our floral arrangements, as well. Nancy Nickerson’s colorful chickens continue to strut alongside the ramp to the Red Room. All works are for sale

Yes, Joe’s is open July 4th all weekend. Usual hours 7:30AM – 9:00PM. Wrap your hands around our rather giant Wagyu beef hot dog grilled by Chef Russ especially for this holiday weekend.

Hot rods. Just a gentle reminder – do not, under any circumstances for any length of time leave your dog, cat, ferret, grandmother or child in a car while you run in to do an errand. If we see this we will break your car window(s) at your expense.

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

How to prevent Alzheimer’s. Just like diabetes and heart disease, Alzheimer’s’ is becoming more prevalent. I have written in the past about many nutraceuticals and natural foods and supplements that have shown to reduce risk of and even reverse this mental disaster. A new study from the U of Cambridge determined that the seven biggest determining factors to the development of degenerative brain function are: lack of exercise, diabetes, smoking, depression, obesity, high BP in middle age and low education levels. Which of these 7 factors apply to you and what can you do about it? Yes, I know, good health takes effort and time and money. But, best do something about it before you forget!

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 grass-fed-and-finished beef. Wadda deal!

DiJa Know – living in a cloudy climate increases your pancreatic cancer risk. A recent study from the U of CA Moores Cancer Center showed that people living close to the equator had a 1/6th rate of pancreatic cancer compare with those who live further away.

You may have noticed egg prices in the markets are up. Starting in California in January and Minnesota in March, Avian Flu hit commercial chicken flocks very hard. This news seems to have flown under the media radar. Large commercial (like the cruel and egregious Foster Farms) flocks have been destroyed for a total of 47 million birds. Flocks and therefore egg production are down state-specific by between 5% and 28%. The economic impacts of the worst bird flu outbreak in U.S. history are not likely to disappear any time soon. Most at risk are the giant commercial operations where contagious outbreaks can spread rapidly. To date small operations have not reported any problems, probably because sanitation practices are easier to sustain in smaller flocks.

How can you tell if you are vitamin K2 deficient? Continuing the discussion from past issues of this very essential vitamin – generally speaking if you have osteoporosis, heart disease or diabetes, you are likely deficient. Most of us are K2 deficient. Why? Because we may be on statin drugs (which deplete K2) and/or we consume little of the following: fermented vegetables (eg. sauerkraut), Brie and Gouda cheeses, egg yolks, butter and dairy from grass-fed-and-finished animals. Now, I’m not talking about K1 – different animal entirely. K1, found in green leafy vegetables, is involved in normal blood clotting, critical for stopping bleeding. This is why those on blood thinners need to be careful not to take too much vitamin K1. Vitamin K2 is very different. The important message here is, K2 is the factor that tells calcium to go to bones and teeth rather than to arteries, brain tissue and joints. Get your sunshine and/or take D3, then combine it with K2 and magnesium. Dennis Goodman MD can give you the whole picture if you are interested. Vitamin K2: The Missing Nutrient for Heart and Bone Health. http://www.amazon.com/Vitamin-K2-Missing-Nutrient-Health   Fascinating stuff!

Life extension . . . maybe. I once had a boss who argued that exercise was detrimental to a long life. He maintained that a person has only so many energy units and exercising uses them up! Well John, listen to this. Harvard Professor Dr. I-Min Lee told Reuters: “We have clear data showing that the more energy is expended, the greater the reduction in mortality rates.” And furthermore a recent Norwegian study showed that we can keep on smoking and still live a long life! Just kidding. But here’s what those Norskes said, “when it comes to reducing mortality, regular exercise is as important as quitting smoking.”

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!

 

Giggles:
A little girl had an earache and wanted a painkiller. She tried in vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her mom explained it was a childproof cap and she’d have to open it for her. Eyes wide with wonder, the little girl asked, “How does it know it’s me?

Joe’s
2801 Rodeo Rd (at Zia Rd) Santa Fe, NM   87507
505-471-3800       www.JoesDining.com
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