Research conducted at the University College London also found that diets high in “fresh vegetables, fruit, and fish could help prevent the onset of depression.” Individuals who ate whole foods and other healthier options, in addition to exercise and other such lifestyle factors, have approximately a 26% lower risk of depression than those who ate mainly processed and / or fatty foods. Diets that weighed heavy with processed / fatty foods increased the risk of depression by up to 58%.

The study found several different possible reasons for this link, including the high levels of antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables which tend to have a protective effect and fend off feelings of depression. Including a large quantity of fish in your diet can also help reduce depression risks by providing polyunsaturated fatty acids which stimulate brain activity.

The study that reported these findings was carried out on 3,486 people with an average age of 55. Each participant completed a questionnaire about eating habits and a depression self-assessment.

Do you find that your food choices affect your mood as well?

Directions:

Make the fish-broth (mix water, fish bones, chopped onions, carrots, parsley, 1 bay leaf and salt and pepper). Cook for 15 minutes.

Clean the squid and cut in stripes. Season. Cover and save.

Put the mussels and clams in a pan and cook til open. Discard the shells that have not opened. Cover.

In a paella pan, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion, green and red pepper. When half soft, add garlic and tomatoes. Sauté until tender. Season.

Add rice and cook for a moment. Add hot fish broth (6 cups), saffron, and food coloring.

After 10 minutes, incorporate the squid. 5 minutes before the rice is done, add the langoustines, mussels, clams, and red pepper from the jar.

When rice is done, decorate with lemon wedges and peas.

Cover with a kitchen towel for 5 minutes before serving.

KaTom is proud to announce the addition of a new toaster from Axis that can serve up to 360 slices of toast per hour! This dependable toaster provides customers with perfectly golden toasted products with each use and makes toasting easier for the operator. This toaster is ideal for high-volume restaurants, cafes, diners, and self-service establishments.

This Axis toaster features an all stainless steel construction that is simple to clean and maintain and resists scratching and denting. The top of the toaster has four self-centering slots that measure 1 1/8" wide. Each toasting slot offers an individual temperature control to allow you to perfectly toast any food product you place in the unit. The pull out crumb tray makes clean-up quick and easy, simply remove the tray and dump the contents, then wash and replace. This Axis toaster comes standard with a 6′ cord with plug to allow you numerous placement options.

Axis backs this product with a one year parts and labor bench warranty. Axis is also proud to offer pre-paid freight to a single shipping point from now until December 31, 2009 from their shipping point in Plattsburgh, NY (12903).

Please check back tomorrow for a direct link to this Axis product!

Slicers consist of two parallel working surfaces, one of which can be adjusted in height to create the exact cut you are looking for. The food product is slid along the adjustable working surface until it reaches the fixed blade beneath. The Ultra Mandoline allows you to change the blade to get the exact cut you are hoping for. This particular mandoline is designed to ensure user safety, with a large well for holding the food product and a top piece that you can hold on to, keeping your hands from ever reaching the blade.

Mandolines are ideal for the home chef who is concerned with the presentation of their food or for a professional chef who needs to be able to quickly slice numerous products. For a complete listing of slicers, visit the KaTom food prep slicer category.

Scary foods sounds like to start to a good food-related Halloween post, however, this post is not about Halloween at all. Some foods are just scary in general, regardless of if they might be shaped like spiders or other Halloween related items. The term “scary foods,” for me, means foods that can harm you in some way or are made entirely from synthetic materials. This blog contains a list of foods that are, in my opinion, “scary” foods. The scariest foods for me are green vegetables, but that seems to be simply a personal issue.

Raw Foods

To me, raw foods are pretty scary. Any raw food has the possibility of carrying toxins, fungus, molds, yeast, and other harmful bacteria. Raw foods also cannot be processed properly by our digestive systems, which is a pretty stressful thought by itself.

Nano Foods

Nano foods are genetically engineered or cloned foods. These foods are starting to become increasingly popular with the invention of several items that you may use in your kitchen, such as a canola cooking oil called Canola Active oil. There is also a chocolate diet shake called Nanoceuticals Slim Shake Chocolate.

Shrimp

Personally, shrimp bothers me because I am allergic. However, all personal feelings aside, have you ever seen a live shrimp? These little guys look like a cross between a fish and a spider. Why would you want to eat that?

Puffer Fish

Puffer fish are scary because they are, well, poisonous. People die every year from eating incorrectly prepared puffer fish. Chef’s are required to have special training in order to cook puffer fish and can be charged with a crime if they are not licensed and someone dies due to incorrectly cooked fish.

What types of foods do you consider “scary” foods? We would love to hear your ideas or stories!

Since operating a sustainable restaurant is so important, yet still somewhat difficult for new business owners, I have researched the topic and am including 5 tips to help you achieve sustainability without breaking the bank. Please feel free to add your own ideas for sustainability via our comments section, we would love to hear from you!

1. Purchase ENERGY STAR® Rated Equipment

The ENERGY STAR® program is designed to help people and businesses make more informed decisions about their equipment and hopefully encourage the use of ENERGY STAR® rated equipment. Equipment that is certified to meet these certain standards concerning energy efficiency is guaranteed to reduce the operating costs of your business and prove to the community that you taking strides to become a more sustainable establishment.

Any time you have a new start up restaurant, ENERGY STAR® rated equipment is definitely the best option. You should also consider this eco-friendly alternative when replacing old or worn out equipment.

2. Invest in Low-Flow Faucets and Sprayers

Low-flow faucets and sprayers play an important role in helping to preserve our water supply and help minimize the amount of water your business consumes. The flow of water from low-flow faucets is very direct, helping to make sure that all food particles are cleaned from the plate.

3. Create a Start-Up and Shut-Down List for Employees

Having a strict checklist for employees will help reduce the amount of energy your restaurant uses when these pieces of equipment are not actually in use. On this checklist, employees should keep a record of when coils or filters are replaced. Maintaining these coils or filters will help to extend the life of you appliances and equipment and allow these appliances to work at optimal level.

4. Use Recycled / Reused Materials

Using recycled / reused materials when constructing your new restaurant is an excellent way to ensure that you are making the smallest carbon footprint possible. Using these type of materials will also help to earn you LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits, which could help earn your LEED certification.

5. Hire an Energy Consultant

When starting up your new business or remodeling your old one, you should consider some type of energy consultant or another professional with knowledge of proper building procedures and federal incentives for “green” building. These professionals may be able to help you make the most of your purchases and help you receive the most from any incentives or rebates your state offers on energy-efficiency.

Scary Cerebrum

Directions:

In a 1 1/2 quart glass bowl (3 inches high, 7 1/2 inches in diameter), begin arranging shrimp, tails toward the center, in a circle to make 1 flat layer in the bottom of the bowl. (Only the round backs of the shrimp should be visible from the outside of the bowl.) Repeat layers until bowl is full, pressing down every couple layers. As bowl fills up, tuck strips of the roasted red pepper in and around shrimp forming “blood vessels”. (It helps to peer through the sides of glass bowl to adjust as necessary.) When bowl is full, press down firmly with a plate that fits inside the bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine chicken broth and unflavored gelatin; let stand 5 minutes. Cook and stir over medium heat until gelatin has dissolved. Whisk in lemon peel, lemon juice, tomato paste, honey, garlic, salt, ginger, and cayenne pepper until combined. Pour mixture over shrimp in bowl. Cover and chill at least 5 hours or overnight.

To unmold, set bowl in a sink filled with warm water for several seconds. Invert a large plate with sides over bowl. Invert plate and bowl together and remove bowl to unmold. Cover and chill until needed (up to 24 hours). Makes 12 appetizer servings.

Recipe provided by Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

Candy Corn Cordials

Directions:

Infuse the vodka: Combine the candy corn and vodka in an airtight container; set aside for at least 3 hours, then strain.

Make the cordials: Add 4 ounces of the candy corn vodka, the orange liqueur, lemon juice, and egg white to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Strain into 2 chilled martini glasses and garnish with candy corn.

Recipe provided by foodnetwork.com.

Carrot Fingers and Ranch Dressing

Directions:

Place a bit of cram cheese on the end of a baby carrot and place an almond slice face down on top. The almond should look like a fingernail on the carrot “finger.” Repeat until all carrots are finished.

Pour dressing in a bowl and stand a few carrot fingers upright in the bowl. Place the bowl on a platter and lay the remaining carrot fingers around the bowl.

Recipe provided by foodnetwork.com.

Zombie Juice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except the pineapple stick, cherry, rum, and sugar in cocktail shaker.

Shake very thoroughly and strain into a highball glass. Garnish with pineapple stick and cherry.

Carefully float the rum on top, and lightly sprinkle with a little sugar.

Recipe provided by epicurious.com.

Witch’s Hat Calzones

Directions:

Reserve six to eight slices of pepperoni; set aside. Chop remaining pepperoni slices.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped pepperoni, cream cheese, and the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until well combined. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425° F. Lightly grease an extra large baking sheet; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, unroll each package of crescent-roll dough. Separate dough into individual triangles. Place half the dough triangles on the prepared baking sheet. Place about 1 Tablespoon of the pepperoni-cheese mixture in the center of each triangle. In a small bowl, stir together egg and water. Brush edges of triangles with some of the egg mixture. Top with remaining triangles. Press triangle edges together to seal. Brush dough with egg mixture. Fold short edges of the dough triangles up, forming a hat brim. Prick the dough a few times with the tines of a fork.

If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and / or crushed red pepper. Cut reserved pieces of pepperoni into small stars, crescent moons, and / or small diamonds. Press onto dough for decoration. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with pizza sauce, if desired. Makes 8 calzones.

Recipe provided by Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

Two of the decanters, model numbers 370-CD8890 and 370-CD8890OR, have a unique design that Update claims makes them unbreakable. These decanters have a tempered plastic upper portion, which is strengthened, when compared to normal plastic, to make these more durable. The CD8890 comes standard with a black handle, allowing it to fit in with nearly any decor. The CD8890OR offers an orange handle, which is ideal for any UT fan or someone simply wanting a bit of a different look for their coffee decanter.

The other two decanters, model numbers 370-DSS12BK and 370-DSS12OR, are constructed of stainless steel and have a 64 ounce capacity. The stainless steel exterior of these decanters allow them to withstand years of use. The construction also ensures that the decanters are easy to clean and are scratch and dent resistant. The DSS12BK offers a black handle, while the DSS12OR comes with an orange handle.

Regardless of the exact Update decanter you decide to purchase, you can rest assured that you are receiving only the highest quality product at the best possible price from KaTom.

Our first observation was that there wasn’t a huge crowd, as we had anticipated there might be. The purchasing process went well, with two team members purchasing food other than the free grilled chicken and one simply asking for the free piece. There was no delay in service and we were all pleased with the piece of chicken we received. Two team members were given grilled chicken legs while one was given two grilled chicken wings. Regardless of the type of chicken we received, we were all extremely happy with the chicken, as it was juicy and quite tasty.

There were no lines to wait in, no rainchecks, and most importantly - no coupons to download. Overall, we give this experience two thumbs up.

Once again, KFC is offering a free piece of grilled chicken to each customer in more than 5,000 KFC’s nationwide in what they are dubbing UnFry Day. This offer is valid October 26, 2009 - today only! This offer, unlike the others, is promised to run smoothly, without the unwanted rainchecks or unprintable coupons. KFC claims to have planned around all of these unpleasant side effects of giving out such large amounts of free grilled chicken.

This is the third time in the past 6 months that KFC has offered free grilled chicken to their customers in an attempt to hook health-conscious consumers to this lower fat option. The first giveaway in April, also called UnFry Day, came very shortly after the launch of the new grilled chicken product. The second giveaway came about the following week, in which KFC offered downloadable coupons for a two-piece grilled chicken meal. This promotion, which was announced on The Oprah Winfrey Show, brought about a few problems for KFC. Many people could not download the coupon because of technical difficulties due to the overwhelming response from viewers of the Oprah Show and others who knew of the promotion. For those 10 million people who were lucky enough to be able to download the coupon, only about 6 million received their free grilled chicken meals, with the remaining 4 million receiving rainchecks for the meal as well as a free drink.

KFC expects today’s giveaway to go flawlessly and hopes for a positive reaction from consumers.

A couple of webteam members here at KaTom tried to download coupons last time for the free grilled chicken meal, but unfortunately, we were included in the number of individuals who were unable to download the coupon. So today, as a service to our readers, we are making the journey to KFC on lunch to receive our free piece of chicken and will review the experience for you on the blog later on today. Stay tuned for our reaction.

Be sure to check with your local KFC to make sure they are participating in today’s giveaway!