Rock that jumpsuit, Jack!

Jack Lalanne preaches against sugarholism in style (it's like he's staring through my raised-on-Lucky Charms-and-Dunkin' Donuts soul):

So, Adam and I are embarking on a new diet nutritional journey in the form of Primal Living. The very, very basic guidelines: eat meat (mmm, bacon), vegetables, fruit, and good fats (olive oil, avocado, nut oils and butters, etc.). Minimize dairy and legume consumption (some cheese and beans are okay--yay for gouda and hummus!). Avoid grains and refined sugars altogether (yes, baking will look *quite* different).

It's day one, so not much to report, but the site I stumbled across that prompted all this--Mark's Daily Apple--is a fascinating wealth o' info, much of which goes against conventional wisdom about health, food, fitness, our bodies, etc. If you're obsessed with all of these things like I am, you might wanna check it out.

P.S. Apparently, in 2009 Jack Lalanne celebrated his 95th birthday by doing 95 push-ups. Huzzah!

Right now.

This is happening in my face: Moroccan bean stew with sweet potatoes.

Yes, those are roasted figs on top. Aw, yeah

I am writing in between delicious bites because it's just that darn good and thus must be shared with the people I love. Plus, it's vegan, and fairly easy to make (though you may have to beef up your spice rack, not sure how many folks have turmeric on hand). Added benefit: It works wonders for easing Abu Dhabi taxi-induced motion sickness. Oh, I also substituted a can of foul medammes (aka fava beans) for the black beans 'cause they seemed more appropriate for a Middle Eastern dish.

While I'm at it, here are a few other yummy things that have happened at The Manzel Kitchen recently:

My own lunch time invention, Middle Eastern-inspired pizza: whole wheat flat bread topped with hummus, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and lamb kofta.

Did you know that LAMB IS DELICIOUS? Well, it is.

Garlicky roasted chicken with garlic jus on garlic toast. This recipe called for three heads--not cloves, heads--of garlic. I never thought I'd say this, but it was almost *too* garlicky. I imagine they served similar dishes at my father's Lions Club dinners--my mom used to tell me he'd come home and sweat garlic out of his pores for days afterward.