Beyond the Ranch
The Serotonin Salad: Nourish Your Mental Wellness
Feel-Good Fuel About 90% of our serotonin is created in our stomach and intestines. It’s synthesized through the essential amino acid tryptophan which is sourced from our diet. It’s commonly...
The Serotonin Salad: Nourish Your Mental Wellness
Feel-Good Fuel About 90% of our serotonin is created in our stomach and intestines. It’s synthesized through the essential amino acid tryptophan which is sourced from our diet. It’s commonly found in chicken, eggs, dairy, fish, peanuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds, turkey, and soy products. Consuming high levels of tryptophan and other choice vitamins is a great way to improve mood stability and experience more joy. Talk about feel-good food! Based on these principles, I created The Serotonin Salad. It features ingredients high in tryptophan and a few other vitamins, minerals, and other compounds known to improve mental health. Let’s go over each featured ingredient and its effect on the brain. But First: What is Serotonin? Serotonin, A.K.A “the happy hormone,” is a neurotransmitter that sends messages between your nerve cells. It acts as a natural mood stabilizer. In addition to managing our emotional state, serotonin also plays a role in our ability to learn, form memories, control bowel movements, heal wounds, and regulate sleep and body temperature. Sourcing B-12 and Folic Acid B-12 and folic acid are essential vitamins that our bodies use to break down an amino acid called homocysteine. B-12 and folic acid deficiencies are a threat to our health as raised levels of homocysteine can lead to depression, dementia, and various heart problems. So how can we get more B-12 and folic acid in our diet to prevent illness? Dark leafy greens! The base of The Serotonin Salad is kale. Spinach and arugula are perfectly acceptable substitutions. Other good sources of these vitamins include eggs, legumes, broccoli, and asparagus, to name a few. Capsaicin’s Role in Mental Health Studies show that consuming more spicy food could reduce symptoms of depression thanks to the compound capsaicin which is found in chili peppers. Capsaicin sends signals to pain...
Baking with Olive Oil: Your Essential Guide
Baking with olive oil can be tricky. Let’s go over the ground rules. Baking is temperamental and precise. I don’t enjoy the process; I find it tedious and restrictive. So...
Baking with Olive Oil: Your Essential Guide
Baking with olive oil can be tricky. Let’s go over the ground rules. Baking is temperamental and precise. I don’t enjoy the process; I find it tedious and restrictive. So many rules, less opportunity for customization. I know there are a lot of chefs/home cooks that would agree with me on that one! Customizing baking recipes is always a gamble– one small adjustment and the entire recipe is thrown off. It’s food science; One must understand the ingredients, their properties, and the role they play in the recipe before swapping out this for that. Let’s talk baking with olive oil! Here are the fundamentals: You can almost always swap oil for oil. Extra virgin olive oil is a fantastic heart-healthy alternative to vegetable or seed oil. Swapping EVOO for another oil will have no effect on the final texture of whatever dish you’re creating UNLESS the oil you intend to replace is Crisco or lard. Since they’re saturated fats and solid at room temperature, it’s not a good swap. Olive oil will perform differently due to density. Only use EVOO in place of another liquid oil. One instance we do not recommend using olive oil in place of seed or vegetable oil is when deep frying. A neutral, high smoke point oil should be the only oil used for frying. EVOO is too pungent and intense. It will overwhelm the flavor of whatever food is being fried. That, and it’s too expensive to use in such a high volume. So olive oil fried apple fritters are a no-go. Consider the flavor profile. Our flavored olive oils are perfect for baking. Especially our citrus olive oils– they pack so much flavor into baked goods. Pasolivo Tangerine Olive Oil makes THE BEST carrot cake. Want to level up a lemon cake box...
Valentine Date Night Guide
How to Host a Romantic Italian-Style Dinner The Pasolivo Valentine Date Night Guide There's no better to way to show affection than by cooking a meal for that special someone....
Valentine Date Night Guide
How to Host a Romantic Italian-Style Dinner The Pasolivo Valentine Date Night Guide There's no better to way to show affection than by cooking a meal for that special someone. Food is love, after all. Show your Valentine how much you care by putting together a beautifully romantic, thoughtful meal they'll never forget with a little bit of help from Pasolivo. Follow along to learn the ins and outs of hosting a formal, romantic dinner for your S.O. You'll be a pro by the end of this article! Setting the scene Ambiance is everything. Creating the mood is the first and arguably most important part of hosting a dinner for your valentine. Here's some tips for establishing the Italian dinner party vibe: No overhead lighting– stick to candles and lamps. You want to create a soft, ambient glow. These mini candles fit perfectly on the dinner table, and add a layer of warmth to the scene. Pull your best table cloth out of the linen closet– or how about one of these Parisian table runners as featured above? These are a more limited stock, available at the Pasolivo Ranch. Call (805) 227-0186 to check our inventory. Don’t forget the music! If you want to create the feel of a romantic Italian restaurant, put on a coordinating playlist. Check out this one on Spotify. Lastly: Setting a formal table can be confusing. Follow this visual guide and you’ll be set for success: Aperitivo Recipe: The Pasolivo Aperitivo A classic Italian dinner starts with aperitivo. The word “aperitivo” derives from the latin word “aperire” which means “to open.” The aperitivo is more casual than the following courses– it’s meant to gradually ease the diners into the ambiance of a meal with good conversation and light snacking. It could even take place at...
The How To’s of Olive Oil
As Pasolivo’s level two olive oil sommelier and master blender, I’m sharing some tips and tricks the experts use for the how to’s of all things extra virgin olive oil....
The How To’s of Olive Oil
As Pasolivo’s level two olive oil sommelier and master blender, I’m sharing some tips and tricks the experts use for the how to’s of all things extra virgin olive oil. The California olive oil industry is fast growing, and there are many things consumers do not know when it comes to quality extra virgin olive oil. How To Taste Olive Oil: If you are a professional olive oil taster, or just want to experience how the experts properly taste, there is a process to follow. By following the steps below, you will be well on your way to properly tasting this liquid gold! • Experts always taste extra virgin olive oil in a dark blue tapered glass. It could almost be compared to a votive candle holder. The reason for this is to help trap the aromas in the glass and to not be able to see the color of the olive oil. Many people think that color of the olive oil is an indicator of the quality, but that is not true. • Once your oil is poured into your dark blue glass (or other vessel), you are going to want to cup the bottom of the glass in the palm of your hand and cover the top of it with the other to embark on what we call the 4 Ss of tasting EVOO. - First you are going to Swirl the extra virgin olive oil. This combined with how you are holding the glass (mentioned above) is going to help “warm” the olive oil and release any aromas it has. - Then you want to Smell the extra virgin olive oil. This is where you are going to pick up what us tasters like to call the fruitiness of the olive oil. You will pick up aromas...
