POLARIS BITES

We also feed guilty pleasures. All about the balance! #onsetcatering #orobakery #nyccatering #photoshootcatering #photoshootcateringnyc

When applied to the skin, baked figs can cure inflammations like abscesses and ulcers. 

Every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rinds.

We are also thrilled to announce a new and amazing local organic food source for this season, Bushwick Campus Farm (a wonderful non-profit organization in Bushwick, Brooklyn that is training the next generation of environmental & food justice leaders). Please check out their progressive and amazing work to help bring food, awareness & food justice in the Bushwick community. 

Here's an interesting fact about the pecan...pecans are the only tree nut that is truly native to the United States. Pecans are one of the largest fruit-bearing trees, and their health benefits are bountiful. A recent study conducted at the Center for Cellular Neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, suggests that vitamin E – a natural antioxidant found in pecans – may provide a key element to neurological protection. Antioxidants are nutrients found in foods that help protect against cell damage, and can help fight diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer and heart disease. So, eating about a handful of pecans each day may play an important role in protecting your nervous system.

Was lucky to catch the end of mushroom season on a recent trip to Sweden. Picked some beautiful chanterells with grandma, dried em' and brought them back home. May not be so local and sorry customs, but was all for the love of good food! It's a bit of Sweden meets Italy, just in time for hibernating season. Grandma would be proud! For those that love them as much as we do, here are some interesting facts about mushrooms...Whatever your favorite—crimini, enoki, oyster, portobello, shiitake or white button, all mushrooms are loaded with essential nutrients, especially Vitamin D. Yes, vitamin D! Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable source of this critical vitamin. Like humans, mushrooms produce vitamin D when in sunlight. Not to mention, they are high in antioxidants, help increase selenium in your blood to help protect your bladder against cancer and help boost your immune and metabolism. So now there are even more excuses to eat these guys!

Who dosent like a fried green tomato? Great way to start the day, and even better with an heirloom. So here's a little on the heirloom...its not just one kind of tomato. Rather, it's any tomato variety that has been passed down through generations. It is, literally, an "heirloom," as family treasures are heirlooms. There are four general categories of heirloom tomatoes: 1) Commercial varieties - tomatoes that have been in production for more than 50 years; 2) Family varieties - tomatoes that have remained in production on a family farm for several generations; 3) Engineered heirlooms - heirlooms created by crossing an heirloom with a non-heirloom or two heirloom varieties of tomato; and 4) Naturally occurring crosses of previously existing heirloom tomatoes, which cross-bred in the wild and remain in production today. Put that all together and no wonder why they are so funky looking sometimes (sorry guys)! But good news is that they are delicious and nutritional. For those that have a hard time eating their their reccomended 2-3 cups of veggies a day, here's a small fact; one large heirloom tomato, or two small heirloom tomatoes, equals about a cup of vegetables. So go eat your veggies!

Did you also know that one cup of chopped, cooked kale has almost as much vitamin C as an orange and as much calcium as 1/3 cup of milk. With all these benefits, why doesn't everyone eat kale? Some say its not so easy to cook. Well then sprinkle some lemon (massage it if you feel up for it), add some of your favorite goodies and eat it raw like us. You will love it, or at least feel good after eating it! 

Believed to be originated in the sub-Himalayan plains of India, mango is referred to as the “The king of the fruits”. Its one of the most popular, nutritionally rich fruit, with many heath promoting qualities, making it a common ingredient in new functional foods often called “super fruits”. New research studies show that mango fruit has been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. Not to mention, mango fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin-A and flavonoids like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene,and beta-cryptoxanthin. Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. 

Although the fennel plant is commonly mistaken for celery, and its taste often mistaken for anise, fennel is definitely in a class of its own. You either like it or you don't, and we happen to love it, especially as the weather gets warmer and out come those grills! This salad is a nice side to any meat-heavy bbq, or even for one of those days you wanna ride your bike and have a picnic in the park. Like most of our bites, this one too has some nutritional facts that might just surprise you. Fennel has been used through the ages for treating a variety of different ailments. Brewed in tea, it is said to stimulate milk production in nursing women, aid digestion and to prevent bad breath. Fennel is also one of the oldest known diet remedies. Ancient Greeks and Romans would use the seeds to prevent obesity because its high in fiber and low in fat. A special tip for parents... if you have a baby who is prone to getting gas, make a tea from fennel seeds and use it instead of Gripe Water. It works to relieve the gas, is economical and all natural. It is also a nice substitute for soy baby formula.

Arroz de Pagés, or more literally "peasant rice" is a slow cooked vegetable & rice dish traditionally made in Cataluña, Spain. This is a family recipe, passed down from generation to generation, that has finally made it's way to the Polaris Bites kitchen. It gets it's name from the hardworking country farmers that would bring home their harvest to make this simple yet healthy comfort food. Slow cooked in a Spanish clay cazuela (flat terra-cota pot), it is an intensely flavored dish of vibrant colors and hearty vegetables. It is cooked in a base of olive oil & garlic with onions, carrots, zucchini, peas and artichoke. Versions are also made with other ingredients such as meats or seafood. Overall, the Spanish cazuela is probably the most popular and commonly used piece of equipment in the Mediterranean kitchen. Polaris Bites loves using the cazuela because it is known that more essential nutrients and vitamins are retained in foods cooked in clay pots because less liquids or fats are needed when cooking.

ROASTED BEET PESTO with spinach pasta & shaved aged parmesan

Kinpira (金平 きんぴら?) is a Japanese cooking style using the technique of "sauté and simmer". It is commonly used to cook root vegetables such as burdock (Gobo), carrot and lotus root. Kinpira Gobo (braised burdock root) is a traditional dish cooked in most Japanese homes. Inspired by our love for Japanese food and home cooking, we decided to add our own twist and include it on our growing menu. Made with sesame oil, sweet soy sauce, sake, thai chili and roasted sesame seeds, this dish is simple, but has complex flavor. This dish has a wonderful earthly taste, is high in fiber and super healthy. 

Some quick pics from the Kasthall USA Event. Thank you to Ingrid, Allyn and Matthew for letting us turn their fax room into a makeshift kitchen! We loved working with you all! Check out their beautiful Swedish Rugs/Carpets @  www.kasthall.com  

George Bernard Shaw

Pol was invited by friend Nana Pavelic to be a guest chef of her wonderful Paladar food project at Third Streaming Gallery. The project takes its inspiration from the Cuban paladares. PALADAR is the popular name given to a small, family-style, private-owned restaurant in Cuba. Paladares (plural) are operations limited to 12 seats only (although they usually have more than that) and must cook local food. This project brings together the creative community of New York (and beyond) in the setting of Third Streaming’s project and performance space. Invited guest chefs include artists, musicians, and others who love to cook.