Just good all around

Good morrow, gentle friends. Another weekend is upon us, and, as is my wont, I offer another recipe to please the palate and soothe the soul. But first, disturbing news from yet another study which will make us feel extra good about reducing our consumption of animal products. Forsooth!

This was a very large, forward-looking (or prospective) study on members of the AARP. It found a chilling connection between consumption of animal fats and pancreatic cancer. This is the very nasty cancer that killed Patrick Swayze, Randy Pausch and, most recently, Steve Jobs. This is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and it has only a 20% survival rate, so it is a devastating disease. The AARP study found increased risk of this cancer connected with consumption of beef fat, pork fat, chicken fat, oily fish, eggs and dairy, but no increased risk associated with plant fats such as vegetable oils, nuts or avocados. Animal protein also had a strong association, but not plant-based protein. Even the animal-based sugar lactose (found in dairy products) showed an increased risk, but not plant-based carbs. It is an amazingly consistent picture from study to study. Are these studies trying to tell us something?

Maybe this is one of the reasons that the AARP promotes the Meatless Mondays concept to their members. They include a fairly extensive database of meatless recipes, should you be interested in such a thing. Or you might be happy enough to try a meatless version of a classic French recipe such as the one I am offering this week. There is a little bit of the history of this dish as well as an alternative version you might prefer at this great blog I found while doing my research. This one includes the breaded topping that is traditional, but which I don't happen to like very much. Whichever one you decide to try, may you enjoy it in good health.