Exploring the African Presence in Modern American Cuisine: Coffee, Cocoa and Black Bean Chili

Wow.  What a month!  February has been quite busy for me with work, traveling, blogging and trying to manage a social life.   

When I launched the Black History Month series at the end of January, I reverted to my 21-year-old self and recalled the searing enlightenment of my informative speech on soul food in my Persuasive Communication class.  I opened up the speech with a poem written by the phenomenal Pat Parker.  Then, I talked about the history and evolution of soul food, and I ended with some open-ended questions and a food tasting of collard greens and candied yams.   First of all, I must ask is it any surprise that I ended up with a food centric career?  Second, I was quite surprised how much I learned about myself and my culture by exploring a topic that seemed so obvious and familiar.   Life Lesson # 324:  No topics are off limits.  Depth is just as important as breadth.   Third, the professor, a legend in her field, gave me the highest compliment by saying she would never think of soul food the same way again after my speech.   When it was all said and done, my multicultural classmates had told me all about their cultural "soul foods" and one of the students in the class had surreptitiously tried to convince me to cook for a campus event.  Ummm... No sir!

Much like that speech some seven years ago, the Black History Month series has been quite eye-opening.  I've learned a lot and I'm better informed about foodways in the African Diaspora.  However, it has also been a major life adjustment restricting my food choices and having such a regimented meal plan for an entire month when my cooking style is pretty spontaneous and in sync with the time constraints in my life.  I had lots of ideas and not quite enough time to blog about peanuts (George Washington Carver), sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, watermelons, patties, jollof rice, and injera.  I also didn't get around to organizing the Black Heritage Potluck that I dreamt about.    The fact of the matter is I have a full time job with a ridiculous commute.  I work out four to five days a week.  I travel a fair amount in the region.  I have a personal life.  This blog is simply a personal project where I let my creative juices flow.  So, the Black History Month series wasn't all that I wanted it to be, but I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new.  

The last food I will be featuring in the Black History Month series is coffee.  Ethiopia is widely believed to be the birthplace of coffee.  According to legend, a goat herder discovered coffee after noticing his goats were so lively and "spirited" after consuming the mysterious berries that they did not sleep at night.  The goat header confided in a monk who made a drink with the berries and subsequently extolled their virtues to other monks in the monastery.  Word of the "energizing" black beverage eventually spread near and far and coffee soon became a global phenomenon.   Hmmm... Quite interesting.  There's a conversation starter for your next cup o' joe.

I'm actually not a coffee drinker myself, but I decided to try my hand at this quick and easy recipe for Black Bean and Espresso Chili.  I halved the recipe, using two onions and 3 cans of black beans.  I also added 1 tbsp of cocoa powder, substituted dark roast coffee for espresso and substituted two diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for the chipotle chili powder.  I initially served it with these Pan-Fried Grit Cakes.  They were okay, but I much preferred it with cornbread.  In fact, the chili and cornbread combination was so tasty that I'd have to say this recipe is a keeper.  It's a breeze to make, loaded with fiber and protein, relatively inexpensive and quite tasty.   I'll just have to tweak the recipe some more to kick the spice factor up another notch for me.

What's In That Bottle?

Did you know that 5 of the top 25 sources of calories among Americans ages 2 years and older are beverages?  (NHANES, 2005-2006).

• #4 are soda/energy/sports drinks
• #6 are alcoholic beverages
• #13 is reduced fat milk
• #22 is fruit drinks
• #23 is whole milk

These drinks should be consumed as occasional treats, but for many people, they are their primary fluid choices.  Considering that many of these drinks are nothing more than empty calories with no nutritional value, they pose a significant public health concern.  In a year's time, the cost of drinking caloric beverages could really add up.  For instance, drinking one 12 ounce can of soda (Coca Cola, Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper) each day for one year adds an additional 51,100 calories to the diet (140 x 365), costs about $274 ($0.75 x 365), and could lead to 14.6 pounds in weight gain (51100/3500).  If you're like me and would rather put your money and calories to better use, consider the alternatives.

The Nutrition Source at Harvard School of Public Health actually delineates a healthy drink spectrum that I am quite fond of.  Check it out here.  It has 6 levels of healthful beverages.  All recommendations below are my own and not endorsed by the Harvard School of Public Health.

Level 1: Water

Water is abundant (in the US), refreshing, free, and provides zero calories to the diet.  It is by far the healthiest beverage choice available. If you don't enjoy the taste of water, spruce it up by adding a splash of fruit and vegetable juices such as lemons, limes, strawberries, cucumbers, cherries, raspberries, or pomegranates.  I really enjoy a sprig of fresh mint in my water.  If you desire the carbonation of soft drinks, try a half/half mixture of water and carbonated water.  

Level 2: Tea and Coffee

In the US, there's a tea or coffee shop on every other corner in most major cities.  They are the second most popular and healthful beverage choices after water (when consumed straight).  For hot coffee and tea, sweeten them with a low glycemic sweetener such as agave nectar and opt for a soy or skim milk instead of cream and whole milk to cut down on the calories and fat.  For iced/cold tea, try adding fresh citrus, mint, and carbonated water (right before serving to keep it from getting flat) as an alternative to sweeteners.

Level 3: Low-fat and Skim Milk and Soy Beverages

Dairy is an important sources of calcium in the diet and it is better absorbed than many other calcium sources, but it's important to drink low-fat and skim milk to eliminate the high amounts of fat found in dairy.  Soy beverages are a good alternative for vegans and those with a lactose intolerance, but always check the food label for sugar and other additives.  Skim milk is actually the healthiest choice of all three due to its lack of fat.

Level 4: Noncalorically Sweetened Beverages

Diet sodas are a healthier alternative to the regular beverages, but they are still not a health drink.  Artificial sweeteners may confuse the body's natural feedback mechanism that controls satiety (fullness) leading to overeating, the phosphate in colas may have a deleterious affect on the bones, and some artificial sweeteners have been found to stimulate the appetite.

Level 5: Calories Beverages with Some Nutrients

In this category is fruit juice, vegetable juice, whole milk, sports drinks, vitamin-enhanced waters, and alcoholic beverages.  I find that people are most confused by this category of drinks.  Make sure that any fruit juices you consume are 100% juice to get the most nutritional benefit.  However, you CANNOT substitute fruit juice for fruit consumption itself as juice lacks the fiber you get from eating the flesh of the fruit. The USDA recommends one serving (4 ounces) of fruit juice per day. 

Fruit smoothies are high is calories and carbohydrates.  Drink sparingly.

As with fruit juices, make sure that all vegetable juices you consume are 100% juice and check the sodium content.  

Whole milk has all the fat naturally found in dairy, but is loaded with nutrients.  Considering there are healthier alternatives that provide the same nutritional benefit such as reduced fat and skim milk, you should limit your consumption of whole milk.

Sports drinks, vitamin-enhanced waters, and alcoholic beverages, for the most part, all have high sugar content and add calories to the diet.  These are not healthy drink choices by any means.  

Level 6: Calorically Sweetened Beverages

This category includes soft drinks, fruit drinks, lemonade, and other "ades".  These drinks are loaded with sugar, calories, artificial ingredients, and other additives.  Make these drinks an occasional treat because they have little to no nutritional value and are not recommended for daily consumption.