The Laws of Attraction

Scientists have been attempting to understand what makes one human being crave another human being.  Recently, studies have shown that it’s true; primal instincts and pheromones are a key part to promoting human desire. 

Since I’m in the business of taking care of the end result of a passionate embrace (ahem, birth), understanding human attraction is deeply important to me.  The research behind human attraction is fascinating.  There are well methodized studies and theories to show that scent is a powerful factor in sexual desire and that attractive smells are genetically mediated. 

Theory suggests that people, as well as mice, fish, lizards and birds, are attracted to the smell of those who have different genes for building the immune system (the HLA and MHC system) [1].   This theory concludes that mating with somebody who has a different immune system will create more diverse offspring, hence promoting evolution of a more immunologically robust generation.  Each person has her own “body odor fingerprint” according to a study chemically analyzing sweat of 197 Austrian Alp dwellers, and this is thought to be related, at least partially, to a person’s genetic makeup. [2]

All of the major studies on scent revolve around women or men smelling unwashed T-shirts of those of the opposite sex.  In one fascinating experiment published in Nature Genetics, women smelled T-shirts that men wore for two days without deodorant [3].  They were unaware of what they smelled, and were asked to rank the odors in terms of pleasantness.  Women found the t-shirts to be pleasant smelling, and each woman was attracted to the scent of a different t-shirt whose wearer had a unique genetic makeup similar genetically (but only slightly) to the HLA inherited from her father. 

While important for professional and social interactions, showering is optional in love.  In another experiment, 58 Brazilian students, 29 male and 29 female participants, were allowed to shower but they were only allowed to use neutral smelling soaps while wearing a garment over their sternums for five days.  When smelling the garments, there was again a significant correlation between genetics and attractiveness, but only with women smelling men.  Men’s noses are not quite as attuned [1].    

When it comes to eating, sometimes primal behavior wins too.  Men and women do have some similarities when it comes to basic instincts.  Sometimes you just want to rip into a hunk of flesh (and if you don’t, forgive my vulgar words). 

While this meal might not spark passion between your partner and yourself, it will certainly be an intense relationship between you and your meal.   Here I prepare T-bone steak, medium rare (although tragically I overcooked mine) simply prepared with a tomato-chili relish, black beans, and buttery rice.  It has whiffs of a worn T-shirt, in a good way.  It’s time to turn down the lights to the kitchen and have a romantic evening with the skillet, open your nose, and your mouth.  MMMMM

T-bone steaks with black beans, rice and tomato chili relish

Relish
3 long red chilies
1 jalapeno
1 medium tomato
¼ large red onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp cider vinegar
½ tbsp salt
Pinch oregano
½ tsp honey
2 tbsp (plus) water

Preheat oven to 425.  In large baking dish place chilies, tomatoes, onion, garlic and bake for about 25 minutes or until skins are peeling on peppers and veggies are fragrant.  When cooked, remove from oven, cool, peel tomatoes and peppers and seed peppers to taste.  To blender add all ingredients, blend until smooth adding water until desired consistency.

Buttery rice
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp olive oil
½ carrot finely diced
3 green onions using whites and first part of greens, finely sliced
½ tsp salt
1 cup red rice (or other whole grain rice)
2 cups water

Melt butter and olive oil on high heat, sauté onions and carrots until soft, about 3 minutes, add rice and salt and cook rice until starts to stick to pan.  Add water, bring to boil, reduce to low and cover.  Cook until tender about 45 minutes.  Do not stir!

Beans
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 clove garlic finely diced
1 tsp ground cumin
15 oz can black beans with liquid
¼ cup loosely packed chopped cilantro

With a splash of olive oil on medium high heat, sweat onions and garlic until tender about 5 minutes.   Add cumin and cook for about 1 minute.  Add beans with liquid and cilantro, cook until liquid reduced, about 10 minutes, and mash with potato masher.

Steak
2 ¾ lb T bone steaks (or whichever cut you like)
Over medium high heat add splash of oil into skillet, cook salted steaks 3-4 minutes on each side.

1. Santos, PS.; Schinemann, JA.; Gabardo, J.; Bicalho Mda, G. “New evidence that the MHC influences odor perception in humans: a study with 58 Southern Brazilian students.” Hormones and Behavior, v. 47 issue 4, 2005, p. 384-8.
2. Penn, DJ., et al. “Individual and gender fingerprints in human body odour.” Journal of the Royal Society, Interface / the Royal Society, v. 4 issue 13, 2007, p. 331-40.
3. Jacob, S.; McClintock, MK.; Zelano, B.; Ober, C. “Paternally inherited HLA alleles are associated with women's choice of male odor.” Nature Genetics, v. 30 issue 2, 2002, p. 175-9.

a fortifying post--why cast iron is good for you

For my birthday this year, I proclaimed to my family "No more kitchen supplies!". It seems that when you develop a hobby, be it cooking, or knitting, or biking, then all of the sudden, that's all you get for Christmas, birthdays, or any other celebration. No longer is the longed for sweater, a good novel, or a funny DVD. Well thankfully, my sister didn't listen to my birthday demand, and in the mail (thank god for free shipping from Amazon) came a brand new cast iron pan. And bless her soul! Cast iron is genius.

If you don't have a cast iron pan, I strongly recommend that you get one. They are extremely affordable, they cook very evenly, you can put them in the oven without the handle melting off, and if you take care of them they will last forever. They do require a little more maintenance than your regular kitchen utensil. You have to season them which means initially scrubbing the pan with hot soap and water, heating the pan, and smoking hot oil into layers, but this makes a natural non-stick layer. There are many methods for seasoning and this and this are good instructional videos.

When my pan had gotten a little out-of-control sticky, I went on a search of how to re-season it. I stumbled upon resources mentioning that cast iron cooking can contribute to iron intake because elemental iron leaches into the food that we cook. They go even further to suggest that cast iron could be part of the treatment for anemia. Fascinating. Time to scour the evidence. Unfortunately, a lot of the original papers that discuss the amount of iron in different foods from cast iron cooking are from the 80s and not available online. It would seem a little overkill to go to the library and find the original articles for a blog that five people read (but thank you if you are one of them). Even so, the abstracts suggest that cast iron does contribute significantly to the iron concentrations in various foods (1,2).

Interestingly though, are more recent studies that use cast iron as an attempted treatment to prevent iron deficient anemia in underdeveloped countries, since anemia is endemic in many parts of the world. A study completed in Ethiopia in the 1990s distributed cast iron or aluminum pots to families of children with iron deficiency anemia and measured the difference in hemoglobin concentrations after 12 months(everybody in the study also took oral iron supplements) (3). They also measured the amount of iron available in Ethiopian foods cooked in various vessels. The findings showed a significant difference in hemoglobin concentrations in those children that received cast iron-cooked food versus aluminum or clay. Vegetables and meat best extracted iron from the food into a digestible form. Beans for some reason, did not do as good of a job. Similar experiments repeated in other countries have yielded similar results, showing an excellent and easy way to combat low blood counts (4,5)

Fortunately, we do not live with the daily threats of malaria, hookworm and starvation. Even so, iron deficient anemia is prominent in our population especially in women of menstrual age, pregnant women, and those that do not get enough through their diet. In attempts to perfuse your vital organs with rich, red blood built with the powerful iron element, I leave you with this recipe. (Caution: do not eat steak with butter everyday. That is NOT good for your blood)

New York Strip Steaks with Balsamic Glaze

2 thick NY strip steaks
1 tbsp butter
1 medium shallot
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F
2. Preheat your cast iron pan to a medium-high/high heat
3. dry your steaks on a paper towel (the drier they are, the better sear you will get)
4. salt and pepper steaks generously on both sides
5. put half of the butter in the preheated pan and allow to melt
6. add steaks to pan
5. put steaks in pan; cook for about 4 minutes on each side
6. put steaks in oven for 2-5 minutes depending on how done you would like them
7. take steaks out of oven (be careful because the handle is very very hot) and put on a plate to rest, put the pan back on the stove over medium heat
8. with the pan drippings, put other half of butter (or if it too greasy for you already don't) and then saute shallot until transluscent
9. deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar. If the sauce is too dry add a bit of sherry or water
10. pour over steaks and serve

bibliography:

1.Burroughs, AL.; Chan, JJ. “Iron content of some Mexican-American foods. Effect of cooking in iron, glass, or aluminum utensils.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association, v. 60 issue 2, 1972, p. 123-6.

2.Brittin, HC.; Nossaman, CE. “Iron content of food cooked in iron utensils.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association, v. 86 issue 7, 1986, p. 897-901.

3. Adish, A., Esrey, S., Gyorkos, T., Jean-Baptiste, J., & Rojhani, A. (1999). Effect of consumption of food cooked in iron pots on iron status and growth of young children: a randomised trial. The Lancet, 353(9154), 712-6.

4. Borigato, E., & Martinez, F. (1998). Iron nutritional status is improved in Brazilian preterm infants fed food cooked in iron pots. The Journal of nutrition, 128(5), 855-9.

5. Geerligs, P., Brabin, B., Mkumbwa, A., Broadhead, R., & Cuevas, L. (2003). The effect on haemoglobin of the use of iron cooking pots in rural Malawian households in an area with high malaria prevalence: a randomized trial. Tropical Medicine and International Health, 8(4), 310-5.