Intelligence

When engaged in eating, the brain should be the servant of the stomach. ~ Agatha Christie


I've traveled all over the world from Peru to Hong Kong and zillions of points in between. I've interviewed famous movie stars, politicians, a man on death row, a shaman, homeless people, teachers, artists, farmers and many others. If there's one thing I've learned it's that there are many kinds of intelligence. Some people now how to make millions, others how to heal, while still others can entertain, invent, or teach. There's book learning, street smarts, and emotional intelligence. No matter what kind of intelligence you're striving for the fact that you're aware of it, means you're on the right path. The following foods are known for boosting intelligence.

Foods of Interest

Shellfish at the Main Market in Hong Kong. Photo E. Celeste

The Greek God, Apollo chewed banana leaves to gain insight. Eating blueberries not only removes free radicals from your body which can slow you down mentally and physically, they are said to embody the esoteric principal of peace so that you can think more clearly! Shellfish are known to boost brain activity. Romans burned cloves for clarity of mind. The Mayans and Aztecs believed cocoa was the key to mental acuity-something many people associate today with coffee and caffeine! Curry can also have similar properties. Fennel was sacred to the Greeks because it was thought to increase mental agility. Lentils are another intelligence food as are onions. And who could forget paprika? It's made from mild chili which is thought to ramp up creative energies.

French Onion Soup

Onion Soup photo by Erika Celeste

4 C chicken broth

4 C beef broth

1 C red wine (I prefer a cabernet or merlot)

6 large yellow onions

½ stick butter

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

Day old bread

6 slices Swiss cheese

6 slices provolone

Directions: Slice onions into thin rings and separate.  Slice butter into several pieces and add to a heavy cooking pot on medium heat. Add onions. As the onions cook down and caramelize, add half the wine. Avoid most cooking wines. Wine you cook with should be good enough to drink, if it isn’t, it isn’t worth cooking with. Please avoid it. Some simple inexpensive wines that work nicely would be Barefoot or Yellow Tail. Cook down for about a half hour.

Add the broths, rest of the wine, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for another half hour. This gives the flavors time to marry each other and enhances the flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turn oven on broil. Discard bay leaf. Ladle soup into six over safe soup bowls. Top soup with cubed pieces of day old bread. Place a slice of Swiss and a slice of provolone over the pieces of bread. Slide into broiler. For at least 5 minutes. Remove when cheese is browned and bubbling.

Lentil soup photo by Erika Celeste

Lentil Soup

1 lb lentils (or 12-16 oz bag)

1 medium sweet onion

1 lb salt pork

1 t paprika

1 t curry

1 bay leaf

1 quart beef broth

1 quart water

Directions:

Wash and sort lentils. I usually do mine in a Crockpot, but you could do it on the stove on low as well. Pour cleaned lentils into the pot. Add beef broth, water, onion, and bay leaf. Cook on high (in Crockpot) for 2 hours.

Cut rind off salt pork. Cube the rest. Add all of it to the soup. Also add the paprika and curry.  Cook for at least another hour.

When you are ready to eat remove the rind and bay leaf. Please make sure to taste the soup before adding any salt as the pork and beef broth are quite enough. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed. This gets better the longer it cooks. Makes 6-8 servings.