Tradition. Tradition.

As a not-so-proud owner of an ever-expanding waistline, I find myself periodically reading some books on nutrition. Let’s not sugar coat it: when I hear the word diet, my blood pressure jumps a few points, and my body immediately starts craving something sweet and greasy, I am sure as a measure of preemptive self-defense. I absolutely despise dieting, having been through virtually every one of them (well maybe except strictly vegan one) and failed. As I get older, some brief moments of wisdom spontaneously occur now and then, and I gradually came to understanding that quick results are deceptive and it’s the gradual changes that make a difference long term.

We have been getting more and more into traditional nutrition; it just makes sense to us. In an effort to adopt its simple but not always easy ways, we’ve gradually rid of most of the processed food, become a lot pickier about what we order at a restaurant, switched to about 90% organic food, and try our best to purchase free-range or at least all naturally raised poultry, meats and eggs. I have been making strong bone broths, and even our five-year-old is now a fan of them. We also drink raw milk, and sometimes, when I am in the mood, I make my own kefir (fermented raw milk drink, much like a liquid yogurt). Now if only we could say no to refined sugars for good…. But, baby steps, baby steps…

The latest read I’ve been fascinated with is dedicated to traditional diets. It talks a lot about some foods that have become somehow vilified in our culture, and all the benefits that we’ve been missing by opting out of eating them. I come from a culture in which organ meats are very much a part of every day diet, so for me eating liver or kidneys is just as normal as eating eggs. When you mention liver or kidneys to average Americans, however, you see them cringe and there is about 98.9% chance that you’ll hear “gross!” in response. I’ve even heard some seriously misguided comments, such as “how can you eat liver, it’s a filtering organ, so it’s super dirty”. Well, while I can’t make people eat things they find atrocious, I can still write about cooking those things for dinner, can’t I? Maybe someone gets inspired and gives them a try. One could only hope…

Today we had lamb kidneys for dinner. In my opinion, lamb kidneys have a much milder flavor than beef ones, so if you decide to try something new, lamb is a good start. Kidneys can be treated in same way as any other meat. People roast them, braise them, cook them in creamy sauces and make stews. The easiest way to deal with them is to quickly saute them in butter and add some onions. I found this recipe here and liked it for its simplicity and quick prep. Not going to re-post the recipe this time, since I followed it exactly. Just wanted to make a few comments. When browning kidneys, keep in mind that they tend to release a little bit of blood in their middle, so don’t be discouraged. Turn them over and sear on the other side. Don’t overcook them, as they get tougher with time.