Look to traditional foods for flavor and health

Glenwood's Downtown Market begins the last quarter of the market season on Sept. 4 with a look at ethnic and traditional food cultures. 

Our Michael Pollan “Food Rule” this week is No. 48: Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks.

He explains, “People who eat according to the rules of traditional food cultures are generally healthier than those of us eating a modern Western diet of processed food. In borrowing from a food culture, pay attention to how a culture eats, as well as what it eats.”

The hot food vendors at the market offer food from five different countries. Sherman Workman and John Tirrell's booth, Greek Gyros, serves generous gyros, Greek salads, falafels and baklava. Jim Souza, of Just Crepes, entertains his customers as he creates sweet and savory crepes while they watch his crepe-making skills. The fresh peach filled crepe is a favorite. 

Salvador Chavez, Leticia Chavez and Laurie Perez, with Colorado's Best Tamales, bring homemade chips, salsas and tamales to the market each week. They offer bean, potato, pork and chicken tamales. Add Rosa's mango on a stick for a fresh fruit dessert.

Sabai Thai Catering with co-owners Sam Broone and Amm Kanyanant Meejaroen joined the market two weeks ago bringing the authentic tastes of Thailand. The smell of the spices will bring hungry shoppers to their booth. They serve Larb, a ground turkey dish with fresh herbs, pork green curry, Padkra Prow, a chicken stir fry and Pad Thai shrimp. 

Sammie and Mark VanLeeuwen of Zoska's Mostly Polska will be new at the market this week. Homemade Polish sausage on a homemade bun, a meatball sub or frito pie will tempt you.

Chris Tribble, owner of Versatile Productions and home chef, will be giving the cooking demonstration at 6 p.m. Growing up with a black father and Japanese mother, Chris was raised with a culinary mixture that he calls Blasian food. Black-Asian food is a combination of southern flavor and fresh crisp vegetables. 

He often watched his mom look in the fridge and pull out crazy stuff that would please his dad's taste, but also had to be prepared with Japanese artistic fresh appeal. Tribble will be preparing Southern grits and sauteed fresh vegetables. The meal is very inexpensive, but nutritious and something everyone will enjoy.

This week the market will host the talented artists Noemi and Kris Kosmowski in the music tent at 5:30 p.m. The Polish-born couple are the artists who have been painting the utility boxes, the I-70 underpass and more in Glenwood Springs. Their work is also at Gallery 809 in Glenwood Springs. 

The Kosmowskis are equally talented musicians. The music sponsors this week are Downtown Drug and Rocky Mountain NeuroAdvantage.

Join Glenwood's Downtown Market from 4 p.m. to dusk Tuesdays, through Sept. 25 in Centennial Park at Ninth and Grand. Find meats, produce, cheeses, wine, flowers and sweet treats to help you prepare a meal from your family's heritage or a different culture. It may become a tradition. 

Source: Post Independent (http://goo.gl/0bE8E)