Research Makes Me Hungry
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009“Calorie density and serving sizes in recipes from The Joy of Cooking have increased since 1936,” reads the conclusion statement of a recent study by Brian Wansink, PhD (Cornell University) and Collin R. Payne, PhD (New Mexico State University) that was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (February 17, 2009).
The study researched 18 recipes that have been published in each of the 7 editions of The Joy of Cooking (1936 – 2006) and found that the mean average calorie density has increased 35.2% per serving over the past 70 years through changes in ingredients and larger recommended serving sizes. Interestingly, the recommended serving size and caloric values increased most significantly from the 1997 edition to the 2006 edition. The overall effect? More calories packed into less servings.
This had caught my eye so I decided it was time for an experiment. I set out to the library. The only editions of The Joy of Cooking that I could find there were 1975, 1997 and 2006. I grabbed the latest two editions (as these had the highest calorie jumps) and took a seat. The 2006 edition indexed the “Joy of Cooking Classic Recipes” for me, so I started there. The list contained recipes like Country Captain Chicken (a curry dish…who would have guessed?), Chicken Morengo (a dish that apparently Napoleon loved), Brownies Cockaigne…
Wait…WHAT?!? Brownies? (Internal monologue: Hmmm…I am a little hungry. It’s noon and I haven’t eaten for awhile. This Joy of Cooking stuff is interesting, but brownies…those sound pretty tasty. Maybe I’ll just jot down the recipe quick…”)
Needless to say, I decided to leave research in the hands of the capable physicians who did the study and,a rmed with my brownie recipe, (which incidentally only changed over the years to decrease the vanilla by 1 teaspoon and suggested smaller serving sizes) set home. Not long later and I was tasting these brownies. Let me tell you, they are over-the-top, slap-me-across-the-face good. Chewy, moist, chocolately…and, as their name suggests, an extreme luxury.
Lessons learned – The Annals of Internal Medicine study taught me two things: 1. Trust your own moderation when it comes to monitoring your food intake, recipes are not all that they appear (I’m doing this by giving away most of my brownies…any takers?) and 2. Some luxuries are worth the calories (in moderation, of course).
Brownies Cockaigne
Joy of Cooking 2006
1/2 c. unsalted butter (1 stick)
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan over low heat. Once completely melted, take it off the burner and cool.
4 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Beat until eggs and salt until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla while continuing to beat until thick. Switch to a wood spoon or rubber spatula and stir in cooled chocolate until just combined. Stir in flour and chopped nuts
Pour batter into a greased baking pan lined with foil (9×13 pan for chewy brownies and 9×9 pan for cakey brownies) and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.
