Avoid Wrapping Food in Aluminum: Use Parchment!
If you have been following me for a while you may have noticed I like to reference the National Calendar. Apparently there is a "National" day for nearly anything! Who knew? Today, the last Wednesday in June, is National Parchment Day.
Any day is parchment day for me. I love using parchment paper (unbleached, of course) for a variety of reasons. Besides the less obvious reason of eliminating dishes to wash, parchment paper does a wonderful job of locking in moisture and preserving nutrients when cooking. I use it to cook fish which always turns out moist and flaky and I even use it to steam spinach in the oven. I have used it when roasting veggies and occasionally, a bread recipe will require the batter to be poured into a pan lined with parchment paper. I use it in my air fryer or anywhere I don't want my food to touch a possible toxin such as a nonstick surface.
I know a lot of people use aluminum foil in the same way but I have to warn you (if you haven't already heard) aluminum foil can leak into your food. Aluminum foil has been linked to Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and MS.
Watch the video here.
Exposure from Aluminum foil from cooking along with deodorant and other sources can build up over time. Using parchment paper is one way to avoid that toxin. (It is pricey so I always cut/tear it to be precise and use every scrap to avoid waste.)
This method of cooking, making little packets of food, has been around for centuries. The French have used the en papillote way of cooking to infuse flavor. This is their secret to healthy, wholesome and flavorful meals.
And lastly, it allows you to avoid synthetic cooking sprays and high fat oils.
If you already use parchment paper or are interested in it... drop a comment below.
Happy Parchment Day!