JUNE 2018 LOPEZ LAW
WHAT IS BARBECUE, REALLY? E xploring A merica ’ s F avorite C uisine
I hope everyone’s summer is off to an amazing start. As I write this, my wife is finalizing plans for a Wisconsin trip with our 4-year-old. We’ll be spending seven days in the most idyllic of all American wilderness destinations: a cabin in the woods. The little one has already begun expressing doubts about traveling somewhere not called Disney World, but I’m anticipating a delightfully simple week. We’re not exactly going primitive, but I’m nonetheless looking forward to family time that isn’t interrupted by phone calls, urgent text messages, or Wi-Fi complications. Sometimes less is more, especially on vacation. I remember my daughter’s birth like it was yesterday, yet simple arithmetic insists she’s now 4 years old. Where do the days go? For better or worse, it seems they get bundled into workweeks filled with stress, and then crossed off the calendar like items on a to-do list. It’s hard to appreciate a life that moves this quickly, but in Wisconsin, I plan on doing my best. As the saying goes, “Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.” I hope everyone reading this has the opportunity to stretch out and enjoy some time—if only a FROM THE DESK OF Marc Lopez
If you’re like most Americans, you probably refer to your summer cookouts as barbecues. Despite this common shorthand, slapping some burgers and dogs on a scorching-hot grill doesn’t resemble actual barbecue at all. What “true” barbecue means varies from region to region, but at its core, barbecue is about cooking meat slowly over woodsmoke. Celebrated food author Michael Pollan explores the origin of this American cuisine in his book, “Cooked.” After years of research and hundreds of meals, he favors the definition of barbecue provided to him by an Alabama pitmaster named Sy Erskine: “The mystic communion of fire, smoke, and meat in the total absence of water.” When you begin researching different styles of barbecue, however, you realize that nearly everything else surrounding barbecue is a matter of debate. Barbecue, like the country that created it, is influenced by multiple nations and cultures. It exists in various forms across the country, particularly in the South, its spiritual homeland. Wherever you go, you’ll find pitmasters and eaters arguing over the merits of beef versus pork, vinegar versus tomato, and many other characteristics. While it would take countless hours to become a barbecue expert, familiarizing yourself with the major styles will certainly make you the voice of wisdom at your next summer get-together.
little bit—with their nearest and dearest. Do well. Be well. Always plead the 5th.
NORTH CAROLINA
Perhaps the most stringent school of barbecue is found in eastern North Carolina. Here, barbecue does not so much describe a style of cooking as it does one particular item: a slow- smoked, chopped whole hog, seasoned with a sauce of vinegar and pepper. The pork here is not pulled, and it contains none of the sweeter, tomato-based sauces you’ll find on grocery store shelves. The traditional side is a finely chopped coleslaw.
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here, but a few dishes and techniques are worthy of a brief mention. In St. Louis, the deckle or point of the brisket is smoked longer than the rest, creating burnt ends. South Carolina pitmasters are fond of a mustard-based sauce known as “Carolina gold.” For eaters with more adventurous palates, Kentucky barbecue, which often features mutton, is worth trying. At its heart, barbecue reflects the nation that created it. It’s diverse, creative, and simultaneously humble and sophisticated. While American barbecue is fundamentally its own thing, you can find cuisines from every corner of the globe that take advantage of the unique deliciousness of smoked meat. If you’re curious about the ways people from Korea to Denmark are making this ancient method of cooking their own, check out the “BBQ” episode of “Ugly Delicious” on Netflix. No matter which style you believe reigns supreme, barbecue is the perfect food for summer.
barbecue menus. These are humble cuts, widely available and inexpensive. The magic results come from a combination of technique and time. Aaron Franklin, proprietor of Austin’s legendary Franklin Barbecue, writes, “The fact that in Texas barbecue you’re taking one of the worst pieces of the animal and converting it into one of the best is a miracle itself.” Memphis-style is the closest representation of what most people think of as barbecue. Pork ribs and pulled pork are the stars here. Memphis is also the birthplace of the tomato- based barbecue sauces you’re probably familiar with. That sauce covers pulled pork shoulder and is also slathered on “wet” ribs. “Dry” ribs, as you might expect, feature only a dry rub of salt, sugar, and spices. TENNESSEE
The Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC, is perhaps America’s most famous restaurant serving this uber-traditional style of barbecue, but its pitmaster, Sam Jones, is not the type to venerate one style of cooking above all others. “I believe there’s a place for all types of barbecues,” he says. Even with such an inclusive mindset, don’t expect beef brisket to show up on his menus anytime soon. In the Lone Star State, on the other hand, beef predominates pork, and brisket is the most iconic cut. Central Texas barbecue is primal and unabashedly smoky. It owes its heritage in part to German meat markets of the 1800s, but it’s a creation all its own. Sauce is often frowned upon here, as it obscures the flavor of the smoke. Dry rub is the only addition to the potent mixture of fire, wood, smoke, and meat. As the rub caramelizes, it creates a crust, known as bark, around the meat. TEXAS
OTHER REGIONS
There are far more regional specialties and characteristics than we have space to cover
In addition to brisket, you’ll also find beef sausage and short ribs on traditional Texas
The Hazards of Blue Light How to Protect Your Eyes and Minimize Exposure
You may have been warned about blue light and its impending threat to your eyes. It comes from your computer screen, your phone, and even from the sun. Why is this form of light harmful, and how can you keep your eyes safe? IS BLUE LIGHT A NEW THING? and lenses, almost all of it reaches the more sensitive retinas.
There are also removable filters you can put on your computer screen. Brands like RetinaShield/ Tech Armor and Eyesafe are designed to limit the amount of blue light your eyes are exposed to. To avoid eye strain, talk to your eye doctor about blue light glasses. These tinted glasses, which come in prescription and nonprescription versions, reduce the amount of blue light that reaches your eyes. Remember, blue light itself is just a natural form of light and isn’t inherently bad. During the day, it can even be beneficial to get some natural blue light from sunshine —while wearing sunglasses, of course. But it’s also a good idea to take precautions to protect your eyes from artificial blue light, especially if your work environment and hobbies expose you to it frequently.
Blue light occurs in nature and is nothing new. However, because many electronics emit blue light, it’s more of an issue now than it was just 10 years ago. Backlit LED screens emit strong blue light waves, so our use of devices like cellphones, tablets, and flat-screen TVs means we are exposed to more blue light than ever before. WHY ARE EYE DOCTORS WORRIED? Blue light isn’t inherently bad — it’s found in sunlight and lightbulbs — but our increased exposure to it might be. Our eyes are pretty good at blocking UV rays but not so good at blocking blue light. Blue light has a higher energy output than other forms of light, so instead of being filtered by the corneas
The high energy output of blue light and our eyes’ inability to protect the retinas from it appears to cause damage similar to macular degeneration, an eye disease mostly affecting people over 65 that can lead to blindness. These similarities to macular degeneration have scientists worried that our increased exposure to blue light could lead to more cases of it. HOW CAN YOU MINIMIZE EXPOSURE? Many computers and electronic devices have a “night shift” option built into them. Enabling this feature will dim the screen and lower the amount of blue light that your device emits.
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The Best Time to Book a Flight
SAVE BIG ON AIRFARE WITH THIS SIMPLE RULE
Have you been injured in a car accident? The Marc Lopez Law Firm has handled hundreds of automobile injury claims over the years. If you have an auto injury claim, here are the 4 WORST THINGS you can do: 1. Fail to make a police report. Anytime you’re involved in a motor vehicle collision, you should immediately call the police and have a report made. Not making a police report can be the misstep that instantly sinks your claim. 2. Delay in seeking medical treatment. As an injured person, your only duty is to mitigate your damages—to seek treatment and follow professional medical advice. If you delay going to the doctor—or decline to follow the doctor’s instructions—that evidence can be used against you. 3. Receive treatment from a medical provider who initiates contact with you after you have been injured. There’s an entire industry of doctors, chiropractors, and physical therapists that seek out people who’ve been injured and offer to treat them at “no cost.” THESE ARRANGEMENTS ARE SCAMS. Providers like these hope to bill insurance companies for the value of their services, and these same providers often have specific attorneys they want you to work with. These scams are structured so that everyone gets paid except you. Don’t fall for it. 4. Give a statement to the at-fault party’s insurance company without first speaking to an attorney. No matter how well-mannered its representatives are, this insurance company is your opponent. Its employees will do everything possible to get you to say something unflattering about your case. Don’t make it easy on them. If you’ve been involved in an automobile accident, give the attorneys at the Marc Lopez Law Firm a call at ( 317) 632-3642. We’re always happy to talk through your options and steer you in the right direction. MARC’S TIPS AND TRICKS In case you haven’t noticed, traveling is expensive. It can feel like you’re signing away your soul when you sit down to plan a vacation. But when it comes to flights, there’s good news: They’re getting cheaper! According to a 2017 report published by online travel company ODIGEO, long-distance trips across Europe fell 7 percent last year. Luckily, the same trend is reflected in North American airlines as they engage in a price war to woo a growing base of ultrafrugal travelers. Still, a $600 summer flight to Honolulu isn’t exactly pocket change. What’s worse, flight prices are slippery; CheapAir.com’s 2017 Annual Airfare Study determined that the fares for any given trip go up or down an average of 71 times, about $33 each shift. When you purchase your flight is nearly as important as where you’re going. But how do you choose a booking window that will maximize your savings? According to the CheapAir.com study, in which they evaluated 921 million airfares, the best time to book is 21–105 days in advance of your flight, on average. If you want to get even more specific, try to book 55–75 days out, and book on a Sunday. Many travelers swear by Tuesday and
Wednesday bookings, but as Condé Nast Traveler reports, Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation. say that Sunday is the way to go, based on data from billions of flights. Tuesday andWednesday are usually the cheapest days to actually fly, though. The CheapAir.com study also pinpoints the absolute best windows for specific seasons: 54 days for winter trips, 75 days for spring, 76 days for summer, and 45 days for fall. Of course, these are averages, but if you stick to these rules and check fares regularly on sites like Kayak.com, SkyScanner.com, Momondo.com, and on the handy app Hopper, you can rest easy knowing you’re getting close to the best price possible.
OATMEAL COOKIE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES Ingredients
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1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 1/2 ounces store-bought waffle cones, lightly crushed
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
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1 large egg yolk
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1 1/2 cups oats
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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2 tablespoons all- purpose flour
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4 pints ice cream (any flavor)
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 F. While oven is heating, cook butter in saucepan over medium heat until browned, 5–8 minutes. Scrape browned butter into a heatproof measuring glass. 2. Pulse waffle cones, oats, flour, and salt in a food processor or blender. Once cones are finely ground, add brown sugar and pulse again. 3. Whisk egg yolk, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. 4. Add egg mixture to food processor while spinning on low. Once integrated, slowly add browned butter; blend until dough forms a solid mass around blades. 5. Form dough into 26 balls and place 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls and bake 12–15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. 6. Let cool, then spread ice cream between cookies to make sandwiches. 7. Freeze for up to 5 days — or enjoy today!
Inspired by Bon Appetit
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Marc Lopez PAGE 1 The Great Barbecue Debate PAGE 1 What’s All the Fuss About Blue Light? PAGE 2 Cut Down on Flight Costs WithThis Simple Rule PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches PAGE 3 HowMeditation Can Help the Aging Brain PAGE 4 Meditation has often been touted by New Age gurus as a way to find inner peace and stillness. But what if meditating could reduce the effects of aging on your brain? According to research, taking a fewminutes out of your day to meditate may improve cognitive function. As meditation’s popularity has spread, so have studies of the practice. The results of 100 studies examining the cognitive effects of meditation all show evidence of improvements in psychological and cognitive functions. Some of the results are intuitive, such as how meditation helps us deal with stress. But other results are incontrovertible, such as scans showing that meditation causes structural changes in the brain. For people facing age-related changes like memory loss, the results of these tests are especially relevant. The studies point to evidence that meditation can strengthen certain areas of the brain — the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala — that weaken as we age.
IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN MINUTES How Meditation Helps You Maintain Brain Health
THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX Your prefrontal cortex thins with age, which is associated with decreased cognitive function in your later years. However, meditation may reduce this age-related thinning. Dr. Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist specializing in the effects of yoga and meditation on cognitive and behavioral function, reports that long- time meditators don’t show a decline in the thickness of the prefrontal cortex. THE HIPPOCAMPUS Your hippocampus helps you process and form new memories, and it’s very sensitive to stress. In fact, research shows that your hippocampus will shrink in response to stressful situations and chronic stress. The remedy? Meditation. Dr. Lazar’s study showed a positive correlation between meditation and a higher concentration of gray matter in the left hippocampus.
THE AMYGDALA Often called the fear center of the brain, the amygdala is triggered by stressful situations. But unlike the hippocampus, which shrinks in response to stress, the amygdala has been shown to become denser. In one study, people who attended mindfulness meditation classes showed a smaller stress response in brain scans compared to those who did not attend the classes. Meditation may help to decrease the density of the amygdala and therefore increase your ability to handle stress. Of course, in addition to these benefits, there’s a good chance that five minutes of meditation
each day will simply make you feel better. People who meditate report an increase in overall well-being.
Why not give it a try?
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