You always hear about the amazing food on cruises. Cruise fans tell me cruising, besides being such a pleasure, is a real weight-gaining experience. So when I heard of this new cookbook that Sandy Pukel and Mark Hanna created from their work with one of America’s premier health cruises, I took notice. Mouth-watering food that won’t pack on the pounds and that’s actually good for you? I’m on board (pun intended).

Just reading through the table of contents for Deep Blue Sea was inspiring. Natural foods expert Sandy and master chef Mark show us how to use tofu, for instance (Lemon Tofu Cheesecake). Then there’s Brown Basmati Rice with Nori Condiment (successfully using nori—a sea vegetable—that’s a big deal). And speaking of sea vegetables, how about Arame Pouches with Sweet Potato Sauce , Arame-Orange Watercress Salad, or Arame-Stuffed Mushrooms?

Nori, arame… I’ve written about these sea vegetables before. They’re packed with health, and every body needs what they have to offer. These vegetables are loaded with powerful detoxifying benefits. Like an abundance of chlorophyll, for instance. Chlorophyll binds to and neutralizes toxins before flushing them out of your body. Seaweed is a simple and delicious way to detoxify.

That said, let’s look closer at arame (used in the recipes mentioned above). It’s an edible Pacific seaweed with broad brown leaves, used in Japanese cooking. Arame is one of the best seaweed varieties to try for the first time because of its mild flavor. And to top it off, it’s another powerful detoxifier. Just look at all these benefits:

Rich in antioxidants: antioxidants rid the body of cancer-causing free radicals and eliminate inflammation within the body, which can result in chronic pain and disease.

Protection against environmental toxins: seaweed has strong chelating properties, which provides protection against heavy metals . The chlorophyll found in seaweed eliminates toxins that accumulate over time such as cadmium, mercury, pesticides, and industrial pollutants.

Nutrient rich: arame seaweed is rich in essential micronutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, vitamins A and K, and iodine. It is harvested during the springtime when nutrient levels of the ocean are highest.

Immune system support: The antioxidant and micronutrient level of arame strengthens the immune system – preventing illness by giving your body the tools to fight back.

Regulation of hormone levels: estrogen and estradiol are two hormones that ensure the proper function of sexual organs. The iodine content in arame can help to regulate these hormones, improve libido, and assist with female fertility. Arame has been shown in various studies to reduce ovarian cysts and ease PMS symptoms.

Improved hair, skin, and nails: the nutrients in arame improve the elasticity of skin while the antioxidants and minerals draw toxins from the dermal tissue. Arame also contains Omega 3 fatty acids, which reduces inflammation in skin and strengthens hair and nails.

Blood purifying: The chemical composition of arame is able to regulate and purify the blood by drawing out and eliminating toxins.

Reduces acidity: The nutrient level of arame increases the pH of blood, neutralizing tissue that is too acidic. High acidity levels are most often attributed to a modern diet of over-processed foods.

Inspired? Me too. So let’s jump in and try an arame recipe right now. Here’s one the Eden® natural foods company (in Ann Arbor, MI) shares on their site (www.edenfoods.com) for arame stuffed mushrooms. It’s not the version found in our Deep Blue Sea cookbook, but it’s a place to start:

ARAME STUFFED MUSHROOM CAPS (serves 6)

1 cup arame, rinsed and soaked 5 minutes in warm water to cover

2 cups water, for cooking arame

18 large stuffing mushrooms, rinsed well

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 medium onion, finely minced

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 whole lemon, juiced, strain out seeds

2 teaspoon Shoyu soy sauce

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root, squeeze out juice and discard pulp

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Place arame and water in a saucepan, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove arame, rinse, drain and mince arame. Remove stems from the mushrooms and set aside. Place mushrooms in a baking dish. Dice the stems. Heat oil in a small pan. Sauté onions and mushroom stems for 3 to 5 minutes. Add arame. Combine vinegar, shoyu, lemon juice and ginger juice. Pour half over the arame mixture and simmer until liquid evaporates. Stuff mushroom caps with arame mixture. Pour remaining marinade over each mushroom cap. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish. Be careful not to overcook, as the mushrooms will shrink. Garnish with parsley.

And now back to the Deep Blue Sea. The above-mentioned recipes make it a very attractive cookbook. It’s difficult finding truly good recipes using seaweed (unless you’re an accomplished Japanese cook and know where to look). Thus having so many under one cover is a gift. I’ll close, then, with this challenge: Dive into this Deep Blue Sea with me and together let’s discover the wonderful world of seaweed!

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