Healthy food and restaurants
Many ask us this question: Is it healthy to eat in restaurants?
It is considered that a healthy diet, well balanced and loaded with the nutrients that the human body needs, does not have to restrict itself only to the intake of vegetables and fruits. The key is to eat everything.
We, restaurants, generally serve elaborate, complex, original dishes ... as it is through the kitchen where we have to show our talent.
The good news? Even our food can help you maintain your weight.
Remember: a healthy diet is a varied diet. You can come to dinner at Lume & Co frequently and eat healthy. Without any doubt!
Look at the menu carefully
At Lume & Co we guarantee the origin of our products and, of course, we offer information on the ingredients that each product contains.
We have all heard, read, seen news about the quality of food and its conservation. It is very important that when you choose a restaurant you ensure that the ingredients they use are of quality.
Let’s see an example: A veal steak contains only 14% of the daily fat that a person needs daily for a balanced diet. At Lume & Co we select our meat suppliers among the most recognized in the country. Certified cattles, which offer traceability. Livestock where the use of additives, hormones and antibiotics is very limited. Think about it; we are what we eat.
What if I am following a diet?
According to the dietitian Michel de Montignac, a person subjected to a diet, for reasons of weight and health, needs to take a break once a week, to be able to release the anxiety that food restriction generates. We call that a detour.
And anyone who has ever taken a diet knows that, without a doubt, that concept feels very good to the body, the mind and the spirit. From time to time, it's time to put aside the rigidity and choose a tasty and forceful dish, which does not stop being healthy for our body.
Desserts
Are you sure the desserts get fat? Well it is scientifically proven that desserts do not get fat after being eaten after a meal or dinner. What makes you fat is the global calculation of the calories you have consumed throughout the day.
If you follow healthy eating habits throughout the week you will not need to deprive yourself of your favourite dessert since although the overall calculation of the day is somewhat higher than the days you do not go out, it will not be as disastrous as if you "eat bad "always. You will hardly notice it.
And yes, this last one is totally true but we have also written it to whet your appetite ;)
Advice to lose weight?
Every year the same thing happens, before the summer we start to obsess with the "Operation Bikini" and we consider dieting. The problem is that 90% of the time we are not able to maintain it for a long time because it is usually very hypocaloric (very low in calories) and without fats or sugars and, of course, the body is resentful and in the end "he asks for it".
And how do diets usually end? Well with an overeating when we cannot do more, with what we double damage our body: first we deprive him of essential nutrients and finally we give him an overdose of them.
If you look, many dieters have not managed to lose weight. The reason is very simple, it is not about depriving our body of anything but changing habits.
And what is that of changing habits?
Well, to start eating five times a day and distribute the amount we need daily during those five times.
A common mistake is to get up in a hurry, have a quick coffee (or nothing) and run to work. This can be a mistake because when we eat breakfast we will be so hungry at the time of the meal that we will gobble up first, second, dessert, coffee and whatever it takes. But not only that, eating copiously at noon, we will not be hungry all afternoon but when we get home, at night, we will compulsively eat anything and go to sleep full.
Result: we will have eaten badly throughout the day and we will not rest well so the next day we will get up tired, without hunger for breakfast, with little encouragement and, sure, that the sheets will be stuck.
So how should I eat?
The answer is easier than it seems. It is about eating five times a day as we have already begun to say before. A balanced diet would be:
- A good breakfast, taken with calm and tranquillity. Try getting up early in the morning to take it easy. The first day will cost you but in a few days, you will have become accustomed and you will perform better because you will rest better at night.
- In the middle of the morning, take something light: a yogurt with cereals, for example, will make you feel no hunger at midday and it will provide you with nutrients.
- To eat, you will see how you are no longer as hungry as when you did not eat breakfast. Moreover, you may not want to eat. That's a good sign, remember that before you arrived with a terrible hungry at noon. You can eat what you want without problems, but not being hungry you will not cram. To give an example, the amount may be that of a dessert plate but "diet" food is not necessary.
- In the middle of the afternoon again, take something to prevent your body from "feeling hungry". A piece or two of fruit is perfect. It can also be another yogurt, etc.
You will see that you arrive at night without hunger. Here the "trick" is eating something very light but "fill" like a good salad to which you can add whatever you want: a chicken Cesar, or a tuna, etc. You can also take a vegetable cream or similar.
All this will help you rest and in the morning, you will wake up hungry which will be PERFECT to eat your breakfast.
ATTENTION: Eating a little more of the account from time to time, if you follow a healthy eating habits is not a problem at all.
So, you know, book at Lume & Co, enjoy, have fun, savour, chat with your people and do not worry.
Meat: the whole process from the little to the very hard
You love meat, that's for sure. If not, you would not be reading this text. The doubt begins when you ask for the meat that you like the most and the waiter asks you "How do you want the meat?".
Let's easily explain the different cooking points of the meat :)
Cooking point of the meat: The process
Food and cooking have always been an art that needs all the skill and dedication to prepare it and know how to eat it. The meats have so many ways to be cooked as chefs but we are going to detail here the process depending on the degree of cooking.
Bluau or saignant: For most of us, "back and forth". First cooking point, cooked at high temperature so that the outer part of the meat is well cooked and the inside remains almost raw. Therefore, you will get undercooked meat inside, which will not reach more than 40 degrees, perfectly isolated by its surface.
Little Made or Rare: If you like meat that it is drier on the outside and much juicier on the inside. Cooked to no more than 50-55 degrees, it maintains juiciness inside but also sealed by an outside grill. All we can say is that, if you are a fan of red meat, it will be a total delight!
To the point or Medium Rare: Perhaps one of the most common options for cooking meat. It has to have its upper interior temperature between 55 and 60 degrees. As you can see, the cooking temperatures can vary a lot, depending on the desired result. In this case, we are talking about a not-so-juicy meat inside, with a well-made exterior. Another mention here would be that some of the flavour of the meat is lost during cooking.
Very done or well done: The point well done. Both the meat and the point of cooking. Here we are talking about a high temperature, a fully cooked meat, without any trace of pink, since it has been prepared at less than 70 degrees. In this case we can also talk about a lower level of juiciness.
Whether you like the pink colour of the meat, or that is more similar to cocoa beans, we invite you to try all the cooking methods mentioned above, at the Lume & Co restaurant. Everyone has their pros and cons, and it's about tastes. For our part, we can guarantee our commitment in order to be sure that you get exactly what you have ordered, and with the quality of our selected meats.
May Vegetables
The basis of a healthy diet and a balanced nutrition are, as is well known, five daily portions of fruit or vegetables. And it is always preferable to choose the season’s ones. How does that benefit us?
Fruits and vegetables are a basic pillar in our diet. Thanks to following the calendar of seasonal products, we can improve our diet, choosing the fruit or vegetable that is in the fullness of its development, loaded with the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that we need.
Because we are in May there are many vegetables and fruits that we can still use to cook delicious dishes, others that come to an end, but still offer us an excellent taste and condition, and others that are available all year. The last ones are the basis of our Mediterranean diet, and they are the key to endless recipes, such as onions and garlic. Some roots, such as radish and beet, are also available during the twelve months, although they are certainly less used.
At this time, we are in the perfect time to consume green asparagus, which does not have much left to disappear from our fields until the next season. It is also the moment when the carrot and the pumpkin begin to be totally at their moment.
Why is it good for the body?
The theory starts with the defenders of the Palaeolithic diet. If we leave aside the ease with which today we can find in the supermarket all kinds of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, in fact our body is specially designed to digest and consume the vegetables that are proper to each season.
Nature has its own logic, which will benefit us the moment we learn to respect it. It is not an easy thing to do, thanks to the simplicity of life in our era, so it requires us to make an extra effort, looking at the vegetables that we should be incorporating or excluding from our diet every month; or trusting the establishments that strive to offer the most suitable seasonal vegetables in each of their elaborations, even if only for the preparation of the garnitures.
At Lume & Co we work the seasonal cuisine, both with vegetables, fruits and with meats and poultry. To achieve this, we deal directly with local producers and distributors who offer us raw materials of proximity.
Angus Beef
In today’s article, we are going to find out more about a very well-known type of meat, Angus Beef. When we say “well-known” we actually imply that it has been widely spread, each and every menu including burgers or any other meat specialties made out of Angus Beef. Hence, little do we know about this particular type of meat. This is why, today, we are trying to contour an overview image.
Meat & marketing
More often than not, when we are supposed to go to the grocery store to buy whatever we want to, we simply buy it, without spending time on thinking about where did that particular meat come from. The same reason applies when we order some food at a restaurant. Not many of us are aware of the breeds of cattle, inspection and grading processes that have to be accomplished.
Moreover, this market, as exactly any other market, has its own marketing specificities. This is the reason that explains why when a fast food chain, restaurants, or even hot dog makers start mentioning the term Angus, there is going to be a mare’s nest. As a mere example of that, there is a brand of dog food that names itself Angus.
So, what is Angus?
When we talk about Angus, we talk about a breed of cattle. Is not a mastery beef, it does not imply that the beef is organic, natural or that has obtained a higher grade than any other one. Nowadays, it is believed that all the Black Angus cattle are originating from the indigenous cattle of Scotland, by the end of the XIX century. In the 1870s these cattle were brought to the USA and by the 1880 the American Angus Association was founded.
There are two types of Angus breeds: Black and Red. The Red one is not sponsored by the American Angus Association, therefore being a much rarer breed. This is why Black Angus has been called simply Angus. They have a black-hided breed without horns. In a nutshell, the Angus has a series of advantages, that gained their popularity, such as: well marbled, fast growing or reliably tender.
Thanks to these advantages, it has quickly become the most popular breed all over the USA, especially among ranchers.
And now, why is it so special?
Angus beef develops with better marbling than most cattle. Marbling is the amount of intramuscular fat. It has been said that marbling improves flavor, tenderness and keeps meat moist while cooking (especially at high temperatures).
Furthermore, beef is graded based on marbling with the highest degree of marbling reserved for the Prime grade. Now, how do we know whether what we buy is Angus or not? Quite simple: all beef in the USA is inspected by the US Department of Agriculture. This is a compulsory procedure, and performed first and foremost in order to ensure the food safety.
Put it short: even though in the USA this is the most commonly met type of meat and breed, the special attention that has been given to it, alongside the almost American tradition of Angus, have gained the reputation and popularity of this culinary product.
Photo credits: istockphoto.com, greystonesteakhouse.com, carnesrojas.es and meatandcleaver.com.au
Galician Blond Beef (Rubia Gallega) – a special type of meat
Let’s continue our tour through the fascinating world of high quality meats with a purely Spanish tradition: Galician Blond Beef. As you might have already guessed, it is a special type of meat originating from Galicia, a northwestern region of Spain. But we are going to find out more about it, in order to understand why did we include it in our meals.
The best beef in the world?
In a nutshell, we are talking about a meat that comes from a fat old cow. But this was not an obstacle in its route to success, taking into account that it has gained its reputation of high quality meat recently. One of the hottest topics nowadays in all the steak passionate circles is beef from old Spanish cows. In other words, a breed of bulls and cows called “Galician Blond”. The peculiarity of it is that it has to be over eight years old.
Food writers, celebrities and beef lovers are literally devouring what is being crowned the best tasting steak in the world in all the finest restaurants in London, New York or Paris.
Why is Galician Blond Beef the best?
These particular breeds are left to gaze for up to 15 years longer than a normal beast, which is being raised specifically for steakhouse and butchers. During this time, the beef gains a distinct deep flavor, because of the marbling maturation. Our meat has its flavor enhanced even further by dry-ageing whole bone-in loins in room which controls the humidity and temperature. This process dehydrates the meat and gives the fat an essence of blue cheese, nuts and mushrooms.
Our chefs also learned a special cooking method for this particular meat. Normally, the steak experts cook at a very high temperature for a short time, over an open flame. But for this type of beef, the ideal option would be a slow cooking, on a flat top grill. By doing this, it gets almost crispy around the outside, but still remains rare in the middle. Afterwards, the steak is removed from the bone and sliced onto a hot serving plate.
Costly, but tasty
Galician Beef is not cheap and it is competing with some of the most expensive rare breeds. A whole slab of Galician Beef weighs approximately 10 kg. For a live experience of the wonderful world of steaks and any other high-quality meat, Lume & Co is waiting for your visit.
Photo credits: thelondonfoodie.co.uk, theyumlist.net, glasgowist.com and http://sciaccamalta.com
Golf Club in Puntiro
The Golf Park Mallorca offers everything that this noble sport has in terms of attractiveness and seductiveness. It is often said that, if you try it, you are lost. There are few sports activities that call on our desire for self-improvement, as golf does. And the keys are obvious: you play in a scenario surrounded by exuberant beauty, apparently relaxed and cordial, but in which your instinct of competition is awakened from the depths of your guts.
If you feel that small maggot during your trip to Mallorca, do not give up! On the island, you have great golf courses at your fingertips, where, in addition to satisfying your golfing desires, you can spend the whole day, meet its interesting partners and make a tribute to yourself in their restaurant.
Discover the advantages of GolfPark Mallorca
GolfPark Mallorca Puntiró is at few kilometres from the centre of Palma, heading east. You arrive through the Puntiró road, in the direction of Sineu. It is also very close to the airport, which makes it even more comfortable to go play some holes as soon as you land on the island.
Golf is a fresh, healthy sport, in which, without hardly realizing it, and while you are immersed in the game, you travel several kilometres on foot on the green grass, in a toning and healthy way, wrapped in the scents of the open field, with the blue sky in the background, and that joy that beats in your chest.
Your perfect activity in Majorca
It is not a bad plan. A day dedicated to golf and, 15 minutes later, through the vía ronda, planting in our excellent restaurant, where you can relax, discuss the play with your friends and enjoy the delicious dishes that will put an end to your great day.
Keep in mind that, to go to play, you do not have to be a member. You can access a single day, play nine holes, and have a great time. However, if at some point you decide to permanently reside in Mallorca, which you never know, it is more advantageous to become a permanent member. Surely the youngest see that option with better eyes after trying a couple of golf lessons, and meet other boys and girls of their age with the same desire to have fun with this sport.
In addition, it is the perfect place to make new friendships between people of different nationalities. After all, Majorca is a vibrant island, full of European citizens and from other continents, accustomed to an intense social life that you will love.
Photos: GolfPark Mallorca
High quality meat: Wagyu beef
Today we are going to continue our journey through the world of high quality meat. At Lume&Co we prepare a great variety of meat, carefully cooked by top chefs, because of our continuous concern about quality and commitment regarding our clients. Given that, we want to present you the meat that we use, among other interesting subjects, so as you could understand our business philosophy and what makes us who we are, these being: our unique selling proposition mixed with devoutness and responsibility that we owe to each and every customer of ours.
Wagyu – some facts
Wagyu is a highly prized meat because of its incredibly tenderness and because it has a buttery soft flavor. It’s all about the intense fat marbling in the meat, being the source of its rich taste. Always, a premium piece of Wagyu has to simply melt in your mouth. If you don’t believe us, come by and check it by your own! It will be our pleasure to make you a demonstration of it.
If we are to ask ourselves what represents that quite complicated name: Wagyu, well we are talking about a generic name for beef in Japan: Wa means Japanese, and Gyu, is the Japanese term for beef. Originally, four main breeds were used for Wagyu production in Japan: Japanese Polled, Japanese Black, Japanese Brown and Japanese Shorthorn. Hence, what we use nowadays for Wagyu meat is a cross between the native breeds, that are used in the agriculture sector) with imported breeds, such as: Brown Swiss, Devon, Simmental, Korean, Ayrshire and Shorthorn.
Why is Wagyu beef so special?
The rearing method is the one that makes this particular breed so remarkable: in Japan, but not only there, in order to qualify for the Wagyu mark, the cattle has to be reared and fed in accordance with specific instructions. For example, young Wagyu calves are fed a milk replacer by hand and they shall get jackets to wear when the weather gets cold. Moreover, they are kept on a strict diet of rice straws, whole crop silage and concentrate, and let to grow up to no more than 700 kg. This process lasts approximately three years, but for a normal beef this period goes on only for 14-15 months.
Every cow has its own birth certificate, where the bloodline is stated, so that every piece of Wagyu steak can be traced down.
Wagyu wouldn’t do so good as a steak
In Japan, Wagyu meat is eaten most commonly in dishes as Shabu Shabu or Sukiyaki, in which the beef is slimly sliced and cooked in a very short while. Due to the massive import that has begun since 2015, when there was a tremendous rush all over Europe to put this wonderful meat on every restaurant’s menu, many ways of cooking Wagyu were found, but not all of them are a fortunate choice. For example, a steak made out of wagyu meat might be very tender, but because of the high fat content, it could result to fatty to eat. Not to mention health issues implied.
Photo credits: snakeriverfarms.com, goldbely.com and npr.org
Medieval route in Palma
The island of Mallorca is a very special destination. This place offers varied options, for all types of people, with different profiles. You can come to Mallorca to disconnect from the world and enjoy relaxing beach days, you can come to visit the area of bars and let yourself be carried away by its lively nightlife, or you can even come to immerse yourself in that historic Mallorca, which takes us to a distant world, but present through wonderful buildings and museums.
In fact, you can make your trip to Mallorca have a bit of everything. Soon you will see that it is possible to spend a few hours doing each of these great activities, and in this way, you will reach a fascinating experience during your stay.
The old town of Palma
In future articles, we will go deeper into the various places you can find in your walks through the centre of the Majorcan capital, however, today we will emphasize the points of interest for any lover of medieval history.
You must start the visit in the Cathedral of Majorca, which began to be built in the thirteenth century. There are visits with audio guides for a very economical price. We recommend that you opt for them, in the language you prefer, so you do not leave out anything important. It is totally worth it!
Next to the Cathedral there is the Diocesan Museum, in the Street of the Mirador, 5. In it you will find from imposing dossers, to the most delicate pieces, originating from churches and monasteries of the island. It is interesting the tour that you can do through Christianity in Mallorca.
A very special neighbourhood
When leaving the museum, an interesting walk awaits you. Going through the streets of the old Jewish quarter is an experience in itself. Its cobbled streets lead you through slither roads, without apparent direction. It's funny and beautiful at the same time. It is an area full of life, both for the presence of visitors, as for the historical events that took place within its walls, many centuries ago.
And as a final suggestion, come to the street of the Temple. There you will find the last vestige of what was the wall of Medina Mayurqa after 1.115, which passed into the hands of the Order of the Temple with the conquest of Jaime I. Today, only part of the façade remains, but you have it there, at your fingertips. It is the witness of the passage of centuries, as the only remnant of the military order so powerful between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, and that was destroyed because of the greed and lack of honour of monarchs and papacy.
We hope you have enjoyed this concentrated, but intense trip throughout the medieval history of Mallorca. Of course, you still have all kinds of options at your choice! What kind of trip do you want to enjoy on the island?
Photo credits: palmavirtual.palma.cat
High quality meat – la Casina Asturiana
As you may know - and if not, we invite you to discover -, at Lume&Co we prepare a wide range of meat, prepared by A-list chefs. Today’s post will be about one of our favorite meats: la Casina Asturiana.
It is widely known that the meat proceeding from Asturias has built a widely acknowledged fame among the world. In particular, one type of meat stands out: the meat belonging to the “casina” cow. In 2017, this meat received three medals in London’s disputed and highly-regarded World Steak Challenge. It wouldn’t be at all far-fetched comparing this contest, to some extent, with a “championship” specialized in meat products.
High quality meat at European level, top-quality preparation at first-class requirements
With this international reputation, we are more than happy to spell out that, thanks to these medals granted, Spain is in Europe’s top 3 in terms of meat production, being outdistanced only by France and Finland. By commercializing this type of meat, we undertake the responsibility of preparing this type of meat at the international standards imposed.
The secret of this meat appears to be the special attention given to the animals. As the most recent studies reveal, the commitment and devotion given to the animals play a very important role in the further development of the meat. The breed that gives us this wonderful class of meat is proceeding from the Asturias Princedom. The history says that it firstly came to Spain by the Indo-European invaders.
Majorca’s Castles
When we think about Majorca, it is easy to imagine beautiful coves and white sand beaches, but did you know that it has a series of beautiful castles that you will love to visit?
Today we will review part of the natural and historical heritage that the island has, throughout these four towers and castles. We hope you will enjoy the trip!
Castillo de Alaró
Its first construction corresponds to the year 902, which was successively occupied by the different conquerors of Mallorca.Nowadays, the castle wall with five towers is preserved and is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Castillo de Bellver
An iconic castle, belonging to the Majorcan Gothic, located on a hill surrounded by forests near Palma de Mallorca. It was built at the beginning of the 14th century by order of King Jaime II of Mallorca.Initially it was a royal residence, inhabited by Juan I and Violante de Aragón with its corresponding court. Later it was visited by Carlos I, the Prince of Savoy, D. Juan de Austria; the Duke of Montpensier and Queen Elizabeth II.Later it became a military prison and afterwards, a coin factory. Today it is the Museum of the History of the City and houses the Despuig Collection of classical sculpture.
Castillo de Capdepera
The castle of Capdepera is located in the northeast of the island of Majorca. It is situated on a mound from which you can enjoy an excellent view of the interior of the island, the coastline and the Minorca channel.Its construction, ordered by King James II, dates from the 14th century, so that the population of the region could protect themselves, especially from the frequent pirate attacks of the time.
Castillo de Son Berga
Precisely in the old stables of this castle our restaurant, Lume & Co, is located.The tower of the farm, dating from the XVth century, has been protected under the name of Spanish Historical Heritage since 1985. The Son Berga complex is one of the most important Possessions of the island nobility. It is located in the lloc of Genova, next to Son Suredeta or El Castell de Bellver, and crossed by Mal Pas river.
It was built in the first half of S. XIV, by the Berga family, who gave it the family’s name, passing then, over the centuries, in the hands of the families Sunyer, Safortesa-Tagamanent, Fuster, Desclapés and Rossinyol of Sagranada
Photos: Consell Insular de Mallorca