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Colorful Vegan By Kelly Maer
Pizza From Scratch
This recipe is altered slightly from Smitten Kitchen’ s“ really simple homemade pizza” found online and yields 1 10-12” thick crunchy crust for me.
In a dutch oven or large oven-safe pot mix together 3 / 4 C white flour + 3 / 4 C whole wheat flour, a big pinch of sugar, 3 / 4 tsp active dry yeast and 1 / 2 C + 3 TBS warm water( not scorching). Mix with hands then let dough rest 10 minutes before adding 1 TBS olive oil + 1 tsp salt( advice from America’ s Test Kitchen Vegan for Everybody). Knead dough right in the pot 10 minutes until smooth, adding sprinkles of white flour if dough is sticking. Take a break halfway if needed.
Now the dough needs to rest in a warm place to rise. I currently use an off-oven with the oven light on( hence the ovensafe pot), but have also set it near the gas fireplace to rise. Clean out the dutch oven, oil, add the dough ball, cover with lid, then place in the off-oven with the oven light on.
After the dough has risen, about 3-5 hours later, spread it out about a 10-12” round and poke holes all over with a fork. I use parchment but probably is not necessary. Preheat oven to 500F. Par-bake on a baking sheet 5 minutes, remove and top with homemade sauce + Daiya cheese + optional fresh spinach, then pop back in12 more minutes( or when browned underneath). Easy Homemade Sauce: Blend 14 oz diced tomatoes, 6 oz tomato paste, 1 clove garlic + 2 pinches dried oregano. Now enjoy your homemade pizza!
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HEALTH |
IT’ S ALWAYS SUNNY IN BEND BY DR. OLIVER J. WISCO, DO, FAAD, FACMS
Back in the 80s, I was one of the first snowboarders on Mt Hood. I rode a wooden snowboard and people routinely approached me in the lift line, inquisitive about my ride. From a young age, I have been fascinated with outdoor gear and I’ m amazed at its evolution over the past 30 years. Everything from the newest technology in snowboard material or the 1x11 drivetrains on mountain bikes; technology and science advancements have significantly changed the dynamics of adventure sports.
One specific piece of equipment that has shaped nearly every sport is the helmet. Whether it be contact or adventure sports, athletes are particularly prone to traumatic brain injuries. The acute forms of these injuries range from basic concussions to death. To reduce or prevent these injuries, the evolution of helmet technology, combined with the acceptance of its use has been incredible. It is astonishing that football players used to rely on a piece of thick leather to protect their head. And today, while I never used to wear a helmet when riding my bike or skiing as a child, I am adamant, as are most parents these days, that my kids wear their helmets when engaging in any type of adventure sport.
In looking at the data for traumatic brain injuries, there was an initial increase in the number of cases when helmets started gaining popularity. This occurred for several reasons. Most notably, the reporting and awareness of these injuries significantly increased. Also, adventure athletes have pushed their limits by going faster and higher over the past 10 years, to levels that were previously unimaginable. It has been fantastic to see how medical science has shifted the cultural norm, as it is clear that helmets save lives.
Unfortunately, the acceptance and usage of the gear focused on preventing skin cancer has lagged behind helmets. Analyzing the data on how often traumatic brain injuries occur compared to the rates of skin cancer, a person is more likely to develop skin cancer in their lifetime than they are to experience a traumatic brain injury. The risk from immediate death from a traumatic brain injury is clearly greater than the immediate damage that occurs from a sunburn, but the long-term risk for harm from sun damage is greater and we
are overdue for a change in our behaviors towards sun protection.
I’ ve wondered why there remains resistance to using sun protective gear, even given the well known increasing rates of skin cancer. One question that I am commonly asked that alludes to why there is this resistance is whether sunscreen causes skin cancer. No, sunscreen has not been shown to cause skin cancer. Similar to head trauma, awareness and reporting of skin cancer has improved over the years, as has sunscreen usage. This seemingly increased rates of skin cancer have been correlated to the increase in knowledge and reporting of cases. Additionally, early in the use of sunscreens, there was the erroneous belief that you could spend more time in the sun and this attitude and behavior likely contributed to the initial increase in skin cancer rates. In the same way that the use of helmets are not known to cause traumatic brain injuries, sunscreen is not known to cause skin cancer.
The Central Oregon community is one of the populations at highest risk in the country, both for traumatic brain injuries and skin cancer because we are active and outdoor-focused. So when you head out for your next outdoor adventure, remember to bring your protective gear and make sure your wide brim hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are in your gear bag. Enjoy our beautiful outdoors, just be safe.
About the Writer: Dr. Wisco is a fellowship-trained melanoma specialist and skin cancer surgeon and is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology for Oregon Health & Science University. When not at work, he is likely on the trail running or riding his bike, or out skiing with his family and friends here at home in Bend.