Even though the Patriots didn't win Super Bowl this year, no one can deny Tom Brady is still our legend here. I even stopped using Philadelphia cream cheese after this Super Bowl game, even though the Philadelphia cream cheese is not made in Philly at all! Haha!

Last Halloween, the power couple of Boston, Tom Brady and Gisele, went with avocado toast. This totally makes sense to me. Avocado is super food. It's much stronger than Superman and more resilient than Spiderman. It conquered women and made them eat toast. Many women who watch their figure would avoid carbohydrates such as toast. It's amazing avocado made us start to enjoy bread again!

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As I mentioned in "You Are What You Eat: Let's Talk About Grocery Shopping," the right amount of fat is good for your brain. Avocados are delicious and perfect for power breakfasts! It's also a good snack in the afternoon. In my opinion, the best way to enjoy avocado is to keep it simple. Slice them, sprinkle smoked sea salt and fresh ground pepper, and then drizzle it with EVOO.

When the dish is simple, the key for success is to get high quality ingredients and let them shine by themselves. I went to an E.V.O.O. tasting seminar last fall at Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. The event was held by Extra Healthy Living. "Since you're all sitting here, I assume you all enjoy EVOO. What's the definition of EVOO?" Natalia Ravida, the president of Ravida EVOO asked. We as students looked at each other and none of us were sure about the answer. One lady raised her hand, "Cold press!" She said. The other gentleman raised his hand, "Early harvest." "Harvest within twenty four hours!" another young lady said. None of us were right.

"The key is the acidity level" she said. "The acidity level has to be below 0.08%. That's just the basic standard for EVOO. High quality EVOO, such as the EVOO from my company, the acidity level is below 0.01%. It is virtually free of acidity. Acidity brings unpleasant flavor to the oil. It is also not good for your health. Since I've worked in Olive Oil industry for decades, when I go to a restaurant, I can tell if they are using low quality olive oil right away!"

We also learned how to smell and taste EVOO. In terms of aroma, after you swirl EVOO in your hands, you should smell notes of grassy, citrus and earthiness. When you swallow it, it should be smooth in the beginning, and then you get a peppery chick after five seconds. Also, try to use your EVOO as soon as possible after you open the bottle. Because once you open it, the EVOO will start to oxidize. If you don't use it, eventually, it will lose its "virginity!"

The second super easy power breakfast recipe I would like to share with you is Spiced Labneh Spread with Olive Oil.

This recipe is so easy that I make this for myself almost every morning. I made a small jar of my spice blend and sprinkle it on my yogurt every morning. Students often ask me, "When should I use spice?" My answer is, "as often as possible!" Here in New England, people usually think about spice during holiday season. Spice is festive indeed. It doesn't mean you have to lock the spice in the cabinet after holidays and wait until next year to open the jars again. I shared information regarding the spices that I use in my another blog post " GREATER BOSTON SUSHI AND SAKE SHOPPING GUIDE." ​​

In order for you to use spice frequently, it's important to make it convenient for you. I found it very helpful to make a jar of my favorite blend. After I make a whole jar, I can get a pinch of it whenever I need it. The benefit of using spice is that you get satisfied with the food because the flavor profile is more complex, and therefore, you don't eat too much food and still feel something is missing. My power breakfast every morning is simply seasonal fruit with my own spiced Labneh spread with Olive Oil. I hope you will like it, too!

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