NOURISHING BONE BROTH FROM BONE DEEP AND HARMONY

We’ve recently become fans of all things broth-related (see here). Food and diet trends are something at which we generally throw a healthy side-eye, but bone broth seems like an exception: its health benefits are myriad and it couldn’t be easier to make. So when our friend Desiree Pais–founder of equally nourishing skincare line Benshen–mentioned New York’s Bone Deep and Harmony as her source for seriously high quality bone broth, we knew it was time to investigate. Founded by Lya Mojica and Taylor Chen, Bone Deep and Harmony is the perfect service for New Yorkers whose time and/or kitchen space is limited, but who still want to enjoy the benefits of home-made broth. And in case you do find yourself with a rainy Sunday to spend inside, simmering some fortifying broth, Lya and Taylor have graciously shared their recipe, and Desiree explains the health benefits of this ‘liquid gold.’

Long gone are the days of starvation for vanity, fad diets, and cleansing until there’s nothing left to cleanse. Strong is the new skinny and there’s a huge movement to go back to the old ways of eating that have worked for thousands of years: whole foods, real foods, nourishing foods. Adios to the low-fat, chemical laden, can’t-even-pronounce-what-I’m-putting-in-my-body foods that leave us deprived physically, nutritionally, and emotionally.

Enter bone broth, a staple that’s been around since ancient times which holds nutritional properties with the equivalent of liquid gold. How can something seemingly so simple provide provide radical healing promises when we’ve spent thousands of dollars in other ways in attempts to repair modern time’s ailments? Because bone broth is really not that simple at all.

Bone broth, especially when made with the bones from organic, grass-fed cows, is extremely dense in nutrients, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, proteins,and essential fatty acids, all of which the body needs to heal and maintain optimal function. It’s no longer about living to just look good – it’s about living with a body so strong, so healthy, and so nourished that we genuinely, and I mean genuinely with a capital G, feel good too. Broth is rich in bio-avaialable minerals and amino-acids, both of which are the building blocks of our bodies.

In drinking broth, it’s easier to assimilate these nutrients, and the nutrition from the rest of our diet faster, which means faster healing. The star players are glycine and proline, two amino-acids found in collagen, the structural protein of connective tissue in the body. Collagen aids in healing cells, like those in the lining of the digestive system, as well as giving us that supple, clear, beautiful skin that we think only is possible with the powers of plastic surgery or an illusion from a magazine’s airbrushed photo. These two amino acids are also vital nutrients needed for the detoxification processes of the body, something we could all use!

However, the process of making bone broth can be timely and let’s face it, not all of us are blessed with the time to prepare this medicinal food. Thankfully, us New Yorkers, the busiest bees of them all, have the benefit of an amazing duo, Taylor Chen and Lya Mojica, the brains (and beauties!) behind Bone Deep and Harmony. Both lovers of broth, Taylor and Lya started their own company after personally experiencing the healing powers of drinking broth on a regular basis. Bone Deep and Harmony was created to help make this potent superfood and its medicinal properties available to everyone so they can reap the benefits of health and vitality. Thanks to these brilliant women, it’s been so easy for me to incorporate bone broth easily into my life to help heal chronic cystic acne, hormonal imbalance, and autoimmune disease. It only took one week for me to notice a difference in my skin texture and radiance, as well as better digestion and assimilation of food. Incorporating bone broth into our diets is not only beneficial but essential to our health, wellness, and yes, to our beauty, from the inside out.

BEEF BONE BROTH

 Yield- Approx 8 qts

 Ingredients:

 10 lbs of neck, knuckle and marrow bones

 ¼-1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

 1 finger length piece of ginger

 2 onions, quartered

 1 bunch of scallion whites for cooking, save the green tips and chop to use as garnish

 1 tablespoon celtic salt

 Filtered water

Optional additions:

1 small head of garlic, peeled and crushed

 2-3 carrots, roughly chopped

2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

 1 tablespoon peppercorns

 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1. Roast the bones at 350 F, for approx. 1 hour

2. Transfer the roasted bones to a big pot and fill with enough filtered water to cover the bones. Bring to a boil.

3. Add the vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt, and other ingredients, if using. Lower the heat to

 cook at a very gentle simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 12-24 hours.

4. Let cool to room temperature, strain and pour into containers.

Thanks to Taylor Chen and Lya Mojica, founders of Bone Deep and Harmony, and Desiree Pais, founder of Benshen.

Photos courtesy of Bone Deep and Harmony.