Miz Masala

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T13:12:00.005-05:00

This year (after the usual apple, fig compote, and goat cheese accompaniment for the start-to-the-evening champagne toast, and some herb pesto-stuffed mushroom hors d'oeuvres), we had:

Tuscan kale salad
Miso-glazed cod
French lentils
Apple-leek stuffing and cranberry chutney
Gingered yams and mustard greens
Brussels sprouts by way of Beirut
Apple cake

Marinating the cod was the first thing I did yesterday, since it needs to soak up the marinade for 2-6 hours. I mixed 2/3 cup sake, 2/3 cup mirin, 2/3 cup mild white miso, 3/8 C (packed) brown sugar, and 1/4 C nama shoyu, and turned seven 6-oz cod filets (about 3/4" thick) in that marinade over a few times to coat them. Throughout the course of the afternoon I turned them a few more times. Six minutes before dinner, I broiled the fish six inches from the broiler until just opaque in the center. The top gets nicely caramelized. I garnished each filet with one long chive.

For the lentils, I soaked 2 C French lentils for a while, while I was doing other things, then drained them. I heated about a tablespoon of clarified butter on medium-low heat and sauteed three minced garlic cloves and one finely chopped yellow onion as well as a few fresh bay leaves until the onion was translucent. Then I added the lentils, salt, and pepper, and stirred to coat the lentils with the onion-garlic-butter. Then I added 5 C water, brought the mixture to a boil, and then simmered it about 12-15 minutes. I drained most of the water once the lentils were cooked, since I'd be using the lentils as a bed for the fish filets. I garnished the lentils with some finely chopped fresh chives.

Warm Brussels sprouts by way of Beirut

2011-11-25T13:07:00.004-05:00

I've been refining this since last year. This year, I caramelized the Brussels sprouts in a hot wok, with olive oil, salt, and crushed red chilli pepper, then tossed them with halved green grapes, yogurt, and za'atar, and drizzled the whole thing with balsamic syrup and a few pomegranate seeds for garnish. I served this warm right after I made it.

Light Apple Cake

2011-11-25T13:03:00.004-05:00

I saw a recipe for baked apple cider doughnuts on thekitchn when I was trawling the web for dessert ideas for Thanksgiving. I made one cake with it instead of eight doughnuts, and garnished it with some persimmon rings. We had it with spiked mulled apple cider.

Tuscan Kale Salad

2011-11-25T12:44:00.004-05:00

I made this salad for Thanksgiving 2011. I rinsed and removed the ribs from two bunches of organic Tuscan kale (also known as lacinato kale or dinosaur kale) and tore the leaves into bite-sized pieces and let them dry for a bit while I made a vinaigrette. The vinaigrette: 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 4 teaspoons honey, 4 teaspoons mustard, and a ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil. The key here was to let the kale marinate in the vinaigrette for several hours (in yesterday's case, three or four hours) to soften. I tossed it a few times over the course of the afternoon while I was cooking other dishes, and tossed in about two cups of pomegranate seeds before serving it.

A little French bistro at L&O's

2011-08-23T10:29:00.005-04:00

I celebrate my birthday with my friends up at Lydiah and Oskar's home in the Finger Lakes. Oskar, with his business partner Fred, is a vintner, and they produce the most wonderful, drinkable wine in the world, dry riesling.

This year, we had a cook-off against Tom Johnson of Milo Vineyard and his fabulous friends!

We served them:

Roasted peanut salad (served Indian street food-style in newspaper cones)
Zucchini carpaccio with champagne grapes and feta
Chopped salad
Mushroom anticuchos over wasabi-chive cauliflower mash
Watermelon-lime popsicle palate cleansers
Beef rendang and uppama
Sweet corn gelato with blueberry-elderflower coulis and oatmeal cookies

And cases and cases of '09 dry Wiemer riesling!

A little French bistro at L&O's

Cook-off at Milo Vineyard

2011-08-23T10:28:00.003-04:00

Cook-off at Milo Vineyard

Mushroom anticuchos

2011-08-23T10:27:00.007-04:00

Mushroom anticuchos

To make these, I simmered rice vinegar and sugar until reduced to a syrup, then added soy sauce, aji paste, chestnut paste, and wine and reduced by half. (You could substitute miso for the chestnut paste and mussel broth or clam juice for the wine.)

I seasoned the cleaned mushrooms with salt and pepper, then poured the hot marinade over and let the mushrooms soak up the marinade for a few hours.

We grilled the mushrooms (about four minutes per side) on bamboo skewers. While the mushrooms were grilling, I heated and further reduced the marinade. We removed the mushrooms from the skewers and placed them atop the wasabi-chive cauliflower mash, then poured the hot marinade over the mushrooms as a sauce.

Sweet corn gelato

2011-08-23T10:27:00.006-04:00

It went fast.

Uppama

2011-08-23T10:26:00.014-04:00

Uppama

Uppama is a South Indian breakfast dish that can be made with coarse semolina, pearl tapioca, rice flakes, or vermicelli. You can toss in all kinds of vegetables. At home my family makes it with diced carrots, peas, green beans, but I also like it with black-eyed peas, asparagus, soaked and chopped kokum ka phul, chopped kale... Really, choose your own adventure!

It goes well with chutney. My favorite chutney pairing for uppama is red bell pepper chutney or ginger chutney.

1 1/2 cups coarse semolina ("sooji"), rice flakes ("poha"), pearl tapioca ("sabudana") or vermicelli ("sev")
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1 stalk curry leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
3/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely crushed, or tuvar dal
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 Serrano chili, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped and peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup sliced spinach (or other veggie)
3 tablespoons thinly shredded cilantro
1 lime, juiced
Salt

[If using tapioca, put the grain in a bowl and wash in several changes of cold water from the tap until the water loses its murkiness and remains clear and soak in fresh cold water to cover 8 hours. Drain in a sieve and spread on a tray laid with a paper towel. Refrigerate the drained tapioca at least 1 hour.]

Heat the oil in an 8-quart pot over moderately high heat until shimmering and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds being to pop, which will be almost immediately, add the curry leaves and cumin seeds and stir.

Add the peanuts/dal, shallots, serrano, ginger and increase the heat to high. Cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute.

Stir in the butter and when melted, add the grain and salt to taste. Cook until grain is heated through (3-4 minutes). Add the veggies and continue to cook until the grain turns transparent. Unless you're using the pre-soaked tapioca, pour 3/4 to 1 cup boiling water in, bring to boil, then turn off the heat, cover, and let the grain absorb the liquid and steam.

Just before serving, stir the lime and cilantro into the pilaf and season with salt.

Wasabi-chive cauliflower mash

2011-08-23T10:26:00.013-04:00

Wasabi-chive cauliflower mash

Put a head of trimmed and roughly chopped cauliflower into the smallest pot it will entirely fit in and cover it with water. Salt generously. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and cook until the cauliflower is so tender it is mash-able.

Drain away the water, add olive oil, 2 bunches chopped chives, salt, and a few tablespoons wasabi to taste, and mash together with the cauliflower using a potato masher.

Beef rendang

2011-08-23T10:26:00.011-04:00

Simmering the rendang

This recipe came to us via Floyd Cardoz, formerly the chef at Tabla and a good friend of Wiemer/Milo Vineyards cook-off star Sudhir Kandula.

10 pieces short ribs
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup sliced lemon grass
1 knob ginger, minced
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 Serrano chili
1 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoons coriander
One 2 inch piece of Pasilla de Oaxaca
1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1/8 teaspoons cayenne
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 inches Indian cinnamon
5 cloves
6 cups veal stock
6 cloves garlic
1 inch galangal sliced into coins
4 lime leaves
2 pandan leaves
4 cups coconut milk
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
1 teaspoons tamarind paste
1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 sprigs rosemary
1 Thai chili
1/2 cup fried minced shallots 2 sticks lemon grass leaned and lightly crushed
1/2 cup ground cashews

1. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees at convection setting.
2. Season the short ribs with salt and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat in oven to 325.
3. Combine the sliced lemon grass, minced ginger, sliced shallots and Serrano chili in a food processor and processor till finely chopped.
4. Grind the cumin, coriander and the Pasilla de Oaxaca in a spice grinder to a fine powder and combine with the turmeric and the cayenne.
5. Place seasoned short ribs in oven and sear until golden brown. Approximately 15 minutes.
6. In a large stew pot add the canola oil and the ground shallot mix and cook over moderate heat stirring for 15 minutes until paste get slightly colored and releases some oil.
7. Add the cinnamon, cloves and ground spice and cook for 2-4 minutes. Add short ribs and all the other ingredients (except cashews) and bring up to a boil.
8. Place the pot with a lid in the oven and continue to cook until fork tender.
9. Cool down in liquid.
10. Next day remove form liquid and trim short ribs of any fat and gristle.
11. Reduce the brasage until thick.
12. Add the cashews stir. Place the short ribs in the pan and put into a 325 degree oven and cook. Letting the liquid reduce slowly. Baste the short ribs every 5 minutes.
13. The liquid will reduce and form a glaze on meat. At this time to the fat will start to separate.
14. Pull out the cinnamon, cloves, galangal and lemon grass.
15. Plate and top with cashews.

Roasted peanut salad

2011-08-23T10:26:00.010-04:00

Roasted peanut salad is a very easy, satisfying, high protein, vegetarian, tasty snack!

Finely dice a red onion into a large bowl, then squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the red onion. Top with 1/2 a bunch of finely chopped fresh cilantro.
Take 1 lb. raw Spanish peanuts and either pan roast them or roast them under your broiler until they darken and the peanut oils release and give your whole kitchen a peanut smell. Be careful not to burn them.
Toss the hot roasted peanuts with the red onion, lime juice, cilantro, and added salt and red chilli powder to taste.

Chopped salad

2011-08-23T10:26:00.001-04:00

Chopped salad
Originally uploaded by aarthib

Requested: Salt Substitutes

2011-06-22T11:06:00.005-04:00

One of my best friends has recently had to go on prednisone, a synthetic corticosteroid immunosuppressant drug, side effects of which require people taking it to follow a low-salt (and/or sometimes high potassium or high calcium diet).

One salt substitute I like is dulse, a seaweed that is very common in Iceland and used as a snack and flavor enhancer. Dulse contains all the trace elements that humans need, including iron and B vitamins, fiber, a high protein content, and 15mg of sodium per teaspoon. Table salt has 2300mg sodium in a teaspoon. You do need a higher quantity of dulse to enhance the flavor of a dish, but not 150 times as much. It does taste like a seaweed, so can be an acquired taste. Some people think it makes a great bacon substitute!

Some folks substitute a spice/herb mix in savory foods, such as the following:

1 Tbsp ground cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried savory
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp ground dried grated lemon peel

You just mix all of these together well (keep the mixture in a glass airtight container/spice jar in a cool, dark place, and it should keep for four months) and use as seasoning.

Have to get back into the blogging habit.

2011-05-10T16:22:00.005-04:00

As many of you know, my life was disrupted last year by a major fire in my apartment. For more than six months I couldn't live there while it was being demo'd and then renovated. But I have been back in it for the past few months (and did eventually get enough insurance money to buy new furniture and replace some kitchen items I'd lost), and I have actually been cooking a lot again lately!

BUT, my food blogger muscles are atrophied. I no longer reflexively take pictures of what I've made, and I forget to post.

So, I'll describe some of the menus at recent mini-housewarming dinner parties, but I don't have pics!

A Sunday Spring brunch.
Asparagus-purple potato-and-ramps frittata with crushed lavender and asiago shavings.
A bread basket with lots of different spreads - chocolate-hazelnut, walnut jam, apricot jam, raw honey...
Arugula salad with verjus-and-olive oil dressing.
Homemade Greek yogurt and fresh rhubarb coulis.
Pineapple cubes and strawberries.
White peach bellinis.
Copious amounts of chai.

Weeknight dinner.
Crispy kale with cashew "cheese" and olives to snack on.
South African shiraz.
Egg curry.
Basmati pilaf with diced carrots.
South Indian-style red cabbage.
Raw pistachio cashew cream ice cream and raspberries.
Lavender tea.

Spring dinner.
Whole wheat pasta with fresh strawberries, balsamic syrup, chilli flakes, crazy good olive oil, fresh mozzarella, and basil.
Scallops marinated in blood orange tea, salt, pepper, and olive oil, seared and served over micro sorrel.
Asparagus with walnut pesto.
Homemade pear lavender sorbet. Raspberries.
Dark chocolate covered almonds.
Lots of wine.

Indian crew over for dinner!
Yam chaat in lettuce wraps or scooped with mini-papad. Plenty of habanero chutney.
Dhimmer - dry cooked dal tossed with a "salsa" of tomatoes, cilantro, spices, and red onion.
Red rice pilaf.
Halibut in mint chutney and paneer in mint chutney.
Lots of wine.

Book club dinner.
Za'atar in warm olive oil. (I kept it over a teapot warmer!)
Israeli couscous with English peas, red onion, and whole lemon vinaigrette.
Roasted tomatoes.
Quattro of mezze: artichoke puree, walnut-red pepper puree, eggplant caponata, and spinach-with-feta.
Stuffed grape leaves.
Someone brought cucumber-yogurt dip.
Lots of warm whole wheat pita.
Lots of wine.
Cut fruit.
Someone brought homemade cupcakes.

I'm going to make this next time Gita study group is over. I'll try to remember to take pics:
- Fish/tofu curry, each component served separately and each person assembles his own: flash fried fish/tofu, a bowl of coconut curry, coconut rice, some blistered hot anaheim peppers, and a pile of fresh cilantro.Coconut milk from scratch, preferably.

I picked this up from my brother and need to try it in NYC:
- Ground meat substitute for filling samosas or making spaghetti sauce or biriyani: mince mushrooms in food processor, toss with egg white, and stir fry. Great umami and texture.

Re-blog: 50 things to do with Sorrel

2011-04-20T11:01:00.003-04:00

Lately there has been a good amount of French sorrel at the Union Square Greenmarket. I am a fan of its lemony, tart flavor (it's a rhubarb relative) and have been adding it to salads, using the leaves for wraps, adding it to dal, making it into pesto, etc.

Chocolate & Zucchini very usefully compiled suggestions from readers on Twitter for things to do with sorrel!

Sorrel pairings:

- Sorrel + fish (especially fatty fish, such as salmon -- seek out a sustainable source -- or mackerel)
- Sorrel + shellfish (especially scallops, same comment as for salmon)
- Sorrel + cream or butter
- Sorrel + bacon
- Sorrel + potatoes
- Sorrel + rice
- Sorrel + lentils
- Sorrel + celeriac
- Sorrel + leafy greens (spinach, Swiss chard, kale)
- Sorrel + eggs
- Sorrel + chicken or veal
- Sorrel + mustard
- Sorrel + goat cheese

Sorrel uses:

- Add to soups
- Make it into a sauce for fish
- Add to omelets and scrambled eggs
- Add to a stuffing for meat
- Shred sorrel and stuff it into fish
- Add to quiches
- Add to mashed potatoes
- Add to hummus
- Add to pasta
- Add to mixed-leaf and herb salads
- Add to chard and spinach anywhere you would use those
- Use as a filling for buckwheat crêpes
- Make it into a pesto, to use in pasta, on pizzas, or with grilled salmon

Recipe ideas:
- Salmon with sorrel, a legendary dish originally invented by the Troisgros brothers in Roanne in 1973
- Baked line-caught seabass with beurre blanc and sorrel
- Chop sorrell into a butter sauce to go with salmon fishcakes.
- Pair with salmon, mustard seeds and raspberries.
- Hot sorrel soup, with leeks, dill and sour cream
- Soup of fresh shelling beans and sorrel
- Green borscht
- Chilled sorrel soup with plain yogurt and lemon (a.k.a. schav in Yiddish)
- Lightly sauté in butter with shallots, deglaze with sherry, then mix all with goat cheese and use as an omelet filling.
- Chicken and sorrel sandwich with fresh mayonnaise
- Toss into mixed-leaf salads, with a relatively sweet dressing, and optional goat cheese crumbled on top.
- Chopped sorrel with black beans or lentils for a cold salad
- Warm potato and salmon salad with sorrel vinaigrette
- A salad of white peaches and sorrel
- Charlotte potato salad with wilted sorrel, yogurt and some freshly grated horseradish and chives
- Rice with sorrel and lemon, served as a side to fish
- Chop with an onion, garlic and mushrooms. Sauté lightly in butter and stuff a chicken.
- Pan sear with butter, and pair with a thin piece of veal in a port reduction, with a very light sprinkling of sumac.
- Fried beans with sorrel, feta and sumac from the second Ottolenghi book, Plenty
- Add to spanakopita.
- Sauté briefly in olive oil and mix with almond butter and salt, to accompany mushrooms (crisp bacon optional).
- Sorrel spinach pesto with pumpkin seeds
- Sprinkle sorrel, chiffonaded or gently melted into frying butter, on fresh pasta. Grate a little lemon zest on top.
- Toss some penne with sorrel, red onion, mint and garlic.

Bibbity Bobbity Bibimbap

2011-03-06T07:55:00.002-05:00

Every Tuesday I arrive at kp, Vip, and M's urban hang suite for Gita Sutras with Rasanath Das, and then we make an easy, vegetarian, communal dinner.

Last week, it was this simple Korean brown rice and veggies bowl, or bibimbap.

With the brown rice in the rice cooker in the background, we chopped:
- a bunch of scallions (on the bias, into 1" pieces),
- about 10 shiitake mushrooms (minus the stems),
- a bunch of lacinato kale,
- two handfuls of snow peas,
- a couple handfuls of broccoli florets, and
- a yam (julienned, skin on) and
- a couple of carrots (also julienned).

(Sprouts, other types of mushrooms, other types of greens, some quickly pickled cucumber/daikon, etc., would also be great!)

We also got about 2" of ginger minced and ready, and kept a sliced avocado and about 1/3 C sesame seeds aside.

Vip fried 4 eggs, sunny side down, while we dry toasted the sesame seeds then set them aside, and sauteed (separately) each vegetable (except the carrots, which we left raw with a sprinkle of lemon juice) in a pan with 1/2 tbsp. olive oil and 1/2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil, 1/2 tsp. of the minced ginger, a few dashes of salt, and a couple pinches of our super hot red chilli powder, keeping each aside when done. (For the peapods and kale, we added a squeeze of lemon juice.)

When all the vegetables were sauteed, we stirred the toasted sesame seeds, a pinch of salt, and a dash of lemon juice into the cooked brown rice, then put a serving spoon of the rice mixture into each of our bowls, and topped the rice with a spoonful of each sauteed vegetable, sliced avocado, some carrots, and some Sunja's vegetarian kimchi, then topped each bowl with a fried egg, and each put in his/her own desired amount of hot sauce before mixing everything up!

Recipe by Miz Hummus: Grand Marnier candied pecans

2010-12-28T17:46:00.003-05:00

Grand Marnier candied pecans

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Grate the rinds of 2 large oranges to create 7 tablespoons zest.

3. Melt together over low heat in a saucepan:
1/2 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
2 teaspoons salt
Zest

4. Let cool slightly

5. Add mixture to a mixing bowl and cover 5 cups pecans in mixture

6. Butter two cookie sheets

7. Spread pecans evenly on cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes

8. Let cool for 5 min and then sprinkle pecans with 1/8 cup Grand Marnier

9. Let cool completely and serve

Rosemary-lemon gremolata over broiled wild Alaskan salmon

2010-12-12T09:43:00.002-05:00

We had a large filet (perhaps 2 lbs?) of wild Alaskan salmon, and marinated it for about 2 hours in a gremolata of extra virgin olive oil, chopped rosemary, crushed red chilli pepper, sliced garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper, then roasted it covered with foil in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, then removed the foil and let it broil for a few minutes on high.

Pear, Walnut and Raisin Cake

2010-12-12T09:29:00.003-05:00

YIELD - One 8 inch cake

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) (200g) butter softened

1 cup (200g) granulated raw cane sugar

1 1/2 (200g) cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup raisins

3 eggs

1 lb pears (450g) – peeled, cored and sliced.

1 Tbsp raw sugar or granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

1/3 cup (50g) walnuts, chopped

Glaze:

2 1/2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp rum

Procedure

* Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and grease an 8 inch round pan or springform.

* Measure raisins in 1/3 cup and fill raisins to the top. Next, add enough rum to fill the measuring cup. Set aside and allow to soak.

* Sift the flour, baking powder and set aside.

* In mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter together. Add the eggs, one at a time.

* Reduce the mixer speed and add the flour mixture or fold it in by hand.

* Spoon this mixture into a prepared cake pan and place the pear slices on top of the cake.

* Sprinkle with the 1 Tbsp of sugar, dot with the remaining butter and scatter the walnuts and the rum raisins on the pears.

* Melt glaze ingredients and drizzle over pear and walnuts.

* Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool.

Roasted Mushrooms

2010-12-12T00:32:00.003-05:00

This was easy. We took about 2 lbs. of mixed mushrooms (shiitakes, creminis, oyster, etc.), tossed them with a handful of chopped rosemary, the zest of a lemon, salt, pepper, and olive oil, then roasted them for 18 minutes in a 500°F oven.

*Delicious.*

Emerald Salad

2010-12-12T00:26:00.002-05:00

4 small heads lacinato kale, washed, spun dry, and cut cross-wise into short ribbons

juice of 2 lemons

1/4 lb. aged pecorino romano, grated

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon crushed red chilli pepper (depending on how spicy you like things to be)

Several hours before serving, toss kale ribbons with lemon juice.

Just before serving, toss with grated pecorino romano, olive oil and crushed red pepper.

Ruby Salad

2010-12-12T00:09:00.003-05:00

2 small beets

1 medium red onion

radicchio (1 head)

seeds from 1 pomegranate

2 blood oranges or 1 ruby grapefruit, supremed

Pomegranate vinaigrette ingredients:

3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses / reduced pomegranate juice / pomegranate syrup

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

Wash, trim, and place beets onto foil squares, and top each with a teaspoon or so of olive oil, plus some salt and pepper; wrap in the foil and roast at 400°F for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Peel and halve red onion, then slice crosswise. Put about 1/8 of the thin semicircular onion slices into a small bowl of cool salted water.

When beets are cool, peel them, and cut them into bite-size wedges (each wedge about 1/8 of each beet).

Rinse and pat dry radicchio. Quarter, then slice crosswise. Arrange in platter.

Top radicchio with beets. Top radicchio and beets with citrus segments.

Drain onion slices and scatter them over the salad. Scatter pomegranate seeds atop the salad.

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad.

Brussels Sprouts, by way of Beirut

2010-12-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

1.25 lb Brussels Sprouts, rinsed, quartered, and *thoroughly* dried

olive oil

1/2 C yogurt (thick Greek-style or plain, as you prefer)

4 Tbsp pomegranate syrup (pomegranate juice, reduced to a thick syrup)

4 Tbsp crumbled toasted walnuts

8 Tbsp Sliced Seedless Green Grapes

Ground coriander seed, black pepper, salt (about 1/2 tsp) and sherry vinegar, to taste

Handful pomegranate seeds

Mix the yogurt with the ground coriander seed and black pepper.

Deep fry the Brussels sprouts or sear the cut sides in a pan until well browned - almost burnt - or toss with olive oil and roast in the oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit until crispy. The Brussels sprouts should still be green with browned outer leaves when cooked. Toss with salt and sherry vinegar.

Stir together until completely coated the Brussels sprouts, spiced yogurt, walnuts and grapes, then swirl in the pomegranate syrup so it looks kind of like a ribbon winding through the dish, garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve warm.

Superfood Indulgence: Dark Chocolate-Ginger-Walnut-Cherry "Bark"

2010-12-03T10:42:00.003-05:00

Dark-Chocolate Bark with Ginger, Walnuts and Dried Cherries (or Cranberries)

This antioxidant rich indulgence packs omega-3s, vitamin C, and fiber derived from whole foods into one small, delicious (vegan!) package.

1 1/2 cups walnut halves (6 ounces)
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup dried sour cherries or cranberries (4 ounces), coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet for 8 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

Line a baking sheet with parchment / wax paper. In a glass bowl, heat two-thirds of the chocolate in a microwave oven at high power in 30-second bursts until just melted. Stir until smooth. Add remaining chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in the walnuts, cherries and crystallized ginger until evenly coated.

Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it into a 12-by-8-" rectangle. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, or until firm enough to cut. Cut into 48 pieces (6 x 8) and transfer to a plate. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-03T10:15:00.010-05:00

Blue cheese - Brie - Chevre plate

Gold almond raisin crispbread, apple and pear slices and fig jam

Ruby salad (pomegranate, radicchio, ruby grapefruit, and beets with pomegranate vinaigrette)

Emerald salad (kale)

Flash-fried Brussels sprouts with p omegranate syrup, Greek yogurt, walnuts, pomegranate seeds and green and gold grapes

Gingered yams with mustard greens

Roasted wild mushrooms

Rosemary-lemon gremolata over broiled wild Alaskan salmon

Vegetarian stuffing

Cranberry chutney

Hermann Wiemer 2008 Dry Riesling

Gold pumpkin pie with ginger whipped cream

Pear, walnut and raisin cake with salted caramel sauce and whipped cream

Mulled wine

Astonishingly simple chocolate mousse recipe

2010-12-03T04:39:00.001-05:00

Courtesy of unwilling guest blogger Mr Bee:

Purchase ~200g of bittersweet chocolate (Callebaut ~70% cacao works for me — the better the chocolate, the better the mousse) and six eggs. Mr Bee is Aussie and so talks in metric equivalents; I think I used 0.48 lb chocolate or something like that.

- Beat egg whites in a bowl until firm
- Melt chocolate on low heat and mix into bowl with egg yolks (use bowl that you want to serve mousse in as this will be final bowl)
- Then fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate/yolk mixture using a wooden spoon (make sure it is wood)
- Put in fridge for 4-5 hours
- Optional: add a little fruit or sea salt, or even sesame seeds to give it a “sexy edge” (Mr Bee’s words)

Food Poem Fridays: Dan Masterson's SUNDAY DINNER

2010-12-03T01:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday Dinner

by Dan Masterson

Linen napkins, spotless from the wash starched
And ironed, smelling like altar cloths. Olives
And radishes wet in cut glass, a steaming gravy bowl
Attached to its platter, an iridescent pitcher cold
With milk, the cream stirred in moments before.

The serving fork, black bones at the handle, capped
In steel, tines sharp as hatpins. Stuffed celery,
Cut in bite-sized bits, tomato juice flecked
With pepper, the vinegar cruet full to the stopper
Catching light from the chandelier.

Once-a-week corduroyed plates with yellow trim,
A huge mound of potatoes mashed and swirled.
Buttered corn, side salads topped with sliced tomatoes,
A tall stack of bread, a quarter-pound of butter
Warmed by its side. And chicken, falling off the bone:
Crisp skin baked sweet with ten-minute bastings.

Homemade pies, chocolate mints and puddings,
Coffee and graceful glasses of water, chipped ice
Clinking the rims.

Cashews in a silver scoop, the centerpiece a milkglass
Compote with caved-in sides, laced and hung
With grapes, apples, and oranges for the taking.

Tree Trimming Sipper: Rosemary Martinis

2010-12-02T14:24:00.002-05:00

Last night, we Hindus, Jews, Zoroastrians, Muslims and Christians trimmed my favorite Persian and Jewish couple's Christmas tree while becoming steadily more inebriated on a very alcoholic infusion of rosemary lightened with lemon. Spirits were high in more than one sense of the word, and the sweet scent of pine wafted not just from the Douglas fir but also from our martini glasses.

I made a simple syrup infused with rosemary by slowly over low heat stirring 1 cup sugar into 1 cup water along with all the needles from five or six rosemary stalks. When the sugar completely dissolved, I let the rosemary sit to infuse the simple syrup, probably for at least half an hour until the others arrived.

I took wide strips of zest off several lemons and juiced them, and set myself up with ice, vodka, and a cocktail shaker to make individual martinis.

For each, I placed a few strips of zest, a shot of vodka, and half a shot of rosemary infused simple syrup into the cocktail shaker with two ice cubes and the juice of about half a lemon. I vigorously shook each cocktail for at least 30 seconds, strained, and served.

Happy syncretic Obama nation holidays to all : )

A Gold and Green Thanksgiving

2010-12-01T04:31:00.003-05:00

As soon as I upload the pictures, I promise to blog this year's Thanksgiving meal. It was distinctive in two ways.

1. We used the Deli Garage's available-in-Europe-only edible gold spray paint to dramatic effect.

2. Twenty three fruits and vegetables made appearances - some in multiple dishes - in this order:
figs
cranberries
apples
pears
lacinato kale
radicchio
pomegranate
red onion
ruby grapefruit
beets
Brussels sprouts
green grapes
yams
mustard greens
shallots
celery
carrots
leeks
onions
fennel
oranges
mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, and oyster)
pumpkin

Food Poem Fridays: Seamus Heaney's DERRY DERRY DOWN

2010-10-01T02:42:00.000-04:00

Derry Derry Down by Seamus Heaney

The lush

Sunset blush

On a big ripe

Gooseberry:

I scratched my hand

Reaching in

To gather it

Off the bush,

Unforbidden,

In Annie Devlin's

Overgrown

Back garden.

In the storybook

Back kitchen

Of The Lodge

The full of a white

Enamel bucket

Of little pears:

Still life

On the red tiles

Of that floor.

Sleeping beauty

I came on

By the scullion's door.

Recipe: Asian Pear Salad

2010-09-19T10:24:00.005-04:00

The friend who put me up to blogging, her husband, their roommate, and her sister and I are cooking together sometimes these days. The other night we threw together a yummy South Indian-inspired meal of lemon rice, sauteed red cabbage with peanuts, chillies, and coconut, and egg curry.

We started with this very simple salad:

3 asian pears, julienned;
the juice of 1 lemon;
some wonderful heirloom cherry tomatoes;
a ripe mango, julienned;
literally just a *splash* of extra virgin olive oil, some black pepper, and a dash of ground coriander seed; and
some fresh cilantro.

Food Poem Fridays: Anne Higgins's CHERRY TOMATOES

2010-08-13T15:32:00.000-04:00

Cherry Tomatoes
by Anne Higgins

Suddenly it is August again, so hot,

breathless heat.

I sit on the ground

in the garden of Carmel,

picking ripe cherry tomatoes

and eating them.

They are so ripe that the skin is split,

so warm and sweet

from the attentions of the sun,

the juice bursts in my mouth,

an ecstatic taste,

and I feel that I am in the mouth of summer,

sloshing in the saliva of August.

Hummingbirds halo me there,

in the great green silence,

and my own bursting heart

splits me with life.

Food Poem Fridays: Cindy Gregg's THOUGHTFUL VOYEUR: WOMAN AND CANTALOUPE

2010-07-09T08:37:00.001-04:00

Thoughtful Voyeur: Woman and Cantaloupe
by Cindy Gregg

Watch her select it
over sassier summer
fruits, carved offerings
of purple, yellow,
red in a supermarket
stunned with
fluorescent light.

Seeing her slice it open,
ponder how the melon
secrets its exquisite
pastel beneath a rough,
webby exterior, silent
protest to the showy
outer life of
its every former
neighbor – apple,
banana, strawberry, grape.

Later on, recall
the knife's decisiveness,
the sudden exposure of
such a pleasing hue,
its juicy glisten
brightening, gladdening
her stark white kitchen
with a brief and modest blush.

Beijing and Hong Kong Food

2010-07-03T01:06:00.008-04:00

Eating wild blackberries while hiking an unrestored section of the Great Wall;
Having a Baishi apricot blossom tea ice at the sculpture garden of the Pace gallery in Beijing's 798 Art District;
Yogurt snacks at Wangfujing Night Market in Beijing;
Hot pot ingredients come to you on a conveyor belt on "Gourmet Street," the food court at Oriental Plaza in Beijing;
Shaved ice, red bean, and condensed milk desserts;
Mung bean popsicles -- many people were cooling off with these at Tiananmen Square, so I had to try one;
Tasting fine jasmine and osmanthus green and oolong teas in Hong Kong;
Even Starbucks has adapted to the Asian preference for jellies.

Matcha Source

2010-07-02T02:37:00.003-04:00

Rob G. and I toasting his upcoming wedding (and cooling off) at the Matcha Source pop-up shop in Soho.

Thanks for the shout-out, Matcha Source! Here's one right back "atcha":

Matcha Source provides high quality powdered green tea from Japan. Chefs love this stuff because it is so delicious, good for you, and blends easily into both liquids and fats, making it a wonderful ingredient for desserts especially but also all kinds of drinks.

Through July, they have a pop-up shop on Crosby Street between Broome and Grand. If enough of us go, maybe Soho will get a more permanent one-stop shop for all things matcha!

Food Poem Fridays: Erica Jong's FIGS

2010-06-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Figs

by Erica Jong

Italians know
how to call a fig
a fig: fica.
Mandolin-shaped fruit,
feminine as seeds,
amber or green
and bearing large leaves
to clothe our nakedness.

I believe it was
not an apple but a fig
Lucifer gave Eve,
knowing she would find
a fellow feeling
in this female fruit

and knowing also
that Adam would
lose himself
in the fig's fertile heart
whatever the price—

God's wrath, expulsion
angry angels
pointing with swords
to a world of woe.

One bite into
a ripe fig
is worth worlds
and worlds and worlds
beyond the green
of Eden.

Maximizing Your Budget for Organic Produce

2010-06-02T14:21:00.002-04:00

This house buys organic, but it can be more expensive than conventional produce. Fruits and vegetables that are grown conventionally absorb different levels of pesticides based on how tough an outer layer they have. You can get away with buying conventional pineapple, for instance, save a little money, and still not be exposed to too many chemicals in the fruit.

To help consumers, the Environmental Working Group has put out information on which fruits and vegetables absorb the highest, and lowest, amounts of chemical residue.

Choose organic when it comes to these fruits and vegetables:
Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Domestic blueberries
Nectarines
Sweet bell peppers
Spinach, kale and collard greens
Cherries
Potatoes
Imported grapes
Lettuce

For these fruits and vegetables, even if you buy conventional, you won't get too much chemical residue because they have a tougher outer layer:

Onions
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Mango
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Kiwi fruit
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potatoes
Sweet onions

The President's Cancer Panel recommendeds eating produce without pesticides. There is a proven association between pesticides and health problems such as cancer, attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder and nervous system disorders; pesticides can also weaken immune systems and harm the developing brain.

Food Poem Fridays: Naomi Shihab Nye's RED BROCADE

2010-05-28T10:19:00.001-04:00

Red Brocade

by Naomi Shihab Nye

The Arabs used to say,

When a stranger appears at your door,

feed him for three days

before asking who he is,

where he’s come from,

where he’s headed.

That way, he’ll have strength

enough to answer.

Or, by then you’ll be

such good friends

you don’t care.

Let’s go back to that.

Rice? Pine Nuts?

Here, take the red brocade pillow.

My child will serve water

to your horse.

No, I was not busy when you came!

I was not preparing to be busy.

That’s the armor everyone put on

to pretend they had a purpose

in the world.

I refuse to be claimed.

Your plate is waiting.

We will snip fresh mint

into your tea.

Food Poem Fridays: Michael Heffernan's PUTTANESCA

2010-04-23T07:31:00.000-04:00

Puttanesca by Michael Heffernan

Before I gave up wondering why everything
was a lot of nothing worth losing or getting back,
I took out a jar of olives, a bottle of capers,
a container of leftover tomato sauce with onions,
put a generous portion of each in olive oil
just hot enough but not too hot,
along with some minced garlic and a whole can of anchovies,
until the mixture smelled like a streetwalker's sweat,
then emptied it onto a half pound of penne, beautifully al dente,
under a heap of grated pecorino romano
in a wide bowl sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley.
If you had been there, I would have given you half,
and asked you whether its heavenly bitterness
made you remember anything you had once loved.

Funeral Food

2010-04-19T15:18:00.000-04:00

My mother's father passed away on April 6. He was an incredibly dear and beloved person in our family. Perenially hip, I think he had a pair of jeans before my dad. He used to call me R2D2 and once said, underwhelmingly, after seeing "Eyes Wide Shut," "I liked the other Kubricks better."

He and his father were both way ahead of their time, pursuing industry in India at a time when statist, illiberal ideas held in the governance of the economy.

Nana loved eating, and had a very distinguishing palate. He used to make his own throat-soothing tea, which had at least 12 different ingredients. He loved meat but married my grandmother, and meat's never passed her lips; so he would buy and clean it himself, at a time when most men did not participate in cooking. He knew a lot about ayurvedic considerations around diet: if I ate too much mango, would warn me against its ability to cause acne if eaten in excess; if I ate too much honey, he would say to be careful as it raises the body temperature.

He was the gentlest, lovingest person; and we will all miss him hugely.

Nana got his start in industry selling mung dal (lentils); when he was cremated, his ashes were placed atop a sack of mung dal during the interim period before they were scattered in both the Cauvery River and the Ganges.

Whenever there is a major life event - marriage or funeral, for example - Sindhis make Sindhi curry for guests coming for some of the rites. It is a delicious, strained tuvar dal and tamarind-based curry wth green seeded vegetables like bhindi (okra) and singhi (drumstick) or green beans. Traditionally, it's poured over hot rice and deep fried, tiny balls of chickpea flour soaked in sugar syrup (boondhi).

For 12 days after Nana's funeral, we fed sacred cows his favorite foods.

Food Poem Fridays: Barbara Crooker's ODE TO CHOCOLATE

2010-04-16T09:02:00.000-04:00

Ode to Chocolate by Barbara Crooker

I hate milk chocolate, don't want clouds
of cream diluting the dark night sky,
don't want pralines or raisins, rubble
in this smooth plateau. I like my coffee
black, my beer from Germany, wine
from Burgundy, the darker, the better.
I like my heroes complicated and brooding,
James Dean in oiled leather, leaning
on a motorcycle. You know the color.

Oh, chocolate! From the spice bazaars
of Africa, hulled in mills, beaten,
pressed in bars. The cold slab of a cave's
interior, when all the stars
have gone to sleep.

Chocolate strolls up to the microphone
and plays jazz at midnight, the low slow
notes of a bass clarinet. Chocolate saunters
down the runway, slouches in quaint
boutiques; its style is je ne sais quoi.
Chocolate stays up late and gambles,
likes roulette. Always bets
on the noir.

Good Food From Local Farms to Manhattan Tables

2010-03-25T11:45:00.006-04:00

Miz Mamacita, a soon-to-be guest blogger here, found out from her Mommies' Group about a new grocery delivery service, Basis Good Food to You. Some of the Mommies have started ordering organic, whole, hormone-free milk from Basis, and it is catching fire in the press, too!

Every week, subscribers (subscriptions run for four or ten weeks) choose from a list of 100% traceable farmers market food and either pick it up at a point near their apartments or have it delivered directly home. Prices are incredibly reasonable -- 12 servings of fruits or vegetables for $19, for instance.

To boot, Basis uses a zero-emission fleet of cargo tricycles to make deliveries south of 59th Street in Manhattan.

To learn more, call Basis at 212.334.5544 or email them at goodfood@basisfoods.com.

How Cooking Helped Save the Marriage of Traumatized War Correspondents

2010-03-19T15:19:00.006-04:00

Foreign correspondents Paula Butturini and her husband John Tagliabue suffered bullets, police beatings and a battle with depression that almost tore their marriage apart. Paula's new book is about how cooking and eating together got them through. She writes about eating's capacity to trigger the brain to hope and the comfort of daily routines.

KEEPING THE FEAST
One Couple’s Story of Love, Food, and Healing in Italy
By Paula Butturini
259 pp. Riverhead Books. $25.95.

Food can't cure clinical depression, but it can "jump-start a journey toward solace."

Food Poem Fridays: Connie Wanek's HONEY

2010-03-12T11:47:00.000-05:00

Honey

by Connie Wanek

Luxury itself, thick as a Persian carpet,

honey fills the jar

with the concentrated sweetness

of countless thefts,

the blossoms bereft, the hive destitute.

Though my debts are heavy

honey would pay them all.

Honey heals, honey mends.

A spoon takes more than it can hold

without reproach. A knife plunges deep,

but does no injury.

Honey moves with intense deliberation.

Between one drop and the next

forty lean years pass in a distant desert.

What one generation labored for

another receives,

and yet another gives thanks.

An Oscar Potluck

2010-03-08T12:13:00.008-05:00

Two of my closest friends work in media/entertainment, and I've been left with a rather large television, so they and some others came over for some noshing, dishing, and Oscars-viewing.

We had so much food! laid out - not like an etherized patient, more like the antipasti table at a trattoria. Everything we ate last night was light, refreshing, tasty, simple but high quality, easy to prepare. The floral honey, bright green parsley flavor and crunch in the chickpea salad, and raspberries felt like harbingers of a much-awaited spring, while the depth in the blood oranges and dark, woodsy, berry tang of sumac felt like a poignant last look at winter.

*Popcorn tossed with Sumac

*Queso de Murci Curado, a six months' aged raw goat's milk cheese from Murcia in Southeastern Spain (with unspeakably delicious raw Manoir des Abeilles honey mixed with freshly ground black pepper poured over it)

*Red Kardoula Peppers stuffed with Feta and marinated in olive oil, garlic, and basil

*Green-and-black Olive Tapenade (with pita chips): Simply, pitted green and black olives food processed with fresh parsley and thyme, red chilli powder, a small amount of capers, and a slice of preserved lemon.

*Stuffed Grape Leaves

7-layer Bean Dip

Steak Sandwiches a la Ina Garten courtesy of Miz SunDrop

*The Ratatouille from "Ratatouille"

*Blood Orange and Treviso Salad: I sliced two heads of treviso on the bias and laid supremed blood orange slices over that on a platter, scattered some sliced scallions on top, and dressed the salad with a vinaigrette of blood orange juice, pomegranate molasses, cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

*Roasted Chickpea Salad: I tossed cooked chickpeas with olive oil, salt, sumac, red chilli powder, and cumin, and roasted them spread out on a baking pan for 45 minutes in a 350-degree oven, then tossed them with shredded red cabbage, lots of fresh chopped flat leaf parsley, and a simple vinaigrette of lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Farmers Market Quiche

*Raspberries with Honeyed Greek Yogurt

*Moroccan Mint Tea

* = organic

For Rheumatoid Arthritis, Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

2010-02-13T13:16:00.005-05:00

I also recently found out that a good friend of mine has all of the factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but so far she's physically asymptomatic (that is, no joint pain). Although she doesn't yet have the physical symptoms, she's concerned about her risk of developing all kinds of inflammation-related chronic disease, and how she can adjust her diet to combat inflammation.

Dr. Andrew Weill has a helpful visual anti-inflammatory diet tool - a new food pyramid:

And I found this really great site that someone who suffers from RA put together that has tons of resources. This particular individual has cut out wheat and dairy products and found that to be the most helpful.

It seems like the basic answer for RA is to eat a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains for vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, cold water fish and certain nuts/seeds for omega-3s and protein, lots of olive oil) and low in sugar, meat, refined carbohydrates and saturated fat, and to figure out if you have any food sensitivities that cause inflammation.

A lot of folks with RA start out by eating a "Stone Age" or "hunter-gatherer" diet — only fruit, vegetables, seeds, meat, and fish for one month — and then they start keeping a journal while they reintroduce other types of foods, one at a time, to see if any particular type of food
is causing inflammation. The most common RA-exacerbating foods are wheat, milk and other dairy products, corn, beef and nightshade family foods (tomato, potato, eggplants, peppers and tobacco). The casein (milk protein) in dairy and gluten (wheat protein) seem to be very commonly cut out by RA sufferers.

Periodic fasting has also been studied and seems to help RA sufferers.

For RA, there is a lot of research showing that the following nutrients
help:

1. Omega-3 fatty acids, which you get from (4-6 servings/week) of cold water fish like salmon (choose wild pacific salmon), herring, mackerel, sardines, cod and halibut, also flaxseed and walnuts, and which are anti-inflammatory (human studies with marine omega-3 fatty acids show a direct relationship between increased consumption and diminished C-reactive protein levels);

2. Vitamin D, which you get in salmon, shrimp, sunflower seeds, eggs and vitamin-D fortified milk products (if you don't have any milk protein sensitivity), organically grown fruits and vegetables, and extra virgin olive oil (vitamin D is getting a lot of attention right now; the guidelines were just rewritten for daily recommended consumption, and most people who
are getting tested nowadays find out they're considered to be vitamin D-insufficient);

3. The Mediterranean diet as a whole (pioneer study on the effect for RA sufferers is published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases), which is rich in fish, olives and olive oil, legumes, and fresh produce (and low in simple carbs, meat, and dairy fats). Extra virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal, which very similar chemically to ibuprofen, and this may explain why it is anti-inflammatory;

4. Vitamin E (high in kiwi, whole grains, collard greens, dark leafy lettuces, almonds, sunflower seeds);

5. Antioxidant-rich (whole) fruits and vegetables - the bioflavonoids (plant compounds) have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor activity (the more brightly colored and the greater the variety, the better; the ones with some bitter tasting compounds are also high in antioxidants; one trick I like to use is, on a weekly grocery shopping trip, buy the rainbow —
tomatoes, carrots, yellow bell peppers, dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, blueberries, beets...); and

6. Antioxidant-rich tea (white, green, and black).

Simple carbs, saturated fats, and vegetable oils that contain linoleic acid and are high in omega-6 fatty acids increase inflammation (corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, wheat germ oil, and sesame oil).

Once people are on medication for RA there is a whole host of dietary guidelines, particularly concerning supplements, because certain of the RA medications make it harder to absorb certain nutrients.

After Gallbladder Removal, Eat a High-Fiber, Low-Fat Diet

2010-02-13T13:03:00.002-05:00

Recently, my good friend had her gallbladder removed. Half a million Americans have a cholecystectomy every year.

The gallbladder stores bile, which the liver produces and which is necessary to help digest fats. When you don't have a gallbladder, bile goes directly into your small intestines. The liver is on
its own after gallbladder removal.

Following a high-fiber, low-fat diet post-cholecystectomy helps food move through your digestive system and cuts down on intestinal discomfort. Lemon juice and vinegar also help the digestive system to break down fatty acids.

Whole grains like oatmeal and fresh produce (like beans, broccoli, artichokes, apples, and oranges) are high in fiber. Concentrating on "good fats" is important when cutting down overall fat intake, so you can still get the essential fatty acids your body needs. Non-tropical nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc.), seeds, fatty cold water fish such as salmon and mackerel, and extra virgin olive oil are all great sources of healthy fats. Being liquid at room temperature (as opposed to saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature), unsaturated fatty acids slide through the digestive system and take fat-soluble toxins with them.

Foods to avoid / cut out after gallbladder removal:
- red meat, pork, poultry (they're high in difficult-to-digest animal protein and animal fat);
- dairy (although a lot of folks without gallbladders find they can tolerate yogurt);
- chocolate and caffeine (can be digestive tract irritants);
- refined carbohydrates (they "gum up" the digestive system);
- fried foods (very high in fat);
- spicy foods (again, can be irritating); and
- soft drinks.

Truvia vs. stevia

2010-01-06T10:29:00.006-05:00

A friend recently asked me about the difference between Truvia and stevia.

Truvia is a branded, processed sugar substitute consisting partly of stevia extract and mainly of erythritol, a natural sugar alcohol that is almost non-caloric, does not affect blood sugar, does not cause tooth decay, and, in regular use (i.e., not extreme quantities), does not cause side effects.

Stevia is a plant; its leaves, the aqueous extract of the leaves, and purified steviosides are used as sweeteners. It is mostly just sweet but has a tinge of a licorice flavor. Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose and may even enhance glucose tolerance. Powdered, crystallized, and aqueous stevia can be purchased in natural foods stores.

Cutting the calories in your diet that come from sugars — everything from processed white sugar to the simple starches and carbohydrates that naturally occur in fruits and white flour — has multiple benefits. You will reduce your propensity towards insulin resistance and thereby cut your diabetes risk, lower inflammation caused by insulin spiking in the blood, lower fat storage and even lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

But it is not as simple as replacing the white sugar you use in your tea/coffee with Truvia or stevia. It's about reducing your overall intake of simple carbohydrates. To accomplish that, you should stay away from foods with a high glycemic load, such as sugar, white starches (white rice, white bread, potatoes), fruit juices and purees and juices from sugary vegetables like carrots and beets; even many alcoholic drinks are high in sugar. Eat instead: whole grains (brown rice, steel cut oats, buckwheat, flax flour, whole grain pasta), whole fruit in place of juice, whole vegetables.

Most people find they feel much better — have more energy, feel less tired — when they cut simple carbs out. After you flood your bloodstream with glucose, insulin spikes to take it out, and then you feel hypoglycemic and like eating something starchy again; it's exhausting, a vicious cycle, and over time very damaging to the circulatory system and linked to chronic
disease. Complex carbs release glucose into the bloodstream much more slowly.

Going further: My brother also believes that, because there is a natural insulin spike at the beginning of the day, people should take advantage of that and have all of their carbs prior to 2pm and try to eat nothing during the 2 hours before you go to sleep. So he has steel cut oatmeal for breakfast, a sandwich on whole grain bread for lunch, things like that, and he tends to load up on proteins like fish or lentils for dinner accompanied by raw or lightly cooked vegetables (i.e., no more rice at dinnertime for him). This seems to be working for him.

How Cooking Made Us Human

2009-12-29T10:29:00.002-05:00

Some excerpts from the review of Richard Wrangham's new book, Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human:

"Just over two and a half million years ago, our brains swelled. Less than a million years later, they swelled again, our posture and our gait changed, our jaws shrank, and we grew taller. These two evolutionary changes define our species, distinguishing us from our fellow primates. 1.8 million years ago, we learned to cook. Cooking... literally powered our evolution."

"Archeologists have found earth ovens more than 250,000 years old.... Cooking is the only possible explanation for the transformation that stood us on our feet, shrank our guts, gave us silly teeth and receding jawlines, and swelled our brains to their current, horrendously fuel-inefficient size."

"No one, ancient or modern, settled or nomadic, has ever survived for more than a couple of seasons on an exclusively raw diet."

Food Poem Fridays: John Engels' CRANBERRY-ORANGE RELISH

2009-12-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Cranberry-Orange Relish
by John Engels

A pound of ripe cranberries, for two days
macerate in a dark rum, then do not
treat them gently, but bruise,
mash, pulp, squash
with a wooden pestle
to an abundance of juices, in fact
until the juices seem on the verge

of overswelling the bowl, then drop in
two fistsful, maybe three, of fine-
chopped orange with rind, two golden
blobs of it, and crush
it in, and then add sugar, no thin
sprinkling, but a cupful dumped
and awakened with a wooden spoon

to a thick suffusion, drench of sourness, bite of color,
then for two days let conjoin
the lonely taste of cranberry,
the joyous orange, the rum, in some
warm corner of the kitchen, until
the bowl faintly becomes
audible, a scarce wash of sound, a tiny
bubbling, and then
in a glass bowl set it out
and let it be eaten last, to offset
gravied breast and thigh
of the heavy fowl, liverish
stuffing, the effete
potato, lethargy of pumpkins

gone leaden in their crusts, let it be eaten
so that our hearts may be together overrun
with comparable sweetnesses,
tart gratitudes, until finally,
dawdling and groaning, we bear them
to the various hungerings
of our beds, lightened
of their desolations.

________________________________

P.S. What do you think of poem-recipes?

Recipe by Miz SunDrop: Cornbread Dotted with Dried Cherries

2009-12-08T09:59:00.003-05:00

We used Indian green chillies (just 2, finely sliced -- nowhere near the 1/2 cup the recipe calls for!) instead of the canned kind. Enjoy!

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup diced canned green chillies (or 2 finely sliced fresh Indian or Thai green chillies)

1 1/2 cups "creamed" corn (canned)
1/2 cup shredded jack or cheddar
1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup dried cherries

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Spread into a greased 9"x9" pan (double recipe makes a 9"x13").

Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

Yams with Mustard Greens

2009-12-02T08:08:00.005-05:00

This dish has a great range of flavors - sweetness from the yams, kickiness from the mustard greens and red chilli powder, and an aromatic brightness from the ginger. It's also very good for you!

- 4 yams (sweet potatoes with golden flesh) (I used 8 long and skinny ones that I picked up from the Union Square Greenmarket) , peeled and cut into half-moons, 1/4" thick
- 2 small heads mustard greens, washed, dried, and sliced into 2" long ribbons (cut down the length of the rib and then slice into thin ribbons cross-wise)
- 1.5" ginger, peeled and thinly julienned
- 4 shallots (or 1/2 large red onion), finely chopped
- salt to taste (approx. 1 tsp)
- lal mirchi (red chilli powder) to taste (mine is very spicy, so I probably used no more than 1/4 tsp)
- about 2 tbsp olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan or wok on medium high until hot. Add shallots and ginger and sauté until soft, or for about two minutes. Add yams, salt and red chilli powder, and sauté until the yams are half-cooked, or for about seven or eight minutes. Add mustard greens and continue sautéeing; the water that leaches out from the greens will help to partially steam-cook the yams. Turn off heat in about seven minutes, when the yams are cooked through but not mushy and the greens are completely wilted.

This can be served hot or eaten cold as leftovers, too.

I used purple mustard greens (like these) that I picked up at the Union Square Greenmarket.

Mulled Apple Cider Granita

2009-11-30T10:38:00.003-05:00

yield: Makes about 1 1/4 quarts

6 cups unpasteurized apple cider
a 3-inch cinnamon stick and/or mulling spices
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons strained fresh lemon juice

In a large saucepan combine the cider, the cinnamon stick (I used a mixture of cinnamon sticks, allspice, orange zest, and cloves), the sugar, and a pinch of salt and boil the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to about 4 cups. Stir in the lemon juice, strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and chill it, covered, until it is cold. Freeze the mixture in an ice-cream freezer according to the manufacturer's instructions if you want to make sorbet, or freeze and scrape with a fork for granita.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pecorino Romano

2009-11-30T10:36:00.002-05:00

Makes 6 side-dish servings

1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts (preferably on the stalk), any discolored leaves discarded and stems left intact -OR- finely chopped kale (I actually think this dish tastes better made with raw kale)

2 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano, or to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I probably ended up using double or almost triple that amount)

red pepper flakes to taste

Shred Brussels sprouts in a food processor and toss in a bowl with lemon juice to separate layers and prevent discoloration. Toss with Pecorino and red pepper flakes and olive oil just before serving.

Hazelnut, Sage, and Mushroom Stuffing

2009-11-30T10:35:00.003-05:00

yield: Makes 8 servings

8 cups 1/2-inch cubes of firm bread such as a Pullman loaf (1 pound)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped shallots (about 8 medium; 10 ounces)
1 stick unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery (from 3 ribs)
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
2 teaspoons finely chopped sage
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups hazelnuts (1/2 pound), toasted , any loose skins rubbed off in a kitchen towel, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2-4 cups stock
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Generously butter baking dish. Arrange bread in 1 layer in 2 large shallow baking pans and toast, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden and dry, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. (Leave oven on.) Bread cubes and hazelnuts can be toasted 2 days ahead and kept in sealed bags at room temperature.

Meanwhile, cook shallots in 1/2 stick butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms, celery, thyme, sage, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid given off by mushrooms has evaporated and mushrooms are browned, 20 to 30 minutes. Add wine and deglaze skillet by boiling, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until wine is reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bread in bowl.

Add hazelnuts and parsley and toss.

Whisk together stock, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then stir into bread mixture. Transfer to baking dish and dot top of stuffing with remaining 1/2 stick butter.

Bake, loosely covered with foil, in lower third of oven 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake until top is browned, about 15 minutes more.

(Stuffing, without hazelnuts and stock-and-egg mixture, can be assembled (but not baked), 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Stir in nuts and stock mixture, then proceed with recipe. Stuffing can be baked 6 hours ahead and chilled, uncovered, until cool, then loosely covered. Reheat, covered, in a 400°F oven until hot, about 30 minutes.)

Pomegranate, Beet, and Blood Orange Salad

2009-11-30T10:34:00.003-05:00

yield: Makes 4 first-course servings

4 medium beets
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup blood orange juice (from about 1 blood orange)
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (I used concentrated pomegranate juice)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 blood oranges, peeled, cut into1/4-inch-thick slices
1 cup pomegranate seeds (from one 11-ounce pomegranate) (I used two)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets in roasting pan and toss with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover pan with foil; roast beets until knife easily pierces center, about 50 minutes. Cool. Peel beets and cut into 1/3-inch-thick wedges. Whisk orange juice, pomegranate molasses, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl to blend. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Place onion in small bowl; cover with cold water. Soak onion 1 minute, drain, and squeeze dry in kitchen towel. Add beets, onion, orange slices, and pomegranate seeds to vinaigrette in bowl; toss. Season salad with salt and pepper.

Butternut Squash Panna Cotta

2009-11-30T10:33:00.002-05:00

Vegetable oil for oiling ramekins
2 lbs. butternut squash
1 tbsp. agar-agar flakes or 2/3 tsp agar-agar powder
1¼ cups heavy cream
½ cup mascarpone
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
½ tsp. Aleppo pepper (or ⅛ tsp. cayenne)
1 tsp. sea salt, or to taste

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil 4 small custard cups or ramekins. (I used 11 miniature ramekins.)

Halve and seed squash. Place cut-side down on baking sheet. Bake until soft, 45 minutes to an hour or more (cooking times vary widely with individual squash). Cool, then scrape out flesh and purée with immersion blender. Measure 1 cup into a medium mixing bowl; reserve the remainder for another use. (I probably used closer to 1 ½ cups.)

Combine the agar-agar and cream in a small saucepan and mix well. Let stand 30 minutes. Transfer to a burner and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into the bowl with the squash.

Add mascarpone, thyme, Aleppo pepper (or cayenne) and salt to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until smooth and well blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide the mixture among the prepared custard cups and let stand until set, about 1 hour.

Run a spatula around the rim of each panna cotta and carefully unmold onto small serving plates. (They can be reheated in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes, either in the ramekins or after unmolding them.) (We just served them in the miniature ramekins, with little spoons.)

Serves 4. (We served 11 as an amuse bouche.)

Urban Family Thanksgiving

2009-11-18T15:58:00.013-05:00

My lovely guardian angel sister-friend Anne declared, "Let's have an urban family Thanksgiving dinner here!" And that is exactly what we did.

Here is what we served:

Lillet Blanc over fresh tangerine zest (on the rocks)

Assorted cheeses (an aged sheep's milk gouda, a garrotxa, a tangy blue, a creamy brie-like cow's milk cheese) with pumpkin butter, sunflower honey, fig-almond spread, sliced New York apples & crispbread

Butternut squash panna cotta

A red salad of pomegranate, beets, red onion & blood oranges

(A choice of Albariño or pinot noir with dinner)

Roast duck & cornbread dotted with dried cherries

Hazelnut, sage, & mushroom stuffing

Cranberry chutney

Shaved Brussels sprouts with pecorino romano

Gingered yams with mustard greens

Homemade pumpkin and cherry pies with mulled apple cider granita

Annie made pie crust from scratch!

Food Poem Fridays: Louise Glück's HARVEST

2009-10-16T12:36:00.004-04:00

Harvest by Louise Glück

It's autumn in the market--
not wise anymore to buy tomatoes.
They're beautiful still on the outside,
some perfectly round and red, the rare varieties
misshapen, individual, like human brains covered in red oilcloth--

Inside, they're gone. Black, moldy--
you can't take a bite without anxiety.
Here and there, among the tainted ones, a fruit
still perfect, picked before decay set in.

Instead of tomatoes, crops nobody really wants.
Pumpkins, a lot of pumpkins.
Gourds, ropes of dried chilies, braids of garlic.
The artisans weave dead flowers into wreaths;
they tie bits of colored yarn around dried lavender.
And people go on for a while buying these things
as though they thought the farmers would see to it
that things went back to normal:
the vines would go back to bearing new peas;
the first small lettuces, so fragile, so delicate, would begin
to poke out of the dirt.

Instead, it gets dark early.
And the rains get heavier; they carry
the weight of dead leaves.

At dusk, now, an atmosphere of threat, of foreboding.
And people feel this themselves; they give a name to the season,
harvest, to put a better face on these things.

The gourds are rotting on the ground, the sweet blue grapes are finished.
A few roots, maybe, but the ground's so hard the farmers think
it isn't worth the effort to dig them out. For what?
To stand in the marketplace under a thin umbrella, in the rain, in the cold,
no customers anymore?

And then the frost comes; there's no more question of harvest.

The snow begins; the pretense of life ends.
The earth is white now; the fields shine when the moon rises.

I sit at the bedroom window, watching the snow fall.
The earth is like a mirror:
calm meeting calm, detachment meeting detachment.

What lives, lives underground.
What dies, dies without struggle.

Fish tikkis and imli chutney, dal with hot lime pickle, and salad

2009-09-08T10:53:00.005-04:00

During the week, putting together motley things I had completely or half-prepared on a Sunday:
- a salad made with arugula, cucumbers, and bell peppers, with a cranberry vinaigrette I have in the fridge that I made when the cranberry preserves were almost over and it was easier to get the last bits by swirling them with vinegar and making a dressing;
- moong dal made chunky-style with mustard greens, topped with hot lime pickle; and
- fish tikkis topped with imli chutney.

Citrus-Fennel Salmon

2009-09-08T10:48:00.004-04:00

I swear, this dish took all of 15 minutes to prepare. We coated the salmon with citrus-fennel salt and freshly ground black pepper, and seared it. I sliced a few endives and a bulb of fennel, reserving the fronds, and sauteed them in olive oil, citrus-fennel salt, and freshly ground black pepper. When the fennel softened, I turned off the heat and tossed in a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice. We served the salmon over the sauteed vegetables and squeezed lemon juice over the whole dish, and topped it with the fennel fronds.

Watermelon-Tomato Salad

2009-09-08T10:44:00.003-04:00

For this fresh summer salad, I cut large cubes of organic watermelon and yellow and green heirloom tomatoes and sprinkled fennel fronds and slices of red onion that had been marinated briefly in lemon juice. A scattering of pepper and a truly tiny drizzle of grapeseed oil finished it.

Quotables

2009-08-31T19:44:00.000-04:00

Time bows at the altar of gastronomy in France. In the United States time is the altar.

- Roger Cohen

Food Poem Fridays: Barbara Crooker's VEGETABLE LOVE

2009-08-28T09:00:00.001-04:00

Vegetable Love by Barbara Crooker

Feel a tomato, heft its weight in your palm,
think of buttocks, breasts, this plump pulp.
And carrots, mud clinging to the root,
gold mined from the earth's tight purse.
And asparagus, that push their heads up,
rise to meet the returning sun,
and zucchini, green torpedoes
lurking in the Sargasso depths
of their raspy stalks and scratchy leaves.
And peppers, thick walls of cool jade, a green hush.
Secret caves. Sanctuary.
And beets, the dark blood of the earth.
And all the lettuces: bibb, flame, oak leaf, butter-
crunch, black-seeded Simpson, chicory, cos.
Elizabethan ruffs, crisp verbiage.
And spinach, the dark green
of northern forests, savoyed, ruffled,
hidden folds and clefts.
And basil, sweet basil, nuzzled
by fumbling bees drunk on the sun.
And cucumbers, crisp, cool white ice
in the heart of August, month of fire.
And peas in their delicate slippers,
little green boats, a string of beads,
repeating, repeating.
And sunflowers, nodding at night,
then rising to shout hallelujah! at noon.

All over the garden, the whisper of leaves
passing secrets and gossip, making assignations.
All of the vegetables bask in the sun,
languorous as lizards.
Quick, before the frost puts out
its green light, praise these vegetables,
earth's voluptuaries,
praise what comes from the dirt.

Light Summer Meals: Salmon Niçoise and Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Chipotle-Honey Dressing

2009-08-08T17:01:00.007-04:00

Ah, summer. You don't feel like spending a lot of time in a hot kitchen and you barely feel like eating anything remotely warm. The tomatoes are delicious and everything seems more colorful. So we have been having simple dinners, basically salads topped with fish or shrimp:

Salmon "Niçoise" - Salmon poached in a pandan-galangal-lemon broth, over Satur Farms mache and endive salad dressed in a blood orange-mustard vinaigrette, with a few russet potatoes, steamed baby asparagus (which we had saved frozen from spring), heirloom tomatoes from New Jersey, and crumbled hardboiled egg.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Chipotle-Honey Dressing (with grilled shrimp glazed with the same chipotle-honey dressing). The salad has diced radish, diced yellow and red bell peppers, diced red onion, diced fresh bicolor corn, and cilantro. I soaked the black-eyed peas in the morning so they would cook more quickly, and boiled them with salt, two bay leaves, and the two dried chipotle peppers that I then made a salad dressing/glaze with (chipotles, a whole head of fresh baby garlic cloves that I lightly roasted, honey, lime juice, salt, a little bit of olive oil and some brown rice vinegar, blended with a hand blender).

Beautiful Summer Bounty

2009-08-03T10:22:00.018-04:00

These past two weekends, we have been just outside Geneva, Switzerland to meet a baby, and in the Berkshires to celebrate the wedding of a close friend, whose mother happens to run a small grass-based dairy in Williamstown. Needless to say, we have been sumptuously well-fed, and I had to share.

In Geneva, the most popular coffee drink is the café renversé (I think they have something similar in Israel called the cafe hafuch). It is basically a latte, except the espresso is put into the hot steamed milk instead of the other way around - hence, "reversed coffee," or, in the Hebrew, "upside down coffee". It is hard to be a big coffee drinker here in the U.S. where you don't find much good stuff, but I could have a café renversé every day if I lived in Geneva.

Just outside Geneva, where we were staying with our friends, we were picking fruit from the orchard...

...spreading homemade preserves on fresh French bread...

...and having tarte aux abricots speckled with lavender from the garden.

In Williamstown, the cheese made on the premises was the focal point during the cocktail hour after the wedding ceremony. Served alongside sun-warmed green figs, with a mildly acidic, palate-cleansing white wine, Maggie's Round (named after the family's dog, who's developed a taste for it) is the kind of cheese you can keep nibbling throughout a summer evening and never feel the need for anything else or a proper meal. It's an Italian farm-style raw milk cheese, aged 2-4 months, with a flavor similar to Italian Toma.

Michael Pollan on the Conspiracy to Keep Us Out of the Kitchen and On the Couch

2009-07-30T17:28:00.003-04:00

Sigh. Another brilliant piece from Michael Pollan will come out just before the movie Julie & Julia opens. To quote, and sum, "Buying, not making, is what cooking shows are mostly now about." And what our food culture is mostly now about, to our detriment, physically, mentally, and culturally.

I almost don't know what to excerpt for your previewing pleasure -- the whole thing was so darn good. (And if you would like to read further about some of his arguments that, from an evolutionary biology perspective, cooking is an essential human activity, read The Hungry Soul by Leon Kass.)

Excerpts:

On Julia Child: "Julia’s voice was like nothing I ever heard before or would hear again until Monty Python came to America: vaguely European, breathy and singsongy, and weirdly suggestive of a man doing a falsetto impression of a woman. The BBC supposedly took 'The French Chef' off the air because viewers wrote in complaining that Julia Child seemed either drunk or demented."

On the Food Network's rise and home cooking's decline: "How is it that we are so eager to watch other people browning beef cubes on screen but so much less eager to brown them ourselves?"

On enjoying engaging your mind, senses, hands: "Cooking for [Julia Child] was so much more than a means to a meal. It was a gratifying, even ennobling sort of work, engaging both the mind and the muscles.... You did it to please yourself.... I suspect we’re drawn to the textures and rhythms of kitchen work, too, which seem so much more direct and satisfying than the more abstract and formless tasks most of us perform in our jobs nowadays." (This is one of the major reasons I love to cook. It makes me feel creative, sensually engaged, meditative when alone and fulfillingly social with other people.)

On competitive cooking television: "If you ask me, the key to victory on any of these shows comes down to one factor: bacon. Whichever contestant puts bacon in the dish invariably seems to win."

On why you might think we don't cook as much now: "For many years now, Americans have been putting in longer hours at work and enjoying less time at home. Since 1967, we’ve added 167 hours — the equivalent of a month’s full-time labor — to the total amount of time we spend at work each year, and in households where both parents work, the figure is more like 400 hours. Americans today spend more time working than people in any other industrialized nation — an extra two weeks or more a year."

On the real reason why we don't cook as much now: "[Americans] now allow corporations to cook for them when they can.... The shift toward industrial cookery began not in response to a demand from women entering the work force but as a supply-driven phenomenon.... It took years of clever, dedicated marketing to... persuade Americans that opening a can or cooking from a mix really was cooking."

On the state of the table now: "The corporate project of redefining what it means to cook and serve a meal has succeeded beyond the industry’s wildest expectations.... Today, 80 percent of the cost of food eaten in the home goes to someone other than a farmer, which is to say to industrial cooking and packaging and marketing."

On why cooking is fundamental to human culture: "Cooking made us who we are.... It was the discovery of cooking by our early ancestors... [that allowed] our brains to grow bigger.... Freed from the need to spend our days gathering large quantities of raw food and then chewing (and chewing) it, humans could now devote their time, and their metabolic resources, to other purposes, like creating a culture. Cooking gave us not just the meal but also the occasion: the practice of eating together at an appointed time and place. This was something new under the sun, for the forager of raw food would likely have fed himself on the go and alone, like the animals. (Or, come to think of it, like the industrial eaters we’ve become, grazing at gas stations and skipping meals.) But sitting down to common meals, making eye contact, sharing food, all served to civilize us.”

On how we're suffering from the decline of home cooking: "A 2003 study by a group of Harvard economists led by David Cutler found that the rise of food preparation outside the home could explain most of the increase in obesity in America.... As the 'time cost' of food preparation has fallen, calorie consumption has gone up.... As the amount of time Americans spend cooking has dropped by about half, the number of meals Americans eat in a day has climbed; since 1977, we’ve added approximately half a meal to our daily intake.... Obesity rates are inversely correlated with the amount of time spent on food preparation.... Cooking is [also] a better predictor of a healthful diet than social class: a 1992 study in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that poor women who routinely cooked were more likely to eat a more healthful diet than well-to-do women who did not."

Today's Food... Very Good

2009-07-19T11:14:00.008-04:00

"Today's food... very good" was what we all said in unison before a meal at Gandhi Camp (where I was a camper and then a counselor for about five summers). I think I officially stopped being a card-carrying Gandhian when I learned that at the Gandhi ashrams, they don't use onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies (as another form of sacrifice devotion).

I digress.

Dinner tonight was light, summery, and kicky:

1. South Indian-style Brussels Sprouts (with mustard seeds, curry leaves, fresh roasted peanuts, ginger, lemon juice...)

2. Karela (bitter melon) with tomatoes, ginger, onions, and a touch of yogurt whey

3. Sprouted mung bean salad (with tamarind, lime, cilantro...)

4. Shrimp (glazed with tamarind soy sauce)

5. Lemongrass iced tea

FOOD POEM FRIDAYS: Carolyn Miller's A WARM SUMMER IN SAN FRANCISCO

2009-07-10T08:14:00.002-04:00

A Warm Summer in San Francisco by Carolyn Miller

Although I watched and waited for it every day,
somehow I missed it, the moment when everything reached
the peak of ripeness. It wasn't at the solstice; that was only
the time of the longest light. It was sometime after that, when
the plants had absorbed all that sun, had taken it into themselves
for food and swelled to the height of fullness. It was in July,
in a dizzy blaze of heat and fog, when on some nights
it was too hot to sleep, and the restaurants set half their tables
on the sidewalks; outside the city, down the coast,
the Milky Way floated overhead, and shooting stars
fell from the sky over the ocean. One day the garden
was almost overwhelmed with fruition:
My sweet peas struggled out of the raised bed onto the mulch
of laurel leaves and bark and pods, their brilliantly colored
sunbonnets of rose and stippled pink, magenta and deep purple
pouring out a perfume that was almost oriental. Black-eyed Susans
stared from the flower borders, the orange cherry tomatoes
were sweet as candy, the fruit fattened in its swaths of silk,
hummingbirds spiraled by in pairs, the bees gave up
and decided to live in the lavender. At the market,
surrounded by black plums and rosy plums and sugar prunes
and white-fleshed peaches and nectarines, perfumey melons
and mangos, purple figs in green plastic baskets,
clusters of tiny Champagne grapes and piles of red-black cherries
and apricots freckled and streaked with rose, I felt tears
come into my eyes, absurdly, because I knew
that summer had peaked and was already passing
away. I felt very close then to understanding
the mystery; it seemed to me that I almost knew
what it meant to be alive, as if my life had swelled
to some high moment of response, as if I could
reach out and touch the season, as if I were inside
its body, surrounded by sweet pulp and juice,
shimmering veins and ripened skin.

Vanilla Bean Yogurt

2009-07-09T19:38:00.002-04:00

This week, I made half the batch of homemade yogurt with a couple of split vanilla beans and a touch of turbinado sugar. It has been a lovely treat - this batch is not even a taste bud's worth tangy, so it feels like having panna cotta, but with the extra cooling power of yogurt. The vanilla is from Indonesia and tastes dark, velvety, and tropical - nothing like the flavor vanilla extract imparts.

Looks like most of the vanilla seeds settled on the bottom!

Oils

2009-07-09T19:23:00.003-04:00

I love getting requests for posts! Most recently I was asked what the differences are between different types of oils and what is best for cooking.

To begin, you want most of the fats in your diet to come from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated sources, such as vegetable oils, avocadoes, nuts, seeds, and cold water fish.

Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increase the high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

(Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in cold water fish, like salmon, as well as in flaxseed and walnuts, belong to this group. Omega-3s as well as unrefined olive oil are also anti-inflammatory and help to prevent chronic disease, such as diabetes and heart disease.)

Smoke point is the temperature to which an oil can be heated before it smokes and discolors, which are indications of decomposition. If you are using an oil with a low smoke point, you'll want to use it in cold preparations, like salads.

For salads, use cold-pressed, unrefined vegetable oils such as sesame, sunflower, safflower, flaxseed, almond, walnut, hazelnut, pumpkin seed, pistachio, avocado, grapeseed, cottonseed, and extra-virgin olive oil (unrefined olive oil has a smoke point of 320°F), among others. Heat would destroy the delicate flavors of these oils.

Safflower oil also doesn't solidify when chilled, which can be useful if you'll be serving a chilled dressed dish.

For cooking, use extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, refined sesame oil, and refined grapeseed oil, among others. Peanut oil is great for hot woks and Asian stir-fries. Sesame oil comes in a light variety (made from untoasted sesame seeds) and a dark variety (made from toasted sesame seeds). Light sesame oil has a nutty taste and is great for sauteeing or shallow frying in a pan. Dark sesame oil has a very strong flavor and should be used in small quantities for its flavoring.

In Indian food we also sometimes use as a flavoring agent the oil from mustard seeds, which is sharp and a bit spicy.

For frying, corn oil, refined safflower and sunflower oils, and canola oil will do, as they have higher smoke points. (It is best not to fry with olive oil, as its smoke point is only about 190C/375F.)

Fats to avoid (for health reasons -- some of these are quite tasty):
vegetable shortening
margarine
butter
palm oil
palm kernel oil
coconut oil
bacon grease and animal lard

Final notes:

Personally, I hate the smell of soybean oil, so I avoid it.

And the jury is out on coconut oil. Some believe that when consumed raw, coconut oil is beneficial. Choose your own adventure.

For more information, check out the FAQ and the food fats and oils reference on the website of the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils.

Recipes for your face!

2009-06-25T15:40:00.000-04:00

A lot of the ingredients in skincare products come from foods. Right in your own kitchen, you probably have the makings of the freshest, most bioactive facial masks, eye treatments, and exfoliators.

Fruit acids are wonderful at gently removing dead skin and brightening skin. Oatmeal calms, yogurt tightens pores, and cucumbers soothe eyes.

Stick with organics to avoid pesticides, and peel fruits and vegetables anyway -- even organics are allowed to have natural waxes.

Some ideas:

- For oily skin, grated apple and honey, or a puree of cucumber and yogurt;

- For exfoliation, wheat germ and warm honey; sea salt and extra virgin olive oil; or a simple paste of oatmeal and water;

- Avocado, honey, and almond flour make a moisturizing mask;

- Mashed peach and extra virgin olive oil work for dry skin;

- Cool, wet tea bags or cucumber slices de-puff eyes;

- Seaweed detoxifies;

- For enzymatic exfoliation, mix strawberries, papaya, honey, and oatmeal.

Recipe: Quick Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse (vegan!)

2009-06-05T18:46:00.005-04:00

We had some friends over for watercress and radish salad (dressed with verjus and extra virgin olive oil and topped with sliced boiled egg), fish tacos, and Mexican corn. I made this quick (and vegan!) cinnamon-chocolate mousse the day before so we'd have a little chocolatey bite for afterwards!

Quick Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse for 4

1 ¼ cups chilled MimicCreme
1/8 teaspoon (generous) ground cinnamon
4 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate (at least 65% cocoa content), chopped

Combine ¼ cup MimicCreme and cinnamon in small saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer chocolate mixture to large bowl and add remaining MimicCreme. Using electric mixer, beat until chocolate is completely incorporated. Divide mousse among 4 glasses / bowls / ramekins and cover with plastic wrap. Chill until set, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

No Comment

2009-05-13T14:30:00.000-04:00

In Korean, noo roong ji is the toasted crust of rice that forms at the bottom of the traditional Korean stone rice pot (people in Seoul love the taste of toasted rice -- it's even an ice cream flavor there).

In Japan, where toasted rice is considered overcooked and undesirable, it's called okoge -- also slang for a single woman who spends a lot of time with gay men.

???

Quotable

2009-05-12T15:29:00.003-04:00

"When poor Southern families created 'soul food,' all they had was produce from their humble backyard gardens. Soul food started as local, organic, and sustainable—terms we’re now more likely to associate with Trader Joe’s than Amy Ruth’s. Vegan food activist Bryant Terry wants to change those associations; to bring the growing movement of health and eco-conscious food back to its (low-income) roots."

- Heather McGhee

Recipe: Thai Red Curry Paste

2009-05-09T19:09:00.002-04:00

This is just one recipe for Thai red curry paste. There are many
variations.

3 shallots, sliced
1 stalk lemongrass
1-3 bird's eye chillies
3 cloves garlic
1 3" piece galangal, peeled and sliced
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. ground coriander seeds
3 Tbsp. nam pla
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 tsp. shrimp paste
1 tsp. palm sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. red chilli powder

Process all ingredients in a food processor.

Red curry paste may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator
for about 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe: Thai Green Curry Paste

2009-05-09T19:06:00.003-04:00

This is just one recipe for Thai green curry paste. There are many
variations.

1 stalk lemongrass
1/2 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. shrimp paste
1 tsp. palm sugar
1-2 green chillies
3 cloves garlic
1 3" piece galangal (or ginger), peeled and sliced
3-4 kaffir lime leaves, stems removed
1 cup fresh cilantro (including leaves and stems)
1 tsp. nama shoyu
2 Tbsp. nam pla

Process all ingredients in a food processor.

Green curry paste may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator
for about 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe: Mussels in a Lemongrass Bath

2009-05-09T16:26:00.014-04:00

Last night, my cousin came over for dinner. It has recently been a somewhat difficult time on that side of the family, so I felt that we needed a sumptuously nourishing meal to linger over. I made mussels as a starter; then grilled shrimp over a julienned red cabbage-bell pepper-mango salad with a Thai-style dressing; and, finally, small servings of grilled salmon with a side of broccoli, drizzled with a thick Thai red curry coconut sauce, fresh cilantro, and black sesame seeds.

Mussels in a Lemongrass Bath for 3
2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and bearded, and rinsed thoroughly and drained
1/4 cup chopped spring green onion
1 bird's eye chilli, slit in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon green curry paste
2 stalks lemongrass, chopped
3 cups broth
2 teaspoons peanut oil

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, and then heat peanut oil until medium hot. Add green onion and bird's eye chilli and saute until onion is beginning to get translucent. Pour in broth and add green curry paste and lemongrass. When it's beginning to boil but not quite, add the mussels, bring completely to boil, cover, lower heat to medium, and steam the mussels for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove the mussels that haven't opened, and serve the rest.

Recipe: Grilled Shrimp over Julienned Red Cabbage-Bell Pepper-Mango Salad

2009-05-09T16:26:00.010-04:00

Grilled Shrimp over Julienned Red Cabbage-Bell Pepper-Mango Salad for 3

(This is a slight variation on a similar earlier post.)

Salad
1/3 of a whole red cabbage, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 orange bell pepper, julienned
1 mango, julienned
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (can also add fresh chopped mint)
1 bunch scallions: chop 3 of them finely; chop the rest on the diagonal into 2-3" pieces

1 pound shrimp, cleaned, de-veined, tails left on; rinsed, patted dry, and marinated for 10 minutes in salt, pepper, a tablespoon of peanut oil, and the juice of 1 lime or 3 key limes

Dressing
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup nam pla (fish sauce)
Splash peanut oil
1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
1 bird's eye (or serrano) chilli, minced
1/2" piece ginger, julienned

In a measuring cup, mix dressing ingredients and set them aside for the flavors to marry.

Heat grill on high heat and spray with grapeseed oil. When grill is hot, place shrimp and 2-3" long scallion pieces on grill in one layer. When the shrimp is pink, turn the heat off and flip each shrimp.

Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing, and divide the salad among three large bowls. Top each salad with a third of the grilled shrimp and scallions.

Literatarianism

2009-05-05T19:31:00.011-04:00

As I mentioned, Geoff Nicholson's essay about books he's read with descriptions of disgusting meals sent me into a reverie about foods I've read about that left me salivating -- not in books that were otherwise about food necessarily (that's too easy) but in which the world created by the author is so richly imagined that you're given smells, tastes, even textures that draw you in, so deep.

The first book (or rather, series) that came to mind was Harry Potter, so remarkable because so much of the food, drink, and sweets are completely imaginary, and yet J.K. Rowling leaves you craving a warm, comforting mug of butterbeer or the adventure in every box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans (includes spinach, liverwurst, and ear wax, but also sweet flavors like "a nice toffee"). Let me say, this is moreover a feat because the "real" food mentioned in the books is of the heavy, bland, British variety, like Yorkshire pudding, steak and kidney pie, and treacle tart (except when the Beauxbatons students are in town, and the house elves make bouillabaisse and blancmange appear). And yet somehow cauldron cakes washed down with pumpkin juice sounds enticing; I would even sample gillywater or take a gulp of Ogden's Old Firewhisky. I'd probably skip Hagrid's cooking, though -- rock cakes don't tempt me.

The sweets! What variety: Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, chocolate frogs, pumpkin pasties, the aforementioned cakes and jelly beans, Licorice Wands, Pepper Imps, Sugar Quills, tooth flossing string mints, Fizzing Whizbees, peppermint toads, fudge flies, Acid Pops...

Finally, I love that so much of the food served at Hogwarts is made with the vegetables from the patches near the greenhouses and that Hagrid raises chickens. A school after Alice Waters' heart!

From my childhood (much of which was spent reading, and the rest of which was spent eating and cooking, I think), Anne of Green Gables's terrible mistakes in the kitchen got across how painfully eager she was to belong and shed her status as an uncivilized, not-to-be-trusted orphan. Two incidents stand out.

Anne accidentally gets her bosom friend Diana drunk by serving her currant wine, thinking it's raspberry cordial, at a time when there is a growing prohibition movement and Diana's mom Mrs. Barry anyway doesn't trust Anne. The understanding Marilla isn't too hard on Anne, and says, "I should think Mrs. Barry would better punish Diana for being so greedy as to drink three glassfuls of anything!"

Anne also lets a mouse get into the pudding sauce because she gets carried away imagining she's a nun ("of course") and forgets to cover it. "I'm a Protestant, but I imagined I was a Catholic taking the veil to bury a broken heart in cloistered seclusion, and I forgot all about covering the pudding sauce. I thought of it next morning and ran to the pantry. Diana, fancy if you can my extreme horror at finding a mouse drowned in that pudding sauce!" (Anne does, of course, voice the thought that drowning in pudding sauce is relatively a rather nice way for a mouse to die.)

Literatarian feasting is aplenty in Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik. Aside from all the mouth-watering, perfect food Gopnik and his family enjoy during their five years of cafe life in Paris, there is an adorable scene in which, just before returning to their home town of New York, their son has an interview with a New York kindergarten and, when asked what his favorite breakfast is, he answers (suitably for a child who has spent his first five years of life in Paris), "Croissant et confiture."

Growing up vegetarian, I could not help but being equally fascinated and repulsed while reading The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. Maxine's Chinese mother cooks 'coons, hawks, skunks, city pigeons, wild ducks, wild geese, black-skinned bantams, "turtles that crawled about the pantry floor and escaped under refrigerator and stove" and "catfish that swam in the bathtub." And she allows absolutely no waste, so use is also made of the strange innards of all of these unlikely creatures.

If you love this sort of thing, just read the chapter "The Literary Glutton" in Anne Fadiman's adorable book of essays about loving reading, Ex Libris. She writes, "In Anna Karenina, all the essential differences between Oblonsky and Levin are laid out in the Moscow restaurant scene during which the former orders three dozen oysters, vegetable soup, turbot with thick sauce, capon with tarragon, and fruit macedoine, while the latter longs for cabbage soup and porridge." Nothing more need be said, and we understand the Oblonskys and Levins of the world.

Juicing

2009-05-05T17:56:00.004-04:00

My father-in-law is interested in taking up juicing for health, so I did some Internet research for him on the best juicer to buy if you're going to be juicing a lot of vegetables in addition to fruits, including leafy greens and wheatgrass, and if you want your juice to be of the highest nutritional quality. (Caveat: I myself have not test driven the juicers, but rather combed through juice lifestyle-oriented sites that compared a number of different kinds of juicers alongside one another and included dozens of reviews of each, and also compared models within a single brand.)

Based on my research, I recommended that he buy either the Omega Model 8006 Juicer / Nutrition Center (the latest Omega model) or the Omega Model 8003 Single-Gear Juicer.

Omega makes single gear (masticating) juicers that literally chew fruit and vegetable fibers and break up the plant cells, resulting in more fiber, enzymes, vitamins and trace minerals. Masticating juicers are more efficient than the cheaper centrifugal juicers because they extract more juice (so, the pulp comes out drier). Masticating juicers can juice virtually any fruit and vegetable, and single gear juicers can juice leaves and grasses, like wheatgrass, spinach, lettuce, parsley, and other leafy greens and herbs. Masticating juicers also operate at slower speeds (RPMs), resulting in less foam, heat, and noise,

which means the juice comes out with its enzymes not degraded by heat and not as oxidated, so you can keep it in the fridge for 1-3 days. In addition to extracting juices, these juicers can also make purees, patés, sauces, nut butters, frozen yogurt, and fruit sorbets. Some also come with attachments for making pasta.

Their disadvantages compared with centrifugal juices are that they are slower to use because they have smaller feeding chambers, slower feeding times, and take slightly longer to clean, but these are small inconveniences if your goal is drinking very high-nutrient juice.

Juicing is not a substitute for eating fruits and vegetables; when you juice, you don't get the benefit of helpful fiber. But juicing helps you to access the beneficial vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidant phytochemicals that are stored in fruits and vegetables and can neutralize carcinogenic free radicals and protect our cells' DNA from breakdown. Fiber is not broken down well by the body, so when you eat whole fruits and vegetables, the body expels the fiber along with much of the goodness fruits and vegetables contain. Juicing at home is also a lot more potent than buying bottled juice, because processing, bottling, and time break down the helpful nutrients. When you juice at home, you consume the juice right away or within a day or two, so you get the most nutrients.

Juicing sites recommend that you wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly before juicing to remove any pesticides, to try and buy organic produce for juicing if possible, which is free from pesticides, herbicides, etc., and to shop at local produce markets where the produce will be fresher than if it has been shipped halfway around the world. In-season produce is also at its pick in terms of nutrition. Pick the fruits and vegetables with the deepest colors and strongest fragrances. The sites also recommend that you peel citrus fruits and leave in the white pith, as it contains high levels of vitamin C and bioflavinoids. Some fruits with a low water content are not as suitable for juicing and are better being broken down in a blender and then combined with the juice output of the juicer, like bananas and avocadoes.

One tip I loved: leave your juicer set up on your kitchen countertop to remind you to juice.

I also loved the recipes with healthy fats mixed into juices for a creamier treat, like olive oil; soaked cashews or almonds; pumpkin, sunflower, or flax seeds; seed oils like flaxseed oil; or vegetables like avocadoes. The oils help the body take in fat soluble vitamins that fruit and vegetable juices contain.

Also recommended was adding a tablespoon or two of soaked raisins, soaked dates, or chopped figs for sweetness.

A lot of people juice one vegetable or fruit at a time (for instance, carrot juice, apple juice, or tomato juice), but it's much more fun to make interesting juice blends, such as these ideas:

Pear-fennel-watercress

Apple-strawberry

Apple-carrot-celery-parsley

Carrot-fennel-celery-apple

Carrot-apple

Apple-beet-ginger

Lemon-melon ("melonade")

Tomato-apple-garlic-parsley

Red bell pepper and lemon

Spinach-mango

Basil-parsley-soaked pine nuts-garlic-olive oil (presto, it's pesto juice!)

Pumpkin with soaked cashews, nutmeg, and soaked dates (which I think will taste like pumpkin pie)

Green mango and pineapple with chaat masala

Apple-raspberry-brewed black tea

Mint-lime-cucumber

Apple and red grapes with some soaked peanuts (which I think will taste like PB&J)

Add-ons like ginger for zing, red chillies or hot sauce for heat, cinnamon, vanilla, rose water, tamarind, coffee, tea, saffron and many other kinds of flavorings would be fun to experiment with.

Another good point made on the juicing sites is that you will have dry pulp left over after juicing. Instead of throwing it away, you can add the left over pulp to foods (like baked goods) to increase your dietary fiber intake. If you don't have time to make dishes with the pulp on the day of juicing then you can simply put the pulp in a bag and freeze it until you are ready to use it. While the nutrients in freshly made juice break down quickly due to oxidation of enzymes, the benefits you get from fiber do not decline if it's stored frozen. You can also use the left over pulp and peelings for garden compost, or for artistic uses like to make your own paper. Certain types of pulp can be used to feed the birds in your garden.

Wheatgrass is a big reason that many people get into juicing, because it must be juiced: wheatgrass is non-digestible due to its high levels of cellulose, but juicing it makes the nutrients that wheatgrass contains available. One ounce of wheatgrass juice is said to contain the same amount of nutrients as 2.5 lbs of green vegetables. It is grown from the red wheatberry, a special strain that contains high concentrations of chlorophyll, amino acids, enzymes, minerals and vitamins. You can grow your own wheatgrass indoors from a starter kit, which can be more economical than buying it, on a windowsill that receives sunlight daily. It should be cut when it reaches around 7-8".

I also sent my father-in-law a list of potent "superfood" fruits and vegetables (in rainbow order – think of this as a checklist, and try to get the whole rainbow in each week):

- PURPLE: grapes, prunes, plums, cherries, cranberries, raisins, blueberries, peppers, açai, pomegranate, dragonfruit, purple bell peppers, purple carrots

- RED: tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon, apples, beets, strawberries, red bell peppers, red cabbage, chard, currants, damson plums

- ORANGE: pumpkin, carrot, squash, yam, mango, apricot, cantaloupe, orange bell peppers, passionfruit, mangosteen

- ORANGE-YELLOW: oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, peaches, lemons, limes, papaya, pineapple, nectarines, goji berries, golden beets

- YELLOW-GREEN: peas, beans, spinach, green bell peppers, collards, cucumber, mustard greens, kiwi, avocadoes, bananas

- GREEN: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, bok choy, broccoli sprouts, wheatgrass, karela, other sprouts

- WHITE-GREEN: garlic, onions, celery, leeks, scallions, shallots, ginger, asparagus, pears, artichokes, endives, mushrooms, chives

- SEA VEGETABLES: spirulina, kelp, seaweeds

More about juicing and Omega juicers:

Harvest Essentials

Cool Tools

Epinions on the Omega 8006

Is the Novel You're Reading Making You Hungry? Just Pick a Different Book

2009-05-04T12:04:00.006-04:00

I have been chortling through Geoff Nicholson's essay, "Go Ahead. Spoil My Appetite," in the New York Times, and I just had to share the best tidbits from it. It's all about how he prefers novels in which the descriptions of what the characters are eating are either nonexistent or disgusting, so that he doesn't have to sit there feeling ravenous and food-envious "while sitting alone on the couch sustained only by instant coffee."

He prefers to read about characters suffering because of what they're eating:

"In 'Gravity’s Rainbow,' ... Tyrone Slothrop samples various hideous English candies, flavored with the likes of quinine, pepsin, eucalyptus, tapioca, until, choking, he’s offered a Meggezone, 'the least believable of English coughdrops.' This is a real product, a nasty little black lozenge, still available, and if my childhood memory is reliable, Pynchon’s description of its effects — 'Polar bears seek toenail-holds up the freezing frosty-grape alveolar clusters in his lungs' — gets it about right."

"'Moby-Dick' ... struck me as a vast smorgasbord ... of bad eating: the Try Pots Inn, where even the milk tastes of fish; the grim formal meals aboard the Pequod; and the notorious scene of Stubb’s Supper, in which the second mate gets a craving for whale steak and sends a crew member to slice some flesh off a poor dead beast attached to the side of the ship.... As Stubb eats he hears sharks in the water far below tearing apart the rest of the whale carcass."

And finally:

"'Naked Lunch' contains my favorite description of disgusting food. Burroughs writes: 'In Egypt is a worm gets into your kidneys and grows to an enormous size. Ultimately the kidney is just a thin shell around the worm. Intrepid gourmets esteem the flesh of The Worm above all other delicacies. It is said to be unspeakably toothsome.' This is surely Burroughs’s own hallucinatory invention, but I’d still like the recipe."

Next up: some of my favorite good reads for good eats : )

Recipe: Moqueca de Peixe (Bahia Seafood Stew)

2009-04-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

Moqueca de Peixe (Bahia Seafood Stew) for 6

juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound white fish fillet(s), cut into strips or chunks
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped red onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 bunch chopped green onions
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 large chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 (8-oz.) bottles clam juice
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can low sodium broth
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon ground red chilli pepper

Combine lime, salt and pepper, garlic, fish and shrimp in a large bowl; toss or turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, and bay leaf; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high; add tomato, and cook 2 minutes.

Add half the cilantro, clam juice, and broth. Bring to boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Blend vegetable-and-stock mixture until smooth (I used a hand blender, but you could also transfer the mixture, 1/3 of it at a time, to a blender for pureeing). Add coconut milk and red chilli pepper to pureed vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes.

Add fish-and-shrimp mixture; cook 3 minutes or until seafood is cooked. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.

We had this over brown rice, but it could also be served simply as a stew.

FOOD POEM FRIDAYS: Diane Lockward's BLUEBERRY

2009-04-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

Blueberry
by Diane Lockward

Deep-blue hue of the body, silvery bloom
on its skin. Undersized runt of a fruit,
like something that failed to thrive, dented top
a fontanel. Lopsided globe. A temperate zone.
Tiny paradox, tart and sweet, homely
but elegant afloat in sugar and cream,
baked in a pie, a cobbler, a muffin.

The power of blue. Number one antioxidant fruit,
bantam-weight champ in the fight against
urinary tract infections, best supporting actor
in a fruit salad. No peeling, coring or cutting.
Lay them out on a counter, strands of blue pearls.
Pop one at a time, like M&M's, into your mouth.
Be a glutton and stuff in a handful, your tongue,
lips, chin dyed blue, as if feasting on indigo.
Fruit of the state of New Jersey.
Favorite fruit of my mother.

Sundays she scooped them into pancake batter,
poured circles onto the hot greased griddle, sizzled
them gold and blue, doused with maple syrup.

This is what I want to remember: my mother
and me, our quilted robes, hair in curlers,
that kitchen, that table,
plates stacked with pancakes, blueberries sparkling
like gemstones, blue stars in a gold sky,
the universe in reverse,
the two of us eating blueberry pancakes.

Asian sauces, dressings, marinades

2009-04-21T07:44:00.000-04:00

I'm realizing, I probably make Asian dishes more often than Indian ones. I
think it might be because they're easier when you're cooking for just one or two people. I
don't have pre-made sauces, although I do often use pre-made Thai curry pastes. I use the following ingredients a great deal:

fish sauce (nam pla)
raw soy sauce (nama shoyu)
rice vinegar (I have one that's flavored with yuzu!)
sesame oil
peanut oil
olive oil

chilli oil

rice wine (mirin)
red and green Thai curry pastes
fermented black beans and fermented hot mung beans
tamarind

And I add other ingredients I have at the time, like fresh citrus juice, palm sugar, fresh peanut butter, etc.

I try to make sure that all flavors are in the mix -- sweet, spicy, salty, umami (the taste of protein), tangy, and aromatic/bitter.

So I can make a Thai dressing with peanut oil, palm sugar, bird's eye chillies, fish sauce, lemongrass and lime leaves, lime juice, and galangal. I can make a peanut dressing with a bit of maple syrup, chillies, nama shoyu, peanut butter, mirin or rice vinegar, tamarind, and ginger and/or garlic. I can stir-fry vegetables and/or seafood in sesame oil, sesame seeds, red chilli flakes, hot fermented mung bean paste, nama shoyu, mirin, ginger, scallions, and garlic.

And I vary it up. Maybe instead of mirin, I'll use fresh tangerine juice and zest. Etc.

If you like this kind of thing, check out Mark Bittman's blog in the NYTimes. His goal in life seems to be to get Americans back to cooking without recipes, which used to be a widespread skill but has fallen away. Bittman will write things like, "Take some pita pockets, break them into little pieces, mix them into a salad of chopped cucumber, tomatoes, olive oil, lemon, and red onions or shallots. Call it fattoush."

I think's it great because I think about cooking in a very similar way -- you don't need things to be exact for most dishes, you can take a concept and make substitutions or customize it, and with a good repertoire of oils, vinegars, condiments, herbs, spices, and base ingredients like onions, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes, you can make a meal out of what happens to be in your fridge in terms of main ingredients.

Food Poem Fridays: ODE TO THE POTATO by Barbara Hamby

2009-04-17T09:00:00.002-04:00

Ode to the Potato
by Barbara Hamby

"They eat a lot of French fries here," my mother
   announces after a week in Paris, and she's right,
not only about les pommes frites but the celestial tuber
   in all its forms: rotie, puree, not to mention
au gratin or boiled and oiled in la salade nicoise.
   Batata edulis discovered by gold-mad conquistadors
in the West Indies, and only a 100 years later
   in The Merry Wives of Windsor Falstaff cries,
"Let the skie raine Potatoes," for what would we be
   without you--lost in a sea of fried turnips,
mashed beets, roasted parsnips? Mi corazon, mon coeur,
   my core is not the heart but the stomach, tuber
of the body, its hollow stem the throat and esophagus,
   leafing out to the nose and eyes and mouth. Hail
the conquering spud, all its names marvelous: Solanum
   tuberosum, Igname, Caribe, Russian Banana, Yukon Gold.
When you turned black, Ireland mourned. O Mr. Potato Head,
   how many deals can a man make before he stops being
small potatoes? How many men can a woman drop
   like a hot potato? Eat it cooked or raw like an apple
with salt of the earth, apple of the earth, pomme de terre.
   Tuber, tuber burning bright in a kingdom without light,
deep within the earth where the Incan potato gods rule,
   forging their golden orbs for the world's ravening gorge.

Recipe: Spicy Lemony Carrot Tahini

2009-04-17T00:03:00.005-04:00

Spicy Lemony Carrot Tahini

We had a whole bag of carrots just crying out to be eaten in some novel way, and so I made this spicy lemony carrot tahini to keep around as a spread for sandwiches, crackers, or to dip other vegetables into. I think could also be good to plate a lightly prepared filet of white flaky Mediterranean fish into. The sweetness of the carrots comes into play with the nutty astringency of the sesame tahini, and you're left with a bit of a kick of an aftertaste from the lemon juice and chilli / cayenne.

1 lb carrots

dash salt

juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp sesame tahini

red chilli powder / cayenne to taste
za'atar to taste

Peel and trim the carrots, rinse, and cut each in half. Put them in a pot with about two inches of water, cover, and bring to a boil, then let simmer and steam until the carrots are tender (about 10 minutes). Check on them to make sure caramelization isn't forming on the sides of the pot. When the carrots are tender, remove the pot from the heat, add the rest of the ingredients, and puree using a hand / stick blender (alternatively, you could move the carrots and cooking liquid into a blender and blend everything).

How I store my excess spices

2009-04-11T18:10:00.004-04:00

Spices keep best dry and away from light, so I put my stores in coffee bags in the freezer. For daily use I have a spice carousel near the stove.

Recipe: Fish or Shrimp Tacos

2009-03-18T14:21:00.007-04:00

Shrimp or fish tacos are perfect for an assemble-your-own dinner. Lay out warmed soft tortillas, prepared shrimp or fish, a few different sauces or salsas, shredded cabbage (green cabbage is classic but I like to use very finely shredded red cabbage), and lime wedges and let people fill their own tacos. Here's an assortment of options.

Avocado Sauce makes 1/2 cup. Mix/mash together 1/4 ripe avocado, peeled; a pinch of salt; a few drops of lime juice; 1-2 tablespoons water; and 2 cilantro sprigs, chopped (optional).

Chilies de Arbol Sauce makes 1/2 cup. Pour 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add 1 garlic clove, smashed with the side of a large knife, and cook 4-5 minutes until golden and aromatic. Place in a small food processor. Wearing gloves, seed 1 cup dried chilies de arbol (about 30 chilies), stemmed (unless you want hotter sauce, in which case, leave the seeds), and place in the processor. Process until well pulverized. Add 1/3 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and puree until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon white vinegar. Let stand at least 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or vinegar as necessary.

Tomatillo salsa Whisk 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger, 2 teaspoons cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice and 1/8 teaspoon grated zest in a small bowl and set aside. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add 1/2 cup diced red onion and cook 2-3 minutes until slightly browned. Add 1 cup diced red bell pepper, 1 cup diced tomatillo, and 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper (with seeds), and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the ginger-vinegar mixture to the pan and cook 1-2 minutes more, until slightly bubbly. Place in a bowl and gently stir in 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro. Season with salt.

Chipotle Cream Heat 1 tsp. oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped roughly, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic and slightly golden. Add 2 chopped scallions and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Place in a small food processor. Add 4-5 chilies in adobo sauce, 2 tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. Mexican crema and 2 tsp. water, and pulse. Add more water as necessary and pulse until sauce is thick and creamy (a few little bumps are fine).

Beer battered and deep fried fish (Baja-style) makes 24 servings, enough for 6 to 8 people
For the batter, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon dried whole Mexican oregano, rubbed to a powder, Kosher salt to taste, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in 1 bottle (12 oz.) cold beer until there are no lumps. Cut 2 pounds firm, meaty fish such as halibut or snapper into finger-shaped pieces and sprinkle them with some lime juice and salt. Pat dry. Dip the pieces into the batter, let the excess drip, and deep fry the battered fish pieces until golden; drain on paper towel-lined rack.

Baked fish makes 2 servings
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place two egg whites in a shallow bowl and lightly beat with a fork. In another shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup coarse cornmeal or grits seasoned with salt and pepper. Pat dry four 4-oz. servings of white fish, such as tilapia or halibut, and dip each piece of fish first in the egg whites and then dredge in the cornmeal. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning once mid-way through.

Skillet shrimp
Place 24 large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, in a large bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to coat. Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook 5-6 minutes, turning to ensure that they brown evenly on both sides.

Poblano-corn salsa
Char a fresh poblano pepper over an open gas flame, turning occasionally, until thoroughly blistered on all sides. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and gently scrape off the skin. Halve, stem and seed the pepper. Cut into strips, then dice and place in a bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kernels cut from one large ear of corn and cook 3-4 minutes until slightly charred yet crisp. Add to the bowl with the poblano pepper. Peel and dice 1 small avocado, sprinkle with a little lime juice to prevent it from turning brown, and add to bowl. Add fresh cilantro, season with salt, and toss gently.

Quotable Quote

2009-03-18T10:48:00.004-04:00

"Like most street food, a fish taco is paradoxical: Its humble appearance belies its bliss-inducing capabilities.... It's crispy and creamy; it's spicy and salty. It's got that elusive umami (a savoriness from the protein) that satisfies your taste buds and quells your worst hunger. The fish taco is made by placing hot, crispy fried fish on a lightly charred corn tortilla then topping it with a symphony of sauces.... A fiery chilies de arbol sauce contrasts delightfully with a cooling avocado sauce. Then it's topped off with crunchy shredded cabbage and a zippy pico de gallo. It's a gustatory experience as beautiful and eclectic as the place from which it originated, Baja California, Mexico."

- Susan Russo

(Lately, there's been a theme to my food fancies - setting up a little station for people to assemble their own little bundles, such as putting out a bowl of chhole, chopped onions, imli chutney, and yogurt and providing warm pocket pitas to stuff with one's own personalized combination of those components; wrap-your-own summer rolls; fish tacos; roti rolls.... This is kind of fun for people, I think, especially when the weather warms up.)

Recipe: Lychee Royales

2009-03-13T16:36:00.003-04:00

Lychee Royales

Mix lychee liqueur and chilled prosecco in a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio, to taste, and pour into a flute with one fresh lychee.

(We made virgin versions of these for the prego ladies, with lychee juice and sparkling water.)

Recipe: Mini Cod Cakes with Harissa Ketchup

2009-03-13T16:02:00.004-04:00

Mini Cod Cakes with Harissa Ketchup (makes about 36)
1/2 cup mayonnaise or fresh aioli
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used tarragon mustard)
3/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning (I used a mel ocean picked up from a little epicerie in Geneva)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 lb cod
2 cups organic breadcrumbs or panko
Harissa ketchup
Optional Garnish: thinly sliced fresh cilantro

Bring 4 quarts water to boil with peppercorns to taste, a roughly chopped onion, a few bay leaves, and a lemon sliced into 4 or 5 pieces. Lower cod in inside a strainer such that you can pull it out free of the other ingredients in the water when it's cooked. Pull it out when cooked and let cool and drain.

Whisk together mayonnaise, egg, mustard, seasoning, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Tabasco, then use your hands to mash in the cod when it's at room temperature. Add breadcrumbs to the mixture until you can feel that the mixture can be clumped together. (I think I added one or two tablespoons.)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Put fresh breadcrumbs into a shallow dish. Form 1 heaping teaspoon cod mixture into a 1"-diameter ball, then gently roll in the breadcrumbs to cover and place onto a baking sheet sprayed with grapeseed oil and flatten lightly to form a little cake.

Bake cod cakes in batches in middle of oven until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly and transfer to a platter and top each with about 1 teaspoon harissa ketchup. Garnish with cilantro, if you like.

Recipe: Bombay Bhel

2009-03-13T15:44:00.005-04:00

Bhel puri is a type of chaat or savory snack that you get all over India but that's particularly associated with Bombay, especially the vendors who serve it along Chowpatty beach. You can mix just about anything tart, salty, spicy, or crunchy into it. Diced green mango and sprouted mung are typical additions. The most common ingredients are diced boiled potatoes, diced red onion, minced cilantro, and spiced puffed rice, deep fried, crunchy lentils, and sev (chickpea flour deep fried to make crunchy broken "noodles") tossed with a mix of sweet, sour, and spicy chutneys and spices and topped off with lime juice. Imli-date and coriander chutneys are the most commonly used. Sometimes chilli sauce and yogurt are added.

For my friend's shower, I mixed together about 1 1/2 cups puffed rice that had been tossed with red chilli powder (lal mirchi), salt, and coriander powder (dhania); 2 cups fresh corn kernels; 1/2 cup spiced roasted cashews; 1/2 cup sev; 1/2 cup fried chana dal; 1 large diced red onion; 3 medium potatoes, cooked but still firm, and cubed; 3/4 C chopped fresh cilantro; 1/2 C imli-date chutney; and the juice of one fresh lime.

Recipe: Fruit-Ginger Summer Rolls

2009-03-11T21:48:00.003-04:00

Fruit-Ginger Summer Rolls (for 12)
2 cups julienned fresh pineapple
2 cups julienned mango
1 cup sliced scallions
1 each red and orange pepper, cored, seeded and julienned
1/2" piece minced ginger and 1/2" piece julienned ginger
1/2 Cup thinly sliced fresh Thai basil
1/4 C fresh lime juice
1/4 C honey or sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
4 oz cellophane noodles
12 sheets (8" each) rice paper (found in grocery stores' Asian
sections)

Boil rice noodles in salted water for 3 minutes; drain; set aside. Mix basil, minced ginger, lime juice, honey, and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Fill a bowl with warm water. Soak 1 piece rice paper until pliable, but not entirely soft, 10 to 15 seconds. Lay flat on a cutting board. Layer pineapple, mango, bell peppers, julienned ginger, scallions, and rice noodles to form a log-shaped pile. Spoon some sauce over. Fold bottom edge of wrapper up and sides tightly in against filling. Roll up to top edge. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut in half on the bias.

Recipe: Lobster-Mango Cocktail on Jicama Squares

2009-03-11T19:26:00.004-04:00

Lobster-Mango Cocktail on Jicama Squares (serves about 15 as an hor d'oeuvre)

1/3 cup mayonnaise or classic aioli

1/3 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons whiskey

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

about 1 1/2-2 lbs. cooked lobster meat or langoustine meat, cut into 1/2" pieces and rinsed and drained

3 firm-ripe mangoes, finely diced

1 cup finely diced celery

2 large or 4 small whole Belgian endives, trimmed and sliced twice lengthwise and thinly crosswise

3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens

salt and pepper

Garnish: paprika

1 big jicama, peeled and sliced into 1" squares

In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise/aioli, yogurt, whiskey, ketchup, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, toss the lobster meat with the mango, celery, endives, scallion greens, and the sauce until combined. Spoon the lobster mixture onto the jicama squares and garnish with paprika.

Recipe: Mango Guacamole

2009-03-11T19:21:00.004-04:00

Mango Guacamole (serves 15 as an hor d'oeuvre)

4 large or 6 medium ripe avocadoes

1 cup finely chopped white onion

2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, or to taste

3/4 cup diced peeled mango

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

salt and red chilli powder to taste

Garnish: lime wedges

Halve, pit, and peel the avocadoes, and coarsely mash them in a bowl. Stir in the onion, chillies, 1/4 cup lime juice, and salt and red chilli powder to taste (I used at least a teaspoon of each), then fold in the mango and cilantro. Season with additional lime juice.

(Because I had used pineapple in other dishes we served at the baby shower, I had the scooped out half of the pineapple and served the guacamole in it.)

A Baby Shower Menu

2009-03-11T18:52:00.010-04:00

On Sunday, I co-hosted a baby shower. My co-host and I split up the duties and I, naturally, took charge of the yummies we'd serve. We had a bit of an Indo-tropical theme, with baby elephants and palms on the invitations and bright flowers, and it was an afternoon event, so I stuck mostly with light finger foods made with tropical fruits, notes of ginger, and a bit of Indian street food inspiration. Here's the menu. I'll be posting all of the recipes over the next few days!

Mango Guacamole

Lobster-Mango Cocktail on Jicama Squares

Fruit-Ginger Summer Rolls

Bombay Bhel

Mini Cod Cakes with Harissa Ketchup

Cocktail Samosas with Mango Chutney

Passionfruit Yogurt Mousse

Jasmine Ganache

Lychee Royales

Recipe: Passionfruit Yogurt Mousse

2009-03-06T07:44:00.012-05:00

Passionfruit Yogurt Mousse (for 12-20 depending on serving size)
3 tablespoons agar powder
6 cups passionfruit purée (I used a mix of 2 cups passionfruit puree and 4 cups mango puree)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cups plain yogurt
3 cups well-chilled heavy cream

pulp from 4 fresh passionfruits

In a small saucepan sprinkle the agar powder over 3/4 cup cold water, let it soften for 1 minute, and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring, until dissolved. In a blender blend together the purée, the sugar, and add the gelatin mixture, and blend the mixture well. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the yogurt. In a chilled bowl beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks, fold it into the passionfruit mixture gently but thoroughly, and divide the mousse among 12-20 dessert glasses. Chill the mousses for at least 4 hours or overnight. Garnish the mousses with a
small spoonful of fresh passionfruit.

(You could probably substitute 2 whipped, pasteurized egg whites for 1 cup of the cream for a lower in fat, higher in protein, airier version.)

Food Poem Fridays: Leslie Monsour's TIME & DISTANCE

2009-02-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

Time + Distance
by Leslie Monsour

The tea you pour is black and strong.

It doesn't taste like tea to me;

I must have been away too long.

It isn't jasmine, spice, oolong;

It tastes like an apology—

This tea you pour, so black and strong.

Where's that old fork with the bent prong?

What happened to the hemlock tree?

Have I really been gone that long?

I think I hear the saddest song;

It has no words, no tune, no key.

The tea you pour is black and strong.

You're careful to say nothing wrong,

You seem too eager to agree...

Yes, I've been travelling far and long,

And now it's clear, I don't belong.

I watch you sash your robe, as we

sit, sipping tea that's black and strong.

I went away too far, too long.