Attention to details

I seem to be having trouble paying attention to subtle details when planning and preparing meals that can have a dramatic impact on others. This problem is beginning to trouble me as this goes against my goal of helping people heal themselves through what they eat. How can one heal if he or she is given food that can have harmful effects. A recent incident with mushrooms reminded me to PAY ATTENTION!

A few weeks ago my mentor and father figure, Bobby Edwards, joined Santa, Tammy, Adam and I for dinner at my place. Prior to the dinner, I asked Bobby if there are any foods that he does not eat and found that he only objects to eating mushrooms. Everything else is fair game.

My original menu plan of orange roughy fish in plum ginger sauce served with jasmine rice, sugar snap peas and carrots did not include mushrooms at all. The day of the dinner, I stop at Safeway to pick up a few items and was captivated by a bag of shiitake mushrooms. Instantly I dreamt of a light chicken broth flavored with green onions, water chestnuts, ginger and of course, the forbidden ingredient, shiitake mushrooms. In that instance, I decided to bring my dream to life for the even's opener.

Excitedly, I went home and began making the ginger plum sauce and spicing the broth for our soup. The meal was done in no time and I even had time to rest and enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail before my honored guest arrived. After Bobby arrived and was introduced to everyone, we anxiously sat around the table and I served the first course, the negligent soup.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the soup’s flavor but I noticed that a few dark veggies remained in the bottom of Bobby’s bowl. He looked up at me and said, “I just want you to know that the broth was delicious. I’ve only left the little bit in the bowl because I don’t eat mushrooms”. Instantly, I recalled our conversation weeks before when Bobby said, “I eat everything except mushrooms”.

How did I know that Bobby wasn’t allergic to mushrooms? If not an allergy, what if his distaste for mushrooms may have been so strong making him reluctant to eat the rest of the meal? Thankfully, neither possibility turned out to be true. He loved the main course tilapia fish as well as the coconut pineapple ice cream with ginger cookies and lime zest served for dessert. I just felt so embarrassed that my excitement over the mushrooms made me forget a small, yet important, detail. In the future, I must PAY CLOSER ATTENTION to what I'm cooking and not let my passion for certain foods compromise the dietary needs of others!

The menu:

First course
Ginger shiitake soup

1 32 oz carton of chick broth*
2 tbsp of fresh thinly sliced ginger
1 tbsp fresh thinly sliced garlic
10-12 whole shiitake mushrooms
1 8 oz can of water chestnuts
2 bunches chopped green onions (1/2 inch)
½ bunch cilantro chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil – preferably safflower oil
Salt
Chili Pepper Flakes

Heat a large stockpot. Add oil, chili pepper flakes, garlic, ginger and mushrooms. Sauté for 30 seconds. Add broth and adjust heat so that broth simmers. Add water chestnuts and mushrooms. Allow broth to simmer for five minutes. Add green onions. Taste. Adjust salt and pepper accordingly. Serve and garnish with cilantro.

*If you’re not pressed for time, I encourage you to make your own chicken broth by boiling a whole chicken for two hours with coarsely chopped garlic, carrots, celery and yellow onions with the skin on. After the second hour, the broth should have acquired a light poultry flavor and can be seasoned with salt and pepper.

Second course
Tilapia in Ginger Plum Sauce

Sauce
2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp safflower oil
1 cup plum preserves
½ cup tomato paste
1 cup water
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp corn starch and ½ cup water if needed

Heat a small saucepan. Add safflower oil, ginger and soy sauce. Sauté for 30 seconds. Add plum preserves, tomato paste. Stir and allow to reduce for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and water. Taste. Sauce should be slightly salty and sweet. Use a strainer to remove ginger chunks from sauce. If sauce is very thin, make a slurry of corn starch and water to thicken.

Tilapia

4-6 Tilapia fillets
1 cup of soymilk
2 tbsp safflower oil
Salt
Pepper

Before making the sauce, rinse tilapia with water and dry. In a glass dish, lay fish and coat with soymilk, salt and pepper. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until sauce is complete.

Once sauce is done, remove fish from refrigerator. Heat a large sauté pan. Add oil and fish. Allow fish to slightly brown on each side. Remove from pan. Add sauce after plating the fish. Serve with steamed jasmine rice, snow peas, carrots.

Dessert
Coconut Pineapple Ice Cream with Ginger and Lime

Haagen Daz Coconut Pineapple Ice Cream
Lu Lemon Ginger Crème Cookies
Zest from 1 lime

Use martini glasses or any dessert cups. Place desired scoops of ice cream in glasses or cups. Crush ginger crème cookies in a plastic bag. Sprinkle cookie crumbs on ice cream. Garnish ice cream and cookie crumbles with lime zest. Enjoy!