La Nena's Culinary Adventures

Low-Glycemic Valentine's Day Dessert

2012-02-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

This month, I combined my favorite sweet and tangy Kiku apples with a spicy chocolate sauce for a low-glycemic recipe I entered in the Hot Raw Chef video competition! The process of developing the recipe and preparing it on camera was such a fun and rewarding experience! I received such encouraging feedback from people who have a sensitivity to gluten and were delighted to find my recipe using fruit as opposed to wheat flour for the tart's shell.

Try my Chipotle Chocolate Cherry Apple Tart this Valentine's Day! You'll love it!

Chipotle Chocolate Cherry Apple Tart
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
Chipotle chocolate cherry sauce
3 oz frozen black cherries
1 Tbsp vanilla agave syrup (recommended brand: organic nectars)
2 oz Haas avocado (1/2 of a Haas avocado)
1 Tbsp raw cacao powder
1/8 tsp ground chipotle pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Tart shell
2 large kiku apples (yields 4 2.25-inch diameter rings and 3 oz of chopped pieces)

Tart filling
3 oz chopped kiku apples (obtained from the 2 large Kiku apples listed above)
1.5 oz pepitas
Juice from 1 lime
1/8 tsp salt

Tools
Digital scale, measuring spoons, cutting board; chef’s knife; ring molds; food processor, 1-pint bowl, 1-quart bowl, 1 soup spoon, 1 small spoon

Instructions
1. Place the frozen black cherries in a one (1) pint bowl. Coat the frozen cherries in vanilla agave syrup.
Allow the cherries to thaw out at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Prepare the chipotle chocolate cherry sauce using a food processor. Scoop the green flesh
out of the avocado half and into the food processor. Reserve four individual thawed cherries and add the remaining cherries to the bowl of the food processor followed by the cacao powder, ground cinnamon and ground chipotle pepper. Process the ingredients on medium speed until they become a smooth creamy sauce (approximately 45 seconds).

3. Place one apple vertically on your cutting board so that it stands firmly. Slice and reserve 1/4 inch from one cheek of the apple. Slice another 1/2 inch into the same side of the apple, approaching the core. Repeat the process on the opposite side of the apple.

4. Slice the second apple in the same way. You should now have four 1/2 inch slices of apple. Compost or juice the left over apple cores and pieces.

5. Lay the apples slices flat on your cutting board. Press and turn a large 2 1/2 inch ring mold into each slice to cut out a circle from each slice. Discard the outer rings with the skin. Next, press a smaller 1.75 inch ring mold into each larger apple circle. You should now have 4 attractive apple rings.

6. Dice the remaining inner apple circles into small pieces (1/4-inch x 1/4-inch x 1/4-inch). Place the diced apple pieces in a 1 quart mixing bowl. Mix the diced apple pieces with the pepitas, the juice from one lime and the salt in the bowl.

7. Return to the 1/4 inch cheeks that you first sliced off each apple. Slice the cheeks in twelve 1/16-inch slices.

8. Assemble your tarts on individual plates by first creating a 3 inch circle with 1 soup spoon full of the chipotle chocolate cherry sauce on each plate. Next, place the apple rings in the center of each circle of chipotle chocolate cherry sauce. Use a small spoon to fill each ring with the diced apple mixture. Top each tart with a cherry and tuck three thin apple slices vertically into the corner of each shell to create a small decorative fan effect.

Summer Coleslaw

2011-06-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

With temperatures almost reaching three digits on the Fahrenheit scale, I, like many other people along the East Coast, have been craving barbecue fare. I've never quite understood why I find barbecuing during the summer so much fun when being in front of a hot grill on a scorching day is actually very tortuous.

I love the burgers, kielbasa, skirt steak and other foods cooked on the grill but my favorite part of the barbecuing experience is eating the refreshing side dishes. Coleslaw, for example, is one of my favorites.

Coleslaw is quite the versatile salad, as its primary ingredient, cabbage, is available year round. In the Philadelphia metro area, it grows during the fall, some farmers use different styles of hoop houses to keep it going during the winter and in grows beautifully in the cool spring temperatures. Three varieties that are commonly seen in the area are red (purple), green, Napa (Chinese) and Savoy.

With four varieties of cabbage in different colors and shades to start out with, one can make the slaw as colorful as time, budget and creativity permit. Typically, the cabbage is dressed in mayonnaise to make coleslaw but many people make great tasting coleslaw using other sauces and dressings. In the version at the end of this post, the dressing is made from ground pepitas.

My work these days has been revolving around a curriculum for junior high and high school students on how to design menus. With the youth in mind, the recipes included in the curriculum have a brief seasonal ingredient list, require little or no cooking and few tools. Coleslaw, for its ease of preparation, great nutritional value, and great taste is on list of recipes to include in the curriculum.

Coleslaw or kool sla is said to have been popularized by Dutch immigrants in the Pennsylvania region centuries ago. Throughout the state a popular version of coleslaw that I see on many menus is Asian slaw, usually involving black sesame seeds and a sesame oil vinaigrette.

Here's my first early summer version that goes great with or on burgers of any kind, veggie, beef, chicken or whatever you fancy.

The cabbage for today's recipe test came from the Earth Keeper's garden in West Philadelphia. What a great group of inspired young people!

Early Summer Slaw
Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

1 small cabbage head
1 roasted red pepper
2 radishes
Leaves from 6 stems of cilantro
1/2 yellow summer squash

Dressing::
1/4 cup of pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 clove of garlic
1 basil leaves
2 mint leaves
2 Tbsp vinegar of your choice
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp maple syrup

Method

1. Make the dressing first by combining all ingredients in a coffee grinder or small food processor.
2. Chop the cabbage into fine strips (julienne), then finely chop them into small pieces.
3. Grate the summer squash.
4. Finely chop the radishes, and the roasted red peppers.
5. Add everything to a bowl and season with salt and pepper, if you desire.

Mis queridos tacos

2011-06-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

Who loves tacos? I do! Growing up in southern California, tacos were a staple meal of my childhood. Whether we made them at home or enjoyed them at the casual dining spots in the neighborhood, I must have eaten tacos at least once or twice a week.

My Mom and I both had our own favorites. When we choose to go out to eat, my Mom loved to feast on tacos al carbón: soft and warm tortillas filled with small cubes of beef, finely chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Hold the onions please.

I usually ate grilled chicken tacos but there were days when I had to have carnitas, juicy pulled pork.

As a disgruntled teenager, I grew tired of the standard beef and pork tacos. I wanted something different, of course. So I began exploring fish tacos made from who knows what kind of fish. Then beautiful tacos made of pink and white chopped shrimp seemed to appear at every taqueria in Los Angeles. Sure, I had known since I was eight years old that my blood cholesterol levels were often too high and that I should avoid eating shellfish because of its naturally high cholesterol content. But the shrimp tacos with diced avocado, onions and cilantro were so beautiful and delicious, I had to eat them!

The side dishes that came with tacos were also a treat! Regardless of the restaurant, most tacos were usually accompanied by refried black or pinto beans topped with a dry white cheese called queso seco and orange rice, usually colored by the annatto seed we called achiote.

Somehow when went out for tacos we excused ourselves from the "A Meal is Not a Meal Without a Salad" rule. Perhaps we would simply eat too much, drink too much soda, or maybe we needed the roughage of our usual romaine lettuce salads to move everything through. I just remember always having gas after our taco outings.

These days, because I am very intrigued by the world of plant foods, I have been adding more vegetables to everything, including tacos. I suppose I could serve a salad with tacos but with so many great vegetables in season now, they can go right into the soft fold of the tortilla.

This spring, I stumbled into Tortilleria San Roman located in South Philadelphia's Italian Market neighborhood and found really great-tasting white corn tortillas. I was inspired to try to out a new version of tacos packed with kale from the raised bed gardens of Earth's Keepers in West Philadelphia, spicy radishes from my own urban garden plot, and yellow summer squash and cilantro from the market at Clark Park. The red and pinto beans are also somewhat local, coming from Cayuga Cooperative in New York. What a gift! Tacos made from all local ingredients!

Buen Provecho!

Tacos al Verano
Serves 2 adults

6 white corn tortillas
2 large leaves of curly kale, finely chopped
12 cilantro leaves
1 small yellow squash, cut like spaghetti
1 cup of cooked kidney and pinto beans
2 radishes, thinly sliced
Chipotle salsa to your taste

Inspired by History

2011-05-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Food is the ultimate starting point for learning anything from chemistry to language. You name the subject and food can be included in the discussion. Let's take history, for example. Did you know that Vietnam, a southeast Asian country, was occupied by France from the mid-nineteenth century to the start of the 1950's? As with most instances of diverse people coming in contact, language, food and other cultural elements intertwine.

Let's consider a specific food that was first enjoyed by the elite French and Vietnamese, then became a popular street treat and is now a staple menu item in food carts on streets around the US, UK, Canada and beyond: Banh Mi.

Banh Mi is a sandwich. Generally, a Bahn Mi comes together when a warm baguette is smeared with mayonnaise, then meat pate, followed by the addition of slow-cooked meat, raw and pickled vegetables like radishes, carrots, hot peppers, green onions, and fresh mint and cilantro. Sweet baked tofu as the main filling is a favorite of the non-meat Banh Mi-eating crowds today.

People of the past in bustling towns and cities who spent a great deal of their days working and commuting from place to place, found the warm crunchy sandwich to be just the thing to satisfy hunger, taste and flavor. The same holds true in today’s world.

Looking back at the political and economic history and migration of people in the context of their foods is a great way to remind ourselves of how we have come to eat the way we do. Understanding that people ate certain foods and composed recipes to suit their needs can help us create new dishes and combinations for our lifestyles today. With health and vitality being of primary importance to growing numbers of consumers our choices, even for fun tasty foods, must still have health-promoting qualities.

In the case of the Vietnamese Banh Mi, the French people who went to live among the Vietnamese brought the practice of taking wheat flour to make baguettes, then southern Vietnamese entrepreneurs added local vegetables, herbs and meats to suit the taste and finances of working people. In today’s cities, food lovers continue to enjoy the sandwich for its filling, economical and tasty nature.

With the overconsumption of meat and animal foods being associated with cancer and other chronic illnesses in scientific studies such as The China Study, a commonly found meat Banh Mi might not be the most health-promoting option. But as history shows, we, people can be inspired by a food and make it into something that fits our needs. We can enjoy the sweet, spicy and tangy flavors, the crunchy chewy texture of Banh Mi and still get the multitude of nutrients naturally occurring in raw plant foods by loading it up with asparagus, radishes and other locally-grown seasonal vegetables this spring! Remember to toast the baguette first if you enjoy the warmth and crunch.

Spring Banh Mi

Baguette (Seeded/Whole Wheat/or Plain)
Spicy Red Sauce (See notes below)
Asparagus (Marinated in Lime Juice and Garlic)
Pickled Carrots and Red Onions
Portobello Mushrooms (Marinated in Vinegar)
Cilantro leaves
Jalapeño Peppers (Thinly Sliced on a Bias)

Spicy Red Sauce: Ketchup, Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne Pepper, Chili Pepper

Waiting for asparagus to open a restaurant

2011-05-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

Last spring, over a lovely medley of ales in Vermont, I shared a dream with some new friends about asparagus. “You really dream of asparagus?”, they doubtfully asked me when I finished my story about the skinny stalks poking out of the ground.

Yes, dear friends, I admire the little stalks so much that I dream of them. But then again, I have been dreaming of foods for a long time. Sometimes they even serve a function. Once, I dreamt that baguettes were used as the barricade for my front door. What a waste of such delicious bread!

The asparagus in my dream last year was not used as a sword, dart, barrier or anything else. I simply found myself in a field and saw the little shoots begin to poke of out the ground.

Other people are equally, if not more, enthusiastic about asparagus and write all about it. In Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, she recounts her families’ impatient wait for the first shoots of asparagus. Asparagus were among the first vegetables that her family ate as they began a life of growing their own fruits and vegetables.

In a Quintet of Cuisines from the nineteen seventies, Michael Field, tells of the big to-do around the first asparagus crops near the Alpines mountains of Switzerland. On one of his many visits he was taken by his Swiss hosts to eat loads of white and green asparagus drowned in butter.

Over the course of my time in culinary school, the most common preparation for asparagus involved an egg yolk, a little lemon juice and about a half pound of clarified butter for Hollandaise sauce. For as visually beautiful a sight as the bright yellow sauce over green stems was, I always longed to taste more of the asparagus.

Well before I thought about going to culinary school, I prepared a memorable meal of coconut creamed asparagus soup for one of my closest friends. At that meal, he loved the pale green soup so much that he expressed to me in Portuguese, “Meu bem, você precisa abrir um restaurante!” My dear, you must open a restaurant!

Five years later, I continue to love asparagus and have come to anxiously await its arrival. Years ago, I would buy it the moment I saw it in any grocery store regardless of whether it was organic or locally in season or not. Now that my awareness of how, where and when foods grow, I look for it from farms and farm-connected retailers at specific times of the year. When I am on the east coast of the US, for example, my encounters with asparagus are very special as they only take place between April and June.

So far this spring I’ve been in Philadelphia and have found outstanding asparagus from Maple Acres Farm and Steve Bowe’s Organic Farms! At my company’s Earth Day Celebration, oblique cut asparagus topped a spring salad of tender bok choy, spinach, romaine lettuce and purple cabbage.

For a fun and surprisingly filling informal dinner, delicate asparagus stems were added to a spring vegetable pita pocket with thinly sliced radishes, carrots, Russian red kale and tahini sauce.

My husband and I recently enjoyed a savory spring pasta involving small diced asparagus, sundried tomatoes and rosemary woven into spelt capellini for a little crunch with every bite. This was a perfect dish to enjoy with a glass of Pinot Noir!

I am in a hurry to sit down again with my dear lusophone friend who praised my creamed asparagus soup years ago. I usually try not repeat dishes that hold a special memory as the experience with those foods belongs to the moment that has since passed. But, I may have to open a can of coconut milk to make a new asparagus soup for my dear friend if we meet before this year's asparagus season ends.

His encouragement, and that of many other kind friends, propelled me into culinary school. Maybe sharing a new recipe for asparagus soup with him will send me on my way to really open a restaurant this time! Who knows?

Emerald Greens

2011-02-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

This week's PA produce bundle included collard greens. My first thoughts went to collard greens simmered with turkey neck bones. The flavor of collards cooked this way is always delicious but the color leaves much to be desired. With extra celery and shallots at my disposal I searched for a new way to prepare the greens. And then, Chef Valerie Erwin came to mind.

Chef Erwin of the Geechee Girl Rice Cafe in Philadelphia was featured on a local morning show sautéing collard greens with bell peppers and onions. Her greens turned out such a vibrant green that left me so intrigued I had to experience these collards in person. A few days later, I stopped in for dinner at Geechee Girl Rice Cafe for an appetizer of sweet potato tostones followed by beautifully broiled rainbow trout served with the infamous collard greens and mashed sunchokes. What a treat!

The collards were a brilliant bright green that is acquired by blanching them in boiling water before sautéing them. While I love the flavor and look of these greens, I was disappointed at the thought of the collards' powerful nutrients being left behind in the cooking water. I decided that if I replicate the dish at home, I would have to save the cooking liquid.

At home this week in my kitchen, I blanched my collards, sautéed them with celery and shallots and seasoned them with ground cumin and lemon juice. What a flavorful combination!

I used the green broth from blanching the greens to then cook polenta. When the polenta reached its creamy serving point, I finished it with a little smoked sea salt and cayenne pepper. Surprisingly, I perceived no remnant of the mild bitterness of the collard green water. Just simple hearty sweet polenta.

Blanching collard greens is a way to experience their vibrant emerald green color. Just be sure to cook polenta, short-grain brown rice or other grains in the green cooking liquid to take full advantage of the rich nutrients collards possess.

Thank you, Chef Erwin, for the inspiration!

Collard Greens with Cumin and Lemon Juice over Cayenne Sweet Potatoes and Stone-Ground Polenta

Raw winter foods

2011-02-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

My wintertime exploration of combining foods for optimal digestion continues. Over the past two weeks, I have attended more digestive health workshops on detoxification and colon cleansing. Detoxification is a word that frequently appears on ads, morning shows and even in the grocery stores after New Year's Day. With all the exciting overindulgance on heavy and sweet foods during the holiday season, our bodies tend to get a little stopped up and need some extra help to purge all the waste. Thus, we detoxify.

Incorporating raw plant-based foods in our daily diets is a small simple way to help flush out unwanted matter in our bodies. When some vegetables and fruits are eaten raw their inherent natural enzymes give the digestive organs the momentum to take in the nutrients they need and keep everything else moving along.

Despite the cold temperatures and abundance of potatoes at the farm stand, I have managed to find some winter vegetables that can be prepared without heat. Beets, parsnips, spaghetti squash and sweet potatoes are quite delicious in their raw states, especially when dressed warm spices, herbs or vinegars. Spaghetti squash, for example, shreds from its shell with the use of a simple dinner fork. Beets and parsnips, when cut into small pieces, taste sweet with no heat. Who knew?!

Another raw food revelation came when I soaked bulgar wheat over night and found the tiny grains popped open and where chewy and palatable by morning.

Below I have posted pictures of enzyme active raw winter meals.

Spaghetti Squash, Swiss Chard, Parsnips and Beets are courtesy of

Steve Bowes' Organic Produce, Milton, PA

Raw spaghetti squash served in its own shell over lemon splashed mixed salad greens

Raw spaghetti squash over mixed salad greens with bulgar, beets and parsnips in sesame dressing

Red Swiss chard and cabbage salad in almond dressing

Local Foods in Local Stores

2011-01-30T11:26:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, I wrote a piece on finding locally produced food on a budget because I recognize that shopping for seasonal, locally grown and produced food on a small budget can be very challenging in the US. As Josh, Viertel of Slow Foods USA recently told President Obama, sugary cereals like Fruit Loops are less expensive than a whole piece of fruit in many communities around the country. In Philadelphia, fortunately, there are grocery stores, small markets and community supported agriculture programs offering local produce for affordable prices, even during the winter.

In response to questions from new acquaintances this week, I have listed below, a few sources for seasonal, local and sometimes organic produce at reasonable prices around the city. Some of the vendors like Fair Food Farmstand and Greensgrow accept SNAP benefits as well. If you live in another city or state, search your zipcode on LocalHarvest.com for farm markets and retailers of local foods in your area.

Be vocal at your regular grocery store as well. Ask the store manager and produce team to find local produce from your area.

Here's a clip of President Obama's recent interview where he talks about US grocery stores offering local foods from local farms. We must ask ourselves, folks: What are the factors that lead our neighborhood grocery stores to buy foods from halfway around the globe instead of goods from down the road?

Seasonal local produce around Philadelphia:

Almanac Market, Northern Liberties

Fair Food Farmstand, Reading Terminal, Center City

Farm to Families, distribution sites in North Philadelphia,

Greensgrow Farm, Fishtown/Kensington

Healthy Bites to Go, Graduate Hospital

Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce, Reading Terminal

Mugshots Cafe (Family Harvest Buying Club), Art Museum, Brewerytown, Manayunk

PhilAbundance, distribution sites in north and west Philadelphia

Share, North Philadelphia central distribution center

Steve Bowe's Family Farm (Organic), Reading Terminal-Piano Court, Center City

Weaver's Way, West Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill

Whole Foods Market, Callowhill

Whole Foods Market, South Street

Philadelphia Metro's Winter Gems

2011-01-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

Winter time vegetables and meats can be paired in various delicious ways. Even in the 9 degree temperatures we've endured, local farmers and artisans are still producing bright colorful foods to enjoy. The pictures below show just a taste of the wintertime vegetables, cheeses and meats from the Philadelphia metropolitan area and a few warming dishes they inspired this week. All of the farms and food artisans are listed at the bottom of this page.

To the farms and hands that crafted these winter gems, thank you for nourishing us!

From Left to Right

Greensgrow Farm CSA Winter Produce and Artisanal Foods Bundle

Golden Beet and Lamb Meatball Soup with Fresh Dill

Sandwich of Allegheny Goat Cheese, Baby Spinach, Pea Shoots and Fresh Dill on Foccacia

Organic Pennsylvania Red Skinned Potatoes, Garlic and Red Onions

From left to right

Cinnamon and Maple Baked Sweet Potato Treat

Salad of Baby Spinach, Fresh Dill and Pea Shoots in Balsamic Vinegar

Hearty Winter Vegetable and Kamut Soup in Tomato Broth

Koch's Smoked Turkey Breast with Spicy Sweet Potato Salad and Boston Lettuce

Featured farms and artisans:

Arc Greenhouses, Shiloh, NJ - Boston Lettuce

Firefly Farms, Accident, MD - Allegheny Chevre Goat Cheese

Gehman Family Farm, Ulysses, PA - Pea Shoots

Landisdale Farm, Jonestown, PA - Carrots

Meadow Run Farms, Lancaster County, PA - Ground Lamb

Metropolitan Bakery, Philadelphia, PA - Foccaccia Bread

Olivia's Organics, Chelsea, MA - Baby Spinach

Steve Bowe's Family Farm, Milton, PA - Organic Celery, Red Skin Potatoes, Parsnips, Red Onions and Sweet Potatoes

Winter Food Combinations for Good Digestion

2011-01-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

The more I learn about food, the more I respect the wisdom and culture of my parents. As a child, my Mom taught me that a meal was a not a meal without a salad. Her salads began with a base of romaine lettuce, followed by large cuts of raw carrots, purple cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms and cooked bacon bits or diced chicken and hard-boiled egg – and yes, I do mean hard, with the grey yolk and striking odor. Mom, please smile if you are reading this.

To coat the colorful medley, she generously poured Wish Bone Italian dressing over everything for a shiny final touch.

My mother’s insistence upon eating a salad with every meal came from her innate craving for raw vegetables. She used to tell me how she could taste the sweetness in raw broccoli. She also emphasized that eating a salad would help ensure that I had enough roughage in my system. Translation: I would have good bowel movements from eating salads. Somehow the moment I left her home, that lesson, like so many others, went in one ear and out the other.

Today, with my culinary journeys being so closely aligned with health, wellness and nutrition, I find myself face-to-face, once again, with my Mom’s wisdom on salads for optimal digestion and elimination. Funny how wise parents are.

Hydrotherapists that offer colon cleansing treatment tell how keeping the digestive system in optimal function keeps the total body clear, free of infections and in great condition. Infinity Health and Wellness Center in Philadelphia, found that in 2002 the American Medical Association reported that 400 million dollars were spent on laxatives by the American public. Chronic bowel disorders, polyps in the colon and cancers of the colon, liver, stomach and pancreas are among the major chronic diseases that take the lives of millions of Americans each year.

Keeping the digestive system healthy requires more than salad but eating the raw vegetables in salads is a step in the right direction. First, let’s consider what our digestive organs are and what they collectively do. The digestive system includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine. The colon, a key member of the group, is located in the last five and half to six feet of the digestive tract. The liver, pancreas, gallbladder and salivary glands are complementary organs that work with the digestive system to filter out the unnecessary, and often toxic, substances we put in our bodies. These organs combined ensure that we digest, absorb and metabolize the nutrients in our foods.

So how can we make theirjobs easier? Consider combining foods for optimal digestion. Thus, we avoid the build up of unassimilated and undigested matter that becomes harmful as it floats throughout our bodies.

How do we know what foods to eat together? Alder Brooke Healing Arts of Eugene, Oregon offers a colorful visual guide on how to combine foods for digestive ease. Four basic guidelines and explanations she offers are:

Eat carbohydrates and proteins separately. Why? Carbohydrates and proteins, she says, need the most energy of all foods to digest and require different enzymes to break them down. This means that roasted chicken and mashed potatoes eaten together may be difficult to digest. But if chicken and potatoes are what’s for dinner -- here comes Mom’s salad lesson again -- eating a mixed raw vegetable salad with the protein and carbohydrate helps the digestive organs process the complex combination.

Raw vegetables contain important enzymes that help break down concentrated proteins, like chicken, and complex carbohydrates, like potatoes. It is not surprising that the incredibly filling common Latin America and Caribbean meals involving some type of meat with rice and beans, is usually served with a salad of raw cabbage, onionsand tomatoes dressed in vinegar. The salad helps speed up and ease the digestion of the heavy meal.

Eat fruits by themselves. Eat fruits before other foods or alone. Fruits have the highest water content and are quickly digested. Eating fruit before a meal helps clean and prepare the digestive tract for nutrient absorption according to Alder Brooke.

Starchy carbohydrates should be eaten with steamed vegetables and/or raw salad. Raw and to some degree steamed vegetables are high in water, enzymes and fiber content which makes starchy carbohydrates digest more easily.

Drink water, juices and teas separate from food as they interrupt the work of digestive enzymes.

Although hearty meat and potato stews may appeal to our needs for warm comfort and cozy naps this time of year, winter vegetables can keep your digestive tract in top condition. Eating the right combination of foods for the season will also aid your immune system in avoiding colds and flus. Consider the following meal ideas to keep your digestive system in shape:

Spinach, celery leaves, purple cabbage, pumpkin seeds, and almonds dressed in fig vinegar
Swiss chard and mushroom stuffed red potatoes
Roasted Haddock or other white fish over hearty sauteed mixed winter greens (i.e. collards, turnip greens, Swiss chard, spinach, chicory leaves, radicchio)

Here’s to taking advantage of the winter to keep the body in top condition for the warm months to come!

Helpful Websites for Digestive Health

Infinity Health and Wellness, Philadelphia, PA www .infinityhealthwellness.com

Alder Brooke Healing Arts, Eugene, OR http://www.alderbrooke.com/chart.php

Eating and drinking to live

2010-12-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

Years before I went to culinary school friends began asking me questions on how to eat healthier. What should they eat when they are dealing with physical illnesses? What can they eat to have more energy? What foods give less gas? For a while, I thought garlic was the answer to all ailments. I thought eating mostly fruits and vegetables was the way to more energy. Then I thought meat was the cause of all evils in the body. My mindset has since shifted.

After living in Latin America and Europe, where I regularly ate breads, pastas, rice, cheese and meats that are vilified in the United States, I realized that different people thrive off of different foods. Some people may need to eat meat a few times a week to feel vibrant and strong. Others may need more leafy greens to help with iron deficiencies that they developed in the womb. The fact is, offering individuals dietary guidance is very complicated and involves numerous factors. Family history, melanin in the skin, blood type, lifestyles, daily physical activities and present geographic location are all important factors in helping people find their way to a plate of food that will satisfy their tastes and nourish their bodies.

This fall at the Herb Nook in Philadelphia, iridologist and owner, Ron Norwood, addressed the matter of how to eat to live. Living is a state of being that goes beyond simply waking up, drifting or struggling through the day and hopefully returning to sleep night after night. Living involves having mental clarity, physical energy and inner motivation to fully enjoy the day. Resting the mind and body at night is also a key part of living beyond mere existence. Of course, the foods we eat play a huge role in that process.

“Eat your vegetables!” Mr. Norwood explained the why behind this familiar command so often given by our elders. Simply put, in nature, vegetables contain minerals. Vegetables get minerals from soil or the sea, thereby empowering the body to create vitamins. Yes, you read this correctly. The body can generate some of its own vitamins. Why do we take vitamin supplements then? Our bodies can produce most but not all vitamins. Vitamin B12, for example, cannot be produced in the human body. Meat, poultry and fish are the best source for B12. Other vitamins are much more available in fruits, fish oils and other sources.

Vitamins A and D are also important for all people. Some people need greater amounts than others. The body’s organs cannot manufacture Vitamin A. Vitamin D is available to us for free by taking a walk in the sunlight. Both A and D are abundant in cod liver oil and fish oils. You may be turning up your nose at the thought, but my eighty-six year old grandmother and her generation took it for good eyesight and to aid arthritis. Their kids had a spoonful a night to keep rickets away.

Drinking clean water is also a key element to life. Water is vital for many reasons. One is that water keeps the kidneys in top form. And what role do the kidneys play in the body? The website, How Stuff Works gives a concise breakdown of the kidneys functions. Among their tasks, they remove waste from the body. If you drank too much, ate too much or purposely or accidently put harmful things in your body, the kidney’s help flush out waste through urine.

Other helpful advice offered by Mr. Norwood is to slow down on the sugar. Naturally occurring sugar is found in a huge array of food. Raw apples, pears and pineapples have sugar. Tomatoes and carrots have sugar. Grains of wheat that are later ground into flour contain starch that turns into sugar. Sugar alone is not an enemy of the human body. In fact, it gives us energy to move around. Sweeteners, however, in excess, can leave the body with too much sugar that converts into harmful fatty acids. The fatty acids are then stored in the belly, thighs, hips, breasts and the back of our upper arms. The moral of the story is to be aware of how many sweeteners, even nutrient-rich maple syrup, honey and agave, are in our foods.

Each person may have preferences and aversions to foods that they developed in their youth, their family life or their exposure to different cultures. Instinctively, most people today choose foods to eat based on the way they taste and how they make them feel. A person’s blood type, melanin, family history, etcetera are usually not at the forefront of a person’s mind every time they look at a menu of food choices to eat. They usually want to eat something that tastes good and makes them feel good, or so they believe at the moment. Mr. Norwood’s guidelines on eating vegetables, drinking water and being mindful of the type and quantity of sweeteners we consume are three elements that people of all body types and family backgrounds can appreciate.

This advice only touches on the challenging topic of what we as individuals should eat to live well. But it is a start. Finding out a thing or two about family history and blood type could also orient us toward the foods that might taste good and be best for us. Dr. D’Adamo and Dr. De Haan both offer the case for eating the right foods for your blood type.

Here’s to living well and to more food for thought!

Finding locally grown food on a budget

2010-10-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

What to do when finding local food is not convenient? In Philadelphia, being green, eating green and living green are messages transmitted on buses, trains and signs all over. But how does the average Philadelphia resident who does not live in Center City eat a meal that way did not originate half way around the globe? What about those who love rice, pasta, avocados, bananas or anything else tropical? They will need more than good luck and a city dining guide to find those items with Pennsylvania birth certificates.

Fortunately, we are not without hope in this city. Some grocery stores and restaurants do their part to offer at least some portion of food from a New Jersey or Pennsylvania farm or artisan. But really how local is local? One hundred miles away? Five hundred miles away? Perhaps the entire mid-Atlantic region? According to the colorful Whole Foods Market brochures, in their stores a local item has traveled less than seven hours to reach the store and, in the case of produce, the item is in season.

The next piece of the puzzle is price. When the weekly food budget is sixty dollars, are local options affordable? When a person is a on a tight budget, buying pricey artisan jam or hydroponically grown lettuce can be hard to rationalize.

Even on a tight budget, I challenged myself last week to make sure that the majority of my groceries originated first in Pennsylvania and then anywhere else above Virginia. My first stop, our nearest store, Whole Foods Market.

Also known as Whole Paycheck by folks in my neighborhood, Whole Foods Market offers some local goods for similar prices found at Path Mark and other grocery stores around the city. On this trip to WFM, I took home enough Pennsylvania gala apples, red beets, napa cabbage, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, Virginia green beans and Kennett Square cremini mushrooms to last me for the week and I still had about thirty dollars left to spend. What to do about eggs, beans, tomatoes, bread, rice and the other items I eat? Someone in Pennsylvania must produce these things!

The eggs with the most vibrant orange yolks I have ever seen come from chickens near Gap, PA and are available at Reading Terminal. But getting there meant taking a bus. Plus they tend to be about two dollars more expensive than the standard brown ones at WFM. Realizing that I would not be reported to the local food police for buying generic brown eggs at Whole Foods, I calmly resolved to buy my eggs and other staples from there as well to save myself a bus ride. In the equation for green living, conserving transportation resources is also important, right?

Local eating on a budget in this city requires a balancing act. Because finding the food can be inconvenient and occasionally it is more expensive, some months my groceries are seventy-five percent local and other times Pennsylvania goods make up a mere twenty-five percent. Last month, I could afford to buy butter from Lancaster County grass-fed cow’s milk for seven dollars a pound. This week, not quite. But at least my sweet potatoes came from a county less than one hundred miles away.

As I left the store, I beamed with pride that I kept my purchases to sixty-dollars and all of the produce came from the mid-Atlantic region. Yes, my basmati rice hailed from California and the black beans probably started in Central American soil, but would either food grow along the east of coast of the United States? Probably not.

Although I was pleased with my hunt for local food, I still wanted to take a look at the offerings at Reading Terminal and Greensgrow Farm but my money and my energy was spent.

When all the groceries found their place in my kitchen, I had to decide what to make. Apple pie? Steamed cabbage? Maybe not. Minimum preparation time is always of great importance in my household. With my modest kitchen tools, a knife and a cutting board, I made a spicy fall vegetable chili that lasted through the week. To sweetened up morning oatmeal I simmered cranberries and gala apples in homemade light caramel sauce. The mushrooms found their way into two soups: seaweed mushroom soup and puree of potatoes with mushrooms, green beans and smoked salt.

My local foods shopping trip only consisted of Whole Foods Market, but the important mission of finding local goods was met. Now, if I can just get that snazzy new bike with a basket, I can really be a green Philadelphia person, conserving fossil fuel energy on my grocery trips. I can even make my way to Reading Terminal for those eggs with the bright yolks. On the way there, I’ll just have to be careful of the cars speeding through the bike lanes. After all, I am in Philadelphia.

Savory Watermelons

2010-07-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

“I ain’t had a good watermelon since I left the country.” For twenty summers, my grandmother Esther, a Louisiana native, has reminded me that I have never tasted a good watermelon. Every year we try many melons and discuss our findings. Some are ok, but none are ever great to my grandmother. What was so different about the watermelons of her youth?

“They were just so good.” “My dad sure did know when to pick ‘em.” “He never cut one that wasn’t ripe.”

In 2008, I enjoyed sweet watermelon in New York’s Hudson Valley that surely would have impressed my grandmother. Aside from the delicious bright yellow, orange and pink watermelons I devoured that summer, most other watermelons I have eaten were absolutely full of water but void of taste. Hence my usual inclination to reach for a squeeze of lime juice, salt and cayenne pepper on the juicy cubes to liven up the eating experience. How can some watermelons be so much more flavorful than others?

According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, about 50 watermelon varieties are widely grown across the USA and throughout the world about 1900 types are known. Watermelons grow well in sandy soil according to the NWPB. Since watermelons need plenty of water, sandy soil allows for good drainage.

Surely there are watermelon farmers today that grow their fruit in sandy nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium rich soil, with lots of sunlight and plenty of rain and available water. But do these conditions alone ensure flavor?

Watermelons that rank low on the sweet index should not be thrown into the compost pile or discarded as outcasts. Rather than be assessed for their sweetness alone, watermelons may have other flavor properties. This summer’s crops from Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland have a gentle sweetness and a mild sodium flavor-- much more akin to that of the beefstake tomato. This season, instead of appreciating them for sweetness alone, watermelons can join tomatoes, onions and garlic in raw salsas and other sauces.

Nutritionally, watermelons and tomatoes both contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant said to aid in cancer prevention. Watermelons contain a bit more than tomatoes.

Rather than be saddened by my grandmother’s stories of sugary sweet watermelons of the past, I believe my generation and those to come may embrace watermelon in preparations beside fruit salad. Savory applications like refreshing cold gazpacho soup, pico de gallo salsa or barbeque sauce might be good uses of watermelons this season. The options are as extensive as our creativity.

At my house, watermelon was the primary ingredient in our sofrito this month. Try this sauce on enchiladas or dress sautéed shrimp in watermelon sofrito with a splash of lime for a delicious summer taco filling.

Summer sofrito

Yield: 1 quart

Olive oil 3 Tbsp

Onions, medium dice 1 ea

Garlic, minced 2 cloves

Watermelon cubes 2 cups

Tomatoes, beefstake, diced 1 ea

Sweet pepper, red, roasted 1 ea

Cilantro leaves, chopped 2 Tbsp

Cumin, ground 1 tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Cayenne pepper ½ tsp

Ginger, ground 1 tsp

1. Sweat the onions over medium heat until they become translucent. Avoid browning the onions.

2. Add the garlic to the translucent onions. When you begin to smell the garlic cooking, add the tomatoes and turn the burner to high heat. When the tomatoes to begin to simmer, turn of the flame and place the contents in the blender. Add the additional ingredients to the blender. Blend to a smooth consistency.

Serving suggestion: Use this sofrito in rice dishes or soak corn tortillas in the warm sauce before rolling the meat, cheese or vegetables filling for enchiladas.

Photo below: Enchiladas, purple cabbage slaw, turmeric coconut rice

What’s for dinner in the USA?

2010-06-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

Do people still have dinner parties in the United States? If so, what kind of foods do they serve? The answers may depend on whether the host’s home is in New Roads, Louisiana or Los Angeles, CA. The next hint might be the host’s ethnic background.

Below: Arugula growing in a backyard raised bed

Family from Mexico or India, may play a role in the cuisine selection but other influential factors include the locations the host has traveled and lived. In today’s world people have lived in two and three cities by the time they reach twenty-five. Mom’s challah bread or abuela's chicken enchiladas may inspire a person’s home cooking repertoire just as much as the Bahn Mi, Vietnamese sandwiches eaten on a summer internship in Hanoi.

After ethnic background and geographic location, what role do regional farms and food artisans play in people’s dinner party menu selections in the USA? “Local” and “seasonal” eating has become somewhat of a forced reality for many people. The destruction of tomato crops in Florida put a higher than usual price tag on tomatoes this past winter. Harsh weather leaving sharp increases in produce prices have left many consumers reconsidering their purchases. Must we make strawberry shortcake with fresh strawberries on the east coast in January? Apple pie and pear crisp might be much friendlier on the budget.

Around the country, restaurants, grocery stores and neighborhood specialty food shops are turning their marketing strategies toward locally sourced foods. In California and Philadelphia the names of small farms appear in menus and produce stands. Websites like Local Harvest have search engines to locate farm markets and small farms by zip code. As North Americans turn to buying foods in season, their home cooking reflects their cultures, lifestyles and regions.

Earlier this year, The New York Times covered an Italian culinary tourism group called, Home Food. The organization links tourists visiting Italy with Italians who welcome them in their homes for a meal. The hosts in Lazio, Umbria and other regions of Italy served meals that showcased their regions agriculture. From the descriptions of squash pasta, braised lamb and beets probably grown by someone’s relative a few kilometers away, Home Food’s travelers ate lunches and dinners with an emotional connection to the hosts and an economic significance to the region.

Returning to the United States, what would you or some of your friends serve international visitors so they could later rave of the delicious meal they ate in Bloomington, Illinois, Jamaica, New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? Would these meals have any connection to farms, bakeries or food producers in your town or city? What story would they tell about your life and your culture?

Farm markets, community supported agricultural sites and produce departments at grocery stores around the country are connecting residents with the origins of their foods. In small towns and cities like Stowe, Vermont and Poughkeepsie, New York residents purchase shares in community farms. Philadelphia's Greensgrow urban farm provides shareholders with vegetables, dairy products, meats and vegetarian proteins produced just outside the city or at the neighborhood farmsite.

Small farms and food artisans supply international ingredients that may have previously been sourced from thousands of miles away. At farm markets around New York’s Hudson Valley, Three Sisters farm grows the popular cilantro found in Thai and Latin American dishes as well as pápalo, an herb enjoyed in cemita sandwiches in central Mexico. Philadelphia’s Nature Soy tofu is available at urban farms and grocery stores throughout the city. The soybeans were probably not grown in Philadelphia but the tofu is made in the center of the city. Dinner guests in Philadelphia might have pad thai flavored with tofu and cilantro from locations less than fifty miles away.

Home-grown vegetables and fruits are also primary ingredients in kitchens around the country. Major hardware and home supply stores with garden departments offer top soil, mulch, easily assembled raised beds, seeds and starter plants to customers eager to grow edible plants. Triscuit, a division of Kraft food corporation, even has a website with step-by-step guides for home farmers. Like their Italian counterparts, American hosts also boast at dinner about the salad whose lettuce they raised from seed and later take their guests for a stroll past the strawberry bushes.

Geographical origin and the cultural relevance of food appeal to people around the world. International travelers who contact Home Foods desire to visit Italy’s small towns and taste home cooked meals over restaurant fare. A similar type of tourism could be possible in the USA as the local food culture strengthens. Friends from around the country responded to my question of what foods are being served on their dinner tables. Take a look at their menus. The comforting turkey meatloaf, hamburgers, locally raised grilled chicken and such fare may make you want to visit their towns. Scrumptious Company by Chef Kate French is also a source for great seasonal dinner party ideas with detailed instructions on how to treat your guests to an unforgettable meal.

Dinner around the country

Abbotsford, WI

Roasted chicken, brussel sprouts, and Pillsbury grand biscuits.

Arlington, VA

Broiled spiced lobster tails, brown rice and stewed tomatoes. Chocolate sugar-free jello for dessert.

Atlanta, GA

Smoked chicken legs, roasted potatoes, green peas with mushrooms, mixed veggies, salad, garlic toast

Baltimore, MD

Curried chicken, steamed white rice, spinach salad and fried bananas

Beverly Hills, CA

Turkey meatloaf and steamed asparagus

Boston, MA

Oxtail and okra stew

Brooklyn, NY

Sautéed Salmon, steamed broccoli and romaine salad

Brooklyn, NY

Arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and pork chops

Cambridge, MA

Locally caught mackerel, with salsa verde of fresh herbs and lemon zest. Thai jasmine rice, frozen corn. Storemade macaroons for dessert.

Charlottesville, VA

Trinidadian stewed chicken, macaroni pie, vegetables

Chicago, IL

Grilled steak, corn on the cob, tomato salad. For dessert, strawberry-rhubarb pie and watermelon

Hyattsville, MD

Peanut coconut curried cabbage and vegetables with golden baked tofu and quinoa spaghetti.

“It was a ‘winner winner veggie dinner’, as Guy Fieri on the Food Network says”—Leshone

Hyde Park, NY

Grilled chicken, beets, goat feta, salad greens with watermelon radish, pickled onions, seltzer water…

…Everything except the onions were locally grown

Hyde Park, NY

Shredded miso braised short ribs, watercress, carrots and asparagus with soba noodles

Hyde Park, NY

Two homemade whole wheat pizzas:

1. Mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and sundried tomatoes

2. Broccoli, spinach, red onion, balsamic vinegar and goat cheese.

Lakewood, CA

Homemade pizza!

“We went to the grocery store bought the dough, made our own sauce, and added our own favorite toppings!!!! Great and fun!!!” –Usheika

Los Angeles, CA

Romaine salad with boiled eggs, chicken, bacon, raisins, sunflower seeds and Wish Bone italian dressing

Miami, FL

Spinach salad, white rice, black beans, sweet ripe plantains, steak with sautéed onions, dulce de naranja with cheese

Newark, NJ

Chicken and shrimp over fettuccini pasta

New Orleans, LA

Hamburgers

Newport Beach, CA

Chicken tacos and fluffy white rice

New Paltz, NY

Barbeque glazed tofu, steamed broccoli and sesame seeds, roasted winter squash, carrots and potatoes with homemade multigrain bread. For dessert, local Wallkill View Farms shortbread and rugelach cookies.

Philadelphia, PA

Portuguese potato soup with chorizo, spinach and Naga seasoning to spice it up mucho!

Poughkeepsie, NY

Homemade soup of kale, chorizo and white beans in chicken broth.

“The kale came from our garden.” – Barbara

Raleigh, NC

Hoisin marinated and baked salmon with a spinach salad

Rhinebeck, NY

Sunshine vegan burger on gluten-free bread with lots of red-leaf lettuce and peppery vegan mayo. Coconut macaroons for dessert and Tulsi tea

State College, PA

Lamb with white rice and asparagus

New Haven, CT

Chicken stir-fry with rice

New York, NY

Tilapia, steamed rice and veggies

New York, NY

Seared scallops with diced artichoke. Bruschetta with mint and basil. Beef stroganoff. Pear-infused dark chocolate for dessert

Walkill, NY

Whole wheat pasta with roasted asparagus, mushrooms, garlic, and red bell peppers, fresh mozzarella bocconcini, olive oil, and sea salt

Washington, DC

Beet risotto with shrimp

Washington Heights, NY

Pan seared chicken breast and sautéed onions over roasted potatoes

Lover of Leftovers

2010-03-25T07:35:00.001-07:00

Lovingly, I just polished off a bowl full of the past three days leftovers. The first layer was the last spoonful of

Chioggia Beet and Sweet Potato Gratin over Orange Juice Stewed Lentils

After the thin slices of these beautiful pink and red vegetables, I added the totally out of season

Summer Squash, Kidney Bean and Walnut Salad

Yes, March is not the time to eat yellow squash in Philadelphia, but hey, they looked so beautiful at the Reading Terminal Market, I bought one anyway.

To top it all off, I added a touch of carrot slaw. My favorite way to eat carrots is raw and julienned. This time they were dressed in the last spoons full of almond butter dressing.

Carrot Slaw in Almond Cilantro Vinaigrette

As I sat at the kitchen table and devoured the layered leftovers, the images of two women came to my mind: a northern African woman whose story I heard during a course on Cuisines of the Mediterranean, and the expeditor at my first job as a line cook.

The northern African woman's daily routine of caring for her home and children is so involved that she barely sneaks a moment to hide behind the wall of her kitchen and revive herself with lentils bundled in warm flatbread.

This morning, I felt a warm intimacy with my food that I imagine the northern African woman might share. As my week has been more active than usual, preparing lunch and dinners for my love, working as a breadmaker and attending gardentender workshops, my body needed all the warmth from the leftover dishes whose outer beauty had faded.

Making a meal from small remnants of previously composed dishes has defined my personal eating style since my first experience as a line cook years ago. My expeditor, a robust vibrant brown woman, laughed at me each time she saw me making a plate out of the extra slices of lamb, eggplant tomato chutney, potato gratin, tomato salad and bits of whatever other dishes had just been plated on the line.

"You eat like someone who lived through the Great Depression," she would laugh and yell across the line in my direction. Far from depressed, I was enlivened by the bits of sweet red meat, salty cheese and potatoes and anything else that would have otherwise been tossed away as waste.

I am reluctant, these days, to serve my loved ones the exact same food from the evening before for the fear that they will be unenthused. I often think I should also treat myself to better food than the remains of foods that have lost their outer beauty. Today, the thought faded when I tasted the warmth of lentils whose flavors of orange juice, cumin, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and sea salt had intensified over night.

Rather than feel mistreated when I sit down to a meal of dinners past, I raise my head high as one who lovingly eats and appreciates leftovers.

Photos of Chioggia Beet and Sweet Potato Gratin over Orange Juice Stewed Lentils

Spring Clean Out

2010-03-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Today is the first Monday of the spring season. The time for asparagus and rhubarb is drawing near and my loved ones and I spent the past two weeks making room in our homes and bodies for the exciting gifts of the new season. In honor of the spring and National Nutrition Month, I challenged myself to take inventory of everything in my families' kitchens and prepare health conscious meals with what we had on hand. No going to the grocery store allowed. I found lots of cheese in the house so my first impulse was to make grande quesadillas every day. Ah, the thought of melting yellow cheddar and white jack cheese between two corn tortillas was so comforting. Then the thought of finishing my Spring Clean Out challenge with five pounds more body weight cut the quesadillla image in quarters and put a generous helping of Red Cabbage and Pepita Salad at the center of the plate.

In two weeks time, my challenge yielded Rustic Rye Bread, Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding, Sweet Peas with Carrots and Ham, Puree of Broccoli with Toasted Almonds, Red Cabbage and Pepita salad and a surprising Mexican-inspired variation of French Onion Soup with Hominy. The video box below has a short slide show with images of dishes from the spring challenge.

Yes, I realize every dish did not meet the American Dietetic Association's criteria for healthy eating. However, plant-based foods such as broccoli, peas, red cabbage, corn, spinach, chickpeas and tree nuts were among my primary ingredients and I used olive oil to cook mostly everything. When meat entered the equation it was mainly for flavor but not the primary ingredient.

Spring is here now, but you can certainly challenge yourself to clear out your fridge and kitchen cabinets to make room for refreshing spring fare. Kohlrabi, rhubarb and asparagus are among the vegetables that should be available from farmers soon. If fresh veggies live long torturous lives in your refrigerator, consider putting a few bags of frozen spinach, peas or mixed vegetables in your freezer. They come in handy from time to time.

For those eager to try new vegetables and be reacquainted with familiar favorites, visit www.localharvest.org to find the community farms and farmer's markets in your area.

Welcome Spring 2010!

No need for heavy cream

2010-03-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

Heavy cream is an incredibly versatile ingredient that enhances everything from soups to desserts. Before my days as a line cook in a Washington, D.C. bistro, I had never cooked with heavy cream. While we did not drown foods in the ivory delight, at the D.C. restaurant we used it in a few appropriate dishes: chocolate ganache, lobster bisque, whipped cream.

When I later joined a team of hospital chefs, we were cautioned by the nutritionists to avoid using butter, heavy cream, alcohol, and salt in food for patients. How was the food supposed to taste like anything? Committed to minimizing saturated fat and sodium in our meals, we sought recipes that relied up olive oil, coconut milk and pomegranate juice among other nutrient rich ingredients. The idea was not to eliminate Creamed Spinach and buttery Mashed Potatoes from the menu, but to offer Swiss Chard with Raisins and Slivered Almonds, and Hummus as well.

This week is the start of my home's spring kitchen clean-out in preparation for spring produce. The time for asparagus, peas, spring onions and crunchy lettuce is drawing near and our refrigerator must be gradually emptied to make room for spring's gifts. Today’s chosen victim: broccoli. Cream of broccoli soup, perhaps?

Hearing of the devastation left by two recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, I am incredibly grateful for all my resources, including a fully stocked kitchen. Rather than head to the grocery store for a $4 quart of heavy cream, I donated that money to an organization that could use a small financial lift. Every cent counts, right?

Instead of Cream of Broccoli soup, I consulted a basic recipe for vegetable puree. My priority was to use all of the broccoli with a few flavor-balancing ingredients. Of course, achieving a pleasing texture and creating a minimal mess and were also of great importance.

The resulting dish was a satisfyingly rich Puree of Broccoli with Toasted Almonds. A flavorful and fulfilling starter soup sans a drop of heavy cream, making it vegan and lactose-free.

Puree of Broccoli with Toasted Almonds

Yield: 1 qt/ 4 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, small diced*

1 celery stalk, small diced

2 small broccoli, crowns and stems, small diced

Water, sufficient to cover the ingredients

1/2 c almonds, raw, skin on toasted

1 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

*Small dice: 1/4 in x 1/4 in x 1/4 in

Suggested equipment: Cutting board, chef's knife, three small bowls, medium saucepot, large mixing spoon, teaspoons, a strainer, blender, a tasting spoon

Method

Sweat the shallots and celery in the olive oil over medium heat. When the shallots have become translucent, add the small diced broccoli stems. Sweat for an additional minute.

Add the broccoli florets and cover everything with water. Bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the broccoli stems and florets are soft. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a 325F oven for 7-8 minutes or until the insides are golden. Chop the almonds and reserve 2 Tbsp for garnish.

Strain the vegetables from the liquid. Reserve the liquid. Place the almonds, vegetables, salt, nutmeg and pepper in the blender. Blend at the lowest speed and gradually increase the speed as you pour in the reserved liquid to achieve a smooth consistency. Add additional fresh water if needed to smooth out chunks and grit.

Enjoy with chopped toasted almonds as garnish.

Photos Puree of Broccoli with Toasted Almonds

A great invention: the household refrigerator

2010-03-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

At times, I am an old school grumpy kitchen purist. I remember saying, “The best pasta is made by hand from flour and eggs”. I may have even turned my nose up to bottled salad dressing or canned beans. As a cook that yearns to touch the firm rubbery flesh of a banana each morning and marvels at the different shades of red in the skin of a Pink Lady apple, I relish in the ceremony of preparing meals. However, as new blessings come into my life, like my fiancée and my canine sister, Millie, dedicating more time to them leaves me with a little less energy to simmer beans for an hour and knead pasta dough. While I still delight in mincing shallots for my red wine vinaigrette a la minute, I concede to keeping frozen peas and a few cans of beans on hand. I am also increasingly thankful for twenty-first century kitchen technology.

The advancements that I am most thankful for this week are the household refrigerator and plastic containers with screw on lids. Two weeks ago, we sautéed red and green bell peppers and onions for a Ground Turkey Hash. Before I left for a trip to the east coast the next day, I placed the left over raw peppers and onions in a plastic food storage container with a screw lid. When I returned to our refrigerator last night, to my surprise I saw the bright red and green bell peppers and white onion in almost the same condition I left them. I peered through the plastic expecting to see mold and found only a few droplets of moisture. I prepared myself for an outrageously sulphurous odor when I unscrewed the lid. Nothing. Just a mild whiff of sliced bell pepper. Amazing!

Next test, the white onion. Yes, the onions oh-so pungent sulphur smell was quite strong. But, anytime I store a severed onion, be it for one day or one week, the smell is intense and bites the inside of the nose. The two-week old onion was in suitable condition to sauté or caramelize.

As a new homemaker trying to adhere to my budget, I appreciate the industrial designers, engineers and scientists that collaborate to refine household refrigerators and plastic storage containers. Thanks to their efforts, vegetables that should have rotted, remained crisp and slightly moist for two weeks. I saved money by not having to go out to eat and I relaxed from my trip by dicing onions and peppers for a light dinner and a hearty breakfast of Sweet Buttered Peas with Ham and Chicken Sausage with Sautéed Peppers and Onions over Polenta. Keeping peas and previously cooked polenta in the freezer helped me put this meal together quickly as well. Here’s to modern appliances and food technology! Cheers!

Sweet Buttered Peas with Ham & Carrots

Yield: 2 large portions

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ medium onion, small dice

2 medium cello carrots, small dice

½ c honey ham, small dice

2 c frozen peas

1 tsp butter

Salt, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Method

1. Sweat the carrots and onions in the olive oil over medium heat. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat until the carrots are tender.

2. Stir in the ham cubes and peas. When all the vegetables are hot, stir in the butter. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Serve with toasted bread.

Chicken Sausage with Peppers and Onions over Polenta

Yield: 1 portion

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ medium onion, small dice

½ red bell pepper, small dice

½ green bell pepper, small dice

1 Tbsp cranberry juice

1 chicken sausage (roasted garlic and herb are delicious)

3-4 oz cooked polenta, sliced (frozen or packaged)

Method

1. Bake the chicken sausage in a toaster oven or conventional oven at 300ºF for 10 minutes. Insert a steak knife when the sausage browns. If the liquid is clear, the sausage is done.

2. Increase the oven temperature to 350ºF and place the polenta in the oven for 5-7 minutes to reheat.

3. Sauté the onions and peppers in olive oil over medium high heat. When the vegetables start to brown, add the cranberry juice and lower the flame to medium.

4. Slice the sausage in half, spoon in the onions and peppers. Serve the sausage over the polenta slices.

Total Utilization

2010-02-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

It is snowing today and has been chilly for the past several days. I am dying to run to the grocery store for some extra warming foods. Fortunately, I have calmed myself by reading Suze Orman’s book on women and financial independence and halted at the front door when I thought of how much money we already spent earlier this week on the carrots, onions, garlic and other miscellaneous produce. Plus, we have chicken in the freezer.

Days ago, I saw a comfort foods magazine cover with shining melted cheese on top of a French Onion soup. For some reason, at first glance, I thought the soup was a Mexican tortilla soup. From that image, my mind raced between memories of French Onion soup made in culinary school finished with a touch of Calvados, Chef Jack’s sweet Asian Onion soup, and a Chicken Tortilla soup I ate at a Chili’s or some place similar.

Here are two soups I prepared this morning after taking inventory of our freezer, refrigerator door, spice shelf and the mini-pantry in the hallway: Coconut Chicken and Wild Rice, Chicken and Kidney Beans in Ale Broth.

Coconut Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, small dice

1 carrot, small dice

½ tsp turmeric, ground

¼ tsp ginger, ground

1 - 13.5 fl oz can of coconut milk

1 pt water, filtered

1 cup of diced chicken

1 cup of wild rice, cooked (it happened to have chopped kelp in it)

½ tsp cilantro leaves, dry

Method

Sweat the carrots and onions in a medium sauce pot. When the carrots have softened and the onions are translucent, add the ginger and turmeric. Stir the vegetables to evenly distribute the spices.

Add the coconut milk and the water. Bring everything to a simmer.

Put the diced chicken and cooked wild rice into the liquid. When it returns to a simmer, turn the soup off and taste it.

Add a pinch of salt or a splash of liquid amino acids if the broth is not sufficiently seasoned.

Serve this with red chili sauce on the side for an extra kick!

Chicken and Kidney Beans in Beer Broth

Ingredients

1 ½ Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 ½ Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp chili powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp thyme, ground

13 fl oz Duchesse de Bourgogne Belgian Ale (Substitute any low alcohol Belgian Ale)

1 pt filtered water

1 ½ cup cooked chicken, pulled and shredded

¾ cup kidney beans, cooked

¾ tsp herbed sea salt

Method

Caramelize the sliced onions in the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and tomato paste when the onions are brown. Stir in the chili powder, cayenne pepper and ground thyme. Add the ale and water. Bring the liquid to a simmer

Add the chicken and kidney beans. Return the liquid to a simmer. Add the herbed sea salt. Turn off the heat and taste. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Top it off with tortilla chips for an extra crunch!

Blueberry Soup

2010-02-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

Chef Ira Lee in Poughkeepsie, New York once offered a refreshing beet and blueberry soup at his restaurant, Twisted Soul. This winter I found some decent red beets at my local market and was immediately taken back to Chef Lee's soup. He told me that a splash of orange juice provided an uplifting contrast in the similar blueberry and beet flavors.

I roasted, peeled and refrigerated the beets for quick access throughout the week. One morning when I felt like I needed a fiber fix, I put the following ingredients in the blender:

1/2 c Blueberries, frozen
1/2 c Beets, roasted, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Blood orange, peeled and seeded (you could easily substitute 1/4 cup of orange juice)
1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed Meal
1/4 cup of water to adjust the consistency

Topping:

2 Blood orange segments (aka suprèmes), chopped
1 Tbsp Coconut flakes
1/4 tsp Tarragon herb, fresh, chopped

I served myself this breakfast soup in a bowl. One could just as easily drink this out of a bottle when on the go. Cheers!

Faith in Recipes

2009-01-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

Over one year ago when I was an intern in Rome, I sought to create white cornbread after being moved by a visit from chef Scott Peacock, the kind and dear friend of chef Edna Lewis. Scott, former chef of the governor of the state of Georgia, operates Watershed, a restaurant in Atlanta. During his stay at the Academy, he led our kitchen in the preparation of a fine southern feast of shrimp and grits, braised pork shoulder, turnip greens, black-eyed peas, biscuits and a decadent banana pudding to complete the experience. We spent hours cooking and sharing stories of his path to becoming a chef and his final years of friendship with Ms. Lewis.

Before arriving, Scott mailed copies of his book, The Gift of Southern Cooking, co-authored by Ms. Lewis and Ms. Lewis’ The Taste of Country Cooking. Without much previous knowledge of Ms. Lewis reputation for bringing fine southern cookery to New York City, I felt drawn to her book. I found myself in our stuffy kitchen office scanning her recipes when I should have been resting after long days in the kitchen. Instead, I journeyed back to early twentieth century Freetown, Virginia where Ms. Lewis was raised to enjoy the abundance of foods brought by each season.

Every chapter of Ms. Lewis’ book opens with memories of her childhood in Freetown. Growing up just a few decades out of slavery in the U.S., Ms. Lewis and the inhabitants of her town were free African-Americans who founded a town with a culture of self-sufficiency. Whether or not the citizens of Freetown relied on their independent food supply due to dire economic conditions or not, Ms. Lewis’s family and their neighbors shared a wealth of knowledge about farming. As the seasons passed, new foods made their journey from the field to the table simply yet elegantly.

During my internship in Rome, Mona Talbott led our staff in preparing meals in the same spirit of Ms. Lewis’ childhood memories. Using small Roman cookbooks with minimal photographs and rustic recipes from centuries of Roman social and culinary history as our guides, we prepared comforting soups, hearty pastas and an array of vegetable dishes replete with foods from farms in Lazio and Toscana. The themes of our daily menus, while simple and straightforward, were distinctively Italian and mostly Roman. Several evenings of reading on country cooking, inspired me to suggest adding sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas and other southern specialties to our menu. Not only were these foods challenging to find but they also did not fit the bill. Scott’s visit was an exciting opportunity to cook food that reminded me of my family’s central Louisiana culinary repertoire. After he left, I still yearned for southern comfort foods and searched for the ingredients to recreate at least one dish from Ms. Lewis’s book: cornbread.

One of the most important lessons that I learned while in Rome was that the quality and character of the ingredients outweigh the skill of the most talented cook. If a dish does not begin with flavorful foods that have maintained their integrity it will not be exciting or worthy of reflection. The food will merely be sustenance. “Something to eat,” is the only way I can describe the cornbread I made following Ms. Lewis recipe. I also tried Scott’s recipe and found it to be equally dense and dry. How could this be? Both of their recipes were preceded by descriptions of fluffy bread that would gently absorb the creaminess of butter and the rich sauces of braised meats. Not the thick, dry, mealy circular form that I tasted once and never enjoyed with other foods. Where did I go wrong?

The cornmeal. The fine ground white cornmeal we used in Rome was ideal for a silky polenta or a plate of creamy grits. It was not the fine cornmeal both Ms. Lewis and Scott called to sift in their recipes. This Christmas, in my current kitchen in the USA, we received just the cornmeal needed to yield a moist bread without the addition of flour, sugar or anything else to make it into cake instead of quick bread.

On Christmas day I was given the green light to prepare cornbread as a special side dish. Since it was an unexpected addition on our menu, I felt a little less pressure for the cornbread to turn out perfect. Nonetheless, I still felt a knot in my throat as I decided to give Ms. Lewis’ recipe another try.

My hands trembled as I scaled the baking powder, eggs and buttermilk. Two whole tablespoons of baking powder? Wasn’t that a bit much? I watched the mixture become terribly thin as I whisked in the buttermilk. How was this ever going to hold together?

One hour and several nails bitten off later, I flipped the beautiful golden two-inch deep disk out of the pan. I cut into the bread and immediately tasted the steaming piece. The crunchy crust reminded me of breads made in my Louisiana grandmother’s heavy cast-iron skillet. The texture was certainly lighter than the Roman mound I made last year and it had a much more pleasant taste. However, it still lacked the deep savory flavor I remembered of my grandmother’s white cornbread before she fell into the sweet trap of Jiffy Cornbread Mix.

I begrudgingly plated the triangular pieces. I had hoped to remind someone else of a previous memorable experience with southern cornbread. Instead, I was giving them a lackluster imitation.

Two days later, we cleared out all the leftovers from Christmas day. I had wrapped the completely cooled and last remaining loaf of cornbread on Christmas day to keep it from drying out and turning into garbage even though it did not meet my expectations. This final loaf could not be cut into the necessary thirty portions necessary to appear on our menu so I decided to take it home and make cornbread croutons.

The following morning, now three days after the initial baking, I heated up a slice for my breakfast. I sat on my dining mat and bit into the warm crunchy crust and moist center smeared with butter. With my eyes closed, I smiled, as I tasted hints of toasted and faintly sweet white corn followed by the richness of butter. A much more complex flavor than what I tasted on Christmas day. What a difference! I never thought baked goods could taste better days later. I thought hearty leftovers like lasagna and short ribs were the only foods that should sit for at least a day before being eaten. This cornbread disproved that theory.

For several days I pondered the change in the flavor of the cornbread and decided that the differences probably came from two major factors. My USA version of Ms. Lewis’ recipe was a vast improvement from my first attempts in Rome because I used the intended cornmeal. Second, the improved taste of the bread days later probably was a result of giving the bread sufficient time to rest and cool. On Christmas, I was pressed for time and cut into the steaming breads. The final uncut loaf had been given sufficient time for the combination of sifted cornmeal, salt, baking powder, eggs and buttermilk to properly marry.

My first faulty endeavors making cornbread in Rome contributed to my skepticism of recipes. I have always been encouraged to rely upon my senses when cooking and only use the recipe as a guideline. While I do still believe in following one’s senses in the kitchen, well-tested recipes prepared with appropriate and excellent quality ingredients can be trusted. Although my heart raced as I prayed for the very wet batter to turn into bread, I followed Ms. Lewis recipe and found my way back to my Louisiana grandmother’s cast-iron skillet cornbread.

The following recipe serves five to six people. Instead of scaling down, a single person might bake the original recipe quantity and cut it into slices that can be frozen and enjoyed later.

Corn Bread
Serves 5 to 6

2 cups sifted white cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
3 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon lard (corn oil can be used instead)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups sour milk, or buttermilk

9 x 10-inch pan

Sift the cornmeal, salt, soda, and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs. At this point set the baking pans in the oven with the lard and butter added. Pour the sour milk into the cornmeal batter and stir well. Now remove the pan from the oven and tilt it all around to oil the whole surface of the pan. Pour off into the batter what fat remains. Mix well and pour the batter into the hot pan. Cornmeal batter must be poured into a sizzling hot pan, otherwise it will stick. Bake at 400º(F) for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and cut into squares. Serve hot.

Note: Sometimes we would add a tablespoon of lard to the baking pan and return it to the oven to heat. Then we would pour the batter in, forcing the extra fat into the corners of the pan. (When cooked, the corner pieces of bread would have a lacy, crispy edge and there would be quite a bit of competition for those pieces when it was placed on the table.)

Hog-butchering breakfast was the kind of occasion when we would open some of the wild strawberry preserves we had made in mid-May and the wild blackberry jelly we had put up in July.

(Lewis, Edna. The Taste of Country Cooking. Alfred Knopf. New York. 2007.)

Cornbread leftovers:
Cold cut sandwich with whole grain Dijon mustard on grilled cornbread.
Classic side: Braised collard greens with sautéed onions, finished with a touch of red wine vinegar, Alderwood smoked salt and red pepper flakes.

Observations

2007-10-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Observations

Inconspicuous McDonald’s

Mickey Di’s golden arches in Rome are not as loud and outstanding as those I have seen in other places around the world. Even in Zaragoza, Spain where los maños are very proud of their region’s cuisine and eat whatever is on the menu del día at just about any bar or restaurant in the city.

I compare my experience in Zaragoza to what I am observing in Rome because both places are very proud of their gastronomic history. Considering the fact that Slow Food was founded in Rome in response to the projected construction of a McDonald’s in the Piazza di Spagna, it makes sense that the red and yellow logo of the fast food icon be minimized to an 11x14 placard.

If I had been looking for the McDonald’s in the Piazza della Rotonda, I would have easily missed it because it is veiled by at least twenty outdoor tables with umbrellas that are just tall enough to mask the little M on the windows. I am not a die-hard opponent to McDonald’s but I was happy to see that a major world city has not been completely bombarded by fast food chains from the United States. As a matter of fact, I have not seen one Dunkin Donuts, KFC or Pizza Hut. How wonderful!

On the other hand, there are small pizza shops, independent restaurants and coffee bars at the turn of every street. Oh, and I can’t forget about the gelato shops. The weather has been a little cold for me to indulge in Italy’s notorious frozen treat but I’m sure I’ll sample a gelato of some sort before I leave.

New vegetable experiences

2007-10-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Purslane: Was found in our misticanza (mixed greens) served as the salad course tonight. I really enjoyed the salad and now that I have read about the health benefits of some of the misticanza components, including purslane, it is even more memorable. The delicate yet crunchy little flower known as purslane is high is Omega-3, supposedly containing more of this nutrient than any other land based vegetable source. The purslane we had today was foraged in the wild. I wonder if it can be purchased from a retail store or supplier.

The salad was composed of:

Roasted beets- tossed in salt and vinegar
Braised fennel lightly drizzled with a mustard mayonnaise
Mixed greens (including purslane) tossed in a light honey vinaigrette
Crumbled goat cheese (caprino)

Simple yet delicious!

Farrotto

Aside from the exciting new tastes of purslane, I experienced the mega-grain Faro in its whole grain state. Yesterday, we ate a pasta made of Farro and today the whole grains were cooked with sautéed nettle and roasted cauliflower. The preparation was similar to that of risotto in that vegetable stock was used to cook the grain that was gently stirred over short intervals. I loved the nutty taste provided by the nettle. This dish had subtle flavors of porcini mushrooms (used to make the stock), nutty-nettle, and rich farro. A light amount of parmesano-reggiano cheese was used to finish the pasta without masking the delicate subtle flavors of the nettle, farro and porcini.

If I could easily access nettle that is safe to eat and find someone to help me pick the leaves from the stinging stems I would love to recreate this dish when I return to the States, especially because nettle is said to be a good liver cleanser. I wonder how potent it is once it has been treated with high heat as in this recipe.

Basic recipe:

Extra virgin olive oil
Yellow onion, minced
Nettle, several lbs
Faro, dry
Vegetable stock, made with porcini mushrooms
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Gelato de buffalo: I have tried Buffalo Mozzarella before and today I tried Buffalo Ice Cream. What a delicious treat!!! It is very rich and creamy with a slight sweet taste. I love it. Tonight it was served for dessert with candied cherries. What a delight!

A vegetarian cookery weekend

2007-09-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

Throughout each day, I find myself imagining and creating recipes for what I think might be good tasting food. Often times my mental creations do not taste as good as I envision. I suppose I haven’t quite reached that level of chefdom that will allow me to taste foods in my mind. Over the past week I have struggled to pull a recipe together for a recipe contest but my mental journeys have taken me in all sorts of directions. Part of the difficulty to focus came from outside restraints. Testing any recipe these days must involve at least a few ingredients that I already possess or relatively inexpensive ones. After all, I’m only a budding cook (not nearlychef) and there is a pretty good chance that my experiments may not turn out as I desire and end up in the garbage can instead of my stomach. So I try not to spend too much money on food that may not be eaten. Although I did spend $6 today on a 1-oz bag of agar agar flakes that spilled all over the place. What a mess!

The other challenge to putting together a recipe is the kitchen space and equipment. Never before have I needed to plan out every detail of a cooking project: where and when I will purchase ingredients, what kitchen I will use with the optimal equipment and what are the kitchen’s hours of operation. Who would think that at a culinary school it would be such an ordeal to use a kitchen. Most chefs I have met are ok with me coming in to try my mad scientist experiments as long as I work clean and stay out of the way of the students in class. You may wonder why I do not experiment while I’m in class. While in class I am mostly concerned with cooking the food we will serve and nothing more.

With the space secured, ingredients purchased and the time blocked off in my schedule, I finally came up with three recipes to try over the weekend. On Friday, I tested two recipes. The first was a duchesse potato appareil (mixture) made from sweet potatoes. If you’ve ever eaten a duchesse potato you know it should be creamy and smooth. Boiled potatoes are put through a ricer or food mill to achieve this consistency. Sweet potatoes are naturally fiberous and MUST be processed through a food mill when making a duchesse appareil. I also understood that their fiberous nature lends to a low yield for any sweet potato preparation that requires a smooth texture. Envision this: I started with two pounds of sweet potatoes and after they were steamed and put through the food mill, I had maybe one pound of smooth potato left to work with…enough for about 4 duchesse potatoes.

Lessons learned: use twice the amount of potatoes you will need to feed your family or guests and do not boil the sweet potatoes first. They have enough of their own moisture should be peeled, cubed and placed in an appropriate size pot with a touch of oil or butter and cooked with a cover over low heat. They excrete their own moisture and will steam without adding any liquid. A touch of oil only prevents them from sticking.

The second experiment involved flavoring pancakes with coffee extract and calming the bitterness with a little soy sauce. I attended an Asian sauce seminar last month that showed how dark chocolate combines well with soy sauce. The way I mixed the two with pancake batter didn’t work so well. Plus I took the experiment even further by making the cakes vegan by using tofu in lieu of eggs. The result was less than tasty. Palatable yes but tasty, not so much. I ended up tossing about half of the samples I made, but I learned a good deal about the changes in pancake texture when you substitute tofu for eggs. The batter becomes quite doughy and heavy.

My other weekend experiments involved making a white bean and toasted almond hummus, sweet potato tofu (made with agar agar, a vegetarian relative of gelatin), soy orange braised kale, creamy quinoa timbales with plantain filling and braised fennel with sweet savory sushi rice. I won’t bore you with all the details of my experiments but I will share the winning recipe of the weekend: White Bean and Toasted Almond Hummus. This a guestimate of the amounts of ingredients because you know how I always forget to measure as I cook. Enjoy this with melba toast, table water crackers, as a spread on a sandwich, as a dip for crudité vegetables or with whatever else you might enjoy. Un abrazo!

White Bean and Toasted Almond Hummus

1 cup Small white beans (cannelini work well), cooked until soft but not mushy
1/3 cup Almonds, toasted in the oven
1/2 bunch Cilantro, leaves only
1/2 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp Soy sauce
2 each Limes, juiced
to taste Salt
to taste Ground white pepper

Equipment: Small saucepot (beans), two sheet trays or baking sheets (beans and almonds), blender or food processor (everything at the end).

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. You may use canned beans if you do not have time to soak and cook the beans. If you use canned beans be sure to rinse them well before blending them. For the method I used, soak the beans in cold water over night. After the beans have soaked and absorbed a good deal of water, add the beans and water to a saucepot over medium heat. Make sure the water level covers the beans by at least 1-in. Simmer for one hour. After the first 30 minutes, add a bay leaf or two, a clove of garlic, an thick piece of onion and a short stick of celery if you have these things handy. If not, the beans will still taste fine in the end.

2. Once the beans are fully cooked but not mushy, remove them from heat. Strain the liquid from the beans and cool them on a sheet tray or baking sheet.

3. While the beans cool, place the almonds on a dry sheet tray. Do not use any oil, butter or salt on the nuts. Toast them dry for 5 minutes until they become aromatic and acquire a slightly darker color. Remove the tray from the oven.

4. In a blender or food processor blend beans, almonds and cilantro first. While the blender is on, slowly pour in the oil until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy in appearance. Add lime juice and soy sauce. Taste. Add salt and white pepper if needed.

Return to BEEF

2007-08-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, it has been nearly a century since I’ve updated my blog but I was inspired and encouraged by panel of food writers and blog creators who visited The Culinary Institute of America (where I am currently studying and training to become a Chef), to start sharing my stories again with you all, mi querida familia y amigos.

After having fellow culinarians repeatedly ask me, “How can you be a vegetarian and a chef?” even though I am not a vegetarian at all, I figured I might want to try this whole meat thing again. Well, honestly, it was a horribly dry roast I made a few weeks ago that made me see the need to at least cook more meat. Over my summer break, I attempted to make a juicy beef top round roast to serve with citrus quinoa salad and pasilla spiced black beans. After walking to the market and carefully selecting the piece of meat I would like, I rushed home to cook the meat before my guest would arrive. What happened? I certainly cooked it fast enough but I also dried it out. It was a flavorless shoe leather-tasting piece of meat. What a disaster!

Since the dried-out roast episode, I have begun to rethink my aversion to meat. The course that I am currently taking, Cuisines of Asias, has helped me to rethink ways to cook and enjoy meat. The recipe that captured my attention this week was one for Pho Bo, a hearty Northern Vietnamese broth garnished with rice noodles, thinly sliced beef, mung sprouts, scallions, thai bird chilies and small mountain of fresh herbs (Rau Ram, Thai Basil, Mint and Cilantro).

The broth is made by simmering beef bones and a beef shoulder clod in water with roasted ginger and shallots for 1-2 hours. As the stock develops, cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves are added for a little extra flavor. When the aroma and flavors of the beef and spices become almost intoxicating, fish sauce (Nuoc mam) and salt are added for a finishing touch. Now the broth is ready to be garnished! Pre-cooked rice noodles, fresh mung beans, very thinly sliced onions and paper-thin slices of raw beef are then added to a bowl and covered with the hot broth. The slices of raw meat are cut so thin that the heat of the broth cooks them.

I have eaten Pho on several occasions in Silver Springs, MD however I only ate chicken, seafood or vegetable Pho. However, the beef version that I just described, Pho Bo, never made it to my place at the table. When I first looked at the slices of light meat in the bowl, my mouth reluctantly opened and my stomach waited for a large weight to drop. As I forgot about what I was eating, and simply paid attention to the taste and sensation, I was warmed and enjoyed the mix of heat from the chilies and sambal (hot pepper sauce), slight tartness from the nuoc mam with the freshness from the herbs and the savory warmth of the meat. As far the weight of the meat in my stomach went, I experienced no such thing. I felt the same as if I had just eaten a chicken or seafood soup.

For at least the past three years, meat and I have not mixed on many occasions but the Pho Bo I made in Cuisines of Asias is something even I, Ms. Fish and Vegetable Lover herself, can crave. Yes, I know it is the summer time and the last thing most of us want to eat is hot soup. BUT, as the effects of global warming bring us surprises each day, I suggest that if you have not tried any variety of Pho (Beef, Seafood, Chicken or the like) look for a Vietnamese restaurant in your area and spend a cool evening with a bowl of this comforting soup.

First impressions of culinary school...

2007-02-26T16:21:00.000-08:00

I am trying to figure out how I feel about my new adventure in NY. It definitely has been exciting at times since in the past week and change I’ve been spending my time schmoozing with hospitality bigwigs at The Tavern on the Green, exploring the Taconic Parkway and the quaint town of Rhinebeck. I am of course studying as well…I promise. I’ve actually been trying very hard to stay on top of my readings and projects, so much that the library/lab hours are not long enough to fulfill my needs. Several friends of mine enjoyed a laugh when I called last Friday to complain that the library was closed on a Friday evening, when I wanted to study!

After about 6 days of classes now, I am much more comfortable explaining the differences between the quality and the condition of produce, how to purchase the appropriate amounts and types of fruits and vegetables. It has been very interesting and exciting to legitimately dedicate my days to food but I must admit that several feet of snow and gray mornings have made me reconsider my decision to be here more than once. Why can’t there be such an exceptional school with an equal commitment to excellence in a place where it’s warm?

The CIA has certainly met each one of the expectations I had prior to coming here. The welcome packet that I received upon acceptance clearly outlined the strict codes to be followed at the school. We must wear business-casual clothing, no flashy jewelry –not even hoops, only studs—we must answer our chef professors by saying, “yes or no, chef”. The appearance codes, in combination with set mealtimes and a couple of other strict rules I cannot think of at the moment, make the atmosphere here a bit reminiscent of the military times. Of course, I’ve never been in the military or experienced any military facility first-hand, so I’m just imagining that this is what a military facility may be like.

Even our living conditions are a bit barrack-esque. The room I share with two girls is probably 15x10 ft and has three sets of essential bedroom furniture crammed in. Living in the same room with two other girls feels like being in a small barrack. But I guess that’s what a residence hall, or dorm, essentially is, perhaps.

While this is a culinary school where food is the center of life, I have felt a little spoiled and even crazy on a few occasions in regards to my meals. At home in DC, CA and around the world, I have always enjoyed preparing the first meal I will consume each day. Washing, peeling and blending fruit, scrambling eggs, browning tortillas or making whatever I chose to eat for breakfast is a form of daily therapy for me. Consequently, it has been frustrating not having 24 hour access to a kitchen so that I can cook whenever I feel. However, the main dining hall has a daily service called “stage” for lunch and dinner, serves students three-course meals in an environment reminiscent of a fine dining restaurant. Even though I am not able to cook my breakfast every morning or throw something quick together between classes as I used to do in my dorm at Georgetown, I have the fortune of being served a beautifully presented and generally flavorful and nutritious meal twice a day if I like.

Stepping off stage, I still end up having to find my own way for at least one meal a day. Last week, after stalking the dorm representative that holds the key to the kitchen, I was able to pull out my little knife set and cook up a few days worth of Cilantro Chicken Vegetable Soup and Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Sweet Peppers. Next time, I have to remember to make a few different treats so that I do not end up eating the same thing for 5 days like I did last week. I think I have had enough chicken soup and peppers to ebb that craving for a few weeks.

I’ll begin posting the recipes for my dorm kitchen concoctions soon! Besos!

I have arrived...

2007-02-11T17:53:00.000-08:00

After six weeks of indelible quality time with family and great friends, I have now arrived at culinary school. The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY is where I have decided to reside for the next two years while I explore the wonders of the foodservice industry. Today is only day one so I do not have a great deal to tell. BUT, the people in my class come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and all seem to be involved in a lifelong love affair with food.

Since I arrived this afternoon, I have moved in to my dorm room that I will share for the next seven months with two young ladies from the Philippines and South Korea. When I first walked in the room and saw that there are three sets of dorm furniture in a tiny room made for perhaps two people at most, I began to rethink my decision to live on campus. After taking a few deep breaths and thinking about commuting from an off-campus location, I felt much better about sharing my personal space with these two unknown young ladies. Plus, a few benefits to living in a residence hall are that we have a bathroom in the room, the hall has COINLESS washers and dryers, we have WI-FI access throughout campus, free on-campus parking, and for the first seven months of my time here, I will most likely be in class at 7am so anything more than a 5 minute commute would be horrendous. These perks alone make living on campus in a small room with two other women much more advantageous than I remembered when first I set eyes on my new tiny piece of room.

For the next two days, we will have an orientation that entails picking up uniforms, the famous toque, aka Chef Boyarde hat, knife and baking kits, registering my car, etc etc etc. Wednesday, I think, we actually enter the classrooms and get down to business! YAY! I'm very excited. I will post pictures as soon as I have some mouth watering images to share! Mil gracias again to my family and friends for the quality time we shared during my January and February mini-sabbatical! With your love and support, I'm not ready to become an IRON CHEF!

Cocinando con Cleo

2006-11-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

My dearest Kingsley is headed to Mexico soon and has agreed to take promo pics of me to Televista for a potential cooking show. We agreed that my TV name will be Cleotilde and the show will be called Cocinando con Cleo, Cooking with Cleo.

The pics above are of french toast with sweet potato and apple rundown...

Attention to details

2006-11-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

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!

Fruits of the Fall

2006-10-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

The first couple of weeks of fall in DC have been incredibly beautiful this year. To celebrate the great weather, my friends, Leshone, Tagiri, Adam and I went to Butler's Orchard in Germantown, MD to pick apples. Sadly, when we arrived, we were informed that the apple picking ended the day before. BUT, we were in time for raspberry and pumpkin picking.

I was less than enthused about picking berries at first. I only imagined scratching my arms and hands on the prickly bushes. However, once I began lifting branches to find ruby red treasures, my spirits were lifted. After about an hour, we had collected several pounds of sweet berries that tasted more like candy than fruit.

The next day, I searched my two favorite food websites, allrecipes.com and foodnetwork.com for raspberry pie recipes. I finally ended up on a completely different site, www.baking911.com and found tips on how to make berry pie. The finished product looked beautiful but when I cut it, I found a soupy mess. I was devasted that I had used both baskets of my beautiful berries to make what became raspberry sauce in a shell. Oh well. I'll just have to try again next time I can get away to pick fresh berries.

Time efficiency...

2006-10-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

...is, and has always been, a huge challenge for me. When I'm doing something I enjoy, it's very hard to stop and move on to other things that need to be done. Even when I'm doing something less than fun, I find it difficult to stop before the project is complete. Working in a kitchen, like in any other fast paced and busy environment, can be very overwhelming when the list of tasks to be completed continually grows. In my brief time on the line, I have already seen that there is always something to be done. Before services begins, you must prep everything so that when orders come in you can be ready to push them out. I haven't decided yet if it urks me more to chop tomatoes, shallots and herbs to order or to make grits on the fly and reduce sauces during service.

My goal each day is to have everything ready, but each day I become engrossed in one task or the other and end up rushing to prepare something for an incoming order.

In my quest to be prepared, I must remember to pause and breathe regularly to make sure that everything I'm doing comes out perfectly. What good is it to rush rush rush and prep imperfect food that will be of no use and will have to be redone later? Today, it was the sniglet, the small puff pastry on our dessert menu, that reminded me to stop, pause and regroup if I feel lost or exhausted.

After a busy Sunday brunch service, without taking a breather, I cut, folded and shaped six beautiful puff pastries that would later be stuffed with vanilla whipped cream and berry compote. In my haste to get ready for dinner service, I placed them in the oven without setting my timer and went on to dice eggplant, cut salmon, ground beef and set up the expeditor's station. This was a big mistake. Not only did I burn my pastries (sssshhhh, don't tell Chef), but I also diced my eggplant too thickly and screwed up what would have been a smooth eggplant marmalade.

A quick break at the end of brunch service may have rejuvenated me, helped me to think more clearly and saved my poor pastries. This week's goal: TAKE A BREAK. When I am exhausted, I use my time even less efficiently and make mistakes that will take even more time to correct.

In case you're wondering, the picture below is not of a rescued pastry. The little ball of dough above is a pumpkin custard filled pate a choux. It's almost like a cream puff filled with custard instead of cream. I am learning more about baking and this was the main project of the week.

Roasted Chicken with Manzanilla Sofrito

2006-10-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening Santa left a whole chicken to thaw out in my kitchen sink. Even with aching muscles after a three-hour bike ride around DC and Virginia, I just couldn't let the chicken sit alone, so I figured I'd pair it with potatoes and carrots in a manzanilla olive sofrito. Here's the recipe below.

1 Whole Chicken with skin (or 8 parts of a chicken: 2 breasts, 2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks)
1 large lime
2 Roma Tomatoes diced
1/4 large onion coarsely diced
1/2 green bell pepper coarsely diced
1 tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
1/2 bunch of cilantro
6 manzanilla olives

2 large white potatos peeled
3 large carrots peeled

salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
vegetable oil
2 cups of water

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Serves 3 or 4

As you all know, I don’t like bland food. So although I list, "salt and cayenne pepper to taste", that means be generous with the salt and cayenne pepper to give the chicken a little lift. BUT be careful not to give yourself and your family a heart attack from too much salt.

Preheat your oven to 375 F. Place chicken pieces in a bowl and coat them with the juice from one lime, salt and cayenne pepper. Cover the bowl and refrigerate while you cut your vegetables. Heat a large pan between medium and high heat. Coat the pan with vegetable oil.

While the pan is heating, minced 4 garlic cloves, chop onions and green bell peppers. Add onions, garlic and peppers to hot oil. While veggies brown, chop tomatoes. Add tomatoes and salt to the pan. Allow the mixture to brown for 1-2 minutes.

Peel and dice carrots and potatoes while the vegetable mixture browns and place it to the side. Add the veggie tomato mixture, cilantro and olives to a blender. Allow mixture to cool for 2 minutes before blending until mixture is smooth.

In the same hot pan, add a small amount of oil. Place chicken skin-side down, allowing the skin of each piece to brown. Turn chicken over allowing the opposite side to brown.

Remove chicken and place in a large baking dish, dutch oven pot or whatever you have in your house to cook large quantities of anything in an oven. Brown the potatoes and carrots in the same pan used to brown the veggies and chicken. Add the potatoes, carrots, olive softiro and water to the baking dish with chicken. Do not completely submerge the chicken in liquid. The skin side of each piece of chicken should be exposed. Cover the pan tightly with foil or the lid. Bake for 1 hour. Remove cover and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes.

Serve with jasmine rice or steamed broccolini and zucchini or all three. Enjoy with two or three people who bring happiness to your life! If you dine solito/a this dish will last for 2-3 days of quick lunches or dinners. Cheers!

La Nena Cooks

2006-10-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

I have finally decided to try my hand at becoming a culinary professional instead of being a full-time foodie. To get things moving in the right direction, I'm working at a sexy restaurant in Washington DC's U Street corridor as a line cook under Chef T. The work is hard but I must admit, I love cooking...even in the heat and madness of a professional kitchen. One of these days I will try to post a description of my usual day at the restaurant to better explain what I mean by "heat and madness". In the meantime, if you're looking for a great read, check out Bill Buford's recent book, Heat, and you'll feel like you stepped right into the kitchen at a fast paced restaurant.

The idea behind this blog is to share with you my adventures in my home kitchen and Chef T's classroom. When I'm not at work, I try to practice the new things I've learned at work or on one of the various food programs shown on cable. Instead of replicating the exact recipes, I've been trying to practice the techniques with my less than professional tools at home. Every week, I plan to update my blog with new recipes and experiments. Since most of you are far away, I hope the blog will bring you closer into my new culinary life.

I must remind you, I am not yet a chef or culinary professional. The recipes and pics I upload are a mere amateurs work so please let me know if you have any tips or feedback on my creations. I hope some of my treats inspire you to express your creativity in the kitchen and treat your palate. Thank you all for continuing to encourage me and support me in pursuit of culinary excellence!

Abrazos,
Raquel