Bite Size Green

Diet for a Small Planet

2012-01-14T17:38:00.000-08:00

When it first came out in 1971, Frances Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet was revolutionary, even a touch heretical. Americans had been 'going big or going home' in food production, institutionalizing the factory farm system, since the end of World War II. We were maximizing efficiency and exporting prosperity. Having plenty of meat was more American than apple pie.

How dare this woman come along and challenge our hard-earned standard of living? Accuse us of 'gross waste' and environmental destruction? Not only suggest that we could enjoy a healthier, more sustainable way of eating, but explain why, and how, and provide recipes?

Apparently readers and eaters were hungry for the message, because the book became a best seller, now in its 20th edition. The newest version is available from Lappe's non-profit Small Planet Institute.

A dog-eared copy of the 1975 edition, and the companion book Recipes for a Small Planet, are available from me, for free, as part of my Healthy Food Books Giveaway. If you want them, speak up soon!

Does Savvy = Green?

2012-01-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

Recently I met author Melissa Tossetti, heard about her book, "Living the Savvy Life: the savvy woman's guide to smart spending and rich living" (with co-author Kevin Gibbons), and picked up a copy. I was intrigued mainly because her approach to finance sounded so much like my approach to food - it's about living well, in alignment with your own values, not about following a formula (to save x$, to lose x pounds). And most importantly, the key messages about living intentionally seemed inherently green, again paralleling my key messages about eating and making food choices. Which brought me to the question of whether savvy living is the equivalent of green living, and vice-versa.

Some chapters strictly cover personal finance, with sound coverage of the basics needed for money management. No green spin in this portion (picking investments with tools like the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, for instance). But that seems appropriate for the scope of the tutorials.

The chapters that focus on key areas where most women (and arguably, men) spend most of their income each do have an underlying green thread, however. For instance, Chapter 6: Home, advocates for de-cluttering the home, employing second-hand treasure for decorating, sharing tools and other items instead of owning one of everything yourself, and enjoying simple pleasures at home.

Similarly, Chapter 8: Wardrobe, provides explicit steps for breaking the cycle of overstuffing closets with clothing that doesn't really look and feel great. The tips include a host of alternatives to trendy stores and malls, including but not limited to second-hand stores. While there is no 'shop green' message about finding fair-trade, sweat-free, organic fabric clothing, the basic messages of not wasting resources (time, money, storage, cleaning, etc) on things that don't really suit who you are is green in a more old-fashioned way.

The least-green feeling chapter for me was Beauty, but only because my usual first questions (What's in this product? Was it tested on animals? Is it safe? How's it rank on the SkinDeep database?) weren't addressed. On the other hand, the authors remind us of some fundamental issues that can prevent time and money wasted on buying inappropriate products - understand what your body needs, clean up your diet, and protect your skin from the sun, among them.

In contrast, I felt immediately at home in Chapter 7: Entertainment. Reminders about holding seasonal celebrations, exploring the sights of your own local area, recycling books and DVDs, and enjoying simple pleasures all resonated with me. And, like the Shopping chapter, it edged pretty close to a key principle of voluntary simplicity: figure out what really makes you happy, and let the rest go.

The big work (your mission, if you choose to accept it) recommended by this book is not to track spending, sock away a nest egg, or in any way meet someone else's standards of material success. Rather, it provides tools to help the reader asks insightful questions about what makes her happy and to consider where her personal resources are best spent. And while there's no guarantee that a reader's personal choices will be green ones, the authors make a convincing case for a resource-conservative approach (less clutter, more simple pleasures; less buying stuff, more sharing; and take care of what you value) enhancing both material security and emotional satisfaction in everyday life.

Diving Deeper on the Food Issues
The longest, most detailed chapter is Food. Like the other chapters on lifestyle, green is not the element at the top of the agenda. But it sneaks in as much or more so as it does in the other sections. For the next few months, I will be taking the recommendations one by one, implementing them at home, and sharing what I learn from the exercise.

Healthy Food Books Giveaway

2011-12-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the new year, we finally went through the cookbook shelves and picked a few that we just don't use anymore. All of them have worthwhile information; but these days we rely on the internet for recipes more than print books. And in our small home, every bit of space counts.

Rather just send the whole pile to the local Goodwill and hope they find good homes, I thought I'd offer them up to friends and other readers. First priority will go to anyone who responds quickly and can take an in-person handoff. After that, I'll use media mail to distribute; and what's left will be donated.

Over the coming weeks, I'll review/promote a few of my favorites. For today, here's the general list:

Diet for a Small Planet, by Frances Moore Lappe (1975 ed)
Recipes for a Small Planet, by Ellen Buchman Ewald (1973)
Laurel's Kitchen, a Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition (1982)
Crockpot Cooking (1975)
Yeast Connection Handbook, by Wm Crook MD (1996) [about candida]
Joyce Chen Cookbook (1976)
Learn Chinese Cooking in Your Own Kitchen (1976)
Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (1998)
Free to Eat, by Bronwyn Schweigerdt (2010)
Great American Writers' Cookbook (1986)

Fiber35 Diet - Book Review

2011-12-27T21:31:00.000-08:00

During the holidays and other times of year when celebratory foods all seem to be high-fat, simple-carb, and either sugary or greasy, I take refuge in simple snacks like baked yams, steel cut oats, or apples with peanut butter. What do they have in common? Well, besides being yummy and satisfying, fiber.

When I saw Brenda Watson on PBS giving her seminar on the Fiber35 Diet, I thought, "This is so simple - I don't need her book." I jotted down her key tips, researched the fiber content of foods we routinely eat at home, and made a few healthy changes. Focusing as recommended on good eating rather than self-deprivation, I dropped a few pounds, felt better, and re-established some good habits.

A year later, I found and consulted the book for a 'check-up.' Reading it provided useful reminders, detailed medical information, and much better instructions than the ones I had scribbled down. Once I got past the "Amazing! Secret! Miracle!" self-promotion, and the touching vignettes about Watson's clients, I found the nutrition and fitness facts well-explained.

For me, these are the parts that make the book worth owning as a reference:

A thorough,understandable physiological explanation of how dietary fiber promotes weight loss
An easy-to-follow plan to assess your current nutrition and achieve personal health and fitness goals
Sections on boosting your metabolism, exercise basics, detoxification, supplements, hormones, phytonutrients, and disease prevention
Charts on numerous foods and their fiber content per serving
Dozens of simple recipes

A Vegetarian Noche Buena Feast

2011-12-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

Years ago, our Cuba-born friend Ariela Boronat (yes - the artist) introduced us to a rather different Christmas tradition than my Protestant family's. Christmas day is for going to church, eating leftovers, and resting. Epiphany (January 6, when the Three Wise Men brought baby Jesus marvelous swag) is for exchanging gifts. And Christmas Eve, or Noche Buena, is a family holiday feast night.

A traditional Noche Buena feast may include dishes like arroz con pollo, roasted pork loin, and flan; but it must include these three staples:

savory black beans and rice (aka Moros y Christianos, the gentle inside-joke name)
crispy, garlicky fried yucca
sweet, luscious platanos maduros

Once you've got this trinity covered, serve whatever you like as an appetizer, dessert, or optional additional protein. Just add friends and family, and you've got a feast worthy of Noche Buena.

Fruit Smoothies - Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

2011-12-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

This December, I'm thankful for the farmers market strawberries in the freezer. Without them, making fruit smoothies in the winter just wouldn't feel right. Although half the fun of smoothies is the free rein to experiment, to 'customize the food creation experience' (also known as playing with your food), I played around with ingredients just until I found my favorite combination, then stuck with it.

My Fruit Smoothie Blend:

One nice, ripe banana
A few chunks of frozen mango
A few frozen organic strawberries
Several dollops of plain, nonfat yogurt
Some not-too-sweet juice, like pomegranate or limeade

Do I measure? No. Every batch comes out a little different, letting me sample and comment as if I had actually been innovative.
I throw all these into a Vita Mix or a regular blender, let them sit to temper a bit, then blend til it's soup. Mmm . . . cool, smooth and sweet like a milkshake, with less of a sugar rush, and ever so much more virtuous. Refreshing in the summer, and a little dose of summer in the depths of winter.

Servings
My version, as described above, serves two. You can also make the whole batch and freeze half, to serve one person twice. Just let it thaw sufficiently to stir all ice crystals in and get the lovely creamy consistency back.

Calories
About 100 per serving, if you use just fruit and non-fat yogurt.

Fat
Zero grams! But considerably higher if you substitute ice cream or a creamier yogurt (really not necessary, if you use a good brand).

Fiber
About 3 grams per serving. Mostly that's soluble fiber, plus a wee bit of insoluble (you need both for a high-fiber diet ). To work more in, try a sprinkle of ground flax seed.

Carbs and Sugar
Some people are worried about all the sugar in a fruit smoothie, either because of diabetes, the candida diet, or a low-carb diet like Atkins.
Bear in mind the sugars in the yogurt are low, and you are having a half banana, 2-3 strawberries, a few mango chunks, and a splash of juice in one serving. If your diet allows that, you are not only ok but also getting the benefit of the calcium, phyto-nutrients, and fiber. Pairing it with some low-fat protein might make it a healthy breakfast food, even with health concerns to watch. And a half-serving, frozen, would make a nice treat when you crave ice cream.

Is there any protein?
Yes! Fruits and vegetables do have protein; and dairy can be a vegetarian protein source, too. Most Americans get too much protein, not too little; but if you are a vegetarian body builder or other type of athlete, try adding some of your favorite protein powder.

Can you make a vegan fruit smoothie?
Yes. With yogurt, the standard version fits well into a lacto vegetarian diet (ie, no meat, but dairy is allowed). In that way, it is like a mango lassi at an Indian restaurant.
To skip the lactose, try a soy substitute, or almond milk or rice milk (plus ice). If your substitute comes pre-sweetened, be aware of issues with candida and diabetes. On the plus side, this version would have no cholesterol.

Honey-Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

2011-12-10T12:08:00.001-08:00

When beekeeper Wayne Pitts appeared on the Bite-size Green TV episode The Buzz about Bees, he was a marvelous guest. He not only shared humorous anecdotes, facts, and photos; but he also provided a cooking demonstration. Like many good cooks, he tried a dish at a restaurant and said, "I could make this." The result became his honey-teriyaki glazed grilled salmon. Naturally, it's best if made from wild salmon and with honey from your own apiary. If you can't become a beekeeper by suppertime, visit one at your local farmers market (Wayne can be found in Palo Alto every Sunday) and ask for a local variety.

Honey-teriyaki glazed salmon

Ingredients

One cup honey, warmed
One cup teriyaki
A large fillet of wild-caught salmon
Fresh leaf spinach, in bite-size pieces
Two types of fruit, in small chunks (or whole, if berries)
Blue cheese crumbles (or goat, if preferred)
Walnut bits (or other nut, as preferred)
Cherry tomatoes to garnish
A fruity vinaigrette dressing

To prepare:

While warming the grill, fold a double layer of aluminum foil into a tray, and pour a layer of glaze into it.
Place the salmon onto the glaze, and pour the remainder over the fillet.
Close the grill and let cook approx 20 minutes (med. heat).
Check to make sure the salmon is caramelizing.
While the salmon is cooking, arrange the spinach on each plate.
When the salmon is done (and cooled, if you like), place a portion on each plate, over the spinach.
Add the fruit, nuts, cheese and garnish to each plate, and drizzle with dressing.

Enjoy the quiet while everyone digs in.

Catalan Spinach

2011-12-09T19:11:00.001-08:00

In the spring and summer, this vegetarian tapas dish provides an alternative to fresh, raw spinach salads. In the winter, it assuages my craving for dark greens.

Catalan Spinach, or espinacas, is quick, easy and full of flavor. It's packed with phyto-nutrients, but not fat or calories. As you might guess, it's from the Catalan region of Spain.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup raisins
20 ounces spinach, cleaned and de-stemmed
1 ounce good basalmic vinegar

Prep:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan, and throw in the pine nuts.
2. When they begin to smell beautiful & sing, add the raisins.
3. Let the raisins plump for a minute, then add the spinach.
4. Toss for a minute while the spinach wilts.
5. Splash on the basalmic vinegar, and toss for another few seconds.
6. Salt to taste.

The spinach should be wilted, but still very green.
Serve immediately.

Platanos Maduros

2011-12-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

Fried plantains, or platanos maduros, are a real treat worth the work.
But beware - they can be addictive!

First, find a store (such as El Mercadito Latino) that sells really, really ripe plaintains. The skins should be turning black.
This means that they are full of sweetness, being fully mature, or maduro.

Fried plantains with cuban black beans and crispy yucca

At home, peel them and keep the skins.
Slice them about 3/4 inch thick.

Round One:

Heat vegetable oil (something with a high smoke point, so it won't break down) in a large skillet, preferably iron.
When the oil passes the wooden spoon test, place the slices in and stand back.
Flip and brown the second side, so both sides are lightly browned.
Remove the cooked plantains, dry them briefly on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Round Two:

When the rest of the meal is close to done, bring the oil back up to temperature.
While it is heating, place the discs between the plantain skins and flatten them.
Then put them into the hot oil for the second frying, and place on toweling again.
As they cool, they should firm up but not become crunchy or hard.

Salt to taste and serve warm.

If you've tried platanos maduros in a restaurant and wished you could replicate them, give it a try! And once you've made them at home, you'll appreciate fried plantains that someone else has cooked for you even more.

Cuban Yucca

2011-12-06T12:00:00.001-08:00

Cuban yucca is a garlicy, crispy, chewy savory treat.
Also known as yuca, cassava, or manioc, it starts as a crunchy tuber with tough skin.
I highly recommend buying it pre-skinned and frozen. You can often find it in Asian groceries or Latin markets.

Cuban yucca (r) with beans, rice and plantains

•    1 lb yucca
•    1 tsp salt
•    2 tsp. lemon juice

To prepare:
Place water in a big pot and bring to a boil with the salt and lemon juice.
Boil the frozen chunks - but for only 10 minutes.
Remove the hard white stringy centers.
Drain and cool until you can cut the chunks into smaller bits.
Fry them in olive oil and lots of garlic.
Serve hot.

Moros y Christianos

2011-12-05T15:34:00.001-08:00

Cuban black beans are sometimes called frijoles negros (alone) or moros y cristianos (with rice). The dish is both a staple and a celebratory food.

Ingredients:

Dried black beans (use instead of canned)

3 cans (15 ounces each) of black beans
2 cups vegetable stock
1 green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, diced or crushed through a press
1/3 cups olive oil for saute step
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs vinegar

To prepare:

Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add onion. Sautè until onion begins to soften.
Add garlic, green pepper, fresh ground pepper, and stock.
Drain the beans. Mash 1 cup of the beans, and add all beans to the pot.
Add the salt, oregano, bay leaf and sugar.
Allow to simmer for an hour and add the vinegar and orange juice, cooking slowly for up to an hour. If there’s too much liquid, cook uncovered for a while.

Serve with rice.
Serves approximately 8 people; and goes especially well with crispy yucca and fried plantains.

Note: the key to this recipe is the play between the sugar and the acid. If you don't have OJ, use a bit more of both the sugar and the vinegar. Adjust to taste.

Food Banks

2011-11-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

As much as I enjoy the latitude to write about renewable energy, green building, recycling, and the whole varied realm of more sustainable living, every so often I can't help but focusing the Green Views from the Peninsula column on food issues.

Last Saturday, my article on the Second Harvest Food Bank ran. It highlights the fundamental green-ness of all gleaning programs, preventing food from being wasted. Green initiatives, like using hybrid trucks, or solar panels, or high-efficiency refrigerators, are really icing on a very healthy cake.

All over the country, food pantries and feeding programs take on this challenge. If my food bank distributes 45 million pounds of food a year, the vast majority rescued from being plowed under or sent to landfills, imagine what the totals for the United States must be. Staggering as it may be to realize how much food is available in a country where so many can't be sure of their next meal, it helps to know how hard program staff and millions of volunteers work to make certain that as much as possible reach our neighbors who need it.

A Dickens Tea

2011-11-29T21:10:00.001-08:00

High tea at Dickens Fair

One of the loveliest things about a Victorian holiday party is having tea in the parlor. In this case, at the Dickens family home. The table was laid with buttered scones, jam fingers, little tea sandwiches, and more.

A proper tea isn't just about the food, of course. Good company is key. We so very much enjoyed meeting the Fezziwigs, Clara Peggity, Miss Georgina Hogarth, Davey Copperfield, and Mr. Dickens and his son. Oh - and Mad Sal - once met, never forgotten. Many thanks also to Thomas and the staff.

Fezziwig Feast

2011-11-27T16:28:00.001-08:00

As you may recall, the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Ebeneezer Scrooge to a holiday party at the warehouse of the Fezziwigs, a lovely couple who employed him as a young man. Each year, all the workers attended, played games, sang songs, danced to a live band, and enjoyed a feast.

Sumptuous buffet at the Fezziwig warehouse

The Dickens Fair recreates this event, letting visitors enjoy a taste of all the traditional entertainments. Well, except the food and drink. The table is laid to display a spread suitable for a real Victorian holiday party; but for actual edibles one must venture into the streets of London. Fortunately, pubs are plentiful and chestnuts are roasting right on the corner.

Save me, Oatmeal!

2011-11-21T20:01:00.001-08:00

That candy jar on the counter. Thoseleftover meeting treats in the lunch room. The bag of Cornnutslurking in my cupboard. It’s just too darn easy to graze all daywithout thinking.

Steel-cut oats with apple chunks

In the late morning and the afternoonsduring the cool months, I see more and more co-workers leaving ourshared kitchen with a steaming bowl of oats. Some are pre-cinnamonand sugared, some plain from a tin of instant, some cooked at homeand re-heated in the microwave.

My oatmeal snack is always steel-cutoats, slow cooked at home on the weekend and ready on demand at theoffice. Since I buy the organic oats in bulk at the grocery, eachserving costs less than a nickel. The cooked oats themselves have nosugar and no fat but quite a bit of fiber and vitamins. A cheap,convenient, super food.

But I don’t gravitate towards a bowlof bland virtue, ever. What attracts me so many mornings andafternoons is the lovely texture – a mix of creamy and chewy –and the blank canvas for flavor. Often I am satisfied with justbutter and a touch of salt. Or a drizzle of honey, with chunks offresh apple and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Or a dollop of jam. Or aspoonful of peanut butter. Sweet or savory, only imagination andavailable ingredients limit the options.

However I serve myself, I’m alwaysgrateful for the satisfied taste buds and nice level blood sugar.Best of all, my bowl of comfort keeps me safe from the mindlesssnacks I don’t actually want but can fall prey to if they sneak upon me when I’m hungry and unprepared.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Crust

2011-11-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin pie with pecan crust

When the days shorten, I start to crave orange foods. Roasted butternut squash, baked sweet potatoes, pumpkins in Thai curry . . . and pumpkin pie. Or pies.

This year, I planned to default to simply baking the filling in ramekin dishes. That is yummy, after all. But Basha would not give up on the quest for a crust that would properly complement the filling. She found a recipe for a pecan pie crust that is not only gluten-free but also low carb and low sugar. And it went really well with the pumpkin and spice flavors.

The only tricky part of making the pecan crust is deciding how small to mince the pecan bits in the food processor. In the end, I had to taste-test two separate pumpkin pies. Both were delicious; but apparently neither was perfect. Before the days begin to lengthen again, I'm going to have to test more attempts. Somehow, I will make it through the season.

Popping Corn

2011-11-13T17:46:00.001-08:00

Ever wonder how corn goes from juicy and crunchy on the cob to hard, dry kernels ready to pop? It doesn't!

Popcorn on the cob, drying

Popcorn, a variety of flint corn, is hard when you harvest it. It lacks the soft starch that makes sweet corn such a treat to eat fresh.

If you buy a cob of popping corn freshly picked, it will need at least 2 months of drying time, even though it seems like the kernels are dry and hard already. On the plus side, as long as you store it in a dry place, it will last as long as you like.

When your kernels are ready, you can make gourmet popcorn in the microwave, on the stove-top, or in an air popper.

Food by the Boatload

2011-11-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

When visitors to Venice complain about the high cost of meals there, I don't hear much recognition of the effort it takes to get food into the city. Yes, prices are higher at restaurants that cater to tourists. And yes, the two-tier pricing system, for drinks and snacks taken al banco (standing at the bar) v. with table service requires decision-making that Americans are unaccustomed to.

Boat on Venice canal unloads to produce stand

But the high price of food overall is not a racket, despite the assumptions of many shocked travelers. Four euro for a can of Diet Coke! (Or 1.50 on the street.) Two and half euro for a single avocado! Seems exorbitant, until you consider what it takes for edibles to reach the neighborhood shop or cafe.

Everything that makes it to the city's interior streets finishes its trip by handtruck, in small loads with a person attached. That person hand-lifted each parcel off of a small boat that fit through the small canals.

What actually surprised me, given the logistics, was how affordable many staples remained. We had an apartment with a nice kitchen, and so were able to pick up rice, polenta, fresh fish, salad greens, and wine on our strolls through various neighborhoods. The comparability in pricing of some basics to grocery prices at home made me realize how much of our food costs go to the overhead that large stores carry. By practicing those savvy shopper skills we often forget at home, we ate simpler, fresher meals that we lingered over and enjoyed tremendously. That really took the bite out of the occasional restaurant bill.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

2011-10-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Chocolate mousse with no cholesterol? Hard to believe it could not only be possible, but also delicious.

Although I first tried it after watching it be made, and thus knew exactly what the ingredients were, if it had been served to me with no disclosure, I would just have thought it was a yummy, rich, dark mousse.

The benefits of making this treat vegan are clear - fewer calories, less sugar, less fat, and none of the cholesterol from the standard recipe's cream and egg yolk. Thanks to the soy, it does have protein, calcium, and iron - practically a health food.

My version:

Silken (and only silken) tofu - one 12-14 oz block
6 to 12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips
A dash of vanilla, and a sprinkle of salt
2 Tbps agave syrup (optional)

Blend the tofu well, melt the chips and beat them in, adding final ingredients while mixing.
Spoon into serving cups, and chill at least one half hour.

A half cup serving will feel decadent to most people.

Green Views from the Peninsula

2011-10-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

When I was invited to take over writing the Green Views from the Peninsula column for several local sites on Patch.com, it seemed like a timely opportunity to expand from writing about healthy food to exploring other environmental topics, such as renewable energy, green building, green business, and sustainable transportation and land use. A full buffet!

Since I know a little bit about many green topics, coming up with ideas and a general message is pretty easy for me. The next step - connecting a general concept to local activities and resources - is more challenging. But it's also deeply satisfying, taking the abstract to the concrete, the global to the local. In that way, it reminds me of the pleasing switch from writing big-picture on the Bite-size Green website to describing specific dishes and ingredients on this blog.

So far, I've covered topics like proper disposal of pharmaceuticals, wardrobe recycling, and local libraries. But the inaugural column, of course, was about food. How to Manage the Changing Seasons of Farmers Markets came naturally, an easy segue into this new journalistic venture.

Surely I'll work my way back around to food before long. But in the meantime, what subjects would you like to read about?

Floating Farmers Market

2011-10-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

In Venice, one reason food costs so much is that it all comes to the islands via boat. Often from a big boat to a little boat, then by a handtruck to a cafe, hotel or storefront. In the case of items like canned soda, all that handling can drive the per-item cost way up.

When the process can be short-cut, food items stay much more reasonable in cost. For example, a boat that fits in the canals and only has to travel from the nearby farming area (such as San Erasmo) can offer produce at rates I would find a pleasant surprise in a grocery store in the United States.

People who live in cities with lots of tourists and inflated costs for basics must always find ways to adapt and manage. In the case of Venice, the best solutions also seem to come with the bonus of beauty. The floating farmers market by Campo San Barnabo fits the bill in every way.

Food Day Goals

2011-10-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks, Occupy Wall Street has caused much bemusement, some irritation, and some admiration for its lack of a defined agenda. And for the last few decades, Earth Day has inspired a host of actions with no single to-do list driving it.

But Food Day?
If anyone asks, "What's this one about, now?" - the answer is clear and concise:

Gelato Artigianale

2011-10-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

For me, the quintessential experience of Italy is getting 'un pallino' (one scoop) of gelato at every little neighborhood shop. Well, not every one. Just the ones with artisan - artigianale - gelato.
My favorite this trip was Il Doge, in Venice's Dorsodoro district. Tucked into a corner of Campo Santa Margherita, it serves a steady stream of locals and tourists from morning til night. Like all the best shops, it boasts 'produzione propria' (our own production, or homemade). And about a dozen flavors are offered each day, with many choices rotating through. If your favorite isn't available today, try tomorrow. I love the freedom to try new flavors, something I rarely do at home when it entails buying (and storing, then eating or wasting) at least a pint. Every day a new discovery - or two, on a particularly yummy day. Gelato artigianale makes an inexpensive, simple but delicious treat, an indulgence for every day. Yes, every day.

National Food Day

2011-10-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

Today was Food Day in the US, an event simultaneously disheartening and encouraging.

On the down side, having to declare a day to focus on real food suggests just how far we've wandered from having a real food culture. Would France have a Food Day? Or Italy? No - they have agri-tourism, stores closed mid-day to facilitate long, sit-down lunches, cafes with sidewalk tables for the simple pleasure of lingering over a cup of coffee while people-watching, and protests when a McDonald's is proposed in any historic venue.

On the plus side, the event was well-organized and clearly articulates a manifesto for constructive change. In addition, the publicity includes a host of excellent resources for interested Americans.

The real tests of Food Day's success will be what we do after this inaugural year, and how many years it takes to make the exercise obsolete.

The Incredible, Italian, Egg

2011-10-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

Having an apartment in Venice meant getting to cook 'at home,' as well as shopping for the ingredients. Having not yet mastered the open-area markets or the speciality shops, we picked up basics on the first day from the local grocery. Sure that we would want eggs for something, I choose the jumbo pack - 6. They were comparable in price to free-range, organic eggs in California.

And the label said (in Italian, of course), "specially for pasta!" Although I did not plan to hand-make any pasta, that still sounded promising.

Breaking the first egg was a revelation. The last time I saw a yolk that rich was from a friend's farm-raised duck. To make sure I didn't overwhelm the natural flavor, I made a very simple omelet with few added ingredients. Marvelous!
Not a mere binder or filler like its factory-farmed cousin, the Italian Egg is a food unto itself, worthy of full enjoyment.

Hunger - Numbers Talk, Actions Speak Louder

2011-09-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Donations sorted by volunteers, ready to be bagged

Think you know what hunger in the United States looks like? Take the Feeding America quiz and see. You may be surprised both at the scale of the issue (50 million Americans without enough food) and by how much the face in the mirror looks like the average food bank user.

I thought I had a pretty good picture of the situation until I volunteered at my local food bank, Second Harvest. It serves roughly 247,000 of my neighbors every single month. Most have housing, which costs more in Silicon Valley than most parts of the country. Most also have jobs, which don't necessarily pay more to keep up with the cost of living here.

Of all the numbers I heard, though, one figure changed how I see my role. I had always thought that picking up a few extra items at the store and donating them was a fun, hands-on way to pitch in. Now that I know that the food bank can obtain five times as much food with a dollar as I can, I'm going to be writing checks, instead. For the satisfaction of hands-on participation, there's always showing up at the warehouse and sorting or bagging donations. That only costs a few hours of my time, and I can see the difference I've made right away. Also, it reminds me why I write that check.

Bison Bison Bison

2011-09-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Bison not amused

The American buffalo is so remotely related to the European buffalo, not to mention the Asian water buffalo, that ranchers prefer its binomial name, bison. Or, in full, bison bison bison.

Most bison still graze the range - they do, in fact, roam. Only a few ranchers try to confine them for a few months and fatten them on corn, to make them taste more like beef. Like cows, they are bovines, biologically geared to eat grass but not corn (which makes them ill).

Unlike cows, they will not plod towards you when called. If you stand in an open field and call, "Here, bison bison bison," they may stampede.

Except for this avoidable danger, bison is the healthiest meats available, being lower in fat while higher in key nutrients. So if you love red meat, save your splurge at the grocery store for bison steaks or burgers. Be careful not to overcook this lean treat, and when you rapturously say its name, whisper.

After the Bin - Food Donations

2011-09-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

Volunteers sorting at Second Harvest food bank

We've all seen the bins out during food drives, during the holiday, big events, and Hunger Action Month. We glean our cupboards or pick up a few extra items at the grocery store, and then just drop them in. Then they disappear. And?

Between the bin and the food being eaten, there are quite a few steps. First, every item is checked to make sure it's safe to give out. Send, each item is sorted into a bin with like items - condiments, protein, canned fruit, canned vegetables, pastas and rice, ready-to-eat pop tops, etc. This step makes it possible for the food bank staff and volunteers to create bags that provide a little bit of each sort of food an individual or family can use.
You wouldn't want to be the person who gets a whole bag of canned green beans, would you? Much better to have some pasta, some sauce, some canned meat, some veggies, some fruit, etc. Some creativity may be required to put the meal(s) together; but it makes a good kit.
The sorting also makes it possible for food bank staff to evaluate what items they have in abundance, and what is in short supply. Here in the Bay Area, local banks coordinate and help each other out with over- and under-stock issues.

Food Bank Donations

2011-09-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

Hunger Action Month, coming well before the winter holiday surge, is a great time to donate food to your local food bank. When I volunteered recently at Second Harvest, I learned some basic guidelines:

Fresh produce is welcome, as there is never enough, even in areas blessed with partnerships with local farms
More than a hint of rust on a canned good will send it to the trash can.
Large dents or any bulging in a can will also turn it into trash
Sell by dates are checked, and some items (like baby food) must still be new, while others can be as much as 5 years past the date.
Boxed goods with small rips or tears can still be used, if there is an interior bag as well

Volunteers sort food bank donations

Food safety is a top priority; and staff always stand by to answer questions from volunteer sorters.

Learning how your local food bank works, and following its guidelines, save time and money for everyone.

Volunteering is a great hands-on lesson; but a website visit or phone call can bring you up to speed, as well.

Tomato Watermelon Salad

2011-09-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

Tomato Watermelon Salad

Some culinary surprises are good - like almond gazpacho, for instance. As lovely as that was, however, the best discovery of the summer had to be tomato watermelon salad, garnished with a mild feta cheese and lardons, and drizzled with a red jalapeno vinaigrette.
I could have eaten mine and then stolen the other three plates, had my family dawdled. Alas, they devoured every bite also. Like summer itself, we were sad to see it go so quickly.

Samovar Tea Lounge

2011-09-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

The samovar at Samovar Tea Lounge

Samovar Tea Lounge, on the upper level of Yerba Buena Gardens, is a lovely spot for a pot of tea and a snack. The atmosphere is tranquil, and the staff know the tea selection the way a sommelier knows her wine cellar. For the tea connoisseur, just reading the beverage menu is a treat, with offerings not normally found outside a fancy tea shop.

Enjoying the brief heat wave in San Francisco, I ordered a glass of iced chai. Unlike the sweetened syrup mixed with hot milk that many corner coffee shops serve, real chai is simmered in a pot to allow the tea, spices, and milk to meld together. Samovar's was just to my liking, spicy but not sharp with only a hint of sweetness. It perfectly complemented the bowl of coconut milk rice pudding that held me over between lunch and dinner.

Hunger Action Month

2011-09-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

September is hunger action month. To find out what you can do in your local community, just visit Feeding America's special site for the month and plug in your zip code. While you're there, enjoy the serio-comic celebrity videos, where folks like Matt Damon portray real people telling their stories (and then get a critique from the person).

Scroll down below the videos, and the link to Feeding America's home site will lead you to lots more information about hunger in America, where to find local food banks if you need help, and how to pitch in if you can.

Walla Walla Sweets

2011-08-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

Kew Gardens, outside of London, once hosted an installation of Chihuly's glass art. Some of it, like the giant blue blocks that looked like ice cubes plunked down among hedgerows, bemused us. Others, such as 'The Sun,' simply impressed by its size, color, and complexity. But the most amusing for me were the glass globes floating in the pond, which Chihuly called 'Walla Wallas.'

Looking at the originals, I can see how the onion's shape might have provided inspiration for the art. But I wonder if they float?

Chihuly Onions

2011-08-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

Back in 2005, Dale Chihuly had an installation at Kew Gardens, outside of London.

Dale Chihuly's floating walla wallas at Kew Gardens

One of my favorite features was the floating glass he called Walla Wallas. Except for the gorgeous array of colors, the actual sweet onions from eastern Washington do look remarkably like the art pieces.

We wondered, in Britian, how many people would get the joke. And what types of sweet onions are indigenous to Europe? Would we have been among the select few if he had called them Vidalias, instead?

Almond Gazpacho

2011-08-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

Almond gazpacho at Lolo, in Portland, OR

For those of us who think narrowly of gazpacho as a cold, tomato-based soup, the wide range of imaginative gazpachos can be startling. Also delicious.

The one we tried at Lolo was thick and creamy, with a drizzle of olive oil on top, and sweet, crunchy grapes for a garnish (offset nicely by the savory hints of cumin and cardamom).

Purple Cauliflower

2011-08-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

purple cauliflower - Vancouver, WA farmers market

One of the many things I like about farmers markets is the interesting varieties of produce there. While grocery stores tend to carry just the most well-known, easily recognized fruits and vegetables, family farmers like to experiment, and bring the results to the market to share. Where else would you find Armenian striped cucumbers, dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes, corni di toro peppers, white eggplant, or even romanescu? And, of course, someone who can tell you what that odd fruit or veggie is, and how to enjoy it at home.

Berry Seasons

2011-08-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

Blueberries and marionberries in Vancouver, WA

Having lived in the northwest for so many years, the biggest shock for me at the farmers market has been the length of strawberry season in central California. In Seattle, strawberries are glorious for a full month, in a good year. That month very rarely begins in late May, but more typically in mid-June. In the Bay Area, I have found them beginning as early as February and as late as November. They tend to be a bit too firm and acidic at both ends of the season, but truly succulent at the peak, from June through August.

Blueberries start earlier here too, and seem to peter out a bit earlier than in the Northwest. Up there, marionberries, raspberries and blackberries arrive in late July and can last through early September. In fact, the invasive species of Himalayan blackberry perfumes the air in August, along bike trails and within public parks. Why go to the farmers market for them when you can take a bucket to the rampant overgrowth within a few blocks of most people's houses?

For a locavore, California's longer seasons for many types of produce makes adhering to a target area (whether a home county, a 100-mile radius, or whatever metric one chooses) a bit easier. But at the same time, there is something about a very short season for a culinary treat that makes it that much more exquisite when it arrives.

Snack Defense

2011-08-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I spent way too many hours in a row indoors on the computer (reading submissions to the Global eBook Awards). The later it got on Friday night, the more I scavenged the cupboards for anything crunchy to nibble while I read. Everything I found came from a bag, in some form of a chip, with salt.

The next morning, I set aside my giant digital stack of books and headed to the farmer's market for some snack self defense. Tiny seedless green organic grapes and giant Sweet Nantes carrots would see me through the weekend. The grapes were perfect for the mindless eating I tend to do while staring at a screen. And the carrots made excellent chips for dipping into a bowl of hummus. The only corn chips that passed my lips came with creamy guacamole, and went away again when that snack was finished, at the table.

Local Strawberries, All Year

2011-07-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

Eating locally necessarily entails eating seasonally, as well - for the most part. In fact, one of the joys of being a locavore is learning what ripens when in your area, anticipating that time, and making the most of it while it lasts. Asparagus arrives in the market in spring, and for six weeks we put it in crepes, soups, salads, and grill mixes. Tomatoes show up in the spring here too, but don't pop with flavor until late June or July (right into September, some years). For months, we go tomato-wild, indulging in caprese, tomato sandwiches, and a multitude of pairings.

organic strawberries fresh from the freezer

For many types of produce, just having them fresh in season satisfies me. But there are a few items, like strawberries, that I want to use all year long. In season, I put them into many dishes; but in the winter, only into my stand-by breakfast and healthy snack, the fruit smoothie. For years I bought bagged frozen berries from the grocery, feeling sheepish. Then I realized what a bargain a half-flat of organic strawberries at the season's peak really is; and I started freezing my own. With a little forethought, it's easy to put up an ample supply for the winter.

Tips:
1. Don't cut or wash them until you are ready to freeze them. If you need to store them first, put them while they are cool and dry into an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
2. When ready, de-leaf and cut them up in batches, then wash but do not dry.
3. Lay them on a tray, not quite touching, and place that in the freezer.
4. Wait a half hour or so, then transfer them to a bag. The little layer of frost on each one keeps them from clumping up too much in the bag.
5. Put the bag in the freezer right away, to avoid thawing and clumping on re-freezing.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

2011-07-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

"It's a dawn; it's a new day; it's a new life for me, and I'm feeling good!" - Newley & Bricusse

Nearly a year ago, I chatted with a friend about my experiences with wheat (and avoiding it) and she asked me about dairy. Apparently, lactose troubles many who either have celiac or (like me) simply find that avoiding wheat makes them feel much, much better. In addition, not all dairy is equal. At the high end of the scale is sweetened condensed milk, which I only ever drink in Thai iced tea. At the low end are butter and aged cheeses. In between are some mid-level items, like a glass of milk or a cup of yogurt - but their digestibility does not mirror their lactose content (many people can't handle milk, but have no symptoms with yogurt, probably because of the live cultures that come with it). In a family of dairy lovers, with one lactose-intolerant child, she had tried alternative products for every dairy category, looking especially for those that everyone in the family could enjoy together. In the ice cream category, coconut milk-based treats rocked. Not cheap, and not always easy to find, but fully worth it.

Bearing all this in mind, over the months I've tested a range of dairy products I used to consume without a second thought. And sure enough, Thai iced tea sets off a ruckus in my insides. Half and half in my tea? No problem. A big latte or bowl of cereal? Not too bad, but better with almond milk substituted. Yogurt? Not a burble, and still great for my fruit smoothie. Cheeses? Really varied, but always best in small doses. And then there's ice cream.

What I love about ice cream is its richness, and the elegant mouth-feel of a high-quality, simple ingredient brand (or house-made batch). Sorbets, like popsicles, are wonderful for a clean, icy fruit experience; but they aren't ice cream. Versions made with soy or rice taste off to me; and their thickeners tend to feel funny on the tongue, like a cheap ice cream. I left the coconut-milk version until last largely because I was afraid they might be as good as my friend claimed, and become an expensive habit. On my sporadic visits to Whole Foods, a pint seemed exorbitant. But today I found a pint of chocolate at Trader Joe's, for less than a pint of Ben & Jerry's at a Safeway.

Where have I been? ! This lovely concoction is creamy and rich, deep chocolaty, with a strong back flavor of coconut. Since I adore these two flavors together, that pleases me greatly. While I am an enthusiastic convert, there are reasons not everyone will want to switch - 180 calories per half-cup serving, 8 grams saturated fat, 16 grams sugar. And the clearly discernable flavor of coconut, which, inexplicably, not everyone cares for. For you all, try the other substitutes in the freezer section. As for me - it's a new day!

Attack of the Giant Zucchini

2011-07-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

It's zucchini season! That time of year when renegade squashes appear in mailboxes, on the seats of unlocked cars, and upon doorsteps in the dead of night. Those of you who have ever been blessed with a bumper crop of burgeoning blooms, and the overnight wonders that accompany them, will be shocked to hear that I actually paid money for a giant zucchini this week. At a roadside stand in the San Joaquin Delta, no less - where they sell peaches and other ripe fruit.

Cats and zucchini - natural enemies.

But I spotted this humongous squash, as big as my forearm and twice as heavy, and all the other produce faded into the background. That's a lot of loaves of gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread, I thought to myself. Self, I said, how much could it possibly cost? One dollar. I thought about buying two or three, but there's only so much room in my freezer. And besides, you never know when one might show up on my doorstep.

The Dreaded Food Log

2011-07-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, I write down what I eat with annoying precision, for a few days. Then I look over the log and get a feel for habits and patterns I may not have noticed developing. This time I have added notes on how I feel during the day, and factors like being out in the wind that may be affecting how I feel as well. The main point to the exercise this time is to figure out why my energy crashes at certain times of day and peaks at others. The sine wave seems to connected to meal times, though not exclusively.

So far, the paper journal holds my handwritten scribbles. Although I can scan back through and pick out trends regarding protein, carbs, fat, caffeine, etc, it would be nice to have a program that automatically generates data without my having to parse it all out by hand. Ideally, this app would be non-commercial (I hate signing up for services just to test a device) and very simple on the input side. If I have to get down to measuring cups of veggies and ounces of meat, I will start modifying my behavior as I go. While I hope the exercise leads me to do just that, I really need to know what my un-modified habits are first.

Any recommendations for free, simple tools with useful data outputs?

Vegan Latte

2011-07-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Almond milk iced latte

A vegan latte *? Surely an oxymoron. But with the proliferation of "milk" from plant sources - rice milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, and more - there are indeed many choices for making a vegan version of this iconic Italian drink.

My personal favorite uses unflavored almond milk ('regular' or 'orginal') which has just a bare hint of sweetness and a nice creaminess. A whole cup is only 60 calories, and like all the vegan options, it is naturally cholesterol free.

*Caffelatte is Italian for milky coffee; order a latte and you'll get just milk.

Beauty and the Beets

2011-07-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

beets in solar cooker pan

The beets at the farmer's market this weekend looked gorgeous, inspiring me to take them home and roast them in the solar oven. Washed and plunked into the black enameled pot, with their lush greens chopped off, their only sensual appeal remaining was the earthy, mineral-y smell that red beets exude.

Sliced beets with goat cheese and orange-balsamic glaze

After the knife attested to perfect doneness, I put one in the fridge to chill, then peeled and sliced it. With a sprinkle of salt on each bite-size morsel, and an orange juice-balsamic vinegar reduction to glaze them, the bites became dazzling jewel-toned eye-catchers. A little dollop of goat cheese for each rounded out the flavors to create a true amuse bouche.

Moveable Feast for the Eyes

2011-07-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

The first First Friday (7/1) at the San Mateo Expo Center, organized by Moveable Feast, provided a cornucopia for the senses. In addition to the tastes and aromas of the food for sale, there was live music. And the visual panorama was surprisingly varied - food truck range from nearly spartan to downright flashy in their exterior decor. As they grow in popularity with mobile foodies, catching the attention of hungry pedestrians is growing in importance, also.

Armadillo Willy's food truck - Texas BBQ on wheels

Treatbot Karaoke Ice Cream Truck from the Future

Wow Silog truck - traditional Filipino silog style meals

Thai food on the go - House of Siam's food truck

Back of Babaloo food truck - cuban cuisine and art, too

El Ranchito's more traditional food truck look

The infamously-named Naked Chorizo truck

Kara's Cupcakes, with pink boxes from the truck window

Tikka Bytes contemporary Indian cuisine for Silicon Valley and beyond

Off the Grid in San Mateo

2011-07-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

There have been a few gourmet food trucks operating on the Peninsula these past few years; but until this summer, all the big events were confined to San Jose, San Francisco, and the East Bay.

Babaloo Cuban Cuisine Food Truck's mobile art

This summer, Sunset Magazine led the charge, adding a handful of the mobile eateries to their usual vendor offerings at its Celebration Weekend. Then Moveable Feast, which organizes large festival-like gatherings, held its first monthly food truck extravaganza at the San Mateo County Expo Center, on July 1st. The event drew a few thousand people, most of whom paid to park in the giant Expo lot, and featured live music and local clothing and jewelry vendors in addition to over a dozen food trucks. Lengthy lines pleased organizers and vendors, but frustrated some hungry attendees. The great turnout ensured its continuation through the summer months.

Next Monday evening, Off the Grid, which organizes much smaller round-ups on a daily basis in San Francisco, will conduct a soft launch of its new site, the San Mateo downtown train station. Six to eight trucks are expected to participate. Street parking downtown gets tight; but attendees can easily walk from the surrounding neighborhood or arrive from farther afield via Caltrain. For those who love sampling food truck fare but don't like being closed into an area with crowds, this smaller gathering should be ideal.

Solar Salmon

2011-06-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Having learned a lesson about overcooking foods in the solar oven, I exercised great care while trying fish in it for the first time.

Salmon with raspberry-chipotle
sauce, in solar cooker.

First, I followed the tip about putting items on trays on top of a platform to raise them up closer to the window of the cooker. Had I planned a side dish (roasted beets, potatoes, etc), I could have cooked them in the black enameled pan that provided the lift for the salmon's tray.
Second, I checked on the lovely salmon fillet before I suspected it would be close to done, just to make sure all was well. Because the wild-caught fish had been frozen, it let off quite a bit of liquid while warming. Not wanting to steam it in the solar cooker, I drained the excess off and patted the fillet dry. Next I topped it liberally with a sweet-tangy raspberry-chipotle sauce, and put it back into the cooker.

When I peeked in on the fillet again about forty-five minutes later, it was done, with the cooker's internal temp showing about 275 degrees fahrenheit. Moist but firm and flaky, it also tasted delicious.

Moveable Feast

2011-06-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

Moveable Feast is coming to San Mateo, for the first time ever, this Friday evening!
(from 5:30 to 10:30 pm)
What is it? A gourmet food truck gathering.
Where will it be? At the San Mateo Event Center (where the County Fair is held).
What does it cost? Nothing to get in. Just buy your food.
Will I see you there? That's up to you. I'll be reporting back to whet your appetite for next time.

Solar Yams

2011-06-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend when I roasted yams in my Sport model solar cooker, I forgot that just because you cannot burn foods in it does not mean you cannot overcook them.

I put four yams into a black enameled pan, covered them, and let them bake while I went out for the afternoon. Had I been thinking, I would have placed them on the sun deck in a spot where the shadow of the house would fall after a couple of hours. That would have 'turned off' the solar oven by remote control, as it were.

When I got home the yams were warm, damp, and squishy soft. Not what I had in mind. Nonetheless, they made excellent mashed yams by simply stripping off the pliable skins and stirring the insides together with some butter and seasonings.

Next time, I'll stick a fork in them to test for doneness, just as I would if I put them into the kitchen oven.

Sun Tea

2011-06-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

To those who think they've never tried solar cooking, I always ask, "Have you ever made sun tea?"

Surprisingly, not everyone has (What?! Not everyone loves tea? Why not?).

Simple Steps :

Fill a clear container (preferably glass or pyrex, not plastic) with water.
Add a tea bag or two (adjusting for volume and strength)
Place the container in a sunny place until steeped, covered.

As is true with most solar cooking, you can go away and leave the process untended while you do something else. This kettle will not boil dry.

Power Plants as Fish Choppers

2011-06-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

I love wild-caught fish. So I was a bit appalled, and alarmed, by the news that power plants suck in large stocks of fish along with their cooling water supplies. This cute little video by the Sierra Club gives the basics, and provides a link to more detailed information, including how to weigh in on the US EPA's upcoming decision on revised regulations to address the problem.

Frozen Yogurt

2011-06-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

Speaking of frozen yogurt, I only recently noticed how prevalent shops for the allegedly healthy treat are in the Bay Area. Somehow, I just assumed that fro-yo had faded away with the arrival of the 90's, like leg warmers (What?! They're back now, too?)

While visiting Oahu recently, we stumbled upon a place called Menchie's, which offers a rotating selection of self-serve options. Sold by the ounce, it taught me just how many ounces of the low-fat concoction I can handle on a given day. We used the scientific method to craft the perfect make-it-yourself sundae before the vacation was over.

Back home, I started to notice the plethora of fro-yo chains and one-off shops. It was hard to find the self-serve style I had become so fond of, however. While hunting, I found Harmony Organic in San Carlos and Fraiche in Palo Alto. In addition, I tried out a couple local self-serve shops.

So far, all the self-serve shops lack some of the quality found in the high-end scoop shops. The self-servers use mixes that often taste a bit chemically, while the fancier places boast all-natural ingredients and organic yogurt from regional dairies (Harmony has some flavors from Strauss Family Creamery, while Fraiche sources exclusively from Clover Farms.)

Which is best? Well, fresh and organic win hands down on principle. But it's hard to beat the pop-in-and-help-yourself option. When I find a place that combines the two, I'll go steady with it. 'Til then, I'm still playing the field.

Ice Cream for Supper

2011-06-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Any day when the temperature rises above 100 degrees F, it is alright to have ice cream for supper.
You didn't know this rule?
I have it on good authority from a white-haired woman I met at the grocery store, while aimlessly cruising the frozen food section. She was the "when I am old, I will wear purple" sort, who probably also eats dessert first, because life is uncertain. In other words, a good role model.

Well, today it only reached 98. So we settled for frozen yogurt.

Blueberry Not-Pancakes

2011-05-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Improvising in the kitchen is good, so long as you are willing to eat the results. Today? Salvaged, but just barely.
It all began when a neighbor borrowed a ladder, which was really our other neighbor's, who didn't mind. Being that sort of community, the borrower gave us a bag of organic blueberries fresh from the farmers market, and we took them next door to give the ladder owner first dibs. Later that evening we enjoyed two bowls of fresh blueberry crumble, and sent some scoops of vanilla ice cream back with the rest of the pan. Following so far?

The crumble was pie-like, and delicious; and it put the idea of baking blueberries into something coffee-cake-ish into my mind. But I had only saved about a cup from the bagful. So I modified my plan to pancakes. But I hadn't tried making gluten-free pancakes for some time, so I rose early today and asked the internet to teach me what to change from a standard recipe. A bewilderingly wide range of answers popped up, some as simple as 'buy a bag of gluten-free pancake mix' and some too complex to fit on one page. So I got the general gist - a fairly standard ratio of egg, milk/liquid, and dry ingredients. And off I went to see what my cupboards held. Kindly bear in mind here that my gluten-free waffles are a smash hit even with wanton wheat-eaters, and they are the result of simple tinkering.

But the combination (I won't tell - you should not attempt to replicate it) did not behave as I hoped. After adjusting here and there, I heated the iron skillet and drop a couple ladlefuls in. Nice flavor, good browning, reasonably light and fluffy on the outer edges - but mushy in the middles. Repeats confirmed that technique was not to blame. What to make of the woeful bowlful of batter, then? Coffee cake!

With a little orange zest, a drizzle of agave syrup, and the berries stirred in, the whole messed plopped goopily into a buttered baking dish. Then a bit of lemon curd was swirled in/over it, and a bit of turbinado sugar to caramelize the top. I pulled it out and tested with toothpicks twice. Both times it seemed done; but the first time I disbelieved the results, remembering how difficult it was to cook the griddle cakes through. The second time the edges were too brown to leave in any longer; so even if it wasn't done, it was done.

Indeed, the outer inch all the way around came out perfectly. The middle? May get cooked on its own, one last time - or it may be time to throw in the tea towel.

Black bean-corn-red pepper Salad

2011-05-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Memorial day means cook-out season; and that means black bean-corn-red pepper salad. It travels well to barbeques or picnics, looks colorful, tastes great, and isn't likely to spoil out in the sun (unlike salads with mayo or milk-based dressings). Leftovers keep well, too.

Ingredients:

Black beans (one can, drained)*
Corn off the cob**
Smallish chunks of one sweet red pepper
Balsamic vinegar
A splash of lime or orange juice
Salt, cumin or other spices, to taste.

*Dried beans, soaked and cooked, can also be used. In the summer, it is especially fun to prepare them with solar cooking.
** To extend my seasonal eating, I cut fresh corn off the cob at the height of summer and freeze it. Then I can make this recipe whenever the red peppers are ready, ahead of or after our local sweet corn.

Quick Prep:

Place the beans in a bowl and toss with some balsamic vinegar and the seasonings. Allow them to marinate while you take care of other chores.
Add a layer of fresh or frozen corn to the bowl.
Add the red pepper chunks as the top layer.
Just before serving, toss together.

I usually serve this salad as a side dish next to the rest of the meal on the plate. But for snacking at home, I will sometimes put a serving into a bowl and eat it with tortilla chips as my fork.

Rapture on a Plate

2011-05-20T23:12:00.000-07:00

Gluten-free Rapture

All this talk of the rapture got me jones-ing for the lovely confection Flourchylde bakery makes and sells at the farmers market in San Carlos.

Fortunately, Hot Harvest Nights started its season earlier this month. My personal-size cake didn't make it until midnight tonight - but it's the 21st on the East Coast, already. So let the Rapture begin!

Faithful to Fannie

2011-05-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

"Fannie Farmer's Last Supper" documents the efforts of America's Test Kitchen to reproduce a Victorian Boston dinner feast, using recipes from the Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, published in 1896..Whether you are a foodie, a social historian, or a steampunk, the hour's exploration of what cooking in the era was like will fascinate you.

The show's staff, with the help of numerous chefs, used the same labor-intensive methods and kitchen equipment as home cooks in the late 1800's. Authenticity demanded going so far as to construct a coal-fired stove. After more than a year of testing recipes, finding or reproducing the needed tools, and acquiring antique place settings, the crew hosted a magnificent supper worthy of an upper crust Boston home in the Golden Age.

The photos, commentary and sumptuous meal made me want to learn more about food and its preparation in that era. I'd especially love to see the original Cook Book, for its language as much as its ingredient lists. And if any steampunk authors are planning to set a story within the Boston Cooking-School, I'll pre-order now. My appetite's been well whetted.

Kapi'olani Farmers Market

2011-05-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Locally aqua-farmed abalone

Every farmers market reflects the geography, climate, soil, and culture of its home community. So what you find at each one varies, making visiting the local market while traveling a great way to get a glimpse into the area that a casual tourist might not see.

My two main revelations from the Kapi'olani Farmers Market on Oahu were the fresh abalone and the tropical flowers for sale. Just can't find those in Seattle, or even the more Mediterranean SF Bay Area. The early hours for the market - 7:30am to 11am Saturdays - also reflect the reality of Hawaii's sunny, humid climate. For this market, bringing a cooler ready to store the morning's finds is highly recommended.

Haleiwa Eats

2011-05-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

Wild-caught Hawaiian blue marlin

The town of Haleiwa, on the north shore of Oahu, offers lovely beaches for surfing, swimming, or watching the legendary Pipe Masters competition. For a view that's matched in quality by its food, Haleiwa Joe's restaurant ranks at the top of the local choices for dining.

A particular treat the night we visited was finding wild-caught, Hawaiian blue marlin on the menu. While most marlin makes the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch list with an "avoid" rating, this one type is listed as a "good alternative." As if that weren't enough, it goes beautifully with garlic mashed potatoes and an avocado sauce.

Dry-farmed Taro

2011-05-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

On the flight to Oahu, we read an article in Hana Hou! magazine about Jerry Konanui, an expert in the cultivation of kalo (Hawaiian, for taro). It was fascinating, and put my eyes on alert for the sight of taro growing. Sure enough, we spotted the large leaves all sorts of places, from marshy paddies by the sides of roads to a water feature in the Ala Moana mall in downtown Honolulu. Not until we visited the Lyon Arboretum in the Manoa Valley, however, did we spot taro being dry farmed.

Dry-farmed taro at Lyon Arboretum

Like most mainlanders, poi does not appeal to my palate; but I have enjoyed taro prepared all sorts of other ways (taro cakes at dim sum, and as the vessel in Buddhist Yam Pot, for instance). So it was a pleasure to see in person the plant that fills my plate.

Goofy Galettes

2011-04-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Growing up, crepes were a big breakfast treat. Being Americans, we made them with white flour, eggs, milk, and a touch of vanilla. Better suited for fruit fillings or a smear of jam than the savory variety a creperie will serve for lunch or dinner. Also, we used a skillet rather than a crepe griddle; so they were fairly small by comparison to the ones served singly as an entree.

After going gluten-free, we learned about the galette, a traditional Breton crepe made with buckwheat flour. The nutty flavor provides an excellent foundation for a wide range of savory fillings, and a decent contrast to fruit fillings.

The first time I tried cooking them, they came out very respectable, and tasty. But I set the recipe aside to re-try and touch up before posting. This time around (Easter Brunch), I couldn't find the workable recipe, and grabbed one quickly off the internet. The tricky part? Properly converting the grams of buckwheat to an American measure. Tricky mainly because each source we checked provided a somewhat different answer. As a result, they started too thin, then became too thick when I over-adjusted for the flour, then approached right after adding more milk. All the fiddling threw the delicate egg-flour-liquid (calls for both warm water and milk, plus melted butter), and required extra whisking, without proper resting time before cooking. As a result, they came out of the skillet a bit thick and a touch dry, with a tendency to crack at the fold lines after filling. So the next time, I plan to start with a pre-translated and tested recipe in all-American measures, and try it one more time before posting.

On the up-side, the overall taste with the fillings (broiled asparagus, caramelized onions, sauteed chard, sausages, a fresh apple compote, lemon curd, and sauteed mushrooms - plus hollandaise) was quite pleasing. Once the skillet tempered properly, not a one was wasted.

Roy's at Ko'Olina

2011-04-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

Oahu has three of the small chain of Roy's restaurants. The two in the heaviest tourist zones, Honolulu and Waikiki, handle very heavy traffic and reputedly suffer an occasional miss under the strain. Out on the leeward side of the island, however, the Ko'Olina Roy's is known to be spot-on with every single dish.

Butterfish, with bok choy and asparagus

Perfect presentation and perfectly prepared fish were certainly our experience tonight. Half of our party of six ordered the butterfish, which was indeed delightful. For just a few dollars more, however, the Hawaiian fusion prix fixe menu was a great deal. A tidy little appetizer sampler plate included one short rib, one spring roll, and two slices of slightly seared ahi with a creamy wasabi sauce. For the entree, I chose the macadamia nut-crusted shutome * (broad-billed swordfish), served with asparagus and new potatoes, seated over two savory sauces to complement the flavors of fish and vegetables. And for dessert, the melting hot chocolate souffle. A decadent meal, but not over the top.

Monterey Bay's Seafood Watch classifies Hawaiian broad-billed swordfish as a "Best Choice" West Coast fish. On Oahu, it also counts as local.

Spring Chickens

2011-04-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder why eggs show up in so many religious and cultural events of the springtime?

If you ask a Christian the link between Easter and eggs, there is usually a short story about new life, re-birth, etc. On the seder plate, an egg appears with a rather different symbology. And in many varied places, people color them or make egg-rich dishes for spring festivals.

The answer, from a food perspective, lies not with the egg but the chicken. When they live normal, non-factory-farmed lives, chickens slow down production as the days shorten. Eggs in winter become scarce for locavores - less protein, no custards, no egg breads, etc. And then spring arrives! The chickens celebrate, waking earlier, scratching in the new grass, and laying again. If you live near chickens all year, it's a real joy to behold, and a boon to the table.

Feast for Freedom

2011-04-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

As a gentile, my understanding of Passover has come along bit by bit, nurtured mainly at the table of Jewish friends. Of course there is much more to the 8-day holy week; but the seder dinner is the part non-Jews are recruited to participate in (more than invited, less than roped into). And for good reason - sharing a long, reflective meal of laughter, teaching and a few tears is a beautiful and powerful way to welcome those who would be your allies to a greater understanding of your experience.

The meal is highly ritualized, with a set structure and symbols, prayers and readings and playful traditions to engage children (also helpful to the adult goyim like me, who may need what they are hearing broken down to the level a child can understand, especially the first time around). But it's also a home holiday; so everyone's family traditions color and shape the interpretation and execution. I've been to an "express seder," shortened and sped up to accommodate the attention span and bedtime of small children, and also to the five-hour meal of legend, where the wine flows, the songs and readings and prayers stretch out, and someone falls asleep at the table. Everyone's got their own stories of memorable seders, whether about the food, the people or the contemporary events tied into that year's teachings.

One Purim, a dear friend explained that almost all Jewish holidays boil down to nine words - "They tried to kill us; they failed; let's eat." Food as a celebration of life? No wonder I feel at home - no translation needed for what it feels like to share gratitude at a common table. But the seder in particular touches me, wherever I share it, wherever it falls on the express-to-epic scale, because it specifically addresses gratitude for freedom. And solidarity for those who cannot enjoy it today, whether they are struggling for civil rights in the US or democracy in Yemen, Syria, Libya and Egypt. The tales of enslavement, surviving plagues, being refugees and finally establishing a free home in a new land may be over 2,000 years old, but the truths about humans, their needs, and their resilience are timeless. My favorite seders made me cry as well as laugh, recognizing how lucky I am and what responsibilities that implies. My favorite seders challenge me to be ally, and to think about how to express that role today.

Cup of Brown Joy

2011-04-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

Chap-hop: a musical form derived from hip-hop and practiced mainly by genteel British men.

While some rappers are deliberately, gloriously steampunk (go, Professor Elemental!), others are not (Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer mixes 1930's style elements with modern ones).

Since steampunk tickles me, and tea delights me, it should come as no surprise that "Cup of Brown Joy" is my favorite chap-hop music video (though Fighting Trousers runs a close second).

When I say "herbal," you say "No thanks." Clever, clever. Lovely.

Ice Cream Sundae

2011-04-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

Google's doodle today celebrates the "119th anniversary of the first documented ice cream sundae." Since everything Google does is news, the web is abuzz with sites critiquing whether the subject is worth a doodle and also whether it reflects the right point in ice cream history.

As for me, I'm pleased to have a reminder that I won a bet recently, wagering for '1 real hot fudge sundae.' Google conveniently illustrated a "real" sundae - glass dish, two scoops of different-flavored ice cream, hot fudge, nuts, fruit, and whipped cream. The background pattern evokes an old-fashioned parlor, with table service and menus that describe a variety of fanciful creations (Miss D's Divine Decadence, etc) as well as the build-your-own instructions.

It's hard to find a cafe that provides such an elegant level of service, these days. Can I make something just as luscious at home? Of course. But then I'd have pints of ice cream, whipping cream, and fudge sauce hanging around. The best self-defense in that case is to invite the correct number of friends (carefully calculated to avoid leftovers) over for a sundae-making party. Who knows? That may be how the famous concoction first reached a restaurant menu.

One-Block Party?

2011-03-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

Sunset invited its readers to take up a One-Block Party challenge, to use its new One Block Feast book as a guide and by summer's end orchestrate a party based around home-grown and home-made dinner ingredients. Although I let the deadline for entry (yesterday) slide by with only a little regret, it did get me to thinking: what can I produce in the limited and challenging setting available?

Generally, I rely heavily and happily on my local farmers markets, supplemented by a few friends or co-workers with gardens. Living literally on the water, with only modest deck space and some not-well protected pots to tend, attempts at nurturing any but the most hardy stock have been disappointing. Succulents do well, as do some very drought-tolerant, wind tolerant vines and flowers. And with great care, a few herbs, including basil.

So I'm going to brainstorm this one with my neighbors, and come up with a challenge both less prosaic than the usual 100-mile diet and more realistic than one geared towards folks with yards. We've got the most idyllic spots to enjoy a locally-crafted meal together. Surely we can craft a delicious challenge for ourselves. Stay tuned -

Samovar Sanity

2011-03-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

Many an evening have I been out and wished for a nice cup of tea, but passed on the idea out of prudence - caffeine. But I must never have never been to a formal affair with hundreds who feel the same.

And so it came to be that our hosts for the Brass Dragon Ball, bless them every one, took pains to provide elegant samovars of plain black tea, Earl Grey, and (for the outliers) coffee, all sans-caffeine.
It made the clever little tea sandwiches, strawberries, and petite-fours just that much tastier.

BRAT diet

2011-03-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

Three days into the lose-four-pounds-in-four-days diet, it was a relief to feel some appetite return. But stomach flu strikes me so rarely, I can never remember the traditional wisdom about which foods to avoid and which to start nibbling as the first pangs of hunger signal recovery. So of course I asked the internet. The shortest answer is: Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast.

After the short answer, plenty of long ones are now available, particularly from pediatric medical websites. But the main points of all of them seem to be the same:

Start by avoiding harder to digest foods, like fats and meat protein and dairy.
Use foods like the BRAT list as a starter, not as a strict, restrictive regimen.
Take advantage of the food already at hand, that provides the same benefits, if you don't have the exact items on the list (bananas and applesauce, for instance, provide soluble fiber and electrolytes).

I ended up eating a fruit smoothie, some gluten-free toast, grape juice, and some almond-milk rice pudding. Plus tea (because one site added a TY to BRAT, allowing both yogurt and tea). Between naps, and big glasses of water.

Next time I may just call my mother, for the same advice plus sympathy. The internet may be handy, but it's darn short on sympathy.

Lemon Meringue Pie

2011-03-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

When friends give you lemons, make pie.

More specifically, make a decadent, sweet-tart lemon custard topped by fluffy, browned-to-caramel in spots meringue, all held together by a gluten-free, coconut macaroon shell pie.

Not the Sushi!

2011-03-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

So Japan's reeling from a devastating earthquake, plus the tsunami, plus nuclear reactor emergency response. All this makes a great news week - so many angles for bad news, with a sprinkling of human interest. A few pundits make the usual abhorrent blame-the-victim statements, whose only silver lining may be to disgust the rest of us so much we resolve on the spot to send whatever aid we can.

In the midst of all this, the one headline that really took me aback? "Price of sushi may rise!" Really?!
Tall glass of clean, clear drinking water's still free, here. Let's not feel too sorry for ourselves.

One Block Party Challenge

2011-03-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need a deadline and a worthwhile payoff to get you rolling on those good intentions. Like, say, growing some of your food in your own backyard/ patio containers, and spending more time enjoying the simple pleasures with friends.

Well, Sunset Magazine just stepped forward with those motivators, all neatly tied up as the One Block Party Challenge. The task is straightforward - grow a summer garden, throw a harvest party. And send your story to Sunset by September 15. You were going to do the first two anyway, right?

While you are perusing seed catalogs and sketching out this year's gardens beds, take a few minutes to also plan your approach to the challenge - what you'll grow, which recipes you'll cook, etc. Write it all up in your entry, due to Sunset by March 30.

If you need ideas and inspiration, check out the preview of the One Block Feast book, available online at the contest page of Sunset's One Block Diet blog.

Ayurvedic Tea

2011-02-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

One of the nice things about Ayurvedic cooking is that it promotes health through eating real food. A friend who has studied and practiced this art/science for many years once made me a special tea for colds and upper respiratory ailments. I liked it so much, I make it whenever I feel a cold coming on.
To a cup of hot water, add:

fresh ginger, sliced or grated (frozen as a substitute, but not powdered)
fresh lemon juice
tumeric powder
honey

The amount of each ingredient can be varied according to taste. Sip slowly and repeat as often as you like.

Oscars v. Superbowl

2011-02-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

Every year, the Academy Awards follow the Superbowl by a few weeks. In the lead-up to the big ball game, print and TV ads are saturated with snacks heavy on saturated fats. And while not all of them are tempting, the cumulatively they make me want my own occasion to gather around the TV, eating dips with beer, rooting for my favorites. In sweats (as Ani di Franco says, "I don't wear anything I can't wipe my hands on.") Not your typical Oscars night party, where folks usually emulate red carpet attire and Wolfgang Puck's style of cuisine.

Nonetheless, that's what I want. Jalapeno pepper poppers, seven-layer dip, potato chips, beer, vegetarian chili, and gluten-free cornbread. No cakes in the shape of a football - maybe chocolates in shiny wrappers, instead, with a champagne toast. Making sure to share those deep-fried peppers stuffed with cream cheese among the whole crowd, and overall our intake will stay pretty healthy. But it will feel decadent enough to honor a night where the players uniforms are tuxes and gowns.

Taro Sticks

2011-02-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

Normally I only eat at Sweet Basil for supper. So trying the lunch experience brought a lovely surprise I had missed until then - taro sticks. Promptly after we ordered from the short-list of lunch specials, an intriguing plate appeared for the table. Not potato slices, or yucca, or yam or parsnip, but another starchy root vegetable well-suited to the fryer.
Taro makes the most sense for a Thai restaurant, being SE Asian in origin. But I had mainly seen it in a mashed form previously (as poi in Hawaiian meals, taro cakes in Chinese, and as a base for mixed vegetables in Malyasian). I was delighted by the light, crisp exterior and the lightly tuberish flavor of the interior. An excellent appetizer.

Gluten-free Bakery

2011-02-19T23:08:00.000-08:00

As well as we've been getting along baking our own bread, making our own pizza dough, and using rice pastas from Trader Joes, the relief I felt to discover a gluten-free bakery near home surprised me. Much of what Zest bakes in its San Carlos kitchen doesn't tempt me - cookies, muffins, sweet loaves, and mini cheesecakes I can live happily without.

For me, the ravioli and loaves of sandwich bread are much more critical to the savory pleasures of everyday life; and the occasional cupcake or brownie will please my sweet tooth. And knowing I can walk in and order a basic sandwich, the one lunch item that all the great salads, SE Asian (Chinese, Thai and Indian) rice-using dishes, and soups or stews simply can't replace, is deeply comforting.

While I focus more on the abundance of good food choices that don't slam my joints and muddle my brain than on the few conveniences I should do without, some days being scrupulously prudent wears on the soul. To walk into a shop brimming with good fresh-made offerings (and they are all good, based on taste tests so far) feels liberating. Anything that appeals is available. I'd forgotten what that feels like.

Almond Milk Hot Cocoa

2011-02-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

For some time, I've been looking for a really satisfying substitute for milk - the cow kind. Rice milk doesn't do much for me, soy milk does too much (bubble, bubble, squeal). I really like the flavor and richness of whole milk; but it is high in fat, calories, and lactose. In small quantities, like a big splash in a tall cup of tea, no problem. But for, say, a latte or hot cocoa?
For those purposes, my best find so far is almond milk. It has the calcium, some protein, a little sugar, a lovely rich quality, 1/3 the calories of whole milk (60 to a glass, v. 180), and no cholesterol. The flavor is different than cow milk, but tasty. And it melds beautifully with cocoa or with coffee. The other day, I made a batch of hot cocoa as I would normally, except for the liquid substitution (in a saucepan, stirring in dutched cocoa and a smidge of sugar, vanilla and cayenne until the thick drink resembles the signature drink in the movie Chocolat). Magnifique!

Second Breakfast

2011-02-12T17:58:00.000-08:00

For me, the time between a light breakfast (tea and a Clif bar) while booting up the computer and a real, sit-down lunch break is simply too long. Around ten a.m., I start to feel restless and distracted, a sure sign of dropping blood sugar. Whatever lunch awaits me, it starts to whisper from the fridge. But if I give in to its siren call, how will I make it through the rest of the day without bottoming out?

The answer, for me (and Winnie the Pooh, and all the Brits who still nibble on Elevenses) is "second breakfast." Lately, my best choice for a tide-me-over morning snack is oatmeal. It only takes a minute to heat up, and satisfies without being too sweet or too salty. At about 100 calories, it also wears off by the time I need the real break that lunch provides. And it goes well with a second cup of tea, if the first didn't offer enough caffeine.

Now that I've worked that break snack out, what's best in the late afternoon, between lunch and dinner? And what do I call it, if I've cut off the tea portion of the Afternoon Tea?

Rooibos - Red Tea

2011-02-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

In the Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels, set in Botswana, Mma Ramotswe drinks bush tea every day. It took a while for it to click that her drink is the same one marketed in the United States as red tea, or rooibos. Whatever colloquial name one uses, aspalathus linearis (wouldn't that look good on a label?) makes a lovely beverage, hot or chilled, plain or with milk and sugar (and spices, for chai).

Red tea makes a good substitute for black tea in the evening, or any time one avoids caffeine. Its leaves, unlike those of 'real' tea, camellia sinensis, simply don't contain any. They do however contain a nice dose of anti-oxidants, which may explain the statement on one purveyor's box, that:

"Rooibos (say roy-boss) . . . enjoys a reputation in its native South Africa as a stomach-relaxing, mood-enhancing, allergy-relieving tonic." (www.ecoteas.com)

Vegetarian Chili

2011-01-31T19:43:00.000-08:00

In return for letting me share her amazing gluten-free cornbread recipe, Basha asked that I post my vegetarian chili recipe. Which I'd be happy to do, if I had one. Like many good dishes, it started with a recipe (in this case the original Moosewood's) but then devolved to a rough formula kept in my head. So for now, here's a rough cut:

Ingredients

Beans (approx 2 cans, preferably kidney, but cannelini and/or black beans work, too)
1 Onion (medium to large, chopped)
Green pepper (chopped - substitute a sweet red, if necessary)
1 Carrot (chopped or sliced with a mandolin)
Chili powder
Cumin
Cayenne
Garlic
Black pepper
Salt
Olive oil
Beer (approx one cup)
V8 or tomato juice (water if necessary)
Steel cut oats (approx quarter cup - can sub. wheat berries or barley, if gluten doesn't bother you)
A touch of honey or other sweetener (agave, orange juice, etc)

Steps

In a large, heavy saucepan, saute the onions.
Add the garlic and the beans (drained).
Add the green pepper and carrot bits.
When all these are seasoned and starting to stick to the pan, add a half bottle of beer.
Left the beer cook off slightly, then heat the V8 and soak the grain in it.
Add the softened grain and V8 to the pot, and simmer.
Taste and add more spices or the honey, if needed. (if too salty, dice some potato and throw it in).

Serve over baked potatoes, or with cornbread. Top with grated cheese, sour cream, nothing, or ?

Skillet Cornbread

2011-01-30T20:40:00.000-08:00

Having tried a plethora of cornbreads, I can objectively attest that Basha's is the best.
The fact that it doesn't use any wheat is a nice bonus; and her willingness to share it a total score.
Here are her exact instructions:

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups cornmeal
2 cups buttermilk, warmed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 T butter
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 large eggs

Steps

First, place your 10” or 12” cast iron skillet in a 400º oven to heat, with the vegetable oil.
Spread the cornmeal on a baking tray and toast in the oven until it begins to turn more golden. This will set the smoke alarms off, even if you don’t let it burn (Small price to pay).
Mix the hot cornmeal with the warm buttermilk and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter, and set a Tbsp aside. Add the rest of the butter to the cornmeal. Swirl the 1/4 cup of oil around the hot skillet, and add it to the cornmeal too. Add the eggs and salt and mix slightly (don’t overbeat).
Add the baking powder and baking soda, and mix just a little bit more - don’t overbeat (I add about a cup of roasted corn, or other optional tidbits, noted below, at this point too). Pop it into the 400º oven until it develops cracks on top – no longer, if you want it to stay nice and moist.
Take it out of the oven, but let it sit in the pan for 5 minutes to develop a nice crisp crust. Then invert on a cooling rack, and turn it over on a cutting board.

Optional Items:

8 oz. creamed corn, 3 oz cream cheese, 3 oz grated

cheddar, and 2 oz diced jalepenos or ancho chilis, or any combination of the above.

Thai Bluegrass

2011-01-29T21:37:00.000-08:00

Mango Shrimp Salad

Though we never need an excuse to visit Sweet Basil, possibly the best Thai restaurant on the Peninsula, this weekend's Bluegrass festival in Redwood City drew us in for more than just the sublime menu.

Accompanying an excellent meal was Windy Hill, a five-piece band with an old-time sound.

Afterwards, we wandered over to Tartine for coffee and chocolate and the harmonies of 27 Strings.

Watermelon Radish

2011-01-29T21:08:00.000-08:00

When the basket comes from the CSA, we almost always recognize the items of produce - carrots, bok choy, cabbage, etc. Obvious staples of winter. But this week, we received a mystery. Maybe turnips?

Cutting them in half revealed the truth - watermelon radish! Very pretty, and quite tasty too. Mild, crisp, a little sweet.

Organic Mold

2011-01-27T22:17:00.000-08:00

Finding a bunch of green fuzzy bumps on the inner rim of the glass jar of organic strawberry jam reminded me of two things:
1. Products with fewer preservatives have a limited shelf-life.
2. Everything we buy to eat should be thought about as a this-week item, not a some-day item.

With the exception of emergency supplies, getting in the habit of buying fresh food and using it up promptly is just a good general rule. If I did it more, I'd less often find myself in a fuzzy jam.

Dinner with the President

2011-01-25T22:17:00.000-08:00

I try not to eat in front of the television - I really do.
But the State of the Union started at 6 pm, for us Left Coasters.
So I had salad with a pep-talk about American innovation, gluten-free pasta with an entree of a hard bi-partisan road ahead, and the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell for dessert.
When down pretty easy, over all.
Even chasing the meal with a glass of red whining didn't hurt my digestion.

Course, an hour later I was hungry for change again; but apparently that's up to all of us to cook up. I'll be back in the kitchen tomorrow.

New Year's Nosh

2010-12-31T23:00:00.000-08:00

As a great good friend once sagely pointed out, people are portable. And so we spent today on planes rather than in the kitchen, arriving just in time for Shabbos dinner and a grand celebration ushering in 2011.

As if to review all the tastes of the year, or perhaps to sample the coming year, it was a night of nosh. The pre-supper spread was perfect for visiting - chips, crackers, crudite, dips sweet and savory, hummus, olives, nuts, and grapes. Plenty to nibbles without requiring a pause in conversation.

The blessing were said with the help of multiple challah - plain, pumpkin, and chocolate chip.

Supper began with a lovely lentil soup, piquant with balsamic. As the bowls were cleared, all 16 of us filed into the kitchen to serve ourselves from a bountiful buffet. Most dishes were served hot: curried brussel sprouts, cous cous with spicy vegetables, butternut squash with apricot puree, and roasted yams. The morrocan carrots, bean and egg salad, and potato and olive salad were served cool, either at room temperature or chilled. Once seated, conversation ebbed and flowed as attention was diverted to our plates.

Definitely a night to pace oneself, I was pleased to have saved room for a taste of desert - almost literally a bite of each. The blood orage salad with cured black olives, the watemelon and mint salad, the vegan rosewater cake, the pistachio rice pudding, and even the mango slices, all whispered of travels to new and exciting lands. For an accompanying after-dinner drink, it felt only right to choose chai tea.

A meal this grand requires marvelous company; and the gathering of friends old and newly met perfectly matched the table offerings - no two the same, plenty to sample, and everyone a delight in their own way. May the new year live up to tonight's auspicious beginning!

Philly's Best - Chocolate

2010-12-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia cuisine may be known best for its eponymous sandwich, the Philly cheesesteak, but in actuality the highest quality of many types of food can be found in the City of Brotherly Love. Authentic tastes from around the world (from Italy to Viet Nam, and everywhere in between) are available. And now the list includes that culinary delight enjoyed on nearly every continent: chocolate.

Naked Chocolate Cafe, with its main store on Walnut, offers decadent chocolate drinks, pastries, and artisanal truffle-like candies. As if in consolation for not being able to make a visit in person, a box of these morsels arrived by mail shortly before Christmas. The aroma alone is intoxicating. The milk chocolate pieces are of such high quality I don't even mind that they aren't dark; and the darks are truly sublime. The richness of the assortment requires a modicum of restraint - splitting pieces for tasting works well; and two or three tastes sates even a serious sweet-tooth. Just don't tease anyone by hiding the box . . .

Literary Fare - the Trilogy

2010-12-29T21:19:00.000-08:00

My early nightfalls this year have been filled with stories written as trilogies. And each has had its own distinct food culture.
First I devoured the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books. By midway through the second, the craving for coffee was too strong to shake, though I was not suggestible enough to want it with toast with cheese and marmalade. Every character drank coffee frequently, with only one or two references to mineral water and one notable exception when a minor character choose Diet Coke as a substitute. So I finally learned to use the grinder and French press at home - and then buzzed around until I could sit still to read on.

Next I chewed through the Wraeththu serious, which was hearty but not so delicious. Food played a role as an indicator of wealth, but was never described in much detail. Like the characters, I ate whatever I found handy until I reached the end.

The third chapter of this literary adventure, gentle readers, may prove my undoing. Only a few chapters into Soulless (book the first of the steampunk Parasol Protectorate trilogy), food has taken on a strong supporting role. Very specific Victorian-era foods, prepared in very specific ways, are used regularly both as metaphor and as actual props. The protagonist's interest in dining well proves both enticing and amusing, restoring my appetite. Of one thing you may be sure - many cups of tea will be consumed before the last page is turned (by me, in both cases).

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2010-12-19T18:09:00.000-08:00

Decadent, addictive - yet full of veggies.

Ingredients:

2 medium or 3 small zukes, grated, then nuked 2 minutes (do not discard liquid)
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup gluten-free baking mix, or rice flour *
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Steps:

Cream butter and sugar.
Separate eggs.
Add yolks and vanilla to butter mixture, beat and set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then beat into butter mixture.
Fold in zucchinis, then stir in chips.
Finally, beat egg whites until fluffy (just shy of peaking) and fold them in.

Bake in a greased, floured loaf pan at 350 for up to 1 hour (check earlier).

* If you aren't trying to bake without gluten, the same amount of regular wheat flour works fine.

Susan's Pao de Quiejo

2010-12-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

A friend shared this recipe for Pao de Quiejo, aka Brazilian Cheese Bread. Her notes:

Makes 2 dozen appetizer-sized balls (or 1 dozen balls and 3-4 single-serving pizza crusts)

Preheat oven to 400 DEG;. Boil the following until white foam appears (on stove or in microwave):

½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk

Add this hot mixture to 2 cups tapioca starch. Mix well with wooden spoon
and let rest for about 15 minutes. You will get white ball. Mix in 2 eggs
and about 6 ounces grated hard cheese* (e.g., parmesan). You will get a
gooey, sticky mass.

To form balls, cover hands with grease, use a teaspoon and quickly roll
into ball shape as best you can (they will smooth out during baking).
Better yet, use a miniature ice-cream scoop. Each ball should be about 1-
½ inch in diameter. Bake on lightly greased sheet or on parchment paper or silicone (Matfer) sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on size, until tops begin to brown.

For pizza, put about half the dough aside in a plastic bag in the refrigerator to use later. Take out the chilled dough and roll it into single-serving size pizzas directly on parchment or a silicone sheet. Prick it all over with a fork, to keep it from forming large blisters, and pre-bake it about 10-12 minutes. Take it out, top it and return to oven to finish baking.

*I like to use half grated, half shredded parmesan or other similar hard cheese.

Sufganiot

2010-12-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

Mmm - jelly donuts for Chanukah!
And the RetroDome is selling them (as well as latkes with applesauce) during performances of The MeshugaNutcracker.
Could the festival of lights get any sweeter?

Gluten-free Recipes

2010-11-30T17:12:00.000-08:00

By popular demand, I have created a gluten-free page on the Bite-Size-Green site.

The recipe section is fairly small at the moment, but will continue to grow as I test and adapt more dishes.
On the plus side, a few of them already have demo videos.

At the same time, excellent chefs and accomplished writers, such as the duo behind the Gluten-free Girl blog, have been creating marvelous recipes for years before I reached the scene. I seek them out for inspiration, and frequently recommend them.

And other credible sites, run by folks with Celiac, already exist as well. So I've made sure to include resource links, and would encourage readers who want to understand the medical and logistical details of living gluten-free as a disciplined practice to dig in to those.

The main thing to remember while delving into the serious world of 'living without' is that a world of excellent, naturally gluten-free foods and ingredients exists. A speciality grocery aisle is not your only source of nutrition and nurture. The more you learn to cook from scratch, the easier and more enjoyable the adventure becomes.

What the Dickens?

2010-11-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

Steampunk being a fantasy world with strong Victorian elements, one can take liberties with the standard British fare of the era.
Dickens Fair being a Victorian Christmas bazaar set in modern America, some liberties are apparently called for as well.

For all those who came to see and be seen in period costume, to buy gifts for oneself or others, and to be generally entertained by games, music, performance and the overall atmosphere, many food choices present themselves. Traditional pub grub like bangers and mash, fish and chips, and meat pies can be found at stalls adjacent to the more exotic Greek and Italian offerings. Fresh roasted chestnuts and mulled cider call the season to life (even while in the faux outdoors, inside the heated venue). But modern coffees and chai can also be had. Or, for the purist, tea. And for a splurge, high tea at 4pm. Lovely - just lovely.

Steampunk Epicurean

2010-11-28T23:05:00.000-08:00

Pull a Google image search for "steampunk" and you'll see what steampunkers wear.
And YouTube has plenty of steampunk music videos.
But what do steampunkers eat?

Tea seems the most obvious choice - finger sandwiches, crumpets, scones, etc.
And everything else Dickens ever mentioned, or Jules Verne and HG Wells threw into their stories as incidentals.
Or, if you follow the Weird, Weird West off-shoot of classic steampunk, saloon grub.

But if you are going to create an alternate history, why not throw in some food realities of the re-imagined era, such as seasonality, locality and organic growing methods? With, perhaps, some spices from The East.
Today's slow food dinners would fit right in.

Corn-o-copia

2010-11-26T17:29:00.000-08:00

The horn of plenty, made completely of cornbread.
A feast in itself.

Abundance and Gratitude

2010-11-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

Here's how I feel wealthy: go to the grocery store, and get what I want to. Now, there's plenty that I don't want, and some things that I shouldn't get, and others that are just an occasional splurge. But what a luxury to think first about whether we have space and upcoming needs (to avoid clutter and waste) first, and price second. Brings me gratitude with every shop.

Even better was shopping for the food bank, and being able to get whatever fit the request list. Wealthy enough to share! And deeply grateful for the abundance.

Yam Snacks

2010-10-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

Yams - they're not just for breakfast anymore. What? You don't eat baked yams for breakfast? You think they're reserved for Thanksgiving, as a second-tier side dish? And, you concede, quite nice as sweet potato fries?
Well, they are quite nice as a snack, too. As soon as the days begin to shorten and cool, I find myself craving orange food, and yams most of all. First I'll dip a toe into autumn with one or two baked and enjoyed as a reminder, like the first cup of warm spiced apple cider. But soon I'm baking whole sheets, and taking one to the office each day to eat as second-breakfast or as my mid-afternoon snack. My favorite toppings are butter and a little salt. The options for dressing them up, however, are limited only by time and imagination.

Yucca Sticks

2010-10-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

The innovative brunch menu at Limon, a Peruvian, Latin-fusion restaurant in San Francisco's Mission District, includes appetizers like ceviche, entrees, salads, and a few tempting side dishes. Since we love crispy, garlicky Cuban yucca, we had to try Limon's take on the tuber.

Elegant presentation was only the first notable difference. With a very light frying and no garlic or salt, the crispy-outside, almost soft-inside sticks worked beautifully with the two dip options.

At home I will still prepare yucca my way, mainly to complement black beans and rice. But this positive experience with a different approach to a basically bland starchy vegetable has broadened by thinking about what makes it yummy. Now I understand that being a savory host for garlic is not nearly the limit of its potential.

Basket Bounty

2010-10-28T23:05:00.000-07:00

What could be lovelier to find on one's doorstep?

Gluten-free Pizza

2010-10-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

Since dropping 80+% of the wheat I used to eat out of my diet, pizza has become a rare treat. So rare that I never bother with bad pizza any more. Which, until recently meant saving up all my 'wheat points' for the occasional splurge at a really good local spot, like Rainbow Pizza (semi-deep dish) or Applewood (not deep, but not thin crust, either).

Then I stumbled into an Amici's Pizza, a nice local chain. All I wanted was a sense of whether their 'East Coast style' translated to a pie good enough to indulge in. To my amazement, the first item I spied in the heavenly smelling pizzeria was a gluten-free menu. The real deal - ingredients and prep space kept separate, so that folks with celiac (or otherwise more strict than I) have more assurance of their safety.

But the real test came this weekend, when I returned as a party of three (OK, with 2 guests, not with a giant appetite). We ordered drinks (soft drinks and gluten-free beer available), no salad or other sides, and two pizzas. All the gluten-frees are 12-inch, which may help the kitchen keep them segregated from the 4 sizes available on the standard menu. Were they pricey? Yes. Were they worth it? Oh, yes.

I still won't be eating pizza as casually as I used to, but now I can really enjoy it without worrying about the side effects. And I will, soon. There's a whole menu to work through.