At work, I've recently gotten a number of requests for vegan dishes which I am glad to accommodate. I actually love requests like this...it's fun to break out of my regular patterns and try new things.
One vegan recipe I have used a few times recently is for a Mexican enchilada entree. Such recipes are all over the internet, and many are quite good, so I won't clog up the information superhighway with yet another vegan enchilada variation. Especially because what I think is so great about this enchilada is not even the enchilada. It's the topping.
If you are not a vegan and if you are anything like me, one of the great joys of Mexican food is the sweet-sour dollop of sour cream or crema that puts a smooth,mellow high note on so many dishes. But if you are following a vegan regimen, sour cream is not going to show up on your plate. To a seasoned palate, the presence of crema, however, goes beyond the realm of "condiment-that's-sort-of-an-afterthought". The crema mellows the heat of any spice that might be there...the lactic acid gives a zingy piquancy...the cream has a barely-there sweetness that compliments the protein. I honestly think that this one little component is necessary for the true completion of the dish.
I was skeptical when I saw that my vegan enchilada recipe called for a cashew crema, but I followed along anyway. Well, I sort of followed along. You see, on a previous occasion, I had hurriedly/recklessly ripped the recipe from an old magazine. In my haste, I only ripped the ingredients listing... I did not rip out the preparation instructions. And when I "harvest" an old cooking magazine for recipes, I toss the rest of the mag. Oh, well. I figured I could figure it out. And I did. And it proved to be a right nice topping that provided all of the same functions of the sour cream. Not bad, vegans...not bad!
So, give this a try if you are vegan-izing any of your Mexican favorites. I'm even including preparation instructions!
CASHEW CREMA
-1 C raw cashews
-the juice of 1-2 limes
-1 t white vinegar
-1 T canola oil or similar mild-flavored oil
-salt, to taste
-water (optional)
Put the cashews in a saucepan and cover with warm water. Bring to a low boil for about 10 minutes, then drain. Place the cashews, along with the other ingredients, into a food processor and let it run. And run and run and run. When it looks smooth, taste. You can add more vinegar or lime to increase the piquancy. You can add water, 1/8 C at a time, to thin to your desired consistency. If it's chunky, keep processing. I allowed my crema to be a little less than perfectly smooth, but you can also strain it for a smooth and elegant sauce.
No, it's NOT sour cream. But it has a certain something and it definitely works in its stead for vegan Mexican dishes. Or Hungarian. Or Russian. Or Greek. Or any sour cream-loving cuisine because this absolutely makes a deliciously acceptable variation to keep your tastebuds, as well as your vegan pals, satisfied.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Why You Should Clean Your Oven and Go Buy Some New Pans
I thought I was a terrible baker for over 15 years. Everything I made got too brown. It didn't look like the nice stuff they sold at the bakery. Even when I followed the recipe to the letter, measuring everything like a nervous little actuary, my creations still failed to live up to my expectations.
At some point in my cooking life, I found I was going to need a significant number of sheet pans (aka cookie sheets) for a job, so I bought some. I almost hesitated to break them in...they had such a perfect, pretty silvery sheen, it was going to be a shame when they got black bottoms and dark corners where the scrubbing pad never quite fits. But I really needed to put every pan I owned into production, so I did break those pretty new sheet pans in. And as I used the new sheet pans along with the old ones, I noticed the food on the new pans cooked more slowly and more evenly.
And then, the lightbulb went off: dark colors absorb and radiate heat.
Oh, yeah! That's why it hurts the soles of your feet to walk barefoot on asphalt but not on white sand. That's why summer clothing is often white or pastel in hues rather than more dark, saturated shades. And that's why my ancient, no-longer-scrubbable pans were ruining my pastries.
I have kept those new sheet pans shining like newly-minted dimes because they have now made bakery recipes a no-brainer for me. I have not retired the old, dark sheet pans because I actually like how they hasten the caramelization of certain foods. But the important thing is now I understand why. I understand how each pan behaves, how it conducts heat, the situations in which it is the appropriate tool for the job.
Nobody ever told me (I still wish I had gone to culinary school when I toyed with the idea in my nineteenth year), I just eventually figured it out.
That's what I love about cooking. It's science, but it's not impossible science only for pedantic types with beakers and test tubes. If you just keep cooking long enough, and pay attention, you will learn the chemistry and physics behind what you are doing, without anyone making you memorize a chart. If you are a restless type like me who gets fidgety sitting at a desk, then cooking is a far more rewarding way to learn a little science. Plus, you can eat your "homework".
Alton Brown, or somebody, would be proud.
I'm almost pumped up to clean the oven this weekend, so 350 degrees is not really 375 due to a year's worth of carbon build-up on my oven floor. OK, I'm not pumped up at all. But it no longer seems like such a reasonless job only appropriate for fuss-budgety housekeepers. It helps me put better things on the table for my favorite people to enjoy.
At some point in my cooking life, I found I was going to need a significant number of sheet pans (aka cookie sheets) for a job, so I bought some. I almost hesitated to break them in...they had such a perfect, pretty silvery sheen, it was going to be a shame when they got black bottoms and dark corners where the scrubbing pad never quite fits. But I really needed to put every pan I owned into production, so I did break those pretty new sheet pans in. And as I used the new sheet pans along with the old ones, I noticed the food on the new pans cooked more slowly and more evenly.
And then, the lightbulb went off: dark colors absorb and radiate heat.
Oh, yeah! That's why it hurts the soles of your feet to walk barefoot on asphalt but not on white sand. That's why summer clothing is often white or pastel in hues rather than more dark, saturated shades. And that's why my ancient, no-longer-scrubbable pans were ruining my pastries.
I have kept those new sheet pans shining like newly-minted dimes because they have now made bakery recipes a no-brainer for me. I have not retired the old, dark sheet pans because I actually like how they hasten the caramelization of certain foods. But the important thing is now I understand why. I understand how each pan behaves, how it conducts heat, the situations in which it is the appropriate tool for the job.
Nobody ever told me (I still wish I had gone to culinary school when I toyed with the idea in my nineteenth year), I just eventually figured it out.
That's what I love about cooking. It's science, but it's not impossible science only for pedantic types with beakers and test tubes. If you just keep cooking long enough, and pay attention, you will learn the chemistry and physics behind what you are doing, without anyone making you memorize a chart. If you are a restless type like me who gets fidgety sitting at a desk, then cooking is a far more rewarding way to learn a little science. Plus, you can eat your "homework".
Alton Brown, or somebody, would be proud.
I'm almost pumped up to clean the oven this weekend, so 350 degrees is not really 375 due to a year's worth of carbon build-up on my oven floor. OK, I'm not pumped up at all. But it no longer seems like such a reasonless job only appropriate for fuss-budgety housekeepers. It helps me put better things on the table for my favorite people to enjoy.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Doing Just as I Please: Brussels Sprouts
Mi esposo had some business out of town. I could do just as I pleased for dinner--elaborate or simple, dining in or dining out, rabbit-food or a meaty main course--the possibilities were endless.
But left to my own devices, the self-indulgent meal I wished to savor all by my lonesome, sitting on my grandmother's "davenport", as she used to call the sofa, to maybe even use my fingers (gasp!) to get the last bit of sauce, turned out to be roasted Brussels sprouts with curried mayonnaise and some dry-cured salami.
THAT, my friends, is my idea of a really good dinner.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Terrine of My Dreams
I must have gone to bed hungry last night because I dreamed of variations on chicken liver pate all night long. In one "episode" of the dream, I made a pate that didn't use livers at all. After I awoke, I thought a no-liver-chicken-liver pate was such a great idea, that I should definitely make one for dinner.
My dream hardly presented a novel culinary idea: what I was dreaming up already exists and is often called a terrine. When you get right down to it, terrine is French for "meatloaf". I know the term meatloaf hardly sounds glamorous or gourmet, but when they are done beautifully and inventively, they are really a savory delicacy, absolutely lovely served cold and on crackers.
And with the warm weather today, a cold dinner of appetizer fare, including my dreamed-up terrine, sounded perfect. So I set about making this recipe I had dreamed up. I had no idea how my terrine would really turn out. Of course, I thought it would be pretty good...and probably somewhat different from a creamy chicken-liver pate...but beyond that, I was taking a shot in the dark.
The resulting terrine was very light--in color, flavor, and texture. I would classify the terrine as a delicate item, but it was strangely addictive, and mi esposo, who usually looks askance at such experiments kept refilling crackers with my new concoction instead of telling me he ate a late lunch and he'd try some another time. The two of us actually put a huge dent in that terrine. I think this chicken terrine would be really great as a light lunch, over some tender lettuces and drizzled with some balsamic or even a fruit vinaigrette. So, here is the recipe, seized from my sleepy subconscious:
LIGHT CHICKEN TERRINE
-4 chicken thighs, skin and bones removed
-1 small shallot
-1 clove of garlic
-1 t salt
-1 egg white
-1/8 C brandy
-1/2 stick of butter, softened slightly
-1/4 C half and half
-1/2 red pepper, roasted and diced
-2 t fresh, finely minced rosemary
-3 T roasted sunflower seeds
-Balsamic vinegar, for serving
Preheat oven to 325.
Run the raw chicken thighs, shallot, garlic and salt through a food processor until it looks like ground meat. Add egg white, brandy, and butter and process until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the processor with a rubber spatula, add half and half, and process until incorporated. Now it should look like a mousse or a pudding. If it doesn't, add another tablespoon or two of half and half. Add the red pepper, herbs, and sunflower seeds and just pulse carefully, on and off, until it is just mixed through...try not to crush this stuff.
Take a small, shallow baking pan (approx. 5" x 8"...you can use a terrine pan or loafdish, but it will take a bit longer to cook....) and line it with plastic wrap, allowing long "tails" to hang outside of the pan. Pour the mixture into the pan, and fold the plastic wrap over the top. Now cover the pan with foil, making sure no plastic wrap is exposed. Put the small baking pan into a larger one with a small amount of water in the bottom of the pan. You will be baking the terrine in a shallow "bath" so it doesn't dry out.
Bake approx. 40- 45 minutes. Deeper terrine pans/loaf dishes will probably take closer to 1 hour to cook through. "Done" is 165 on your meat thermometer or opaquely white throughout...no weird pink tones.
After baking, remove the pan from the bath, carefully remove the foil, and put the pan in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to cool and set. (I cheated and put it in the freezer for a half an hour, but if you forget about it there, you'll ruin it). When set, the terrine is easily lifted onto a serving platter.
Before serving, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve with a rich cracker or melba toast.
My dream hardly presented a novel culinary idea: what I was dreaming up already exists and is often called a terrine. When you get right down to it, terrine is French for "meatloaf". I know the term meatloaf hardly sounds glamorous or gourmet, but when they are done beautifully and inventively, they are really a savory delicacy, absolutely lovely served cold and on crackers.
And with the warm weather today, a cold dinner of appetizer fare, including my dreamed-up terrine, sounded perfect. So I set about making this recipe I had dreamed up. I had no idea how my terrine would really turn out. Of course, I thought it would be pretty good...and probably somewhat different from a creamy chicken-liver pate...but beyond that, I was taking a shot in the dark.
The resulting terrine was very light--in color, flavor, and texture. I would classify the terrine as a delicate item, but it was strangely addictive, and mi esposo, who usually looks askance at such experiments kept refilling crackers with my new concoction instead of telling me he ate a late lunch and he'd try some another time. The two of us actually put a huge dent in that terrine. I think this chicken terrine would be really great as a light lunch, over some tender lettuces and drizzled with some balsamic or even a fruit vinaigrette. So, here is the recipe, seized from my sleepy subconscious:
LIGHT CHICKEN TERRINE
-4 chicken thighs, skin and bones removed
-1 small shallot
-1 clove of garlic
-1 t salt
-1 egg white
-1/8 C brandy
-1/2 stick of butter, softened slightly
-1/4 C half and half
-1/2 red pepper, roasted and diced
-2 t fresh, finely minced rosemary
-3 T roasted sunflower seeds
-Balsamic vinegar, for serving
Preheat oven to 325.
Run the raw chicken thighs, shallot, garlic and salt through a food processor until it looks like ground meat. Add egg white, brandy, and butter and process until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the processor with a rubber spatula, add half and half, and process until incorporated. Now it should look like a mousse or a pudding. If it doesn't, add another tablespoon or two of half and half. Add the red pepper, herbs, and sunflower seeds and just pulse carefully, on and off, until it is just mixed through...try not to crush this stuff.
Take a small, shallow baking pan (approx. 5" x 8"...you can use a terrine pan or loafdish, but it will take a bit longer to cook....) and line it with plastic wrap, allowing long "tails" to hang outside of the pan. Pour the mixture into the pan, and fold the plastic wrap over the top. Now cover the pan with foil, making sure no plastic wrap is exposed. Put the small baking pan into a larger one with a small amount of water in the bottom of the pan. You will be baking the terrine in a shallow "bath" so it doesn't dry out.
Bake approx. 40- 45 minutes. Deeper terrine pans/loaf dishes will probably take closer to 1 hour to cook through. "Done" is 165 on your meat thermometer or opaquely white throughout...no weird pink tones.
After baking, remove the pan from the bath, carefully remove the foil, and put the pan in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to cool and set. (I cheated and put it in the freezer for a half an hour, but if you forget about it there, you'll ruin it). When set, the terrine is easily lifted onto a serving platter.
Before serving, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve with a rich cracker or melba toast.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Breakfast at Mayk-a-lees
Get it? It's like "Breakfast at Tiffany's", except I had to riff on my own last name (Makley) since I'm hosting the breakfast.
You see, the girls are coming over for brunch. The moms insist that I keep it simple, but I can't make it too simple or else they may as well have stayed home with a bowl of corn flakes. I'd like to give them a lovely start to their Sunday...after all, it is Mothers' Day.
Here's what's on the menu:
Virgin Mimosas made with freshly-squeezed orange juice
Florentine Egg Pie with Ohio bacon
Asparagus with Bearnaise Sauce
Fresh Fruit Salad
Assorted Muffins and Pastries
That might not be so fancy to some, but the gals in my family are plain-toast-with-black-coffee-and-out-the-door types, so I think they'll feel pretty special. And we all know they are pretty special.
Happy Mothers' Day, ladies!
You see, the girls are coming over for brunch. The moms insist that I keep it simple, but I can't make it too simple or else they may as well have stayed home with a bowl of corn flakes. I'd like to give them a lovely start to their Sunday...after all, it is Mothers' Day.
Here's what's on the menu:
Virgin Mimosas made with freshly-squeezed orange juice
Florentine Egg Pie with Ohio bacon
Asparagus with Bearnaise Sauce
Fresh Fruit Salad
Assorted Muffins and Pastries
That might not be so fancy to some, but the gals in my family are plain-toast-with-black-coffee-and-out-the-door types, so I think they'll feel pretty special. And we all know they are pretty special.
Happy Mothers' Day, ladies!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
The "Cucina de Povera" Challenge
I used to work in a rustic Italian restaurant whose menu paid homage to the comforting fare of the common man. The big muckety-mucks at the restaurant called this concept "cucina de povera" which roughly translated into "the cooking of the poor." Some of those big-wigs could probably remember their grandmothers, back in the old country, mixing pasta dough by hand and treating the meats they rarely had the opportunity to enjoy like the delicacies that they were. In true cucina de povera style, we did most things from scratch at that restaurant. Our food was not fancy, but it was good quality.
If anything has improved my cooking over time, it has not been classes or recipes, it has been a lack of financial resources. I will not spin a tale of abject poverty to you, because I have been lucky enough to enjoy an abundance of good fortune in life, but there have been many times that my food budget has gotten impractically small in order to assign my liquid capital to some other category. The translation--sometimes getting the rent paid takes almost everything you've got. Since I really like good food and was only willing to take so much cabbage and ramen noodles, I had to figure something out. So I sharpened my cooking skills to eat like a princess while still earning a pauper's wages.
I always liked those 4.99 per loaf artisan breads, but a five-spot for some bread was NOT happenin'. So I learned to bake my own bread, which broke down to something like .35 a loaf.
Those shoe-leather cuts of meat can be made delicious if they are cooked properly, so I read and read and read and learned how to make a cheap cut taste steakhouse-worthy. Buying a whole chicken gets you so many meals...and makes you a beautiful pot of soup if you save the bones, all for the cost of a couple boneless breasts (which only gets you one meal). Learning how not to abuse and overcook eggs opens you up to a cornucopia of amazing, high-protein entrees for about .20 an egg. I finally paid close enough attention on how to fillet a whole fish so that I can now make quick work of it with a sharp knife. Yes, it takes a little longer and can be a little messy, but I can now get lovely whole fish that, pound for pound, is literally almost 70% less expensive than the prepared fillets. That big 70% discount makes it worth taking a few minutes to line the countertops with some old newspapers.
You do not need special equipment...except maybe a sharp knife or two. In fact, lately I have stopped using a mixer and dough hooks when I make my own bread. The equipment is messy and a pain to clean. I can actually knead the dough by hand much better... and then the only equipment I have to wash is my own little set of paws. And if you think about it, your favorite cuisine probably grew out of kitchens without any special equipment. When you think of some of the best-loved ethnic cuisines: southern Italian, Mexican, Southeast Asian, you don't think about a lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous kitchen with imported granite, high BTU ranges, and fancy stand mixers. If regular people all over the world can make delicious, nutritious meals without all the fine appointments of convenience, then so can you.
Here is your challenge: Cook meals for one full week on a rock-bottom low grocery budget. Do this when you have time, because it will take some effort. It's not like watching re-runs of Friends while you wait for the pizza delivery guy. You have to do the work. Sometimes it's a lot of work. But it is rewarding and it's certainly cost-effective. So set a low budget...I cook for two of us, fairly regularly, on about 80 bucks a week...but I have some staples in my pantry already, so you can adjust your numbers, if necessary. (And of course there are weeks during which I exceed that budget, but I'm issuing a challenge here!) Once you have your low budget in mind, make a menu. Don't think lofty. Think of what fits the assigned budget. If you want a more expensive piece of protein, that's totally fine...but then you may plan on a rice-and-beans dish for another dinner to offset the cost. Based on that proposed menu, make a grocery list. Then kind of "guesstimate" the prices of the items you'll need. Tally it up. If you are on-budget or close to it, go for it! If you have landed in a higher range, make adjustments. Do you really need everything on that list? Can you do something more cost-effectively? Can something else be made from scratch?
I can almost hear people telling me that this is way too much work. It is a lot of work. But it is important work. It is work that some families must do every week to keep everyone healthy. Once you get the hang of it, you also have a complex skill set that can serve you for many years. You will learn so much about cooking technique in such a short period of time. You can share this knowledge with people you care about. You can actually help create momentum that begins to slow the epidemic of diet-related illnesses in our country. WOW.
...and all you were trying to do was to eat healthy for cheap...!
If anything has improved my cooking over time, it has not been classes or recipes, it has been a lack of financial resources. I will not spin a tale of abject poverty to you, because I have been lucky enough to enjoy an abundance of good fortune in life, but there have been many times that my food budget has gotten impractically small in order to assign my liquid capital to some other category. The translation--sometimes getting the rent paid takes almost everything you've got. Since I really like good food and was only willing to take so much cabbage and ramen noodles, I had to figure something out. So I sharpened my cooking skills to eat like a princess while still earning a pauper's wages.
I always liked those 4.99 per loaf artisan breads, but a five-spot for some bread was NOT happenin'. So I learned to bake my own bread, which broke down to something like .35 a loaf.
Those shoe-leather cuts of meat can be made delicious if they are cooked properly, so I read and read and read and learned how to make a cheap cut taste steakhouse-worthy. Buying a whole chicken gets you so many meals...and makes you a beautiful pot of soup if you save the bones, all for the cost of a couple boneless breasts (which only gets you one meal). Learning how not to abuse and overcook eggs opens you up to a cornucopia of amazing, high-protein entrees for about .20 an egg. I finally paid close enough attention on how to fillet a whole fish so that I can now make quick work of it with a sharp knife. Yes, it takes a little longer and can be a little messy, but I can now get lovely whole fish that, pound for pound, is literally almost 70% less expensive than the prepared fillets. That big 70% discount makes it worth taking a few minutes to line the countertops with some old newspapers.
You do not need special equipment...except maybe a sharp knife or two. In fact, lately I have stopped using a mixer and dough hooks when I make my own bread. The equipment is messy and a pain to clean. I can actually knead the dough by hand much better... and then the only equipment I have to wash is my own little set of paws. And if you think about it, your favorite cuisine probably grew out of kitchens without any special equipment. When you think of some of the best-loved ethnic cuisines: southern Italian, Mexican, Southeast Asian, you don't think about a lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous kitchen with imported granite, high BTU ranges, and fancy stand mixers. If regular people all over the world can make delicious, nutritious meals without all the fine appointments of convenience, then so can you.
Here is your challenge: Cook meals for one full week on a rock-bottom low grocery budget. Do this when you have time, because it will take some effort. It's not like watching re-runs of Friends while you wait for the pizza delivery guy. You have to do the work. Sometimes it's a lot of work. But it is rewarding and it's certainly cost-effective. So set a low budget...I cook for two of us, fairly regularly, on about 80 bucks a week...but I have some staples in my pantry already, so you can adjust your numbers, if necessary. (And of course there are weeks during which I exceed that budget, but I'm issuing a challenge here!) Once you have your low budget in mind, make a menu. Don't think lofty. Think of what fits the assigned budget. If you want a more expensive piece of protein, that's totally fine...but then you may plan on a rice-and-beans dish for another dinner to offset the cost. Based on that proposed menu, make a grocery list. Then kind of "guesstimate" the prices of the items you'll need. Tally it up. If you are on-budget or close to it, go for it! If you have landed in a higher range, make adjustments. Do you really need everything on that list? Can you do something more cost-effectively? Can something else be made from scratch?
I can almost hear people telling me that this is way too much work. It is a lot of work. But it is important work. It is work that some families must do every week to keep everyone healthy. Once you get the hang of it, you also have a complex skill set that can serve you for many years. You will learn so much about cooking technique in such a short period of time. You can share this knowledge with people you care about. You can actually help create momentum that begins to slow the epidemic of diet-related illnesses in our country. WOW.
...and all you were trying to do was to eat healthy for cheap...!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Sumac at the West Side Market
Although mi esposo can't exactly be called a food enthusiast, he never passes up a chance to go to the market.
"If you wanna go to the West Side Market, I'm leaving NOW," I called up the stairs.
And though the good man never likes to have a project interrupted (he's been working on something up there, mad-scientist-style), he was down those steps like a shot.
"OK, I'll go!"
And out the door we went.
Every time I go to the market, I lament the fact that I use grocery stores at all. The market is much more exciting, and you often find much more exciting items. Mi esposo loaded himself down with the sweet pastries that his savory-loving wife will only make every once in a blue moon. And, to my delight, I found sumac.
Sumac is a spice that was relatively new to me. I was aware of its existence, but I had never cooked with it. No, it's not poison sumac either...different plant from a different corner of the world, FYI. I happened to see it on the spice rack at the Culinary Institute of America, so I asked the chef-instructor about it. He toasted some up and called the class to inspect it. When I didn't pick up a particularly strong aroma, I grabbed a tasting spoon and took a sample. It was simultaneously sour and salty-flavored.
If I love two things in cooking, they would have to be (sour) citrus and salt. In my opinion, both accents, judiciously applied, have a way of bringing out the best in almost any dish. Sumac does not however, contain any acid or sodium. Hmmmm...I cook for people who restrict both. THIS could be my new secret weapon, I thought to myself.
Since I returned from the CIA, I looked for sumac, albeit not as hard as I could have. The short story was it was unavailable at the grocery stores I frequent most often. But it WAS at one of the spice counters at the West Side Market. Thank you, ethnically-diverse and food-passionate Clevelanders! I should also mention that the heavy-handed couple of ounces the purveyor sold me rang up a total that is probably half of what it would have been if there was a McCormick's or Penzey's label on the bottle. (I've got a frugal side, so I'm just sayin'....)
The little bit of reading I've done indicates that sumac is used widely in Middle Eastern cuisine and is lovely on hummus, yogurt sauces, fattoush salads, and more. I intend to season some of the Lake Superior Whitefish I bought, and then maybe top that with a creamy, buttery fish fume sauce. (Sunday dinner can't come soon enough!) I also want to try sumac on loads of other things to see if it really is the great salt replacement I hope it will be for my sodium-restricted friends.
As I meander through this disjointed post, I may as well tell you that one of my classmates in my CIA class asked if I liked my hometown. I responded immediately with "yes" and explained that despite its many problems, Cleveland has some priceless advantages, one of which is the fact that it is a first-rate food town. He was genuinely surprised, but most Clevelanders and many, many transplants to this crusty, old city would agree with me. Those who don't should spend a Saturday at the West Side Market and overwhelm themselves with lovely, hard-to-find treats.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Wisdom of the (really ancient!) Ancients
I just finished reading an article on the topic of Otzi, the Tyrolean Ice Man, written by a research scientist who focuses heavily on health and nutrition. (You can read the article here: http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2012/04/lessons-from-otzi-tyrolean-ice-man-part_17.html)
The article indicates that our sensitive modern research has been able to identify, after some 5000+ years, what was in the Tyrolean Ice Man’s gut at the time of his death. Research has also been able to identify which health maladies from which our ancient friend suffered. It appears that Otzi ate a diet that many of today’s nutritionists would applaud: he ate a lot of plant-based food, a good amount of whole grains, and just a little bit of animal protein. Those same nutritionists would likely conclude that this is why the Ice Man showed no sign of obesity, diabetes, or cancer. However, scientists see that Otzi suffered from cavities + periodontitis , hardening of the arteries, gallstones, worms, blackened lungs, and arthritis. What ultimately did him in, however, was a wound from an arrow.
I mention the Ice Man’s diet alongside his diseases to underscore what you probably already learned in high school science—the fact that you simply cannot control for everything. So many diets these days promise us everything: a perfect physique, protection from cancer, reduced threat of diabetes, perfect heart health, strong joints, etc., etc. I hope I don’t have to remind you intelligent readers that not every promise made under the sun is actually kept.
First and foremost, do follow whatever diet your health professional recommends for you. Their job requires that they keep up on this stuff. Beyond that, eat what makes you feel vibrant, alive, and enhances your ability to do whatever it is you need to do. Some people feel that they thrive best on vegan choices. Others really shine on a heavy animal protein “Paleo” diet. Many of us feel best on what our grandmothers would have simply referred to as "moderation". No matter what you eat or do not eat, you still might get sick sometimes. Some Achilles heel (literal or figurative) in your health profile might put you on the sidelines. Like Otzi, you might have the misfortune of meeting an arrow.
From time to time, my father (who happens to be aging most gracefully, I might add) remarks that “Life is a fatal disease”. Sadly, Dad is absolutely correct. You will not be able to beat every odd. So enjoy every morsel and let each one fortify you and allow you to feel as if you are on top of the world for every day that you are on top of the earth.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The Tripe-l Threat
Tripe is a little scary-sounding, innit?
Tripe is basically cow guts, in case you are not a tripe aficionado. I certainly wouldn't call myself an aficionado, but I am an adventurous eater. I cannot say I have the desire to try every dish under the sun, but I do have the desire to try a lot of them.
And there I was, in a homespun Italian eatery when "Trippa Parmiagano" caught my eye. My thought process immediately went something like this: "No way. NOT eating tripe. What else is on this menu?" I scanned the whole menu again, but it was a pretty typical Italian menu and having worked for 3 years in a similarly-themed restaurant, there was almost nothing on that menu I hadn't already eaten a lifetime supply of, nothing new that piqued my interest. Except tripe.
Tripe was on plenty of Mexican menus in Chicago when I lived there and subsisted on cheap burritos...but I was a vegetarian in those days and tripe hardly earned a second glance from me while I was searching for spicy carrots and "torta aguacate". So tripe never passed these lips. And so I ordered it this time. I won't bore you with a play-by-play description of the total dining experience. Suffice it to say, it posessed far less of the gross-out factor than the squeamish would imagine and far less of the blow-your-mind factor that the gourmands would imagine. It was OK...kind of like an earthy calimari.
But since my dining companion and I were both highly interested in tripe's nutritional profile, we looked up the information. Now here is where tripe becomes really compelling. A serving of tripe has a mere 111 calories and a whopping 17 grams of protein, but with negligible fat and carbohydrate content. Tripe is a pure power food! Truly, that is a lot of quality protein without much else to dilute it. "All killer, no filler", as the rock and roll crowd might say. If you are working on the body beautiful, tripe seems like a great choice, nutritionally speaking. Plus, it has become rather important to consider matters like sustainability and the reduction of waste, so using the unpopular pieces/parts of the cow you are eating seems like the only right and responsible thing to do.
But, as I mentioned earlier, in terms of taste and texture, I found tripe to be merely OK. And I suspect that just "OK" will not really be enough for me over the long haul. So I need to figure out how to make tripe delicious...worthy of a craving.
This time, I am not going to talk to anyone who knows tripe. Nor am I going to look up a single recipe. I am going to see what, if anything, I can do on my own. Kind of like a personal pet-project. Of course, I plan on starting this adventure in the warm-weather months, when every window can be flung open for the ventilation of my mistakes. And don't you dare tell mi esposo.
I promise to keep you posted. But if you stop by for dinner and my egg noodles seem a little tough...well, you may have been secretly graced with some enhanced protein content in your entree. And of course you can thank me later!
And there I was, in a homespun Italian eatery when "Trippa Parmiagano" caught my eye. My thought process immediately went something like this: "No way. NOT eating tripe. What else is on this menu?" I scanned the whole menu again, but it was a pretty typical Italian menu and having worked for 3 years in a similarly-themed restaurant, there was almost nothing on that menu I hadn't already eaten a lifetime supply of, nothing new that piqued my interest. Except tripe.
Tripe was on plenty of Mexican menus in Chicago when I lived there and subsisted on cheap burritos...but I was a vegetarian in those days and tripe hardly earned a second glance from me while I was searching for spicy carrots and "torta aguacate". So tripe never passed these lips. And so I ordered it this time. I won't bore you with a play-by-play description of the total dining experience. Suffice it to say, it posessed far less of the gross-out factor than the squeamish would imagine and far less of the blow-your-mind factor that the gourmands would imagine. It was OK...kind of like an earthy calimari.
But since my dining companion and I were both highly interested in tripe's nutritional profile, we looked up the information. Now here is where tripe becomes really compelling. A serving of tripe has a mere 111 calories and a whopping 17 grams of protein, but with negligible fat and carbohydrate content. Tripe is a pure power food! Truly, that is a lot of quality protein without much else to dilute it. "All killer, no filler", as the rock and roll crowd might say. If you are working on the body beautiful, tripe seems like a great choice, nutritionally speaking. Plus, it has become rather important to consider matters like sustainability and the reduction of waste, so using the unpopular pieces/parts of the cow you are eating seems like the only right and responsible thing to do.
But, as I mentioned earlier, in terms of taste and texture, I found tripe to be merely OK. And I suspect that just "OK" will not really be enough for me over the long haul. So I need to figure out how to make tripe delicious...worthy of a craving.
This time, I am not going to talk to anyone who knows tripe. Nor am I going to look up a single recipe. I am going to see what, if anything, I can do on my own. Kind of like a personal pet-project. Of course, I plan on starting this adventure in the warm-weather months, when every window can be flung open for the ventilation of my mistakes. And don't you dare tell mi esposo.
I promise to keep you posted. But if you stop by for dinner and my egg noodles seem a little tough...well, you may have been secretly graced with some enhanced protein content in your entree. And of course you can thank me later!
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Wallace Stevens Moment
I hiked in two states today.
I am not backpacking across some mountaintop trail that runs through every state east of the Mississippi. I am just trying to stave off a weight problem as I take in some wonderful life experiences that (naturally) involve food.
The first experience is getting to visit with some family in Connecticut. When I was a wee lass, this branch of the family and I saw one another 2-3 times a year. Now, we are lucky to see one another 2-3 times a decade. My Connecticut aunt, who has always been a formidable hostess (she could take fellow Connecticut resident Martha Stewart with one arm tied behind her back) has made every meal like Thanksgiving. At the risk of appearing rude, many times I have had to push myself away from the table and amble towards the nature preserve at the end of her road. Either that, or finish the entire pistachio cake she baked and frosted to perfection.
The above-mentioned nature preserve is called Steep Rock. In past years, I have found my way to the summit of the steep hill for which it is named and taken in the breathtaking Western Connecticut wilderness. It is the only place I have ever seen a Scarlet Tanager, arguably the most beautiful red bird in existence. Today's hike was not so extensive, but I did pick up some rocks from the Shepaug River to give myself a sorely-needed upper arm workout while I lollygagged through the gorgeous springtime woods, birds singing and fluttering by me all the while.
After another one of my aunt's legendary midday meals, I made my way west to New York, where I am preparing for a week of intensive continuing education and continuing overindulgence at the Culinary Institute of America. Knowing that it's going to be pretty tough to "just have the salad" this week as I am surrounded by the best food made by the best chef-instructors under the sun, I took yet another hike to burn away the onslaught of calories. This time, I found a little trail behind Franklin Delano Roosevelt's home, filled with rocks and creeks and marshes and deer and frogs and blackbirds and a whole host of flora and fauna until a vista opened up and showed me the mighty Hudson River, up-close and personal. Wow.
This day creates for me what I would call a Wallace Stevens moment. Allow me to clarify that...in his masterpiece poem (one of my favorites), "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird", Stevens is utterly torn in the fifth stanza:
"I do not know which to prefer,
The beauty of inflections
Or the beauty of innuendoes,
The blackbird whistling
Or just after. "
Likewise, I am utterly torn. My Wallace Stevens moment is not knowing whether to prefer the culinary indulgences I have the good fortune to enjoy this week, or the natural majesty I have the privilege to experience as I correct for them.
In any case, today has been a good day, and I am grateful.
I am not backpacking across some mountaintop trail that runs through every state east of the Mississippi. I am just trying to stave off a weight problem as I take in some wonderful life experiences that (naturally) involve food.
The first experience is getting to visit with some family in Connecticut. When I was a wee lass, this branch of the family and I saw one another 2-3 times a year. Now, we are lucky to see one another 2-3 times a decade. My Connecticut aunt, who has always been a formidable hostess (she could take fellow Connecticut resident Martha Stewart with one arm tied behind her back) has made every meal like Thanksgiving. At the risk of appearing rude, many times I have had to push myself away from the table and amble towards the nature preserve at the end of her road. Either that, or finish the entire pistachio cake she baked and frosted to perfection.
The above-mentioned nature preserve is called Steep Rock. In past years, I have found my way to the summit of the steep hill for which it is named and taken in the breathtaking Western Connecticut wilderness. It is the only place I have ever seen a Scarlet Tanager, arguably the most beautiful red bird in existence. Today's hike was not so extensive, but I did pick up some rocks from the Shepaug River to give myself a sorely-needed upper arm workout while I lollygagged through the gorgeous springtime woods, birds singing and fluttering by me all the while.
After another one of my aunt's legendary midday meals, I made my way west to New York, where I am preparing for a week of intensive continuing education and continuing overindulgence at the Culinary Institute of America. Knowing that it's going to be pretty tough to "just have the salad" this week as I am surrounded by the best food made by the best chef-instructors under the sun, I took yet another hike to burn away the onslaught of calories. This time, I found a little trail behind Franklin Delano Roosevelt's home, filled with rocks and creeks and marshes and deer and frogs and blackbirds and a whole host of flora and fauna until a vista opened up and showed me the mighty Hudson River, up-close and personal. Wow.
This day creates for me what I would call a Wallace Stevens moment. Allow me to clarify that...in his masterpiece poem (one of my favorites), "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird", Stevens is utterly torn in the fifth stanza:
"I do not know which to prefer,
The beauty of inflections
Or the beauty of innuendoes,
The blackbird whistling
Or just after. "
Likewise, I am utterly torn. My Wallace Stevens moment is not knowing whether to prefer the culinary indulgences I have the good fortune to enjoy this week, or the natural majesty I have the privilege to experience as I correct for them.
In any case, today has been a good day, and I am grateful.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
The Carlton Varney Birthday Cake
In my youth, there was a local ice cream parlor done up in zingy shades of pink and green. If we were celebrating, the family would sometimes gather for sundaes in that invitingly garish interior. I still remember my favorite confection was a sundae named "The Daisy Almond"...but I digress.
Later in life, I helped my events-planning impresario sister with an important shindig at the world-famous Greenbrier Hotel. At that time, The Greenbrier, long a luxury favorite with statesmen and sportsmen alike, had recently had its previously outdated decor updated in a style fit for a destination that had a storied history of re-energizing its guests. Interior designer Carlton Varney did the old hotel up in vivid springtime hues of lipstick pink, grass green, lemon yellow, and citrus orange...with plenty of blinding gloss white trim to better make the happy cacophany of colors sing.
I found the dizzying brightness brought back the yummiest memories of that ice cream parlor, and gave me the same sort of delighted feeling a kid has while anticipating a special occasion dessert.
So what better color scheme could there be for decorating a birthday cake? I made a splendid-smelling red velvet cake and did up the icing in colors that would make Carlton Varney weak in the knees. I know my frosting flowers are not as artful as a full-time pastry master's, but looking at this cake, I've got that giddy-little-kid-at-the-ice-cream-parlor feeling. And I hope the birthday girl will feel the same.
Happy Birthday MeeMaw!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Fish Tacos Encore...Because it Bears Repeating
This blog post is a re-post from January, 2011. I am making some fish tacos right now and I can hardly wait. They are so mind-bogglingly delicious to me, I am almost confused by the fact that they are also so virtuous--low cholesterol, low fat, low calorie, high protein, and high vitamin. Mmmm! Here's your re-post...I have to get to the table!
"My first fish taco was in Santa Monica, California...because what good, middle-class girl from Cleveland, Ohio had ever heard of a fish taco? My sister, who lived in Los Angeles, drove me straight from the airport to some boardwalk stand, with a line a mile long, and made me try me try this culinary oddity.
I was skeptical. Tacos were GROUND BEEF...jeez, everyone knows that. Putting fish into a taco was weird. Possibly wrong. Potentially gross.
But, on the contrary! Fish tacos are delightful. They are light and slightly sweet. They smell like a perfect afternoon at the ocean-side. They are enhanced, but not outdone, by sour cream, salsa verde, or guacamole.
I had some very sad-looking frozen pollack fillets in my freezer. I had tried to dress them up as Dover Sole and Trout Amandine on other occasions, but I finally gave up. I bought pollack specifically because it is not over-fished, not farmed, and generally responsibly marketed, which attracted the responsible omnivore in me, but it is a totally boring fish varietal, which saddens the aspiring gourmand in me.
I decided to put the last two fillets to rest by making fish tacos. I didn't have a recipe. I didn't even have very much motivation. I just had some fish, some cabbage, and some tortillas.
And Great Scott! You can make an awesome dinner with not much more than those pathos-inspiring ingredients. Scour the internet. Bobby Flay has a good-looking recipe. As does Martha Stewart. My methods were slapdash at best, and if I can achieve such greatness without much effort, imagine what might come together if you actually try, under the direction of a bona fide TV expert??
The tacos are light. I steamed my fish, so I felt no guilt about having 3. Fish tacos often include cabbage which is a "superfood"...the high fiber, high-vitamin, high-mineral, low-calorie stuff practically guaranteed to make you live one hundred years. I paired mine with full-strength Greek yogurt, which tastes an awful lot like sour cream, but it's a little less fattening and has all of those beneficial bacterias that are supposed to cure all your ills.
Tell me a fish taco story if you've got a family-friendly one. 'Cause boy-howdy, are they good and I want to know about everyone's favorite. "
"My first fish taco was in Santa Monica, California...because what good, middle-class girl from Cleveland, Ohio had ever heard of a fish taco? My sister, who lived in Los Angeles, drove me straight from the airport to some boardwalk stand, with a line a mile long, and made me try me try this culinary oddity.
I was skeptical. Tacos were GROUND BEEF...jeez, everyone knows that. Putting fish into a taco was weird. Possibly wrong. Potentially gross.
But, on the contrary! Fish tacos are delightful. They are light and slightly sweet. They smell like a perfect afternoon at the ocean-side. They are enhanced, but not outdone, by sour cream, salsa verde, or guacamole.
I had some very sad-looking frozen pollack fillets in my freezer. I had tried to dress them up as Dover Sole and Trout Amandine on other occasions, but I finally gave up. I bought pollack specifically because it is not over-fished, not farmed, and generally responsibly marketed, which attracted the responsible omnivore in me, but it is a totally boring fish varietal, which saddens the aspiring gourmand in me.
I decided to put the last two fillets to rest by making fish tacos. I didn't have a recipe. I didn't even have very much motivation. I just had some fish, some cabbage, and some tortillas.
And Great Scott! You can make an awesome dinner with not much more than those pathos-inspiring ingredients. Scour the internet. Bobby Flay has a good-looking recipe. As does Martha Stewart. My methods were slapdash at best, and if I can achieve such greatness without much effort, imagine what might come together if you actually try, under the direction of a bona fide TV expert??
The tacos are light. I steamed my fish, so I felt no guilt about having 3. Fish tacos often include cabbage which is a "superfood"...the high fiber, high-vitamin, high-mineral, low-calorie stuff practically guaranteed to make you live one hundred years. I paired mine with full-strength Greek yogurt, which tastes an awful lot like sour cream, but it's a little less fattening and has all of those beneficial bacterias that are supposed to cure all your ills.
Tell me a fish taco story if you've got a family-friendly one. 'Cause boy-howdy, are they good and I want to know about everyone's favorite. "
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Open Letter to Anyone Trying to Drop a Few Pounds
"There is no weight loss lottery."
I read this sage epithet in a comment written by someone who lost a lot of weight. Although she had lost significant poundage years ago, she still haunted weight loss forums and programs because it still took lots of focus to maintain her hard work. She advised newbies to the health/weight loss/nutrition scene that there was no such place as easy street. Just as most of us have to work to make sure we are financially fit, most of us also have to work to make sure we are physically fit. Of course, in the financial realm, some lucky schmo wins the lotto every once in a while. But no one ever hits the weight loss jackpot. That's all work, all the time.
Anyone who is at odds with some odd pounds will often lament the unfairness that there really are beanpole-types who can eat whatever they want and never gain an ounce. Not so, says I.
I say this because mi esposo is one of those tall drinks of water who looks like he can shovel in a truckload of cheeseburgers without showing any bloat. He even tells people that he never has to worry about his weight. But the truth is, the good man does not overeat. He stops the meal the instant he gets full (much to his chef-wife's chagrin!) Similarly, those skinny-mini model-type girls I have known love to make much of how they DON'T diet, how they DON'T starve themselves, and all of this may be true. But when I was roommates with them in my younger years, I saw firsthand that they also did not take second helpings. Those skinny folks are not pigging out. The beanpoles just don't have big appetites. Anyone with a bigger appetite has to work every day at reminding themselves that second helpings, high calorie indulgences, big portions, and the like will not serve their health well over the long term. The folks with bigger appetites have to work at it every single day for the rest of their lives.
That's the big "lifestyle change" that all of the weight loss experts have failed to define. The rest of us out here in "TV land" thought the experts meant we have to eat a few more vegetables, carry around a water bottle, and get mad at the concept of high fructose corn syrup. While we have made those lifestyle changes, we still remained culturally obese. So, when that didn't work we may have thought that the concept of lifestyle change meant we had to be on a fringe extreme diet. So we tried them, but maybe could not cotton to the whole concept... plus, it really got too cumbersome while traveling or being a guest in someone's home. So we flat-out quit. While it is completely right-on to embrace fresh vegetables and pure water in our diets, and I even think that dabbling in some extreme diets can be educational as a short-term experiment (so long as our physicians do not see a health risk), I don't think those actions are the essential lifestyle changes we need to make. The essential lifestyle change is making your food choices and portion sizes mindful and focused, every day for the rest of your life. There is no absently munching cheese-puffs during the Clint Eastwood movie marathon in the new lifestyle. The new lifestyle is aware of the pros and cons of those cheese puffs. Armed with the knowledge of what's in them and how those ingredients affect your health goals, you may go ahead and munch away if the craving just won't die. But now you only indulge in one cup of them because you know the fat/sugar/chemical/calorie content.... You no longer polish off the whole bag because you are blissfully ignorant to the facts and you are enjoying the crunchy texture and orange fingertip effect.
That's the lifestyle change. That's the "new normal". You just have to think about it every day until the day you die, if you are serious about achieving your goals. Just as you think about going to an unrewarding office plaza every day if you are serious about ensuring that your bills are paid and there are no collection agencies with your number on speed dial. Just as you think about going to that tedious required class every day if you want that degree. Just as you think about walking your dog every day (rain or shine!) if you care about preventing stains on your new living room carpet. No one may really want to go to a lackluster job, or sit through a snoozer of a class, or walk Fido in the sleet, but you do it anyway to ensure that your goals, no, that your needs are met. It becomes an automatic part of your life...er, your lifestyle.
If you need to be healthier and weight loss is part of that health need, then you may have to do some draggy things that ensure that your needs are met. Just look at it that way and it will become an automatic part of your life(style).
Because not one of us has the winning ticket for the weight loss lottery.
I read this sage epithet in a comment written by someone who lost a lot of weight. Although she had lost significant poundage years ago, she still haunted weight loss forums and programs because it still took lots of focus to maintain her hard work. She advised newbies to the health/weight loss/nutrition scene that there was no such place as easy street. Just as most of us have to work to make sure we are financially fit, most of us also have to work to make sure we are physically fit. Of course, in the financial realm, some lucky schmo wins the lotto every once in a while. But no one ever hits the weight loss jackpot. That's all work, all the time.
Anyone who is at odds with some odd pounds will often lament the unfairness that there really are beanpole-types who can eat whatever they want and never gain an ounce. Not so, says I.
I say this because mi esposo is one of those tall drinks of water who looks like he can shovel in a truckload of cheeseburgers without showing any bloat. He even tells people that he never has to worry about his weight. But the truth is, the good man does not overeat. He stops the meal the instant he gets full (much to his chef-wife's chagrin!) Similarly, those skinny-mini model-type girls I have known love to make much of how they DON'T diet, how they DON'T starve themselves, and all of this may be true. But when I was roommates with them in my younger years, I saw firsthand that they also did not take second helpings. Those skinny folks are not pigging out. The beanpoles just don't have big appetites. Anyone with a bigger appetite has to work every day at reminding themselves that second helpings, high calorie indulgences, big portions, and the like will not serve their health well over the long term. The folks with bigger appetites have to work at it every single day for the rest of their lives.
That's the big "lifestyle change" that all of the weight loss experts have failed to define. The rest of us out here in "TV land" thought the experts meant we have to eat a few more vegetables, carry around a water bottle, and get mad at the concept of high fructose corn syrup. While we have made those lifestyle changes, we still remained culturally obese. So, when that didn't work we may have thought that the concept of lifestyle change meant we had to be on a fringe extreme diet. So we tried them, but maybe could not cotton to the whole concept... plus, it really got too cumbersome while traveling or being a guest in someone's home. So we flat-out quit. While it is completely right-on to embrace fresh vegetables and pure water in our diets, and I even think that dabbling in some extreme diets can be educational as a short-term experiment (so long as our physicians do not see a health risk), I don't think those actions are the essential lifestyle changes we need to make. The essential lifestyle change is making your food choices and portion sizes mindful and focused, every day for the rest of your life. There is no absently munching cheese-puffs during the Clint Eastwood movie marathon in the new lifestyle. The new lifestyle is aware of the pros and cons of those cheese puffs. Armed with the knowledge of what's in them and how those ingredients affect your health goals, you may go ahead and munch away if the craving just won't die. But now you only indulge in one cup of them because you know the fat/sugar/chemical/calorie content.... You no longer polish off the whole bag because you are blissfully ignorant to the facts and you are enjoying the crunchy texture and orange fingertip effect.
That's the lifestyle change. That's the "new normal". You just have to think about it every day until the day you die, if you are serious about achieving your goals. Just as you think about going to an unrewarding office plaza every day if you are serious about ensuring that your bills are paid and there are no collection agencies with your number on speed dial. Just as you think about going to that tedious required class every day if you want that degree. Just as you think about walking your dog every day (rain or shine!) if you care about preventing stains on your new living room carpet. No one may really want to go to a lackluster job, or sit through a snoozer of a class, or walk Fido in the sleet, but you do it anyway to ensure that your goals, no, that your needs are met. It becomes an automatic part of your life...er, your lifestyle.
If you need to be healthier and weight loss is part of that health need, then you may have to do some draggy things that ensure that your needs are met. Just look at it that way and it will become an automatic part of your life(style).
Because not one of us has the winning ticket for the weight loss lottery.
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