Happy Things

Tonight after work I went on an impromptu apartment hunting trip with a friend of mine. The apartment hunting much longer than either of us anticipated and we didn't find anything that my friend might consider living in. Because it took so long to look at unappealing apartments we were very hungry by the time we finished the hunt. So we gave up on the idea of making dinner and brought home subs to share with Mike. Since I didn't cook any food tonight I thought that I'd share a few photos of things I love, to try to erase the horrible apartments and to somehow balance out the (very yummy) meatball sub. And (to be perfectly honest) I've been wanting to find a reason to post these photos.


This orchid lives on the window sill in my kitchen, it gets minimal light and even less water and it is covered in blooms. I' ve heard that orchids thrive on benign neglect, but this one seems to be taking it to a whole new level.

Here's the Homer-dog doing one of his favorite things. Apparently, in order to truly enjoy your food it's important to get as close to the bowl as possible.


Homer again, if only he were comfortable enough with us to let his true self show. (Homer gets two photos this time because Ruby was already featured in a post.)

And Ruby, looking like the princess dog that she knows she is.

Sinus Clearing Miso Soup

Well, it's official, I'm dying. Don't worry (there's no need to send cards or flowers), I expect a full recovery, once I'm done with the dying. The problem is that I'm drowning in a sea of pollen. Everything in Boston is covered with a thick layer of yellow pollen and my sinuses, throat, and eyes DO NOT LIKE IT. So they have conspired to kill me (to put me out of their misery). I do need to take a quick break from my whingeing to acknowledge that the Hub's allergies are even worse than mine and he has managed not to whinge about it at all. Clearly the man has some sort of super-strength.

When I'm congested (which happens way too often), I only want to eat spicy broth soups on the theory that some magical combination of the broth and the spice will help clear me out. This theory has yet to be confirmed in practice, but I'm convinced that it's just because I haven't found the proper broth/spice combination. Since we have tofu at home and a honkin jar of miso that I'm learning to use I decided to try miso soup. Maybe miso soup is the soup I've been waiting for.

The Hubs and I stopped at Whole Foods on the way home from work (what will I do when we move and there aren't 4 Whole Foods within a 10 block radius?) to get the ingredients for miso soup. Since I hadn't made miso soup before, I decided to rely on the recipe in Deborah Madison's This Can't Be Tofu!. At first I was very worried because the recipe calls for stock (stock recipe thoughtfully provided by Ms. Madison) and I'm just not up to making stock today. Turns out, the stock is a quick 25 minute stock, so I soldiered on. While the miso soup doesn't seem to be preventing my pollen-induced death, it was a great soup. We had it with falafel-from-a-box and asparagus; a nearly vegan meal. We just couldn't resist eating sour cream with the falafels.

Miso-Tofu Soup

For the Stock:

5 cups water

One 6-inch piece kombu (dried seaweed)

4 scallions, including the greens

1 small carrot, thinly sliced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp dark sesame oil

2 tbsp mirin (rice wine)

Salt

Combine the water, kombu, mushrooms, scallions, and carrot in a soup pot. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Remove kombu, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin and salt to taste. Simmer 10 minutes more. Strain, taste and add salt and/or soy sauce as needed (mine didn't need more of either).

For the Soup:

5 cups mushroom-kombu stock (see above) or water

1 carton silken tofu, drained

3 fresh shitake, stems discarded

4 tbsp dark or white miso (I used white)

2 scallions, white and green, thinly sliced

Few drops chili oil

Bring the stock to a simmer. Dice the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and thinly slice the mushrooms. Remove 1 cup of stock and work it into the miso until smooth. Add the tofu and mushrooms to the pot. By the time the stock returns to a boil, the tofu should be nearly heated through. Add the miso to the pot and turn off the heat. Serve with scallions and a few drops of chili oil as a garnish. Bon Appetit!

Nearly-Vegan Vegan Muffins

Yesterday I had a presentation to do at work, which is always nerve-wracking and exhilarating all at the same time, followed by a dinner with those to whom I'd presented. Pressure was added to the day when I discovered that the Big Boss would be attending the presentation. It turns out that he was there to present as well, rather than being there to watch me present, so I got to watch the master at work. I learned a lot, which will hopefully make today's presentation better than it would have been. Because of the presentation and dinner, I got home pretty late last night and didn't get to spend much time with the Hubs, so I thought I'd get up this morning and make him some muffins. Besides, I have a new cookbook that I've been dying to try out, so it was a win-win plan.

I bought this new cookbook, Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero, in a fit of existential guilt brought on by reading The Ethics of What We Eat, by Peter Singer and Jim Mason. Mr. Singer and Mr. Mason basically argue that while being a "conscientious omnivore" (which I strive to be, despite occasionally jumping-off-the-bandwagon) is a huge step in the right direction. They argue that given the manner in which all animals are slaughtered for food (despite the humane method in which they were raised) it isn't ethical or justifiable to eat any animal or animal produce. Despite my desire to eat food in a justifiable manner and my push for more soy, I'm just not sure that I can give up all dairy (as the nearly-vegan vegan muffins prove). But, I figured that one vegan cookbook does not a vegan make, so what's the harm in doing a little experimenting? These applesauce-oat bran muffins are the result of that experimenting. The recipe called for soy milk which you were supposed to mix with 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar and set it aside so that it can curdle, but I don't have any soy milk, so I substituted buttermilk (which turned out to be very good, even if it fell a little short of the vegan goal).

Applesauce Oat Bran Muffins

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup unsweetened natural applesauce

3 tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour

3/4 oat bran

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a muffin tin (this recipe calls for a 12-cup tin, but I used my 6-cup tin to make bigger muffins). In a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk, applesauce, canola oil, brown sugar, and vanilla to complete incorporate them. In a separate, smaller bowl, sift together the flour, oat bran, raisins, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring only enough to mix and being careful not to over mix. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups and bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to complete cooling. Bon Appetit!

Sunday is Egg-Day

Yesterday, when the Hubs and I went to pick up our meat from the CSA they had eggs. Lovely, multicolored eggs; the kind that's nearly irresistible. I know that the color of the shell doesn't make a lick of difference when it comes to the nutritional content of the egg, but these eggs are so beautiful they seem infinitely better than regular eggs. I can now see why Martha Stewart designed an entire line of paint colors based on these eggs. The soft greens that range from turquoise to olive. Instead of painting my house with those eggs, I opted to put them to the use for which they were intended.

First came scrambled eggs with "stuff" in them (i.e. Lazy Woman's Omelet). They had crimini mushrooms, part-skim ricotta, low-fat cheddar cheese and fresh basil. Mike rounded out the meal by cooking up some bacon from the farm to go along with the eggs. They were divine. Later in the day I turned my attention to an egg challenge I'd signed myself up for.

The egg challenge came from Magpie Musing's search for a pickled egg recipe. In the process of finding an appropriate recipe she came across a recipe entitled "Eggs in Hiding" from an old Culinary Arts Institute cookbook. It was a horrid sounding recipe and so she challenged, well, dared really, those in the blogosphere to make the recipe and link to the evidence posted on their own blog. I decided to take up the challenge, but with a twist. I wondered if I could figure out a way to update this recipe, making it appealing and healthful (which the original definitely was not).

As usual, when I'm striking off the beaten culinary path, I like to find a guide post to tell me that I ideas make sense. Sometimes that guide post isn't available, but this time I went to the Good Cook: Eggs & Cheese (such a good combination) I meet with some success. While the Good Cook: Eggs & Cheese did not have a version of "Eggs in Hiding" it did have several baked hard-boiled egg recipes and a zillion other egg-based recipes. It also had a recipe for eggs poached in tomato sauce, which seemed close enough to both the original "Eggs in Hiding" and my ideas for updating it. And so the below recipe (with photographic evidence) was born. The Hubs pronounced the results "pretty good; he'd eat 'em again."

Eggs in Hiding: 21st Century

3 hard boiled eggs

1 large Mason jar canned tomatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 tbsp basil, cut into ribbons

1/2 ounce crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp butter

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the garlic and saute over medium heat until the garlic is golden brown. Add the tomatoes, using the back to a wooden spoon to crush, and saute until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce is starting to thicken. Then add the basil (reserving a little for garnish when it comes out of the over) and turn off the heat, letting the sauce cool slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste (if the sauce is too acidic add a smigde of sugar) and stir in the crumbled feta. While the sauce is cooling, melt the butter in a small pan and then add the bread crumbs, tossing to coat. Toast the bread crumbs until they are golden brown, watching them closely because they will burn quickly. Turn off the heat and set the bread crumbs aside. Peel the hard boiled eggs and slice in half length-wise. Evenly divide the egg halves between two large ramekins that have been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Pour the sauce over the hard boiled eggs until the eggs are completely covered. Then sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs on top and put both ramekins onto a cookie sheet. Bake the ramekins for 10-15 minutes, until the eggs are warm through and the bread crumbs are nice and toasty. Let the eggs cool slightly and serve with a mixed salad and a quick salad dressing. Bon Appetit!

Are Those Birds I Hear?

The Weather Channel has promised us two beautiful days this weekend and so far, they've upheld their end of the bargain. In fact, it's supposed to hit 80 degrees tomorrow! Woohoo! Even the dogs (well, Ruby-girl more than Homer) seem pleased about the direction the weather is taking.

Of course, I've lived in New England long enough to know that weather like this at the end of April doesn't last and that we still have weeks of 60 degree weather to slog through. That's why I'm determined to make the most of this weekend. I actually have a list. (Have you ever put obvious things, like shower and dress, on a particularly long list just to feel as though you've made some progress?) I want to go for a run and a hike, take the dogs for a walk, hang out with friends, and mostly, I want to do all of my eating outside. I'm going to encourage Mike to do some outdoor grilling tonight (it's man-with-fire, shouldn't be too difficult to get him interested), I'm thinking citrus-flavored chicken breasts. I wish that there was corn on the cob and fresh peaches to go with that, but New Englanders can't be choosers, so we will have to make do with what's available.

If we do end up firing up the grill, I'll post the results and the recipe I used to make the citrus chicken (it will go something like this: fresh orange and lemon juice, chicken breast, grill). And now, I'm heading outside! Bon Appetite!

Veg & Tofu Stir Fry

Yesterday I was trying to figure out how to use blogger to find other blogs. The only thing I knew to do was to look though the Blogs of Note and, lo and behold, I came across the newly nominated blog, moments of perfect clarity. This was a fortunate find because (a) it is a cleverly written blog that does seem noteworthy and (2) because from it I found this blog, which lead to this one, and then on to this one, and finally this one. I started by commenting on a few of the posts, which lead to e-mails about follow-up posts, and (joyofjoys!) a few return comments on my posts! And now, I can comfortably say, that I am well and truly hooked. I found so many funny, clever, creative, and talented women and I can't wait to hear (or read) what they will say next. The only problem is that I am VERY tempted to check for updates (and new comments, I have to be honest) while I'm at work, which definitely wouldn't go over well at all. Luckily it's the weekend now and I have a few days to be addicted to blogger before I have to go back to work.

On another note, here's my contribution to the Food World At Large. For the longest time I was reluctant to make brown rice dishes (even though I like brown rice so much better than white rice) because of the time commitment; it just isn't convenient for a quick after work dinner. And then, the last time I was at Trader Joe's, I discovered vacuum-packed precooked brown rice. All it needs is to be reheated! Brilliant! This stir fry is part of my Plan To Feed Mike More Tofu, which requires dedication on my part because it is so much easier to just look at the tofu in the fridge for a few weeks and then throw it away. At least this block of tofu met it's intended purpose and I managed to pack lots of vegetables into one dish.

Veg & Tofu Stir Fry

10 ounces cooked brown rice

1 container firm tofu

1 cup raw green beans

3 small carrots

1 shallot (or 1/2 an onion)

1/2 red pepper

1/4 cup cashew pieces

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp teriyaki sauce

4 tbsp tamari

2 tbsp soy sauce

Wrap the tofu in a clean, lint-free kitchen towel, and place on a cutting board with something heavy (I used a cast iron pan) on top. Let the tofu drain while you prep and cook the vegetables. Chop the shallots and saute them in the 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Peel and slice the carrots into rounds and add them to the shallots. Dice the red pepper and add it to the pan with the carrots and shallots. Then cut the tops off the green beans, cut them into thirds and add them to the rest of the veggies. Let the vegetables cook for 5 - 7 minutes until they are tender. When the vegetables only have a few more minutes to go, dice the tofu into 1" pieces. Once the vegetables are cooked, pull them from the pan and set them aside while you cook the tofu. Add the other tbsp of olive oil and the sesame oil to the pan and raise the heat to medium-high. Saute the tofu, turning it until it's golden and crispy on all sides. Then add the tamari to the pan, tossing the tofu to coat it and let the tamari cook off, glazing the tofu. Do the same with the teriyaki sauce. Then add the brown rice and the cashews to the pan, tossing everything to coat it. When the rice is warm, add the vegetables and the soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Bon Appetit!

Serves 4

Springtime Risotto

Risotto is one of the most versatile dishes; it's quick, relies mostly on staples that can be kept in the cupboard indefinitely, and is surprisingly low in fat. In fact, the only fat you really need to add to the dish is a little olive oil to saute the onion and rice at the beginning. I do like to add a tablespoon of butter to the initial saute, but it isn't necessary (just tasty). The actual creaminess in the dish comes from the starch the rice releases during the cooking process. The real trick to remember when making risotto is only add three flavoring ingredients to the risotto, any more and the flavors will get muddy.

In this instance I added asparagus and goat cheese. I've been waiting months and months (or so it seems) for fresh asparagus to be ready; to me, asparagus seems to be the first true sign of spring and good weather. When I went to pick up last month's meat CSA, I asked the farmer (who also does our vegetable CSA) about the possibility of asparagus, even though the farmer's markets aren't officially open. He told me that their farm's soil is just too heavy to grow asparagus. That news, while disappointing in itself, seems to have given me indirect permission to buy asparagus from the grocery store. It least now it's coming from California and not Chile. So I bought it and featured the flavors of this lovely vegetable in a springtime risotto.

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Risotto

1 1/3 cups arborio rice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

6 - 8 cups chicken stock

1 1/4 cups white wine

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 large bunch asparagus

1 ounce goat cheese

1 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Put the chicken stock into a large pot and bring to a simmer, holding the stock just below a boil. Keeping the chicken stock at nearly the same temperature as the cooking risotto will significantly speed up the cooking time for the overall dish. While the chicken stock is coming up to temperature, put the olive oil large shallow pan over medium heat. Cook the onion in the olive oil until it has softened and then add the butter and the rice to the onion, turning the heat up to medium-high. Cook the rice and the onion until the rice grains are translucent at the edges and still opaque in the center. Once the rice has gone translucent add 1 cup of the wine to the pan, stirring to mix it in with the rice and onions. After the wine has reduced for a minute ladle enough stock into the pan to just cover the rice. Don't add the stock too quickly or the rice will get mushy. Let the rice and onion mixture cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed to the point that when you pull a path through the rice the liquid is slow to fill in the path (and yet, don't let the rice dry out). Add more stock to cover the rice. Continue this process for about 25 minutes or until the rice, when tasted, is nearly done. At this point add the asparagus, the last 1/4 cup of wine, and chicken stock letting the asparagus cook to al dente while the rice finishes, about 2-3 more minutes. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, and cover the pan to let the risotto sit for 2 minutes to absorb the remaining liquid in the pan. Then crumble the goat cheese into the mixture, add the tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Bon Appetit!

Makes 6 Servings


*If you are looking to use whole grains, substitute pearled barley for the rice. The cooking method is the same regardless of whether you use rice or barley.

Giant Soda Muffins

These muffins are an excellent alternative to more traditional muffin recipes. First, they use only whole wheat flour, relying on whole wheat white flour. Whole wheat white flour is made from "white wheat" as opposed to the more familiar "hard red spring wheat" that is used to make both the whole wheat and white flours we usually eat. While the white wheat is an albino wheat variety, it has all of the fiber and nutrition of hard red spring wheat, but with a lighter color and a milder flavor. White whole wheat is available from King Arthur Flour and in most grocery stores. The Giant Soda Muffins also have significantly less fat and sugar than most muffin recipes, instead they get moisture from buttermilk and sweetness from dried fruit. Finally, because the muffin dough has a mild flavor, it lends itself readily to many variations. Feel free to experiment, using any dried fruit on hand, adding different spices, and trying various citrus zests.

Giant Soda Muffins

Nonstick vegetable spray

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

3 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp (¼ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup dried cherries

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

2 tbsp orange zest

2 tbsp juice from the zested orange

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a six 1-cup muffin tin with nonstick vegetable spray, if you only have a standard 12 muffin tin it will work, but your muffins won't be "giant". Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and then add in the dried fruit. Work the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips until the butter is fully incorporated. Whisk the butter milk, egg, orange zest and juice, ginger and nutmeg together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to blend. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes, until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the tin and allow to cool slightly on a cooling rack. Bon Appetit!

Makes 6

Tempeh & Portabella

I just got back from my weekly pilgrimage to the grocery store(s). I love the feeling I get from a kitchen stocked full of fabulous things to eat; there are so many meal options it's almost overwhelming. Much to the Hubs's chagrin, my research into soy made me decide that I need to get as much soy into his diet as possible. (If you remember from the soy post, the only thing the experts and their studies were able to agree on is that soy lowers triglycerides and LDL cholesterol.) So today, faced with a wide array of grocery options and wanting to make a quick late lunch that wouldn't leave us too full for dinner at a reasonable time, I made tempeh and portabella mushroom sandwiches. I was worried that the woody taste of the mushrooms, when combined with the earthy flavor of the tempeh, would make the sandwich a little dull, so I spiked the sandwich with a lime-tarragon mayonnaise.

Tempeh & Portabella Mushroom Sandwich with Tarragon Mayo

8 slices bread (I used pumpernickel)

1 block tempeh

2 large portabella mushrooms

1 medium onion

2 tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

For the Mayonnaise:

1/2 tsp lime juice

1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped fine

2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise

pinch salt

Cut the onion in half and then slice the halves into half-moon shapes. Saute the onions on medium heat with a tbsp of olive oil. While the onions are sauteing, slice the mushroom into 2 inch wide strips and then cut the strips into thirds and throw them in with the onions. Sprinkle salt on the onions and mushrooms, add a little more oil if the pan is too dry, and toss to combine. While the mushrooms and onions are sauteing, cut the tempeh, crosswise and then in half (so that the pieces are about 2 inches long), raise the heat to medium-high and add the tempeh to the mushrooms and onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms and onions are softened and the tempeh is warmed through and beginning to turn golden. Add the teriyaki sauce and the soy sauce and stir to let the excess liquid cook off. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the tempeh, mushrooms and onions are cooking, finely chop the tarragon and add it to the mayonnaise, lime juice and salt. Whisk to combine and spread the mayonnaise on one slice of bread. Layer on the tempeh, mushrooms and onions and top with the second piece of bread. Bon Appetit!

Makes 4 sandwiches

An Organic Twinkie?

A local grocery store chain has been running a TV commercial in which a mother of young children laments that she cannot get her children to eat the things that she thinks they should be eating, such as green veggies. In fact, all her children want to eat is pizza and fried food. Luckily the grocery store chain has come to her rescue with their line of organic prepared foods, including the frozen pizza that the TV mom now happily serves to her children, feeling that she and her children were able to reach a compromise on what they eat, thanks to the grocery store.

Since the commercial was implying that the frozen pizza is a healthy food choice because it's organic I decided to compare the store brand organic frozen pizza with a national brand frozen "non-organic" pizza. I wanted to see where both pizzas stood in terms of general caloric intake, saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium. It turns out that the organic frozen pizza was stride for stride with the standard frozen pizza, even coming out behind the national brand in terms of saturated fat and trans fats. This left me wondering how did the "organic" label come to be synonymous with "healthy" and "good for you"?

It seems to me that there are two possible sources for the confusion between food that is organic and food that is healthy. In order to sort out the confusion, we will need a brief lesson in the history of organic food (for a detailed history of organic food, check out Organic, Inc. by Samuel Fromartz) and how we got to where we are today. The term organic technically means "living or derived from living matter" and in the context of food production, organic was used to refer to traditional forms of farming that did not include the "modern conveniences" of herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

The 1830's brought about the idea that a vegetarian diet based on whole grains was the path to physical and spiritual health. This notion grew into an interest in organic food resulting from the return to the land and to traditional methods of farming movement of the 1970's. Traditional farming practices were thought to produce healthier food that was beneficial both to our bodies and our environment. The idea that organic food is inherently healthy is supported by the common sense notion that foods produced without the use of pesticides are better for us because they mean that fewer chemicals are being added to our bodies when we eat them.

Both of those notions are true, in and of themselves, but they do not take into account the direction in which the organic food movement is currently heading. That direction was charted by the USDA's 1990 standards for certification of foods as organic and the 2002 regulations that amounted to a compromise concerning what was permissible and and what was banned in the production of processed organic foods. This new segment of the food production industry led to the rise in what Michael Pollan called "industrial organic" food. This meant that as long as a producer followed the guidelines for growing crops without the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides, that producer was free to add the organic label to whatever foods were produced.

Unfortunately for today's consumers, the organic label on processed foods only signifies that the food was produced without the use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides. The organic label does not mean that the food is any healthier than processed food that does not carry the organic label. There are those who believe that organic processed foods are contrary to the original movement back to the land and health. Many people within the organic farming community want organic foods to serve as an alternative to industrially produced foods. As strong as this alternative food movement is, there is a counter movement that seeks to make organic food as widely and cheaply available as possible, turning organic foods into a mirror for traditional industrial foods. The proponents of making organic foods as accessible as conventional food argue that the removal of pesticides and herbicides from farming is good for the consumers and the environment. (For a detailed discussion of America's food choices and their impacts see The Ethics of What We Eat, by Peter Singer and Jim Mason.)

Until those who are responsible for producing organic food decide whether organic foods should be an alternative to foods conventionally produced or should be another choice among traditional foods, even to the point of giving us organic Twinkies, we consumers need to be careful and thoughtful about our food choices. We need to remember that the organic label does not automatically mean that the food carrying the label will be any healthier for us then any other food choices. If we choose to purchase a processed food that carries the organic label, we need to be aware that the only thing we can count on is that the production of that organic food is not adding synthetic pesticides and herbicides to the earth or to our bodies. For me it's enough to know that when I choose a product with the organic label I am helping to remove pesticides and herbicides from the earth.

Shopping in my Kitchen

the Hubs and I got back from my parents' house late yesterday evening and I just didn't have it in me to go to the grocery store after our long drive home. Instead, I decided to turn to my cupboards and fridge to make dinner tonight. I managed to turn up some pasta (the cupboards have gotten really bare when I run out of pasta), bacon from the CSA, two bunches of rainbow swiss chard that was slightly past its prime, and the tail end of a bottle of gewustraminer. Since I proposed to make bacon the center point of the meal, the Hubs was game, and we decided to give it a whirl. Turns out the theory is correct, bacon makes anything good!

Rainbow Swiss Chard and Bacon Pasta

1/2 lb bacon, cut crosswise into 1" pieces
2 bunches rainbow swiss chard, stems only, cut crosswise into 1" pieces
10 ounces whole wheat pasta
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (white wine vinegar is a good substitute)
3/4 cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the sliced bacon in a large pan until it's nice and crispy. Remove the bacon to drain on paper towels and reserve 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat. Saute the onions and swiss chard in the reserved bacon fat until they are softened. When you add the onions and swiss chard to the reserve bacon fat put the pasta on to cook. Once the vegetables have begun to soften (about 3-5 minutes), pour in the vinegar and stir vigorously to deglaze the pan. Then add the wine and boil to reduce for approximately 5 minutes. Add the drained pasta and the cooked bacon to the pan, toss the ingredients together and serve. Bon Appetit!

Mexican One-Eyes

This weekend the Hubs and I traveled to my parent's house for Easter. My brother was also able to get some time off from work and come home for the holiday. Ok, correction, he says that he's home for the holiday, but I suspect that he's really here for the Mexican One-Eyes, the only breakfast my brother wants to eat the entire time he's at home. Mexican One-Eyes are a breakfast wonder that was invented by my tiny British Nana many years ago. Unfortunately, my Nana is no longer with us, so we can't ask her why in the world she called them Mexican One-Eyes. The One-Eye part makes perfect sense, it's the Mexican part that eludes everyone.

The truly amazing part about these humble wonders is the hold they have over those lucky enough to eat them. In fact, my brother claims that he is incapable of replicating them, leading him to the conclusion that my mom is currently the only person who can make a Mexican One-Eye the way it's supposed to be made. He also claims that there isn't any point in eating anything else for breakfast since nothing can compare to the Mexican One-Eye. This has made me wonder about the power that familiar comfort food holds over us all. Comfort food's appeal can't just be about the way it tastes or it wouldn't be any different from any other food that appeals to our palates. Comfort food's power has to come from it's sensory hold over our memories; from the way that familiar sight, taste, and smell can make us remember times and places that are important to us. The other interesting thing about comfort food is that while all people and cultures have some version of comfort food, there is a huge variety in what we find comforting to eat.

In the spirit of the celebrating our particular brand of comfort food, here is the recipe for Mexican One- Eyes. This version of the recipe makes 4 servings, but it's very easy to make as many servings as you need. In fact, I once watched my brother and his friend eat a dozen of these.

Mexican One-Eyes

4 pieces bread (in my family we prefer oatmeal bread, but use whatever type of bread you have on hand)
4 eggs
Butter, softened (approximately 1 tablespoon)
Cooking spray
Salt & pepper to taste

Start heating your frying pan or griddle so that it's hot by the time you have the bread ready. Butter both sides of each piece of bread and cut a hole in the middle that's approximately 2 inches in diameter. Spray a small amount of cooking spray into the pan (or griddle) and put the bread and the round piece of bread you cut out of the bread's center into the pan. Then crack one egg into the center of the hole in the bread and lift of the corners of the bread slightly so that some of the egg white escapes the hole in the bread. Salt and pepper the egg to your taste. Once the egg looks about half way cooked flip the bread (don't forget to flip the round center too) and cook the other side until the bread is toasted and the egg whites are set, but make sure that you don't cook the yolks completely. Serve the bread with the egg and the toasted center you cut from the bread. The center of the bread is perfect for mopping up the egg yolk that escapes when you cut into your Mexican One-Eye. Bon Appetit!

The Soy Conundrum

Soy proteins, while only just gaining a portion of the American palate, have been widely consumed for generations, particularly in Asian countries. Soy protein products are gaining popularity because they can be good substitutes for animal products. Soy offers a "complete" protein profile, containing all the amino acids essential to human nutrition, which cannot be synthesized by the human body. Given their complete protein profile, soy protein products can replace animal-based foods--which tend to contain more fat, especially saturated fat.
In October 1999, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the placement of a health claim, stating that soy helped lower heart disease risk, on foods containing at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving and fitting other criteria, such as being low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. The FDA’s approval of the soy health claim was based on a yearlong review of the available human studies, concluding that a daily diet containing 25 grams of soy protein, which is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

As with most health claims approved by the FDA, approval of soy’s health benefits was closely followed by contradictory claims that soy causes serious health problems. Those health concerns surround soy isoflavones which are phytoestrogens, a weak form of estrogen that could have a drug-like effect in the body, with some studies suggesting that high isoflavone levels might increase the risk of cancer and other studies suggesting the direct opposite.

I first heard about this “soy conundrum” a few months ago when a friend asked me what I thought about the reports that soy is bad for your health. Not having heard of this before, I turned Amazon.com, where I found a few popular books that discuss the negative qualities of soy. Those books did not seem to present a well-rounded discussion of the issue and that’s what I require when deciding what to eat. So I started a review of the published studies available. Of course, I have a job other than soy-related research and can only claim your attention for a brief period of time, so this post will just provide an overview of the issue.

In August 2005 the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, did a review of the available studies summarizing the studies’ findings for the rest of us. That evidence review set out to summarize the current evidence of the health effects of soy and its isoflavones on menopausal symptoms, bone health, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases and cognitive function, as well as safety issues and drug interactions. In addition, the report summarized the formulations of soy products and/or soy food used in clinical trials.

The evidence report concluded that most of the studies evaluated the effects of soy on various biomarkers or measures, not clinical outcomes. Overall, soy was found to have a small effect on lipids. However, these studies were of generally short duration, and it is uncertain whether the results would be sustained. The evidence report found that soy reduced hot flashes in trials involving post-menopausal and peri-menopausal women; although most of the trials lasted only 3 to 4 months, so the long-term benefits remain unclear. In addition, different measurements were used to assess benefits across studies making comparisons and synthesis difficult.

The interesting, and consistent, part of the AHRQ’s evidence review’s conclusion was that for all outcomes there is no conclusive evidence of a dose-response effect for either soy protein or isoflavone. In keeping with the conclusion reached by the AHRQ’s evidence report, Margo Woods, D.Sc., associate professor of medicine at Tufts University, who has studied soy's effects in postmenopausal women, says "the story's not all in yet, there's a lot of emerging data and it's confusing. In the meantime, we should be cautious." Margo Woods says her concerns are centered mainly on isoflavone supplements and that she's "much more comfortable" recommending soy as a whole food. "There are probably hundreds of protective compounds in soy [foods]. It's just too big a leap to assume that a pill could do the same thing."
This recommendation is echoed by Daniel Sheehan, Ph.D., director of the Estrogen Knowledge Base Program at FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research, who also urges caution in consumption of soy isoflavones. In formal comments submitted to the public record of his own agency while FDA was reviewing the health claim, Sheehan, along with colleague Daniel Doerge, Ph.D., wrote, "While isoflavones may have beneficial effects at some ages or circumstances, this cannot be assumed to be true at all ages. Isoflavones are like other estrogens in that they are two-edged swords, conferring both benefits and risks."

To me, it seems that given the inability of the scientific studies to reach a reliable conclusion, the best approach is caution. This, conveniently, fits in with my general food theory, which is that the best diet is a varied one with all components consumed in moderation. There is enough evidence showing the positive effects of whole soy, including the FDA’s conclusion of soy’s health benefits that I am not going to stop eating soy and its various products. But I am not going to rush out to start taking soy isovlavone supplements, given the inconsistent conclusions regarding its health effects. Overall, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to forgo soy products (or start soy isoflavone therapy) unless it is at the advice of your medical professional.

The Saga of the Pig, Part II

Success! The pork and white bean stew was a huge success, as was the overall party. In fact, there was only a tiny bit of the stew left over for lunch today. I am very pleased that the stew plan, despite not having confirmation from any cookbook source, turned out to be a solid plan. No one needed to eat pizza yesterday! As promised, here is the recipe I used. This stew, like most stews, is improved by sitting so, if possible, cook the stew a day in advance and reheat just prior to serving.

Pork and White Bean Stew

5-6 pounds bone-in pork shoulder
2 cups dried white beans
6 medium carrots
5 ribs celery
2 medium onions
6 cloves garlic
2 (14 oz) jars canned tomatoes, drained
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups white wine
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 small bunch fresh sage
1 small bunch fresh marjoram
2 tablespoons dried herbes de provence
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
Salt and pepper to taste

This is a two-part recipe that needs to be started the day before the stew will be served.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Roughly chop 2 carrots, 2 ribs of celery, 1 onion and crush 3 cloves of garlic. Layer those vegatables on several sheets of tinfoil (which will be used to make a pouch around the vegetables and meat). Place the fresh herbs on top of the vegetables and put the meat on top of the vegetables and herbs. Pour 1 cup of white wine and 1 cup of chicken stock into the pouch and close up. Put the pouch into a roasting pan and pour 1 cup of white wine and 1 cup of chicken stock inside the roasting pan so that the liquid surrounds the pouch of meat and vegetables. Putting the liquid inside the foil pouch and the roasting pan means that there will be enough liquid to keep the meat from drying out. Roast in the oven for 2 and a half hours, cool and refrigerate the meat over night, discarding the vegetables (or feed them to the dogs for their dinner), herbs, and the cooking liquids. Soak the white beans in a large bowl of water overnight.

The following morning peel and chop the remaining carrots, celery and onion. Put in slow cooker along with the soaked beans, the canned tomatoes, dried herbs, 2 cups of chicken stock, 1 cup of white wine, and the pre-cooked pork. Cook on high for 8 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. Bon Appetit!

The Saga of the Pig Part I

Tomorrow is the Hubs's, company's second official anniversary. The Hubs and his partners wanted to celebrate the anniversary and I volunteered to have all of the employees and their significant others over for a party. Luckily, the company is still small so I'm only going to have about 12 people. That left me having to figure out what I wanted to serve those 12 people. Initially I was going to do a chocolate chicken chili, but we were worried that the dogs would sneak a taste of some unsuspecting guest's food, so the chocolate chili was out. After that I decided to take a gamble and when we went last Saturday to pick up this month's meat csa share I asked for a piece of meat that would take slow cooking and was large enough to serve 12. They came up with a 6 pound bone in pork shoulder. Now all I needed to do was come up with a recipe.

The idea I came up with was to do a slow cooked pork and white bean stew that was rich with Provence-style flavors. My plan is to start the pork in the oven the night before to get it cooked through. Once the pork is cooked through, I'll put it in the fridge so that the gelatin congeals. Then tomorrow the pork can finish in the slow cooker with the beans so that it turns into a creamy shredded pork stew. It seems like a solid plan, but I was hoping for some confirmation of that plan, just to insure that I won't have 6 pounds of inedible pork on my hands when I have 12 people to feed. So I went to my vast library of cookbooks to see what they recommended, but there wasn't anything similar to my plan; not even in The Good Cook: Pork (and the Good Cook series had never let me down before). Undaunted, I checked the internet, and even that didn't have any suitable recipes that could give approval to my plan.

Not to worry though, I have decided that the problem is not with the plan itself, but with the cut of pork. My conclusion is that the pork shoulder is not a very popular cut of pork, mainly because most people don't have access to the pork farmer himself. Based on this bit of self-reassurance I am forging ahead with the plan and as I type, the pork shoulder is in the oven with about an hour to go and the white beans have started their overnight soak.

Stay tuned for Part II of the Saga of the Pig and I will let you know how the pork and white bean stew turns out. If it's a success I will post the recipe too and if it's a failure, I'll post the phone number for our local pizza place. Bon Appetit!

An Under Appreciated Hero

Today I thought that I would talk about one of the unacknowledged, under appreciated part of making a good meal or at least a good salad. Yup. You guessed it, I'm going to devote today's post to salad dressing. No wait, just think about it for a minute. Salad dressing is the thing that turns some plain old lettuce and a few chopped vegetables into a salad. Frankly, it's the dressing that stands between an excellent salad and rabbit food. I can just hear what you are thinking now, "I don't eat salad dressing, it's so bad for you." And you're right, if you're talking about the stuff that comes bottled from the grocery store and can live in your fridge for nearly a decade without suffering any ill effects. I wouldn't eat that stuff either. What I'm talking about is different; so different in fact, that from now on, I'm going to stop referring to it as salad dressing, it is now a vinaigrette.

There are a multitude of vinaigrette options and I will feature many different alternatives on this blog, but sometimes, you just need a simple dressing with a good acidity. The acidity helps bring out the flavor of the lettuces and cuts through a rich dish or salad topping. In some ways, this vinaigrette can be thought of as the starting point. It's quick and easy enough for everyday and yet versatile enough for almost every dish. It's the go-to and it's made with only three ingredients: good quality extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes "good quality" olive oil. I recommend that you experiment with different brands and countries of origin until you find one that fits your definition of "good quality."

The first thing that sets my vinaigrette apart from the other recipes you will find is the method for making the vinaigrette. Other salad dressing recipes you will find will tell you that the key to a good vinaigrette is to slowly drizzle the olive oil into the other ingredients while whisking as hard as you can. They will say that the only way to emulsify the oil and the other ingredients is with this frenetic whisking. DO NOT BELIEVE THEM. That’s not to say that the whisking method isn’t successful, it is, but it isn’t the only method available. I find that the whisking method has two fatal flaws, first it requires dirtying the whisk and mixing bowl (which being wide enough for wisking isn't appropriate for controlled pouring so it creates unnecessary dishes) and second, it is hard to make just enough dressing for two salads with this method. One always ends up making too much dressing.

Try it this way instead. Put 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, a small pinch of salt, and a tablespoon of olive oil into a small jar with a tightly fitting lid (I prefer a recycled Dijon mustard jar). These amounts should give you enough dressing for two small side salads. Just preserve the acid to oil ratio and you can increase the recipe for as many servings as you need. Put the lid on the jar and give it your best Carmen Miranda shake. Voila! Well emulsified salad dressing and you were able to make only enough dressing for the salads at hand. Just pour and enjoy. Bon Appetit!