Glorious Foodie

Sweet indulgences

2009-10-16T21:48:00.005-04:00

When the mercury drops, I find my pantry suddenly filled with cozy veggies, mostly those from underground or that can last a winter in an oaken barrel in a cellar. Except I don't have any barrels or subterranean storage. But you get the picture: squash, onions, potatoes, carrots, apples...the cozy stuff.

I invented this next dish as a spicy awakening for the senses when you just want to hunker down for a long autumn's nap. I will be making this side dish ALL the time because it's the perfect balance of flavorful, satisfying, and special.

Glowing Sweet Potato Fries (with Garlic-Pesto mayo)

1. Preheat the oven to 375

2. Slice two medium sweet potatoes lengthwise into thin matchsticks, about 1/4" on each side. Spread on jelly roll pan and toss with:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp paprika (smoked is awesome if you have it on hand)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3. Bake until thoroughly cooked and a the skins begin to crackle (you don't want them soft and mushy- a little over-done is OK). Takes 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 or 15.

4. Meanwhile, combine 1/2 c plain yogurt with 1/8 c mayo (more if you like), 2 Tbsp pesto and 1 large clove finely minced garlic. Let this sit while the fries bake so the flavors really come through.

These are incredible, I've had them with tomato soup on a rainy day or with any range of entrees. Happy spicy munching!

Feelin' crunchy

2009-09-30T21:39:00.007-04:00

This weekend was our first taste of autumn. We went for a run in the woods looking for five features of fall (and yes, in April we sought seven signs of spring because we are alliteration nerds). My favorites: squirrels gathering nuts, a Japanese maple in brilliant display, and the cool breeze by the water. It was all I needed to turn on the oven and get some cinnamon baking. Inspired by my new find, gluten free oats (!), I decided to try my hand at granola.

This one is peanut-buttery and perfect for studying. I'm a crunchy snacker when I have papers to write, so this treat was gone a little too fast :) I hope you enjoy!

Study Break Granola

1. Preheat oven to 275

2. Toast on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, careful not to burn:

1/4 c each: sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, and almonds

3. Melt together over low heat in a small saucepan:

1/4 c. crunchy peanut butter

1/4 c. honey

2 1/2 T canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4. In a large bowl, combine toasted nuts and seeds with:

1 1/4 c. GF oats

1/4 c coconut flakes

1/4 c ground flax seeds

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

5. Add wet to dry and combine well.

6. Spread onto jelly roll pan and bake about 30 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning.

7. Remove from oven when golden and toasty and let cool at least 20 minutes while it firms up.

Happy munching

Breathing fresh air

2009-07-12T11:10:00.014-04:00

For the first time in three years, I spent the day in the countryside, with no agenda and no schedule for weeks behind or in front of me. And for the first time in nine years, I am on summer vacation! I realize that this may be my first and last true summer break since high school, so I am (gently) trying to make the most of it.

Alex and I have been focused on setting up our new apartment, but also on sleeping in, taking naps, and eating delicious foodie. So much so that a drive to the country to acquire even more foodie was the perfect way to spend our Friday. We loaded up our (new!) car with homemade guacamole and chips and drove north to a farm somewhere on the Maryland/Pennsylvania border. Even on the highway we were struck by the incredible lushness of our environment, how all of the trees and wildflowers seemed to be concentrated versions of what we were used to in Upstate New York. Everything oozed green.

When we arrived at the farm, we purchased some of their famous salsa and had a picnic in the shade of pine trees before setting out for the blueberry patches. The fields that awaited us were dotted with blue, purple and green.

I come from a long line of women who are great "pickers," as my mom says, so I took the job pretty seriously, sampling each bush for flavor before cleaning it of ripe berries and plunking them into my mixing bowl. Alex took a more relaxed approach. But with nowhere to be and nothing on our plates but blueberries, we were in no hurry.

We ended up with twelve or fifteen pounds of the most delicious, sun-warmed berries. Nothing compared to the forty pounds I would pick each summer with my mom, but we are a much smaller family with a much smaller freezer.

The farm is a working orchard and sold peaches, plums, apricots as well as green beans, corn, tomatoes, summer squash and canteloupes at the stand out front. We bought bags of everything and spent the ride home fantasizing about the many dishes we would prepare to showcase our produce. We both love the combination of peaches and blueberries, so we chose a crisp recipe that is easily GF and seemingly failsafe.

Look at that combination...I mean, fugetaboutit!

Peach-Berry Crisp

I tossed about 5 cups of blueberries and 5 peaches (thinly sliced) into a large glass baking dish with about 1/4 cup of GF flour mix (brown rice, potato starch, and tapioca flours), 1/4 cup of sugar, the juice of one lemon, one tsp. of cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg. After letting that macerate for a few minutes, I topped it with a mixture of 1 cup GF flour mix, 1/3 cup softened butter, 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 cup ground flax seeds, and 3/4 cup chopped almonds. I just mushed the butter into the dry ingredients until it was well combined and could crumble in my hands, then sprinkled the mixture atop the fruit. Note: This could easily be modified to be vegan with some margarine or vegetable shortening.

I baked this at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the juices bubbled and the topping was nicely browned. It's best to let this sit for a while to thicken, but if you must eat it right way, be prepared for a very juicy dessert with a serious crunch from the almonds on top. It's also delicious cold for breakfast. For dessert, I had mine with frozen yogurt and Alex ate his with ice cream to sweeten the berries (I love tart foods so this recipe does not have much sugar. Definitely add more if you are a sweet pie kind of person).

The next morning, I piled leftovers on top of yogurt but Alex preferred his straight up with a glass of milk. Warm or cool, plain or sweetened, this crisp is one of the best things about summer.

We still have at least ten pounds of blueberries left. How have you been using up your summer berries?

Fun in the sun- grilling "in"

2009-05-30T14:29:00.008-04:00

Sorry I have been MIA the past few weeks. I have been cooking and eating delightful, fresh-off-the-farm produce and savoring every bite (privately), but I guess it's time I got back to sharing my goodies.

Last weekend was a perfect preview to summer: sunshine, bar-b-que, sales! We took advantage of the incredible long weekend and broke out the (stovetop) grill, joining the millions of families who charred up their Memorial Day. Saturday night, after a mega-Coop shopping trip, we created incredible sandwiches with all the flavors of the season: fresh pesto, heirloom tomatoes, grilled onions and portabellas.

I marinated the mushroom caps for about an hour in a simple dressing of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. I then grilled them alongside slices of sweet vidalia onion and brushed them with the remaining marinade, as needed, for about 20 minutes (flipping and rotating for that perfect grilled "x").

The pesto is a new creation each time, but roughly followed the recipe I posted last year: just a bunch of fresh basil, half a lemon, a couple ounces of parmesan, and a handful of nuts (EVOO, sale, pepper, of course). We spread the pesto on both slices of toasted (millet) bread, then layered the mushrooms, grilled onions, drunken goat cheese (one of my favorites), and lettuce and tomato. It was scrumptious!

Afterwards, we went out for a much-deserved scoop of "Louie G's" ice cream from our local shop. Waiting in line outside the blue and white striped awning with all the adults and kids brings huge summer flashbacks of dashing to get a cone after a day of swimming at the pool or running around at summer camp. This ice cream was just as delicious, and deserved. Alex models mint chip on a green T-shirt:

More from our "grill" soon: pancakes that almost made me weep for joy (I'll explain...) Also, we're expecting a whole lot more summer afternoons at the pool when we make the big move southward.

Hope you're outside enjoying the birdsongs and BBQ smells. Isn't this season amazing?!

Wild rice sald

2009-05-05T16:06:00.005-04:00

It's been raining almost non-stop for what feels like weeks. The trees have burst into green and the grass is deliciously lush, but the humans aren't feeling so happy. Even the dogs at the park are glum.

To shake us out of some London-esque spring blues, I concocted a hearty and savory wild rice salad this weekend. It was one of those recipes I wake up with, as my final dream of the morning, giving subconscious direction to my culinary moves for the day. The same thing happened earlier this spring when I awoke with the NEED for a watercress and radish salad. I've never eaten watercress and I don't care for radishes, but on that morning, I knew it was the right thing.

So this wild rice salad of my dreams exceeded my expectations and warmed our house with its simmering scents. And now it's filling our bellies at our cold drowsy offices as we wait for the sun to shine through. It only gets better as it soaks up the juices.

This is a version I made with strawberries and peaches, which are perfect with the toasted pecans.

Wild rice salad of my dreams (all measurements are approximate, use your judgment)

In a medium sauce pot, combine and simmer 45 minutes:
1 c. wild rice (rinsed)
1 c. long grain brown rice
4-5 c. water (I can never get the amount just right)
1/2 stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 star anise
3 cloves
1/2 tsp. peppercorns
1/4 tsp. allspice balls

When it's cooked, remove all the spices and leaves and let sit for a few minutes with the lid on. Then fluff and let cool while you prepare the mix-ins:

1 carrot, peeled and sliced to thin medallions
Zest of an orange
Juice of 1/2 an orange (more to taste, as needed)
EVOO (as needed)
1 bunch scallions, minced
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 c. pecans, chopped (throw in more, to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all parts together, adding other veggies, cheeses (feta and goat are both good options) or dressing components and let sit as long as you're willing. The spices add a subtle aroma that melds really well with the orange juice and the hearty crunch of the wild rice.

What recipes have you dreamed of lately?

On a baking frenzy

2009-04-26T22:40:00.006-04:00

I love the creative, spontaneous nature of cooking dinner each night, the free-flowing way vegetables enter the pan, followed by complimentary spices and sauces, inspired by the weather, a novel, or a recent trip. Sometimes, however, I require a little more structure. The focus, attention to detail, and precision involved in baking can be really therapeutic for me, especially when my life feels a bit out of my control. I think that's why my last four posts have all been about baked goods (and why I've been running my oven overtime). These confections bring comfort (a melty, steaming slice of banana bread with gooey chocolate chips), shared joys with friends (a basket of crisp coconut macaroons passed around the birthday table), and fill our souls (corn bread on a rainy Tuesday night, served up with BBQ tempeh and collards).

These past fourteen months I have researched, studied, written to, interviewed with, and visited dozens of graduate programs. The hundreds of hours preparing for exams, writing essays and talking with professors, as well as the astronomical costs of the application process have finally come to fruition. This summer, Alex and I will finally be moving to a town where he can pursue his passions with international sociology (including food systems and "green" economies) and where I can explore my interests in the law (workers' rights, environmental justice and civil rights.) After the many harried late nights on the subway plotting essay outlines on the back of advertisements found in am New York, I am finally DONE with the process! Last week, Alex and I officially accepted our offers from our respective graduate programs, and we will be relocating to our new town in just a couple of months.

The denoument of our quest to find "just one good option together" has finally played out, somewhat anti-climactically given the length of our seaerch. Just a couple of weeks ago, we visited the town to make certain it was the right choice, and after a day of torrential rain, the clouds parted for our first truly beautiful day this year. It was a warm welcome from our future home, whose brick townhouses smiled down at us. I snapped this parting shot from a passing window to remind me of the new town's charm. It will be hard to leave Brooklyn and her many offerings, but we hope to set up a more comfortable, greener home in our new place.
Until then, I will be scanning Craigslist each day for the best postings and coming home each night to vent my creativity in a spontaneous dinner concoction. This means, of course, that my baking run is most likely over :) On to light spring vegetables and delicate fruits, presented as purely and simply to showcase their natural beauty.

This recipe is my last from the oven for a while. Its flavors and textures are a perfect balance for a savory meal, and it will definitely make an appearance come autumn. Autumn, when I will once again see the swirling fallen leaves from a student's perspective. I can't wait.
Cheddar Corn Bread
(Adapted from Gluten Free Baking Classics)
1 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup brown rice flour
2/9 cup potato starch flour (no, that's not a typo, the recipe calls for 1 cup "mix" which is 2 cups brown rice flour, 2/3 cups potato starch flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour, so I divided it by three)
1/9 cup tapioca flour
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup milk minus 1 Tablespoon
1 large egg, well beaten
3/4 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Pinch or two of red pepper flakes

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease muffin pan (makes 9) or 8" round cake pan.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, mix wet ingredients, then add to dry and stir gently to combine. Do not over-mix. Stir in cheddar cheese and pepper flakes.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake about 25 minutes (pan) or 20 minutes (muffins). Remove from pan and serve immediately.

This is best warm and fresh, but leftovers can be sliced thinly and grilled with melted cheese or fried egg for a delicious brunch treat. We liked melting additional cheddar cheese inside, and served it with grilled BBQ tempeh and collard greens. I hope it brings you comfort too!

Gobbled up banana bread

2009-04-25T17:30:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Gluten-Free Girl's awesome post about a recent dinner party with her friends, I decided to try a loaf of her sweet and cakey banana bread to see what everyone was raving about. It was absolutely the best banana bread I've ever eaten, and was the perfect snack for our impromptu road trip to Baltimore to check out grad schools (more on that later). Banana bread is the perfect disguise for the often light and crumbly gluten free flours because of its dense, moist texture and lush banana flavor. This is definitely a make-again, a nice gift for the holidays or for a little dinner party. Thank you Gluten Free Girl!
The gooey extra large Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips are my favorite, and the candied ginger adds an unexpected and spicy kick to the confection. I was out of the teff flour, so I improvised with brown rice and ground flax seeds. I don't think it compromised the integrity of the dish, so to speak.

Famous Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup ground flax seeds (for texture and Omega-3s)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 large bananas)
1/4 cup yogurt (I used fat free vanilla and it was fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup crystallized ginger

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan. Melt the butter on low heat. Set it aside to cool.
2. Sift together the flours and add xanthan gum, sugar, baking soda, and spices in a large bowl. Mix well.
3. Mix together the mashed bananas, eggs, yogurt, butter, and extract in a large bowl until just combined. Now sift the dry ingredients into the wet, avoid over-mixing. Stir in chocolate chips and candied ginger pieces (I chopped mine to 1/4" bits). Smooth out the top of the loaf.
4. Bake about 45 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean and the top is golden. Let set 10 minutes before removing from pan, then cool before slicing. As GF Girl notes, it's pretty hard to wait.

Parchment Paper and Martha

2009-04-04T17:42:00.009-04:00

There's something so clean, crisp, and correct about parchment paper. Its smooth waxy surface and the satisfying crunch it makes when torn are so inviting. While aluminum foil feels crass, plastic wrap trashy, and wax paper excessive, parchment paper is just...right. I didn't understand its uses and merits until I began really baking and following cookbooks several years ago. A meltdown (painful pun intended) with a batch of chocolate chip cookies and some wax paper was my wake-up call. Overnight, I became parchment paper's biggest advocate.

This month's Martha Stewart Living has a delicious recipe for coconut macaroons--featuring, of course, parchment paper--which just seemed right for this blustery nigh-on-spring Saturday afternoon. The crisp exterior and chewy insides of these little morsels are both light and indulgent. I made a double batch to bring to a friend's birthday party, wrapped in a brown paper box with dotted tissue paper.
I am huge fan of Martha Stewart, although I know many love to hate on her, but I really admire her sensibility, creativity, and vast knowledge of all things domestic. She's also incredibly outspoken and doesn't take any b.s. And she knows her cookies. Trust me, these are incredible! The crunch from the almond pieces and the little spots of coarse sea salt add a refined texture to this simple dessert. I highly recommend them, just in time for Passover, and they are super simple to make.

Martha's Coconut Macaroons
(makes 16)
2/3 cup sugar
2 egg whites
2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract (my addition)
Pinch coarse sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in a large bowl until well combined.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well.
4. Form into 2 Tbsp-sized mounds (you can really pack it together in your hands) and place 8 on each cookie sheet.
5. Bake about 15 minutes until golden on the bottoms and sides.
6. Cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheets and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Spring is here!

2009-03-28T09:53:00.013-04:00

We had a small gathering last weekend in honor of this miraculous season. Crisp asparagus, spicy spinach-garlic pesto, delicate baby greens straight from (someone’s) garden. Tulips and irises graced our table and set the perfect backdrop for dessert: carrot cake. Because what is more springy than carrot cake? Can you believe this decadent, delicious dessert is totally gluten-free? I brought the leftovers to work where it was devoured in less than an hour (at 10:00 in the morning). No one knew it was GF and all plates were cleaned. I think it’s the combination of brown rice flour and walnuts and carrots that gives this dense cake the substance often lacking in GF baked goods. And lemony cream cheese frosting doesn’t hurt either.

Read up and enjoy! It’s simpler than the long ingredients list makes it seem. However, starting with the best, freshest organic produce and dairy really "puts the pants on it," as my mom says. Look how healthy these free range organic eggs are, so richly colored. I remember when we had white, uniform Eggland's Best eggs with the red stamp on them. I hate to think the lives those chickens lived. These eggs look like they came from my grandmother's farm.
Carrot Cake – makes 2 layers from Gluten Free Baking Classics, by Annalise Roberts—my new favorite cookbook for all things previously forbidden
2 cups brown rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 ½ tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
2 cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups canola oil
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups peeled, grated carrots (about 6 medium carrots)
Check out the vibrancy of my juicy organic carrots!
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line two 9” round pans with parchment and lightly oil.
2. Combine dry ingredients, flour through nutmeg, in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and oil about 1 minute. Add vanilla and mix well.
4. Add dry to wet and beat on medium about 4 minutes. Fold in carrots, coconut, and walnuts.
5. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake about 40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool on rack for 10 minutes (in the pans). Use a knife to separate from pans and flip layers onto rack to finish cooling (peel off parchment).
7. DO NOT frost warm layers, as the icing will ooze and run all over the place. It’s delicious but not so pretty. Once it’s completely cooled, place bottom layer on a cake stand and frost its top. Then lay the second layer on top and frost the top and sides. Sprinkle an additional 1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes (spread in a pan and baked 3 minutes at 350) over the top and sides. Cream Cheese frosting
The real reason we all eat carrot cake. I made mine with a Meyer lemon and it was heavenly, fit for a queen.
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup low fat cream cheese, also room temp
3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 lemon, zested and juiced

1. Beat butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in sugar at low speed until blended, then add vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. I immediately frosted my cake, but I think it would have been easier if I had chilled the icing so it stayed put between the layers. Be sure to add lots of icing to the middle, as that really makes the look of each slice. This is both very sweet and fairly tart, so balance the flavors to taste.
The cake has a beautiful moistness and a satisfying crunch from the walnuts and coconut. I would definitely make it again, but might do only one layer since two was far more cake than Alex and I could manage in the 3-4 days it keeps in the fridge. It would be a lovely brunch piece or dessert for a baby shower or daytime event. I would like to try it in mini cake pans for individual servings, since it avoids the messy slicing process. It’s not crumbly, like traditional GF desserts though. I think I just need a cake server :)

A Classic New York Birthday

2009-03-10T12:58:00.002-04:00

For my big 2-5, Alex treated me to a full day of NYC tourists' delights, in honor of our final months in this historic city.

He started us off with a cozy champagne brunch at home (featuring my favorite GF waffles) and mimosas, while I opened presents and revealed the days' itinerary (it had been a surprise. When Alex asked what I wanted for my birthday, I asked for "a day of fun.")

We bundled up for the frigid February gusts and rode up to Central Park for a horse-drawn carriage ride. I know, it's kinda cheesy, but it's the kind of thing you really have to try once and embrace for the experience. And I loved it.
Alex knows that my head is often in the clouds--dreaming of magical lands and times past--so he led me through the park to Belvedere Castle, a wonderful "medieval" structure designed early in the Park's history. We wandered through the airy rooms to several rooftops and balconies canopied with stone carvings and impish sculptures before winding our way down the stairs to the pond below.
We played tourist and helped others take photos, exchanging cameras at scenic locations. The crisp air and hints of spring, along with the (finally!) muffled noises from the city were so transportative, we could have been in an Old World forest. It was perfect.
Of course, all that walking and fighting the chill made us pretty hungry, so we headed downtown to a famous gluten-free restaurant I'd been dying to try, Risotteria. As the name implies, they speicalize in Italian foods, and almost everything can be made gluten free. Imagine my delight when, after almost a year of abstention, I could indulge in breadsticks, pizza, and cake! It was a memorable meal, made more delightful by the fact that I could order anything on the menu and not worry, and I didn't have to ask the server a million questions about ingredients (they are very up-front about vegetarian ingredients too). Charming, delicious, relaxing...everything a restaurant experience should be.
I was grinning all over at this point, and we still had more birthday to celebrate. We dashed Uptown to catch Chicago on Broadway, in all its Fosse splendor, and danced in our seats throughout the production. While the night drew to a close, Alex had two more surprises for me: a (very generous) trip to see the Martha Stewart Show (air date 3/13/09-- you can pick us out in the audience shots at the beginning-- I'm wearing a bright turquoise dress and black wrap) and tickets to the top of the Empire State Building! I'm breathless just from writing it all down.

My favorite birthdays are the ones that last the longest, and Alex did an amazing job of packing my day full of beautiful things, as well as giving us more to look forward to in the Ides of March. My family and friends also filled my house with love (several bountiful bouquets), cards, gifts, and a general outpouring of joy that really makes the day so memorable. So thank you to everyone for their birthday wishes! I have a good feeling about this one.

(photos coming soon)

Warmth from winter veggies

2009-02-27T12:41:00.006-05:00

After my "Week of Soups" in the middle of February, I had to concoct a new way to stay cozy and well-fed in the dregs of winter. For me, it's the bright, bitter-sweet taste of rainbow chard, layered with a savory bit of protein. Last night, I came up with a combination that really zaps my winter blues away and warms my heart. The colors, textures, and subtle flavors of each component meld so well, it's definitely a beautiful and satisfying medley of winter veggies.

1. First, I roasted a delicata squash (beautiful yellow oblong squash about 5" long with green veins running down like a pumpkin) with some olive oil in a covered pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Just halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds before roasting face down on the pan.

2. I sauteed a bunch of rainbow chard (a bundle containing white, pink, and golden-stemmed varieties) with a load of onions, garlic, and a healthy grind of fresh black pepper. This is seasoning enough for the gorgeous greens.

3. I shoved the greens to one side of the pan when they needed to simmer more and sprayed some EVOO and Bragg's liquid amino acids on the spot for some thinly sliced (1/4") tofu. This seared the skin, browned it nicely, and when I turned the slices, I added a fine layer of dijon mustard to give a kick to the protein and imitate fish.

I just put half a squash on my plate, loaded it with greens, and lay the tofu on top. I wish I had a picture of the pink, green, and golden dish, but I ate it all before I thought to snap a shot. Alex was reading an article in Cooking Light about the benefits of fish (and we were having a debate about the ethics of eating fish) when I took my first bite. It was so reminiscent of fish, I immediately served him a layered forkful, and he remarked that he would have believed it was fish. So, for fish lovers out there, this is a decent substitute as well.

It's so simple and delicious for a weeknight, helps me recharge for the next day. And I made leftovers for lunch!

A Homemade Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T10:37:00.012-05:00

Last year, Alex and I were in Paris for Valentine’s Day, strolling arm in arm through Montmartre as we lunched on crepes and pan au chocolat. This year, having already gone on our annual adventure (to the Caribbean!), we knew it would be low-key. However, despite my plans to do nothing, Alex insisted we make each other a gourmet meal, and that was hard to turn down. In a nice role reversal (that turned into some baking catastrophes for me), Alex took on dinner and I took on dessert.

Craving something spicy, romantic, and succulent, we selected a puttanesca sauce based on a Jamie Oliver recipe, ripe with crushed red chilies, fresh olives, and tart capers. We simply made both normal and gluten-free pasta so we could both enjoy the main dish (and doubled the recipe for plenty of leftovers--note the reused mason jar of deliciousness below).

Puttanesca Sauce (minus the anchovies)
EVOO to coat the pan
2 cloves of garlic
2 handfuls black and/or kalamata olives, pitted and halved
½ a jar of capers, drained
2 dried chili peppers, crushed
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Large handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
Drizzle of EVOO to top off each portion

Heat the EVOO in a large saucepan, then saute the garlic through oregano for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and toss in the basil, stir and drizzle with olive oil. The salty, sexy olives just burst in your mouth, and the spicy tomato base makes this a delicious romantic meal. The handfuls of freshly torn basil leaves tossed in at the end bring a light finishing flavor to the rich sauce (which we quickly cleaned from our plates). A simple spinach and goat cheese salad balanced our meal and prepped us for the richness of dessert.

In keeping with the rustic Italian theme, I found a recipe from the Ottolenghi cookbook(in Gourmet Magazine) for an orange polenta cake that uses almonds and polenta as the main flours. With a minor substitution of ½ GF flour for all-purpose wheat flour, I easily adapted it to be gluten free and just as delicious. The rustic quality of the flours and polenta combined with the heady flavors of orange and almond make it a perfect mid-winter treat.

The cake is layered with first a rich caramel, then juicy slices of navel oranges, then the batter (it comes out like an upside-down cake). Once it is cooked and inverted, you drizzle a marmalade glaze over the top which seeps in, infusing every bite with a moist orange flavor. To top it off, Alex made fresh whipped cream with orange extract, and we served a bit of glaze on the plates. It was phenomenal, if a bit of a sugar overload. This morning, we had slices for breakfast, and it was a perfect scone-like delicacy. Definitely a make-again, especially for brunch or an elegant tea time (which I've never had, but which I'm sure some people put on).

Orange Polenta Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9” cake pan and line it with parchment paper.

For the caramel layer, simmer together in a small saucepan:
½ cup superfine sugar (process granulated sugar for a minute or so)
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut to bits
2 oranges, zest reserved for cake batter, sliced horizontally (peel and pith cut off)

Simmer the sugar and water together over med-hi heat, swirling and washing down any sugar crystals that form on the sides with a pastry brush dipped in water. It will take a few minutes before the sugar dissolves and the mixture colors amber, but watch it carefully (my first batch burned and I had to start all over, what a waste!) When the mixture turns to caramel, remove from the heat and add the butter and swirl to combine.

Quickly and carefully pour into the prepared pan and tilt to coat the bottom. Spread orange slices in concentric circles across the caramel layer. This will be the top of the cake, so arrange them carefully for a nice design.

For the cake:
1 ¾ sticks butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar
3 eggs
zest of both oranges
1 tsp. orange extract (or 2 tsp. orange flower water)
½ cup all purpose (GF) flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt.
2 cups of ground almonds (I put raw almonds in the food processor so they were still a bit coarse, which worked well with the texture of the polenta)
2/3 cup quick-cooking polenta

Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed. Add the orange zest and the orange extract. Whisk together in a dry bowl the flour, baking powder, and salt. At a low speed, add the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture. Blend in the ground almonds and the polenta to just combine.

Spread batter evenly over the orange slices in the cake pan and bake until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is golden, 1- 1¼ hours. Let cool 5 minutes and then invert onto a cake plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For the glaze, melt in a small saucepan:
¼ cup orange marmalade
2 Tbsp. water.
Drizzle a bit over the top and sides of the cake. It’s pretty sweet, so go easy if you don’t want a very sugary dessert. You could also cut back on the sugar in the cake, if needed. A tart marmalade would work really well too.

For the orange whipped cream, mix on hi:
Whipping cream, powdered sugar, and orange extract, to taste.

It was a perfect, if gluttonous Valentine's Day, enhanced by the joy of selecting and preparing our meal together, and savoring each bite without the hectic or hurried atmosphere of a NYC restaurant. Although I believe it's silly for Americans to focus on only one day each year to be romantic, I did enjoy our celebration and look forward to many other weekend nights where we can take time out to share our joys (and food).

(Beneath the Arc du Triomphe 2/14/08)

Building a meal

2009-02-13T17:30:00.004-05:00

When Alex and I pulled up to our house on Sunday in the spring-like warmth, our four-foot "car"t packed high with boxes of groceries lovingly hauled from the Coop, I considered the process that goes into constructing a meal. For me, it starts with a spot of inspiration--a movie set in France featuring irresistible cheeses, snowfall at dusk, the cover of a food magazine, a crisp bunch of fresh asparagus at the store--and the first dish follows.

Usually, I have a theme in mind, which could obviously center around a regional cuisine, but which often take its cues from a particular vegetable or spice that I'm craving, and develops from there.

Last night, for example, I wanted something soothing and loaded with veggies, and I had been browsing through this month's Gourmet magazine (courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library), which featured simple takes on flavorful soups. While at the Coop, I loaded up on hearty ingredients-- dragon kale, sweet potatoes, Yukon golds, organic carrots, fresh cilantro--so that when I got home, I'd have lots of options.

As I rooted through our newly stocked fridge, I grasped a bunch of the lush, almost waxy kale, and decided to build from there. A quick search in the index of two fail-safe cookbooks, Moosewood and Crescent Dragonwagon's vegetarian bible, revealed a yummy Italian soup with polenta, beans, and lemon juice and a saute of mixed greens. Option 1 sounded just right.

To begin construction, I usually pull all my ingredients, do a quick check through the recipe for how each should be prepped, and go about chopping, mincing, dicing, and blanching each part in its own container, so that I can easily add each ingredient to the pot in turn. Of course, I can't seem to stick to any recipe religiously, so I ended up substituting French green lentils for cannelini beans (and cooked them with kombu to help with digestion), and then decided that the pasta e fagioli soup on the next page sounded REALLY good. Enter carrots, celery, onions, diced tomatoes, and a whole lot of spices.

What started out as a simple kale soup turned into a "mother's medley" stone soup amalgamation. With the list of veggies running close to ten, and the lentils and polenta adding a satisfying depth, I ended up way over my head with a huge pot of very hearty vegetable Italian-y soupy mush that stood alone as a meal. I threw some grated parmesan on top, popped a bottle of Chardonnay from the Finger Lakes, and plopped on the couch for a cozy evening watching a childhood favorite, Willow. A couple slices of parmesan later, my bowl was empty and the soup beckoned again, in all its muddled glory.

While my soup was not a meticulous study in recipe-following or creation, it was a creative endeavor undertaken with love for each ingredient and a general sense of where I was going.

But I'm curious if I'm alone here. How do you build your recipes and what inspires you?

Vegetable stone soup
For the lentils:
1 cup dried lentils
3-4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 stick dried kombu seaweed
pinch of salt

Throw it all in a pot, cover, bring to a boil, then simmer 40 mins until almost tender and water is absorbed. Set aside for later addition to the soup.

For the soup:
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 carrots, sliced in half moons
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped to 1/2" strips
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
Cooked lentils
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
5-6 cups water or broth, to taste
1/2 cup ground polenta, mixed with 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice and 1/2 c. cold water

Substitute any greens for the kale, any beans for the lentils, any grains for the polenta (like pasta), and you have a new version on this medley.

1. Saute EVOO through onion, 5 mins.
2. Add garlic through basil, saute 5 mins until kale is wilted.
3. Add water and tomato paste, stirring well. Return to a simmer
4. Slowly add polenta, mixing gently to prevent lumps.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add hot pepper flakes if it needs a punch.
6. Serve hot with freshly grated parmesan, or over a bowl of pasta. Buon appetito!

Divorce is the worst

2009-02-09T14:43:00.005-05:00

My parents divorced when I was a child. And now the union I work for is headed in that direction.

But this, this goes beyond anything I've experienced. That Prop 8 would effectively "divorce" 18,000 couples in the state of California, that is something beyond tragic. Please watch the video, and take action if you are so moved.

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Making the most of tofu

2009-02-07T10:02:00.007-05:00

I get stir crazy in the winter. November and December are okay because I can focus on holiday decorating and feasting, but January is just cold. This year, we went to Cinnamon Bay, returning just in time for February, my favorite month. It's bookended with Alex's and my birthdays, nestling Valentine's Day in the middle. But that said, sometimes I have to spice up the cold, seemingly endless winter days to make it to February, and then to see myself through to the first crocuses in March.

So I made ground "beef" tacos.

Which I turned into scrambled tofu two days later.

And led to the perfect holed-up-in-the-cold game, Scrabble. Check out my hand!

Ground "Beef" Tacos with Guacamole

1 block of medium-firm tofu, drained

3 gloves garlic, as you like it, minced

Tsp or so of each: cumin (for a meaty flavor), turmeric (for the color), curry powder (for spice), cayenne pepper (for fire), and hot sauce or red pepper flakes (if it ain't hot enough)

Soy sauce or Bragg's liquid amino acids

1. Heat a large skillet on med-hi and add the tofu (no oil needed, I found). Spritz the tofu with the Bragg's or soy sauce and mash it with a potato masher. This gives it the crumbled texture of ground meat and works much faster than a fork.

2. Add the spices and garlic, to your taste, and just mash them all together until you like the flavors. More soy sauce may be needed to moisten the tofu and deepen the color.

3. Pile onto a hard corn tortilla with salsa, cheese, and homemade guacamole.

Never-fail Guacamole

The amounts of each ingredient may vary, depending on the size and flavor of your avocado, but these are my approximate ratios. I am a guac purist, so I only add these four ingredients, although you can try adding onions, cilantro, salsa, smoked paprika, etc for a different effect.

1 Haas avocado, ripened (indents when you press the skin)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 a fresh lime, juiced over the avocado

Salt to taste

I just halve the avocado and score it so it's already broken up when I scoop it into the mixing bowl. Then I add the lime to keep it from turning brown (the acidity blocks the oxidization), and then toss in the garlic. After mixing this up, taste to see if you need more lime juice or garlic, and then add the salt. Every drop of this that I have ever made was consumed within one sitting, hence the name.

Scrambled Tofu

To convert my ground "beef" leftovers for a brunch-ready meal, I just tweaked a few things and got rave reviews from the coffee table.

Mashed, seasoned tofu (see above)

1 yellow onion, diced

Leftover roasted potatoes (I just sliced them up for rustic homefries)

Turmeric

Saute onions in EVOO. Add the potatoes and tofu. Season as desired and serve piping hot.

Happy February!

Paradise

2009-02-07T09:18:00.011-05:00

Last week, Alex and my family and I dropped everything and dashed down to the Virgin Islands for an impromptu celebration of my mom's 50th birthday and Alex's 25th. It was the PERFECT escape from 1) the cold 2) work stress and 3) the grad school admissions saga. We realize it's our last indulgence for a few years as we buckle down under student loans etc, so we made the most of our amazing week.We soaked up the sun at Cinnamon Bay, a campground in the national park land on St. John, USVI. My family has been there four times because it really is the best beach in the world, and it's not too far away.

A typical schedule: wake up at 9, go for a (barefoot!) run on the beach, jump in the ocean to cool off, grab a quick breakfast back at the campsite, and then head to the beach and sun or snorkel until 5 or so, when it's time to make dinner on the camp stove. We were in bed by 9 because something about lying in the sun all day tires you out (and the lack of electricity may be a contributing factor). We might read in bed by flashlight for an hour and then turn on on our cots for a cozy night, serenaded by spring peepers and the crashing waves!

We ate incredibly well, despite having to cook on four propane burners and hauling our own water from a faucet by the beach. My mom and grandma are so prepared, they brought spices, oils, garlic, a grater(!), plastic cutting boards, and so many other little necessities that we've learned over the years really make camping easier. We made latkes the last night with our leftover potatoes, eggs, and onions, and my mom rigged a batch of bread pudding in a kettle set on empty cans of condensed milk in a water bath inside a large pot. Everyone who walked by our site was jealous.

On the one night that we didn't cook, we hiked over to Maho Bay eco-camps for my mom's birthday dinner. Like true budget travelers, we timed our arrival with happy hour, and savored (free!) rum punches and old fashioned popcorn. If you have been reading this blog, you know how much I love popcorn, so this was a real treat. In the islands, they serve it with salt and hot sauce on the side, so I loaded up on refills.

I am so blessed to have a loving and adventurous family and partner, and so fortunate to have been able to go on this trip (which was an early birthday present from my mom and stepdad). Thanks to everyone for making it a January respite in paradise.

Winter wonderland

2009-01-23T11:27:00.012-05:00

On Martin Luther King Day, we were blessed with an incredible snowfall, the second of the season, which is pretty rare for NYC these days. We celebrated, true to our Upstate nature, and thoroughly enjoyed our snow day.We headed straight for Prospect Park. It was very wet snow, and not at all chilly, so it clung to the trees and outlined the various ponds and lakes with delicate precision. My favorite spot in the park is near the Audubon House where swans, ducks, and geese hunker down for the winter.These kids were so excited, but they could barely walk for all their layers. It was adorable watching all the tykes getting hauled around on sleds, their parents doing all the work. We saw one dad pulling a string of kids on a single line uphill. The babies were just lying back and enjoying the scenery. Seems like things have changed from when I used to go sledding...After our romp through the park, we bought some fresh tulips for the table and cozied up at home with some homemade Indian food (courtesy of the Moosewood cookbook) and a snowy salad. More recipes and photos to follow.
(The tulip vase is a vintage milk glass piece I picked up at a thrift store in Philly...trying to build my collection Martha-style. Also, the tablecloth is a vintage, hand-embroidered piece from the 1950s I got at a garage sale some years back. It really charms up our living/dining room).

Snowfall salad
On a bed of arugula or mixed baby greens, place:
1 pink grapefruit, peel removed and segments detached from membranes
1 avocado, cubed
1-2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (my favorite is the creamy French feta)

Dressing
Whisk together:
2 parts EVOO
1 part fresh lemon or pink grapefruit juice (from the remaining core)
A squirt of Dijon mustard (about 1 tsp for a 2-person salad)
A pinch of dill seed, cumin, or other spices which match your main course
Cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste

This light salad was a delicious accompaniment to the Indian meal (with echoes of mustard, cumin, and citrus in the dressing) and the crumble feta topping matched the snowfall outside. The citrus and avocado are decisively wintry flavors, which really rounded out our snow day.

After dinner, we snuggled under a huge quilt and watched Mongol, a Chinese film about the rise of Genghis Khan, which I highly recommend. The epic storytelling and incredible scenery made it a memorable treat. Yes, it was a pretty awesome snow day in Brooklyn!

At last!

2009-01-21T10:25:00.002-05:00

Sooo overdue for a new post...

2009-01-12T17:45:00.003-05:00

My apologies! From the feasting and the gifting and the fretting, I have been otherwise overwhelmed and entirely negligent in posting. Here's what I've been up to:

Eating three Thanksgiving meals (my mom's house, my dad's house, Alex's house), each of which brought incredible creativity and tradition to the table. We won't talk about how my pants didn't fit for weeks after...
Hosting our housewarming party (where both the PB buckeyes and the Double Chocolate cookies made featured appearances).
Celebrating several cozy Christmases and Hanukkahs at home in the snow with all my loved ones.
Toasting the new year with a house full of friends and yummy pizzas (and too many open bottles of champagne to finish after 12:00 had passed).
And finally, applying to law school.

In the words of Prince Humperdink, "I'm swamped!" But thankfully, aside from the arduous doing of taxes and submitting of financial aid applications, I am mostly done with the hard part of that process. Mostly done, but not all done. (Another PB reference). This means that, once I find my camera, charge it, and locate the connector cable, I will once again resume posting recipes and thoughts on the culinary mishaps in my kitchen. Until then, my apologies for the severe lack of both posts and pictures!

Happy New Year!

Dictionary lessons

2008-11-13T10:24:00.011-05:00

Definitions

School pride: rooting for a team that can't win a rigged homecoming football game to save itself; also, diligently draining your bank account monthly to finance the prized education while working strange campus jobs to buy your books.
Financial Aid: A tear-jerking, nightmare of the past seven years.
Payoff Amount: The total amount required for the loan account to be paid-in-full.
Elation: The knowledge that I have now fully paid for my undergraduate education!

That's right, as of 9:00 am tomorrow, I will have ZERO remaining financial obligation to the Federal government for my education! This freedom will last all of about eight months, before I am thrown into potentially gallons of debt for graduate school, but I will savor this now, in the midst of the recession. This feels so good, I may have to celebrate (in a totally budget way!) Hello Salvation Armani!

Thoughts on Prop 8

2008-11-12T15:08:00.008-05:00

When I read of Prop 8's passage in California, I was devastated to think that millions of people turned out to interfere with the romantic lives of complete strangers. As you can tell, I'm still having trouble articulating my feelings on this because I feel so passionately about it. This morning, Alex sent me this video of Keith Olbermann which captures both the intellectual and the emotional issues wound up in this devastating show of democracy. If you have 6 minutes, it's pretty interesting and heartfelt.

Talk about it at Videocracy

On this Veterans Day

2008-11-11T12:36:00.014-05:00

Last night, Alex and I watched War, Inc., a satire about the US-led wars in the Middle East. While a somewhat farcical cross between Thank You for Smoking and Tank Girl, the movie's message was painfully serious: the corporate and political interests in these wars are inextricably linked, often to tragic and unneccessary ends for millions of innocent people. I recommend it for those willing to take a critical look at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (and to fans of John Cusack or Hillary Duff).
With the movie on my mind as I opened my browser this morning, I found an incredible story about the many and varied ailments Iraq War vets are facing, and the amazing courage and hope they are finding with the assistance of service dogs. These loving Laborador/Golden Retriever mixes are trained to help sense out seizures for those with brain trauma, fetch things for soldiers missing limbs, and generally calm the stress and anxiety of PTSD, a disorder vets are facing in record numbers.The article is just a step away from the important issues of veterans' benefits, insufficient medical care, and the needless injuries thousands are suffering. Reading the veterans' stories of devastating physical and emotional injuries leaves me wondering: for what gain?
While Bush is atop the USS Intrepid receiving the Freedom Award for "embodying the ideals of world freedom," it's important we take a moment to consider those veterans who are too traumatized to leave their houses for such a ceremony, and who lack the medical care they require to be able to celebrate today. We must remember them too, and the many thousands still deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan who may return broken or wounded and in need of support. On this Veterans Day, I am grateful for both the soldiers who have risked everything for their country, and for their families and friends who are working tirelessly to help make their lives more livable.

Tears of Joy, Relief, and Pride

2008-11-06T15:24:00.004-05:00

Every time I stop and really digest the reality of what happened Tuesday night, I begin to cry. And then I find a slideshow of others reacting to Obama, and I cry some more. My favorite part is watching people around the world rejoice in the hope of change to come (this, of course, also makes me cry).

(Image from the Huffington Post)

Electing a Hero! GOTV Day 4

2008-11-05T12:34:00.007-05:00

I am at a loss for words. The love and joy I saw and shared with thousands of people, from the working class neighborhoods of Philly to the screaming multitudes of Times Square, fills me with such pride and hope for our country's future.

The people we met were so incredibly supportive and excited about this historic day, most enduring long lines early yesterday m0rning to cast their votes. I will try to collect and recite the stories that made my experience so wonderful, because I think it's best told through their eyes.

At 6:40 am, a full twenty minutes before the polls opened, we stepped outside our hotel to this line, already two blocks long, across a Center City side street. A group of Obama volunteers paraded up and down the line, singing songs, distributing coffee, and eliciting cheers.
In the afternoon, in Southwest Philly, We encountered a brigade of children marching to a church with their teachers chanting, "Kids vote! Kids vote" holding handmade Obama signs.At dusk, we knocked on the door of an elderly woman who had just returned from work as part of our final push to deliver the 3rd Ward of Southwest Philly. Speaking in a whisper, she told us, "My boss said I couldn't talk about who I supported, that I couldn't let anyone know that I voted for Obama this morning. But I did, I voted at 6:30. And it's incredible."

Catherine, my friend and partner for the day, smiled and said, "It's OK, you can shout it out now!" Then, she raised her voice to the quiet neighborhood and called out, "Obama!!!"

The older woman grinned, and then on cue, all three of us belted into the street, "OBAMA!"

As we left her house and moved on down the block, we could hear her calling out through her closed door, "Obama! Obama!"

***

I don't know if I've ever laughed and sobbed simultaneously before, but last night was a first for a lot of things. What a wonderful day we have created.

Get Out the Vote Day 3

2008-11-03T20:23:00.010-05:00

I went for a crisp run through Center City this morning, and was so encouraged to see so many people buttoned up in their chic winter coats adorned with Obama pins!

We set out to Southwestern Philly for door knocking, and passed some gorgeous murals along the way. I love how this arm is like a birch branch.
At the Southwest office, we spent a few hours sorting, stacking, and bundling packs for all the thousands of volunteers who will set aside their jobs, their parties, and their scheduled activities to get out and make history tomorrow.After making the packs, we hit the streets ourselves to turn people out for tomorrow. We met a great group of kids who were jumping rope on the sidewalk, and as soon as we approached, a five-year-old shouted, "I'm voting for Obama tomorrow!" Erica and I gave them all our buttons and stickers. As we were leaving, I heard her cry out as she kissed the pin with Obama's likeness on it, "This is the BEST thing ever!"

Then it was back to the union's HQ to assemble food and maps for our GOTV efforts tomorrow. Each of those sandwiches was lovingly made by a team of dedicated volunteers. I took on more poster duty.
With the final maps in place, envelopes stuffed, and door hangers wrapped, we have to catch a few hours' rest before a VERY long and very exciting day tomorrow. As I was painting the last "yes we can" sign, I realized that tomorrow may be the most important, historical day of my life. And that is a realization which makes the necessary sleep that much harder to achieve. Bon soir and bon chance to all of those hard-working volunteers, you are all incredible. See you on the other side!

Get Out the Vote Day 2

2008-11-02T23:46:00.012-05:00

This morning, my friend Erica and I strolled through Center City Philadelphia in search of some delicious breakfast, and ID'ed a cute Belgian Waffle place near our hotel. The city has so much history, and the quaint side streets and carefully tended row houses reflect the simple beauty of an earlier time. We stumbled across these lovely brick homes during our morning expedition.Soon after, we drove out to the Barney trailer to make some calls to local residents. The guy staffing the 12 computers inside estimates around 300,000 calls have been made there in the past few weeks. And we were only calling union members within the city. It was a great operation.When the robo-calls got to be too much, we headed outside to make colorful signs for a rally we're holding in West Philly on election day. The goal is to raise awareness of the issues facing middle class Americans, such as healthcare, the right to organize, and trade.With less than fifteen minutes' rest, we jumped back into action and met up with the Obama Campaign office in West Philadelphia for a round of door hangars. The people we spoke with where so excited, and a majority of the lawns we passed were decked out with Obama signs, posters, stickers, and banners. It was such an encouraging, uplifting sight. I have to say that almost every window and street front in Philly is representing its Obama flair (and the only McCain sign we've seen was a bumper sticker from an out-of-towner). I'm trying not to watch the polls and just focus on our task at hand, which is helping Obama take Philly in a landslide to help couterbalance the rest of PA. The fear here is voter suppression, both indirectly through long lines and poor staffing, as well as directly through intimidation tactics at the polls. We heard one story from the last election that men in suits drove up to a West Philly poll in unmarked black Cadillacs and approached each person in line, asking for their IDs and if they have any outstanding debts or parking tickets. Hopefully that won't happen this year, as we have over 400 lawyers volunteering to monitor the polls, but we must be prepared for anything. The Republicans won't give up this state that easily.

Well, it's off to bed before another long and varied day of election work. We're all anxious for Tuesday to get here, but tomorrow will be important to get everything ready for a smooth Election Day.

Headed west...GOTV Day 1

2008-11-01T19:57:00.011-04:00

Up at the "crap of dawn" and whisked away on a charter bus that blew a tire somewhere along the New Jersey Turnpike, I knew it was going to be an eventful day as I headed out with some of my best friends and union members to hit the streets of Philadelphia and canvass for the Obama campaign.

We were fortunate to catch the last of the glorious foliage as we passed from New York into New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I love the soothing, rosy palette, although I'm generally feeling shades of BLUE this week.
It took a few minutes to make sense of our packs and get the small, cobblestone streets sorted out before we started door knocking.But we were really successful, and earned ourselves some Philly-sized Hoagies! My friend Matt (on the left) thought he would be too hungry for just one sandwich, so he ordered two. Turns out, they were each two feet long. Yikes!Before heading out to our final round of doors, we caught up with Barack. He thanks everyone for their time and would like to know if you'd donate just $25 more. (Has everyone else been getting 5-10 emails from Barack and Biden every day?) It was nice to catch up, and we promised to do everything in our power to be sure he takes West Philadelphia on Election Day!
I'll try to keep up with our events over the next three days as we phone bank on the "Barney Mobile," (a purple SEIU union bus), ready signs and chants for rallies, and generally tear up the pavement. I'm definitely starting to feel that brotherly love, and it's just Day One! Anyone else getting involved in a swing state this weekend? Go to www.moveon.org to find ways you can help.

Dress-Up!

2008-10-31T11:11:00.002-04:00

In honor of Halloween, let's play a little dress up game! It's highly educational and very relevant. Enjoy!

Also, read about this awesome fundraiser that my local salon hosted in honor of Obama (source for the above image, as well). Basically, ladies paid $75 for the teased and twisted "Reformer" hairstyle, and all the money went to the Democratic campaign. It's great when you walk away with something for your donation, although I'm not sure where you'd go with this 'do. Maybe to the shooting range?

Spell with Flickr!

2008-10-30T15:33:00.010-04:00

(Plug for a certain politician whose name looks so damn good in these letters)

I just love this site I discovered, where you can spell anything out with images of letters found in cyperspace. I'm wracking my brain for a way this can relate to foodie...

1) You could print labels for holiday gifts (like bags of cookies or homemade mulling spaces)
2) Design the cover of a homemade recipe book (also a nice gift idea)
3) Make headers for recipe cards

They would make lovely party invitations too!

Other ideas?

(and on a political note: If you're feeling like you want to get involved in the next days' election work, here are some ideas from the president of my organization. Everyone can contribute something, whether it's $10 or a night of phone banking, it's our responsibility to make our voices heard!)

Comfort foods and silver skies

2008-10-28T14:57:00.009-04:00

(Sunset from my living room, passing over Lady Liberty)

This morning when I woke up, a blanket of blue light had filtered into my bedroom and cast everything in a murky, hushed glow. Peering out my window, I saw the thick, downy cloud cover hanging just above the Statue of Liberty, threatening a damp chilly day. Somehow, the soft, ethereal morning light was a comfort, blanketing the noisy street with the impending rain. On days like these, I count the hours until I can be back at home, wrapped in a thick quilt, enjoying a steaming bowl of something savory.

(From my friend's rooftop in Prospect Heights, my old neighborhood)

For tonight, it might be polenta with freshly grated parmesan and delicately herbed mushrooms, a dish we devoured several times this fall. Or perhaps a kale and potato soup with melted gruyere cheese on top. Whatever I choose, it will be a complement to the weather, rather than a distraction from it, because sometimes, it's nice to get cozy underneath the clouds.

Rainy Day Polenta

Combine:
1 cup of corn meal, prepped per package instructions (makes 3 cups or so)
Pat of butter
Generous handful of freshly grated tart cheese (parmesan, asiago, manchego, percorino)
Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Place atop polenta:
Mushrooms sauteed with onions, garlic, EVOO, and fresh thyme sprigs
Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Served with a salad of raw, thinly sliced green and yellow squash in a simple vinaigrette, a nice textural contrast to the mushy goodness of the polenta.

TIP: My mom taught me this trick- use your hands to knead the dry cornmeal into the cold water before heating. This will enhance the creamy texture and help prevent clumps. Then boil and prepare as instructed.

Don't vote...

2008-10-03T14:12:00.002-04:00

unless you care about your future.

Pumping Iron

2008-10-03T11:54:00.007-04:00

I've been a bad poster. And a bad eater. But now I'm learning my lesson. I'd been really lethargic and not feeling like myself for months, only to learn that I've got an iron deficiency, or low serum ferritin, which I've been treating for the past several weeks with....FOOD (and supplements)!

From what I understand, anemia and low ferritin are not the same thing and do not always go hand in hand. Anemia means low iron counts in your blood, while low ferritin indicates low iron stores in your cells. Thus, if your blood iron levels are OK but your stores are low, your body has no reserves and can quickly suffer the effects. Low ferritin levels can happen quickly or can accumulate over years of eating not-quite-enough iron (like me, as a 16-year vegetarian). But this can be easily remedied with the introduction of more iron.

I've had to become an educated eater, carrying around a chart of iron-rich veggie options to the grocery store so I can beef up my ferritin count and generally feel better.

Food	Milligrams per serving	% DV*
Ready-to-eat cereal, 100% iron fortified, ¾ cup	18.0	100
Oatmeal, instant, fortified, prepared with water, 1 cup	10.0	60
Soybeans, mature, boiled, 1 cup	8.8	50
Lentils, boiled, 1 cup	6.6	35
Beans, kidney, mature, boiled, 1 cup	5.2	25
Beans, lima, large, mature, boiled, 1 cup	4.5	25
Beans, navy, mature, boiled, 1 cup	4.5	25
Ready-to-eat cereal, 25% iron fortified, ¾ cup	4.5	25
Beans, black, mature, boiled, 1 cup	3.6	20
Beans, pinto, mature, boiled, 1 cup	3.6	20
Molasses, blackstrap, 1 tablespoon	3.5	20
Tofu, raw, firm, ½ cup	3.4	20
Spinach, boiled, drained, ½ cup	3.2	20
Spinach, canned, drained solids ½ cup	2.5	10
Black-eyed peas (cowpeas), boiled, 1 cup	1.8	10
Spinach, frozen, chopped, boiled ½ cup	1.9	10
Grits, white, enriched, quick, prepared with water, 1 cup	1.5	8
Raisins, seedless, packed, ½ cup	1.5	8
Whole wheat bread, 1 slice	0.9	6
White bread, enriched, 1 slice	0.9	6

Things I've learned:

- You should only take iron supplements if you've been diagnosed with a deficiency; too much iron is far more common than not enough, and the effects are poisonous!

- Vegetarians need more iron than meat eaters because the type of iron from plants (non-heme) is harder to absorb than that from animal sources (heme iron). Veggies need 33 mg/day while non-veggies should get 18 mg/day.

- It takes a whole lot of spinach to add up to even a small portion of your requirement; instead, look to tofu, beans, lentils, seaweed, and enriched flours for the rich food sources. Supplements may be necessary too, if your doc says so.

- Chelated forms of iron supplements are much gentler (read: no upset stomach) than the ferrous forms

-Iron can still upset your tummy, so it's important to drink tons of water and eat lots of fresh fruit while you're taking supplements.

-Vitamin C greatly assists your absorption of iron, so it's best to take your supplement with C-rich foods, like OJ, lemon juice, tomatoes, or spinach.

-Molasses is the most delicious way to get a hefty dose: 2 tsp. = 20%, depending on the brand, and if you swish it around in a cup of cold milk, it's a delicious after-dinner treat!

I found a marked improvement in my energy level and my overall feeling of health within a week or two of beefing up my iron intake. Suddenly, I don't need 3 or 4 hour naps on the weekend (and exercise is a lot easier too). Maybe it's the placebo effect, but I think science has something here.

Finding rainbows

2008-09-17T10:41:00.012-04:00

Colors are especially important to me--for clothes, walls, skies, and food--and I love to play with them in every format. As a child, when given a set of blocks or toys for a "sorting" exercise, I would usually just order things along the rainbow, rather than by shape or size, as was expected of a kid. So it's second nature with me, when I'm cooking, to try and incorporate the most beautiful food combinations into each dish so that little flecks of color and texture satisfy both the eye and the palate. Here are some recent creations that play with the rainbow scheme.

Handmade foccacia pizza: For this dish, I utilized my new favorite purple/blue tool, the blue potato, and the varieties of tomatoes and squash from the local market to liven up the flavors. With sauteed garlicky chard (red stems) and thinly sliced summer squash, the dish had ribbons of red, orange, yellow, green, and indigo. Not bad for a Tuesday night dinner! Also, we melted three kinds of cheese: feta, asiago, and mozzarella on top to give it some zing.

Bounties of Summer pasta salad:

I brought this dish to a friend's summer gathering, and it was a certain crowd pleaser, even though the pasta was GF. Using red peppers, carrots, summer squash, dill/basil/thyme, cucumbers, and purple Spanish Olives, I accomplished a near-perfect garden rainbow. A simple vinaigrette with lemon juice, dijon mustard, and grated parmesan gave some spice to the fresh veggies.(Close-up of the purple olives)

Tri-color potato Salad
Using Yukon Golds, blue potatoes, red onions, and lots of fresh herbs, I turned a normally bland yellow dish into a bit of side-dish confetti. We enjoyed this with Alex's mom's homemade baked beans, veggie hotdogs, and ice cold lemonade. Summer cooking at its finest.

I challenge you to make your next meal a complete rainbow, it is probably healthier and more delicious than the two- or three-color palate that most Americans consume. Plus, it makes your inner rainbow goddess so happy!

Kitchen competition

2008-09-16T18:07:00.008-04:00

We had a bake-off last weekend to welcome in the cooler temperatures and to celebrate our new oven. While I generally do the cooking, Alex is the master baker--effortlessly composing Dutch apple pies, flakey quiches, and fresh whipped cream--so we challenged each other to a friendly bake-off. (I admit that I fought for possession of the Ghirardelli chocolate chips while I stuck Alex with the Nestle ones.) Frankly, I couldn't taste the chocolate difference in the cookies, although I think my little GF confections held their own.

My GF cookies are in the foreground, Alex's conventional choc chips are in the background

These melt-in-your mouth confections are light, but not too crumbly, and the right balance of soft and gooey. I based them on a chocolate chip cookie recipe from the Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein, but I was in a very chocolatey mood, so I added cocoa powder and coconut flakes. I am so pleased with the results, and Alex even preferred them to his wheat-version (pictured in the background). They are best eaten warm from the oven, as the chocolate creates a molten effect in the tiny morsels that just explodes in your mouth. Sooo good!

Double chocolate-coconut cookies

Makes 4 dozen 2” cookies

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

½ cup salted butter, softened (1 stick)

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup potato starch flour (a very fine, light flour)

½ cup white rice flour

½ cup cocoa powder

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup coconut flakes

Splash of milk, as needed, to moisten the batter

1. In a large bowl, beat the first three ingredients with a mixer until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat on low for 1 ½ minutes. Add the flours and cocoa powder, beat on low for 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and coconut flakes.

2. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight to stiffen the dough so the cookies won’t spread too much on the pan. Preheat oven to 375, lightly grease a baking sheet.

3. Drop rounded teaspoons of dough on the cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until slightly firm around the edges.

4. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and transfer to a cooling rack (but be sure to eat some while they’re good and hot!) These are spectacular warm, dunked into milk.

Saturday night pasta

2008-08-30T21:01:00.012-04:00

Sometimes you want to feel like a gourmand, really treat yourself to amazing rich foods, regardless of fat or cholesterol content. And after today’s trip to the gym (Alex), run in the park (me), and a long walk to and from the Coop with a heavy cartful of groceries (both of us), we were feeling pretty indulgent. When what you crave is cozy, sexy comfort food, and it’s a Saturday night on a long weekend, I say, give in to temptation. So here’s our newly-concocted and completely-devoured recipe for a little Saturday night pasta.

This is a dressed-up version of our go-to weeknight dish (usually marinara or primavera), something fancier with a little more pizzaz, although it’s still quick and simple. Also, if you add enough veggies, it can stand alone as a one dish wonder, no sides required. The combination of the smoked gouda and brie cheeses is both tangy and savory and melds perfectly with the tart and slightly ruptured cherry tomato halves. Toss in a bunch of spinach and voila, less guilt and it’s even tastier. Between our two clean plates, I’m not lying when I attest that this is one of the yummiest cream sauces I’ve ever tried, and it’s really not that bad for you :)

Red white and Green Creamy Penne
Serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are (we devoured it in one night between the two of us)

1 lb (GF pasta) Alex and I usually make two separate pots- one for him with wheat pasta and one with rice pasta, cooked al dente.

1 Tbsp EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp coarse salt
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup milk (we used 1%)
1/3 cup smoked Gouda, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup brie, cut into small pieces
4 cups fresh spinach, washed
¼ tsp cracked black pepper

1. Heat the oil on med-hi, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and tomatoes; stir for a couple minutes.

2. Add the milk and cheeses, stir until they are melted and well combined, 5 minutes. Toss in the black pepper.

3. When the mixture is well incorporated and the tomatoes are nicely bursting, add the spinach and toss just long enough to wilt it. Immediately pour over the penne (or toss the penne in the pan, if you’re not making two separate batches). Savor with your honey and a good glass of pinot noir. Happy weekend!

Popcorn: the best snack (or meal!)

2008-08-20T17:34:00.022-04:00

What is more tempting than the warm, nutty aroma of a freshly popped pot of popcorn? Nothing, so don't try. Well, maybe the smell of coffee beans roasting, but that's about it. Popcorn has an inviting, "it's raining outside so let's hunker down with a movie" air to it which makes the textural, flavorful indulgence all the more special and delicious.

I've been perfecting various flavor combinations for assorted movie purposes (kettle corn for a kids' movie, curry spices for an Indian flick), and have come up with a new balance that just sends me smiling to the corner of the couch where it's hard for anyone else to get their hands in my bowl. When I'm making a really delicious air-popped feast, I tend to serve my partner in another bowl so that I can savor my own without the fear of running out. I am not a handful-at-a-time eater, I much prefer the single kernel method. To Alex, popcorn is a snack, an afterthought while the main entertainment happens on-screen. To me, popcorn can be an all-consuming task, a meal extravaganza, hence the title of this post.

A note on pot-popping: This is a great method because all you need is a large pot with a lid (mine is clear glass, which is perfect for watching the kernels explode) and you can reduce the fat by popping in olive oil, which coats the popcorn, rather than pouring melted butter on top. To start, pour enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot and add kernels to coat in a single layer; my pot holds 1/4 cup. Turn the heat to Med-Hi and wait as it sizzles. When the popping starts, be sure it's not too hot (smoke coming out) or too cool (slow, spaced-out pops) and shake the pot occasionally to stir up any lost kernels. When it slows to 2-3 pops per second, turn off the heat, give it one last shake, and lift the steamy lid for popcorn perfection. Toss with your favorite spice combination and consume immediately.

My latest popcorn sensation:

Jumping Kernel Corn
Makes one large bowl of delectable crunch for studying or curling up with a movie

Pop together on Med-Hi heat:

2 T olive oil to coat pan

1/4 cup popping corn kernels

Toss kernels with:

1-2 tsp. Bragg Liquid Amino Acids (my sister introduced me to this, it's a miracle GF topper and it tastes like soy sauce)
2 T nutritional yeast (rounds out the meaty flavor and adds the definitive yellow tinge as well as a spectrum of B vitamins we veggies crave)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy)

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (my new favorite seasoning)

2 tsp curry powder

Spritz the Bragg's, add the nutritional yeast and spices, then toss until you have a virgin patch of popcorn and repeat until it's all nicely coated. Munch up!

(Bragg's is the perfect moistener-cum-saltifier as it is gluten-free, nutritious, and sprays on for a light, even distribution. Tamari just isn't the same, it splashes in large doses and renders the kernels it soaks utterly useless soggy messes. A spritzer is the way to go if you're not using butter and want your seasonings to stick.)

Fresh start in the kitchen

2008-08-17T20:01:00.015-04:00

I am wonderfully blissed out from my vacation, and instead of hitting that post-holiday depression yesterday, I was surprised with a wonderful gift: a new stove! Since we moved here in March, we have been cooking on a mini-stove with 1 1/2 working burners (out of four!) and an oven that frequently extinguished itself and would pump extra gas, making a "tick tick tick" noise, when the pilot would try unsuccessfully to re-ignite. To top it off, the oven dial was completely worn off, so that we had to guess temperatures by dividing the circumference in reasonable fractions of 25 degrees. I am not a geometrist, nor am I a chemist, so this left a lot of guesswork in baking. But yesterday, our building super surprised us with a brandy-new stove complete with FOUR functional burners and an oven dial in crisp, clear numbers.

Today, as I was facing an empty home for the next week, I again fought the post-vacation, loneliness blues and decided to test out our new gear. Frankly, it was also a test of my GF baking ability, as I've only made one other thing and I followed that recipe very strictly. Today, either from the heady heat or the lingering Cape attitude, I felt more playful and concocted my own. Surprisingly, these muffins are a real success: they are super easy to make, I can't taste any difference from a wheat-based confection, and they're pretty healthy too. The walnuts, flax seeds, and egg are all great sources of omega-3 fatty acids, a nutrient lacking in many vegetarian diets. I wasn't even aware of this until my friend explained it to me about six months ago, and ever since, I've tried to get my daily dose through either 1 teaspoon of flaxseed oil, 2 Tablespoons of ground flaxseeds, or 1/3 cup of walnuts. These muffins rock both the nuts and the flaxseeds. I can't be sure that the omega-3s are intact after baking, I think the heat may damage them. But these are certainly rich in healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins, so eat up!

This is a good basic recipe which you can modify for your taste: experiment with other combinations of add-ins, like shredded coconuts, macadamia nuts and chocolate chips; or dried cherries and blueberries with almonds. The spices can also be modified for the season or ingredients: fresh diced apples with extra cinnamon and some lemon zest would evoke an apple pie; grated carrots and zucchini with ginger would be a fun combination as well. They are as yummy as they are quick and easy, and your gluten-eating friends won't know the difference.

Omega-3 "New Oven" Muffins

Makes one dozen

1 egg

1 cup milk (or your choice of liquid: OJ, soy, water, etc)

1/4 cup plus 1 T sugar (these are not very sweet, they are breakfast-y, but you should add more if you prefer a sweet confection)

1 tsp baking powder

2 T. canola oil

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (for glutinous texture)

1 cup white rice flour

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or other nut)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (or fruit of your choice)

Extra butter or oil to grease the tin

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease the muffin tin (or use paper liners, if you prefer)

2. Combine all ingredients except nuts and fruit, mix well.

3. Stir in nuts and fruit

4. Pour into prepared muffin tin. Bake 12-15 minutes, until peaks just start to brown.

5. Let set 2 minutes in pan, then separate from tin with butter knife and remove to cooling rack. Bon appetit!

Beaches top to bottom

2008-08-08T06:55:00.002-04:00

I am halfway between the Gulf and the Atlantic on my two-week work-and-play combo tour of America's beaches. Okay, it's not really that glamorous: I'm just finishing up a week of work in Orlando (which took me to Seminole and Madiera beach, pictured here) and am now sitting in the airport, headed out for much-needed vacation time on the Cape at my annual family reunion.

Living out of a hotel room and working 15+ hours a day, I haven't had much opportunity for cooking or even eating well. Thank you to Lara Bars and Nana's Gluten-Free cookies for keeping me from starving in this land of Denny's and Chik-Fil-A's.

While on the Cape, I will actually do a fair amount of cooking. Our family breaks down the dinners (breakfasts and lunches on your own) so that a pair of relatives works together each night to prepare supper for everyone. I'm "on" with my grandma and stepfather on Sunday night, and I think we're doing polenta with a mushroom saute. My grandma is bringing fresh heirloom tomatoes from her garden in Virginia for a delicious salad. I'll be sure to snap pics of everything that is wonderful in the coming week at our cottage.

Of the record seventeen (!) people coming this year, I am the only vegetarian and now also the only GF foodie, so I foresee some culinary acrobatics on nights when others are cooking. My mom is bringing some GF waffles and pasta for me, so I think we can improvise. (She was a professional cook for many years.) My aunts are each planning GF meals too, and I can't wait to see what they come up with that I can take home to Alex.

I won't be posting anything for at least another 10 days, but I will be basking in the dear Cape sun, biking along trails lined with honeysuckles and blueberries, riding our boat out to watch fireworks on the ocean, and generally trying hard to do nothing. I can't wait!!!!

Till next week- your pale, but soon to be slightly tanner- Foodie.

Nori rolls

2008-07-29T15:23:00.027-04:00

As a child, I generally avoided dirtying my hands in the kitchen, preferring instead to eat everything that came out of it. I got away with this for years because my mom is such an amazing and willing chef, happy to chop and saute and knead for hours when she has an appreciative audience. It wasn't until my senior year of high school, in anticipation of moving away for college, when I realized that I needed to learn to cook for myself.

One of the few things I would try my hand at and loved making with my mom were nori rolls, the all-veggie sushi roll. I would stand on my toes to see what my mom would pull from her paper bags of groceries, and when the package of nori sheets emerged, I would immediately make myself a snack: toasted nori sheets (passed over the gas flame) dipped in tamari. We would also make incredible nori rolls, with seriously sour and salty umeboshi plum paste (that I could eat by the spoonful), spread on the edges to seal in the sticky rice filling. We would slice the finished rolls on the cutting board and marvel at how perfectly formed the little swirls were, like watching a Fimo bead take shape from a lumpy roll of clay. I would devour each piece, standing over the counter top with a small dish of tamari and my favorite floral chopsticks until I cleaned the final grain of fallen rice from the dish.

Last night, I decided to try my hand at the delicacy and they were a huge success! Alex has only recently tried and enjoyed sushi, so his approval means the world. I made a variety of combinations from our five fillers, but you can use whatever you choose. Our local sushi restaurant makes peanut-avocado rolls, so I attempted a couple of those. I also made mushroom-carrot-avocado, my favorite, and an "everything," as well as simple cuke and avocado rolls. Play with your favorite fillings, get creative. Other options include green beans, soy beans, and bell peppers. When it's all done, as long as your ingredients are good, you can make a mess of the roll and still enjoy every last bite.

Sushi rice
Yields about 4 cups cooked rice
2 cups white sushi rice, rinsed until water is clear (this is necessary to clean off the starches so it will be the right consistency when cooked)
2 1/2 cups water

3 T rice vinegar
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp tamari (the wheat-free soy sauce)

1. Cook water and rinsed rice over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to the lowest setting and cover for 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed, stirring several times to prevent sticking to the pot.

2. When rice is done (taste for cooked but chewy texture), remove from heat and let sit, covered, 10 minutes. This helps keep it moist.

3. Turn rice into large bowl and combine with vinegar-sugar mixture. Cut in sauce, as with pastry dough, until rice is thoroughly coated.

4. Spread rice across sides and bottom of bowl to cool. Cover with a damp cloth to keep it wet until you're ready to use it for the sushi.

Momma's Nori Rolls
Makes 8 rolls, with some leftover veggies

4 cups cooked sushi rice, seasoned as above

8 sheets nori, toasted VERY briefly over a low flame (just pass it over quickly until it turns bright green but before it starts smoking)

Filling of your choice:
5 shitaki mushrooms, reconstituted with boiling water for 20 minutes (reserve the liquid)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into matchsticks, blanched briefly over boiling water
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
1 avocado, sliced thinly lengthwise
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

Bowl of water to moisten the edge of the nori.

1. Using the back of a wooden spoon, spread about 1/2 cup of the rice on a sheet of nori (rough side face up). Press the rice onto the sheet, creating a thin coating up to the last inch of nori, being careful not to tear the wrapper. (Keep the damp cloth over the remaining rice to prevent drying.)

2. Line up your chosen filling along the bottom edge of the nori (on the rice end), placing just a few pieces of carrots, cucumber, or mushrooms stacked onto each other. You don't want to add too much or you will burst your nori.

3. Starting at the edge with the filling, wrap the nori over and roll tightly up to the non-rice end. Moisten the dry part with water and complete the roll, resting it seam-side-down on the counter. Slice at 3/4" intervals or so, to your desired thickness, and dunk in sauce (below).

Dipping Sauce
Makes enough for 2 rolls, if you cook it down
This sauce has a pleasantly sweet, woodsy flavor, thanks to the shitaki "juice" which is made from soaking the dried mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes prior to use.

Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes:
1 cup shitaki soaking water
1 Tbsp tamari
dash of toasted sesame oil

Cook down to 1/3 cup, remove from heat and pour into small dipping bowls. Toss in some sliced scallions and go to town on the sushi.

Perfect Pesto Risotto

2008-07-27T17:36:00.018-04:00

My wonderful friend Nora sent us the amazing cookbook, Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant, from our hometown cafe, and Alex and I have had so much fun selecting recipes from it each week. We sit down on Sunday afternoons and choose a region of the world we'd like to visit (last time it was Provence, then Italy; this week is Japan) and begin planning our week's menus. Sometimes we pick a movie or wine from the featured country to enhance the experience. I cherish those weeknights when we set aside our work woes and pressures of the city and just get lost in the flavors in front of us.

We selected this delicate, seasonal risotto to accompany the basil and peas that are fresh in the market. Risotto is traditionally made with Italian Arborio rice, a "glutinous" rice with a lovely football shape. The key to creamy, chewy risotto is to add the stock slowly, in small batches, and to stir it frequently throughout the 30 minute cooking time.

This dish was sublime--creamy, zesty, salty, with just the right bite to keep it interesting. I would recommend it with a simple salad of apples, walnuts and greens.

Pesto Risotto
5 cups vegetable stock (we used organic low-sodium)
2 T vegetable oil or butter or combo
1 yellow onion, finely minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup sweet peas, briefly blanched with last 1/4 cup of stock.
4 T homemade pesto (below)

1. Boil the stock in a small saucepan, reduce heat and keep it simmering.

2. Heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat and saute onion until translucent, 3 minutes, then add the rice and toss with the oil (use a wooden spoon).

3. Add wine and stir until absorbed. Add stock, 1/2 cup at a time, and stir until each batch is absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. Each addition should take about 2 minutes for the rice to dry out between pours. This will go on about 20 minutes, tapering off with smaller and more frequent additions at the end, reserving the last 1/4 cup of stock. Taste every couple of minutes until rice is tender but al dente.

4. Remove from heat, add the remaining 1/4 stock with the cheese. Stir in the pesto and peas, gently, to keep the shape of the rice and peas. Serve immediately while warm and fragrant. Inhale the basil-y aroma and dig in.

Presto! Pesto

2008-07-27T17:12:00.004-04:00

Presto! Pesto
Combine in a food processor, being sure to add enough EVOO to moisten the mixture:

4 cups basil leaves, washed
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pinenuts, if you can splurge)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic
Juice of half lemon

This is all to taste, find a balance of tart and garlicky that works for you.

Animal crackers in my soup...

2008-07-25T13:30:00.005-04:00

I'm guessing most people don't know the rest of that Shirley Temple song, it's one my little sister used to sing when she was about four years old and had a peanut belly. We had a VHS of Curly Top that we'd play over and over, fast forwarding to the dancing scenes. My sister was perfectly suited to the roll.

I was inspired by these delicious little cookies, Animal Crackers!, which I thought I'd never be able to eat again! Hurrah for Mi-Del and their gluten-free line of delicious little snacks. I do intend to start posting my own concoctions just as soon as I'm home and settled in from my trip, but in the meantime, I think it's important to share my latest GF product discoveries.

Dunking these crispy, sweet, vanilla cookies into a cold glass of milk is just the kind of Friday afternoon comfort food I need to get through the home stretch at work. They have a great *crunch* and are thinner than traditional animal crackers, but are just as satisfying and delicious. They do have eggs and milk, which is fine for me, and don't contain garbanzo (chickpea) flour, which really upsets my stomach, so they're practically perfect in every way....wrong musical. On a rainy afternoon, I highly recommend kicking back with a tall glass of milk and a bag of these goodies.

A Note on GF traveling

2008-07-24T00:28:00.013-04:00

As I mentioned yesterday, Larabars are my new favorite nourishment when stranded without sympathizers or those knowledgeable about the issue (like my waiter last night who said, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure the flourless cake is gluten-free; we don't make it in-house, but I would guess it's fine because it says 'flourless.'") I'm learning on this trip--my first extensive travel since going GF--that guesses are not enough to keep me healthy. So what do I recommend eating when on the go and without a refrigerator?

Keep in your bag:
*Larabars- especially the Cinnamon Roll and Ginger Snap flavors
*Roasted nuts, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit (be sure to check the labels, especially if they are flavored because they can contain malt extract, "natural flavors," wheat starch, or other additives).

*Fresh fruit!!! I bought a jar of PB to keep in my room and slather on bananas (no refrigeration required). Pick things with a glycemic bang since you may have to subsist on it for a while before returning to healthy home base...

*Potato chips, corn chips, vegetable chips (again, check the labels carefully for flavorings and additives, stick with those labeled "Gluten-Free").

*GF cookies! I love Pamela's Pecan Shortbread Cookies, they are so buttery and flaky, you would never know they were "missing" anything. Alex loves them too.

Look for at restaurants:
*When in doubt, order a salad. Be sure there aren't croutons and that the dressing doesn't have additives (to be safe, ask for oil and balsamic or white vinegar- malt vinegar is made with barley).

*Risotto, polenta, paella, tofu and rice (no soy sauce, but tamari is OK), soups made without roux, and cheese plates are good fillers.

*Mexican food (get corn tortillas) is a good bet, but always check with the server to be sure. Hopefully yours will be better informed than mine was.

*French fries, potato wedges, baked potatoes are good, unless the fries are coated with flour before cooking (fast food restaurants in particular may do this, but many have menus inside with allergy information).

*Wine and tequila are usually fine. Here's a better list of safe alcoholic drinks .

Watch out for:
*Waiters and cooks who don't know what gluten is or who don't seem responsive to your questions.

*Most processed and pre-made foods, in delis and at restaurants.

Hello Chicago! (and Goodbye Oats!)

2008-07-22T10:12:00.023-04:00

I'm in Chi-town this week for work, and aside from pulling 16-hour days with a crew of 12 others, I'm navigating the limited culinary options for a GF veggie on the road. While Chicago has fine offerings for any diet, the constraints of my work schedule are such that I'm lucky to land a salad at a fast food joint as we pass by. I can't wait to properly explore the city and its cuisine, but for now, I am savoring bananas with peanut butter and late-night Lara Bars.

Sadly, I think I got "glutened" on Sunday and I'm still suffering the effects. To explain, getting "glutened" is what folks in the GF world call being exposed to gluten, something that is more severe for Celiacs, who need only a small bit of crumbs or wheat-based additives to feel a reaction. It can be hard to pin down exactly what causes your reaction, because for many people the effects of exposure can often take 12+ hours to show up and then can last days or weeks, depending on the severity.

On Sunday, I was stranded in the Delta Shuttle terminal of LaGuardia airport for 8 hours as the crew scrambled to find a missing part for the plane (hardly reassuring on its own...) The only food option was the Panini Grill, which offered only meaty salads and meaty sandwiches, so there was nothing I could eat. I watched as the estimated departure time rose from 2:55 pm to 3:25 pm and then to 4:45 pm and so on until the late evening (we didn't end up taking off until 10 pm). After about 8 hours without food and a long journey ahead if me, I caved in to my growling stomach and bought a yogurt with granola, a risky venture that I knew might lead to illness. But it was either that or eat meat, so I chose my morals over my health (a choice I'm still paying for today).

The problem with granola is that although oats do not contain wheat or rye or barley (or the other gluten-based flours), they are considered so contaminated with wheat that they can cause a gluten reaction. Oats are usually grown in the same fields as wheat and processed, packaged, and shipped with wheat, making it very likely that they contain traces of gluten (although certified GF Oats are available now). Different countries have different standards on classifying oats: the US is the strictest, while the UK lets up to a certain contamination level pass. Scientists and nutritionists are still debating this issue, but I think my body has reached its own conclusion.

So now I am paying for that precious meal--in the form of a migraine that woke me up at 3:45 this morning and kept me up until 5:00, a sore throat, exhaustion, the feeling that I'm getting sick, and terrible stomach pain--I won't make that gamble again. I haven't felt this rotten from exposure since I stopped eating gluten, but I think that could be the very reason I'm experiencing such a strong reaction: my body has had a chance to heal, but now it is faced with its enemy and is attacking full force (please stop!!)

The up-side is that I can completely prevent this from ever happening, as long as I'm diligent and have support from the friends and family who are sharing food with me, then I have the tools to keep myself healthy. If it means starving for 8 hours in LaGuardia, the temporary pain is worth it to avoid days of punishment, but in the future, I really need to plan ahead and pack my own GF snacks for just such a predicament.

Hopefully I'll be better shortly and can post some delicious things we made this past weekend. Until then, I'll be trying to recover while working this crazy schedule for another day (7:30 am till midnight tomorrow) and then I will try to rest. I have so much sympathy for people out there who have this kind of reaction to even the smallest exposure: a "contaminated" cutting board used to slice bread; a kiss from your honey after he or she took a sip of beer; using shampoo or lipstick containing gluten. Thankfully, I think I have been fine with these things so far. If only I was home, I would drink my miracle concoction of fresh juices which I believe can heal any ailment:

Soothing Apple-Lemon-Ginger Tonic
Makes one 12-16oz. juice

In a juicer, combine:
3 green apples
3 lemons
1/2 cup fresh ginger

Chill or add ice cubes to soothe your heart and tummy.

Rhubarb of my eye

2008-07-17T14:38:00.010-04:00

Strawberry rhubarb pie is one of my all-time favorites, for I love all things tart and pink (like grapefruits, raspberries, and watermelon Jolly Ranchers), but when pie crust is a bit of an ordeal, especially GF, this is a nice little version. The filling is all I really care about anyway, I always offer my crusts to Alex or my siblings.

I poured the ensuing pie-filling mush over some Haagen Dazs vanilla bean ice cream and just about floated off to Cloud Nine. With two spoons and one bowlful, we quickly devoured the slushy mixture and refilled several times before we were satisfied.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Mush
Makes a lot: enough for 4-6 generous ice cream toppers
2 cups rhubarb, rinsed and chopped to 1/2" slices
2 cups strawberries, rinsed and chopped to 1/2" slices
1 1/2 tsp. sugar (we're pretty brave, some folks might prefer more)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 dash cinnamon, if you like

Pint of vanilla ice cream, or just a couple spoons. It's a little too runny to treat as jam, but I'd love to hear other folks' ideas for how to use it.

1. Melt down the rhubarb and strawberries with some water, 1/8-1/4 cup should suffice.

2. Once simmering, add sugar and cinnamon, stir frequently until combined. No need to boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

3. Pour over ice cream and slurp it back.

Real true delicious pizza!

2008-07-16T12:10:00.019-04:00

,

After the first agonizing two weeks without wheat, most of my painful cravings ceased and I adjusted to my new diet. In the first few days though, I was a mess to be around; all I could think about was the food I couldn't eat, and when I closed my eyes, I actually saw buttery crackers, foccacia bread, coffee cakes. I went cold turkey and didn't have any supplements yet, so I was pretty hungry to boot. It wasn't until I trekked up to the health food store a mile north of our apartment and discovered a box of GF cookies that I found some relief. Needless to say, they were gone by morning!

Having mostly adjusted to the realities of my diet and embraced all my options, I still find myself craving the chewy-crisp texture of good bread soaked in olive oil or steaming with melty butter. When Alex made me this pizza last week from the Whole Foods mix, I felt guilty with pleasure. The crust is so perfect---either thin or as a deep-dish pie--with its tender inside and firm crusty exterior (which I promptly soaked in excellent olive oil). We topped it with some homemade tomato sauce, a combination of mozzarella, parmesan, and manchego cheeses, and fresh tomatoes and basil, but anything would be amazing on this base.

Alex's pizza:
Makes two medium pizzas (serves 4)

1 package Whole Foods GF pizza crust mix, prepared
2 cups homemade tomato sauce
2-3 cups grated cheese of your choice (we did 1/2 mozz, 1/4 manchego, 1/4 parm because that's what we had in the fridge)
1 sliced tomato
1 cup fresh basil, washed

1. Prep dough, let rise 30 minutes.

2. Make tomato sauce (see below)

3. Arrange dough in a 9" cake pan for deep dish (above) or spread onto cookie sheet for thinner crust (top image). Spread half sauce across dough, to taste, and add cheeses, then arrange tomato slices and basil on top.

4. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until it's ooey and bubbling. You do not have to pre-bake the crust, so it's a pretty quick meal from start to finish. Devour immediately!

Easy tomato sauce

2008-07-16T12:00:00.001-04:00

This is our go-to sauce when we want to throw together a pizza, pasta dish, or even a hoagie for supper. I really love the simplicity of the flavors here, and you can modify to suit your taste, but i find that the bit of sugar is necessary to counter the canned flavor (so it isn't usually necessary when working with fresh tomatoes).

1 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can Muir Glen organic diced plum tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 handful fresh basil leaves, washed
dash salt and pepper to taste

1. Sautee the onion in the olive oil
2. Add the garlic and tomatoes, bring to a simmer.
3. Add the oregano, sugar, salt and pepper, stir to combine, 5 minutes.
4. Add the basil and more salt and pepper as needed.

You can also add red pepper flakes, bay leaves, fresh rosemary, mushrooms, or peppers to the sautee to bring out other flavors.

Bountiful breakfast

2008-07-15T13:26:00.013-04:00

In continuing my ode to fresh summer berries, I must post this incredible and simple breakfast from last weekend. These Lifestream wildberry buckwheat waffles are my favorite GF variety because they have a really crispy exterior but a velvety inside that melts in your mouth (with tons of berry bits inside). I had them with peach yogurt, my alternative to butter for pancakes and waffles, and piles of fresh summer fruits. It was truly indulgent, the kind of meal that is best on a leisurely morning when you can really savor each bite. In contrast, during the week I often eat these babies plain and slightly frozen as I walk to the subway. I definitely do not recommend that method! So here's to the weekend, even when it seems so far off, for there are little indulgences awaiting.

Little bites of sunshine

2008-07-08T11:08:00.010-04:00

Lying in bed last night, I nibbled these incredible gifts of nature. With each bite, I proclaimed a new sensation: "This tastes like sunshine!" "This tastes like exploration!" "This tastes like fireflies at dusk!"

Alex picked me these incredible black caps when he was home last weekend. I was on the phone with him as he waded waist-deep through berry bushes behind his family's barn, tugging handfuls of delicious purple fruits from their vines. That night, his mom made a black-cap pie with vanilla custard and the next morning, a coffee cake with layers of berries, cheesecake and spiced crumb topping. I sneaked a bite of the top layers, and it was truly divine.

Something about the odor of honey and the lingering lazy sunshine in these berries makes them the most flavorful and the most sensual of all berries. Although red raspberries are a close second for me, they lack the zesty bite of the wild black caps (and the nostalgia of a mid-summer discovery along an enchanted meadow path). Thank you for these little bites of heaven!

As for recipes, I'm afraid to say I just eat them plain, because they really should be savored on their own, or sprinkled atop good vanilla ice cream. I hope you're lucky enough to live near a patch of these babies, or to have someone who will brave the prickers and bring you a cupful from hundreds of miles away!

Early summer indulgences

2008-06-25T11:46:00.021-04:00

Some days, it's a challenge to create menus that both excite and satiate my non-GF boy (how many ways can I prepare rice, potatoes, and corn?) However, we've been remarkably creative and Alex has been a good sport. It often means making dual dishes- one pot of wheat pasta and one pot of rice pasta for our homemade pesto, for example- but this recent menu was a supreme hit for all parties.

Darling Polenta Pizzas
We used pre-made polenta, purchased before we started making our own, so this was an ideal way to use it up and take advantage of the firmer texture of the store-bought variety. These would probably be even better with homemade polenta, packed in a loaf pan or spread onto a cookie sheet and left to firm up overnight. You can add any toppings you like, but we kept it simple since the polenta was already flavored with mushrooms and onions.

1 package (18oz.) mushroom and onion polenta, cut into 1/2" rounds
2 Tbsp olive oil to coat polenta
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup tomato sauce (we used leftover homemade sauce)
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup other cheeses of your choice, diced to 1/2" pieces- we used a creamy Greek feta and a nice French brie (each pizza had one or the other)
1/4 cup washed, chopped basil leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 375, per polenta package instructions. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the polenta slices on the sheet. Brush the polenta with olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano, to taste.
2. Bake the polenta rounds about 15 minutes, till firm and slightly crispy. Meanwhile, grate the mozzarella, chop the basil, and slice the cheeses.
3. Spoon about 1 Tbsp of sauce atop each round. Sprinkle with mozzarella and the other cheese, top with basil. Bake another 5-8 minutes until gooey and melted.

Arugula Truffle Salad
It was a muggy late-June evening, so the chevre melted and slid to the bottom of the bowl, coating every leaf in gooey cheese flavor. I love the nutty tang of arugula, it adds a nice spice to a salad and complements the pecans really well. The lemon juice and green grapes are so cooling and evocative of summertime, and the grapes are a nice mild backdrop to the truffles. We finished off the entire bowl in one meal.

4 cups organic baby arugula
2 ounces Truffle chevre, crumbled (a new find at the Coop, but any chevre will do)
1 cup green seedless grapes, washed and halved
Handful of toasted pecans (baked in a conventional or toaster oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes, watch to be sure they don't burn)

For the dressing:
1.5 tsp truffle oil (ours is an infusion in olive oil, so it's cheaper and less truffley)
Juice of one lemon (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tsp)
Cracked black pepper to taste
(this will be pretty tart and lemony, so you can dilute with white or infused vinegar, more oil, Dijon mustard, or use less lemon juice if you prefer it milder)

Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl and pour over the salad. Toss and enjoy!

Peanut Butter

2008-06-23T23:38:00.018-04:00

Peanut butter has to be one of the greatest joys in life. When I was running 5+ miles a day, I would go through a whole jar in one week (that's eating it straight, with a spoon). Then I discovered a delicious twist: throw dark chocolate chips in the jar and scoop them out, letting each sticky sweet bite melt in your mouth.

Last night, I created a cookie version of that snack, basing my recipe on a variation of these PB cookies, and I have to say I prefer them to the floured variety I grew up with. These are so chewy and moist, but flaky too. The only problem with them is trying not to eat the entire batch at once.

Black-eyed Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 3 dozen 2" cookies

1 cup good peanut butter (I used crunchy organic)
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
dash cloves
(dash of salt if your PB is unsalted)

Extra white sugar to coat (if you please, it's extra sweet)
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (like Ghirardelli)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cream together the peanut butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat in the baking powder and egg until well mixed. Add the vanilla and spices, combine.

3. Shape the dough into approx. 1" balls, gently toss in extra sugar (if desired, they will be really sweet), then place on prepared cookie sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork. Press 1 large chocolate chip in the top of each cookie, if desired.

4. Bake about 10 minutes, until golden on the edges. Cookies will be very puffy and soft to the touch. Let cool 5 minutes on the pan before transferring the parchment to a counter to cool another 10 minutes. (This cooling process is crucial for letting the cookies firm up, and the wait is worth it.)

Enjoy!

Starting out

2008-06-23T14:07:00.012-04:00

Let me start at the beginning:

6 weeks ago, I was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity and, as a vegetarian, I immediately revolted against the reality that I would have to give up seitan, fake meats, baguette, pizza, scones, cakes, cookies...you see where I'm going. I lay on the couch and scarfed a bowl of whole wheat pasta, drank my last Corona, and lamented, "This is the beginning of the end, I will never enjoy food again!"

6 weeks later, I am incredibly happy with my decision to cut out gluten, incredibly healthy, and having far more fun in the kitchen than in years prior. A vegetarian since age 8, I've gotten used to making special requests at restaurants and the awkward dinner party, and I assumed this would be another, much larger, headache. Thankfully, due to my incredibly supportive partner, the abundance of good food available to me, and reading GF blogs (thank you Shauna!) and cookbooks online, it is an exciting journey and I am eating better than before! Coupled with this, my boyfriend and I moved in together just a month before my diagnosis, so I have a great incentive (and awesome encouragement) to keep trying out new recipes and refining my culinary skills. It was at his urging that I began this blog, and it will be to his benefit as well :)

I hope this can be a celebration of delicious "foodie" as we call it in my family, a resource for others with gluten sensitivities, and a fun diversion from the less-pleasurable things in life. I am just learning the art of blogging, so please bear with me, but hopefully this can be user-friendly and a feast for the eyes (and tummy). I decided to start this because I couldn't find many exclusively vegetarian GF blogs, and I think the more we can concentrate and share our food ideas, the better. So please enjoy! Recipes coming soon.