Wish list

My birthday is months away, but I’m starting a wish list already. I saw these flip and tumble produce bags on an acquaintance’s blog post. Not only are they reusable produce bags, but you can also wash your produce in them! Cool.

 

Make new friends, but keep the old (just make them gluten-free)

Although I notoriously don’t-love the holidays, Thanksgiving has always held a special place in my heart. I cherish my memories of gathering with the rest of the Moore clan at my grandma’s house in Corvallis, OR — setting the table with the dark green damask; getting out the special holiday plates decorated with labradors and grouse; making the cranberry sauce the night before with grandma’s fancy cranberry-sauce-making contraption; learning the difference between yams and sweet potatoes once again on the annual shopping trip to Albertson’s, with grandma for years, and then with her scrawled list and signed check for years more. Board games with the boys after dinner, football games blaring from the front room where Uncle Terry sipped down a liter of Carlo Rossi chablis.

Our Thanksgiving menu rarely deviated from this lineup: Turkey, brined and basted and often stuffed with lemons. Turkey gravy from the drippings. Sweet potatoes, boiled then candied on the stovetop. Mashed potatoes, more often than not from a box, and stuffing, more often than not from Stouffer’s. Brussel’s sprouts or asparagus. Pillsbury crescent rolls. Cranberry sauce (see above), served cold, skin-free, and sweet. Quarter glasses of wine for the cousins. Pumpkin pie, pecan pie, freshly-whipped cream, ice cream.

So, this year, when I opened my (new!) home to my partner’s family and several friends, I experienced unanticipated difficulty adjusting to their menu choices. Candace is from New Orleans, and her family favors delicacies such as oyster dressing, garlicky mashed potatoes generously seasoned with Tony Sachery’s cajun spice blend, store-bought rolls, and a (sacrilegiously!) unbrined turkey smeared with herbs de Provence and (humiliatingly!) cooked breast-down (note: the turkey was deemed a huge success by all who eat fowl, which doesn’t include this notquitevegan). One couple shared Brussel’s sprouts with sauerkraut, sweet potato parcels (like samosas, in a pastry shell), and a bourbon-chocolate-chip-pecan pie, and another contributed a cold lentil salad and a bottle of champagne coupled with a bottle of apple cider, which made for particularly delightful seasonal cocktails. A friend from Portland conjured up butternut squash with Oregon hazelnuts and caramelized onions, and sauteed kale with Oregon chanterelles, which were the stars of the show in my opinion. And I claimed the gravy, making a now-traditional mushroom version; the perennial cranberry sauce, deviating from my own tradition for lack of proper equipment and instead opting for a warm citrus-ginger cranberry sauce sweetened with brown sugar and agave nectar; and pumpkin pie, adjusting grandma’s recipe with almond milk, soy creamer, and a gluten-free crust.

Impressively enough, the majority of our menu was gluten-free, lactose-free, and vegetarian-friendly. The wine was mediocre but the pre-feast bloody marys were (after considerable doctoring) out of this world. Our new and unstable Ikea table facilitated three wine spills, but we didn’t break a single dish. No insults were hurled, and we successfully navigated conversation away from politics and religion for the entire day! This wasn’t the Thanksgiving I’m used to nor expected, but it was a solid Thanksgiving nonetheless.

And now I can’t wait to eat anything but leftovers.

 

Lose your corkscrew?

Try this.

 

You Can Cook. Quickly.

As per my usual Gemini nature, half my friends are health nuts who wouldn’t dream of littering their bodies with anything that was once packaged in plastic, and the other half are very busy mostly post-college-young-adults who choose fast foods or dining out because they feel they don’t have the time or skills to do otherwise. Inspired by this Zen Habits post, and in an effort to merge my worlds, I thought I’d brainstorm some of my favorite lunches and weeknight dinners and post them here. I prefer making 1-2 big meals on the weekend to enjoy over the course of the week, but most of these can be done in under an hour, no matter what day it is.

* SOUP! Soup is such an undervalued delight, and I’ve recently discovered how simple and nourishing a soup meal can be. Favorites include vegetarian chili; tom yum ka (thai coconut milk soup with vegetables); lentil soup; minestrone; carrot-ginger; and (soy) cream of zucchini. Bonus: these are all super cheap options, and can be made in large batches to save for later in the week or freeze for later in the month.

* Pasta. It seems obvious, but don’t underestimate the value of a 15 minute Italian meal: boil the pasta; saute whatever vegetables and spices you have on hand; toss together with fresh herbs, beans, canned stewed tomatoes, capers, cheese, or brewer’s yeast; and serve with a green salad and/or toasted baguette smeared with garlic butter.

* Or, try an Asian-inspired noodle dish, tossing soba noodles with sesame oil, soy sauce, snow peas, and scallions; or rice noodles with peanut butter, chilis, garlic, rice vinegar, and vegetables.

* Frittatas have always been my standby meal. I can dress them up by lining the pain with a layer of caramelized onions rings or tomato rounds; make ahead and serve room temperature for a light lunch; cut into small squares and top with tapenade for an easy appetizer; or throw together last minute for a satisfying weeknight meal. Favorite ingredients include mushrooms, spinach, caramelized onions, potatoes, goat cheese, parmesan, and any fresh herbs. Serve with potatoes roasted with dijon, soy sauce, and olive oil (all ingredients you should keep on hand!)

* Sandwiches have to be one of my favorite foods. The factorial of combinations you can make with different breads, spreads, vegetables, and meat/replacements induces culinary fervor on my end. Lately I’ve been stocking up on baked tofu to layer with tomatoes, avocado, pepperoncinis, dijon (see, told you it would come in handy), and spinach. If I’m feeling fancy I’ll roast zucchini strips, bell peppers, or portobellos and pack them in with goat cheese and olive tapenade. And never underestimate the humble tuna melt, spruced up with chipotles and a really nice fontina.

* I’m not big on salads these days (Chinese medicine frowns on cold foods), but I am tempted by room-temperature wild rice or pasta salads, wilted spinach salads (gently heat oil and vinegar in a small saucepan before whisking in other ingredients and tossing with your salad), and grilled endive salads (especially topped with blue cheese and fake bacon, which are also taboo in TCM, but no one’s perfect).

In my experience, the biggest hindrance to cooking at home is planning your grocery shopping time. As long as you can stock your pantry with staples once a month, and make time to get fresh produce, cheese, and meat/replacements once a week, you can make tasty, nutritious, affordable meals at home, which your pocketbook and your body will both be grateful for.

 

Fried in Santa Barbara

Sometimes, you just have to order the happy hour fried food specials and get a couple fancy cocktails. This is especially true if you’re on vacation in Santa Barbara and you listen to The Hungry Cat’s siren song.

 

If nothing matters, there’s nothing left to save

Check out this touching NY Times article, Against Meat, written by Jonathon Safran Foer. He discusses a lot of the complexities of vegetarianism from an ethical perspective, and I identified with a lot of it. Enjoy!

 

Cucumber Vichyssoise

A new twist on an old classic? Perhaps more aptly titled, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I wanted to spruce up a standard summer chilled soup, so I tried tampering with this cucumber vichyssoise. Next time I’ll had a generous handful of basil, a healthy dash of cayenne, and a bit of smoked sea salt.

The garnish is everything

Cucumber Vichyssoise

2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup white wine (I used a Chilean Sauvingnon Blanc)
1 cup stock
2 cucumbers, peeled
1/2 an avocado
2 1/2 cups almond milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Dashes of dill and nutmeg
Greek yogurt, Tofutti sour cream, or similar dollop-worthy topping
One ear of corn, cut off the cob

Cook peeled potatoes in wine and stock, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Cover and continue cooking the potatoes until tender; set aside.

Meanwhile, puree peeled cucumbers and avocado [and basil] in a blender and transfer to a large bowl.

Puree the potato, stock, and wine mixture. Combine with the cucumber puree. Stir in milk and seasonings; stir until smooth. Serve chilled, with a bit of fresh corn and a dollop of Greek yogurt if you aren’t adverse.

6 servings.

 

Urchin of Philly

Sea urchin with shired eggs at Meme in Philly

My week in Philly and New York boasted multitudinous culinary delights…But most of the photos aren’t uploaded yet. Here’s a quick tease of what’s to come — Chef David Katz of Mémé Restaurant in Philly sent us this fresh sea urchin with shired eggs and a side of toasted bread. I found it floral; everyone else at the table sided with “saline”, or the more quotidian, “delicious”. Worth a trip back before long, I think.

 

Waffle

waf⋅fle  [wof-uhl]

–verb
1. to speak or write equivocally: “to waffle on an important issue.”
Origin: 1890–95; orig. dial. (Scots, N England): to wave about, flutter, waver, be hesitant

–noun
2. a batter cake with a pattern of deep indentations on each side, formed by the gridlike design on each of the two hinged parts of the metal appliance (waffle iron) in which the cake is baked.
Origin: 1735–45; < D wafel

–verb. British.
3. to talk foolishly or without purpose; idle away time talking.
Origin: 1695–1705; orig. dial. (N England); appar. waff to bark, yelp

After considerable waffling, I finally selected a professional-grade Belgian-style waffle-iron for my birthday this past June. Here are the fruits of my labors — gluten free and drizzled with molasses. If you haven’t tried molasses on waffles (or pancakes), please remedy this immediately. No waffling about.

 

Get The Most Nutrition From Your Veggies

Did you know that antioxidant values in carrots increase after cooking?

Many trends in the healthy eating revolve around the raw food movement and low fat or fat-free cooking. This is hard to reconcile with Chinese Medicine theory, which emphasizes cooked meat dishes and advises avoiding raw foods to protect your Stomach and Spleen qi. The stomach is a warm place, and flooding it with cold, hard-to-digest food can shock the system. This is why Chinese cooking centers on stir-frying techniques and soups, which are warm, nourishing, and easy to process. This is also why Japanese dishes that include raw foods, and especially raw fish (which is very Yin) also include ginger (which is warm and Yang).

Most of my raw-foodie friends scoff the Chinese theories because raw foods feel good to their body. I think you should always listen to your body, and I also want to note here that your individual constitution can influence how much raw food your system can handle. That said, it was interesting to read this NPR article on getting the most nutrition from your produce. The gist is basically that the nutrients in many vegetables are best absorbed when consumed with small amounts of fat, and/or after being lightly cooked. Check it out, and think about steaming those carrots before your afternoon snack.