Apples

It's been a very full week and a half. Lots going on. All the normal stuff plus an extra project this past weekend. And then I got the news that my Grandma died. She had been ill and we knew it was coming soon. My mom had been waffling between dates to fly out to Vancouver, WA to see her mom one last time. Fortunately, she booked a ticket that would have her arrive just one day before her mother passed; allowing my mom some special last moments with her.
     I've been thinking a lot about my Grandma. How our family would visit her and Grandpa out in California when we were young. How petite and smiley she was. How she lived such a healthy, active life. (She was in a series of exercise videos for seniors called Lite and Lively at the age of 60). For as long as I can remember, she's been an acutely healthy eater, although my mom says that this wasn't always the case. Somewhere in her 50's she decided it was time to make some changes in her eating habits. And when she decided to do something, she stuck to it.
     Over the years, my Grandma and I remained in some sort of contact (even though we lived on opposites sides of the US and later, on different continents). But letters were few and far between and I regret to say that I could have done a better job at communication. Sometimes it was difficult to find things to talk about because our worlds seemed so far apart from one another. Thing is, I'm not so sure they really were.
     You see, I'm thinking now that she would have loved this blog. We shared this love of good, healthy food and I can just imagine how much fun it would have been to see her comment on these pages with thoughts and recipe ideas of her own. (We also both loved interesting fabulous jewelry, something I'm just now realizing, and bird-watching).
     I'm getting packed to fly out to Vancouver early tomorrow morning for the funeral. It's going to be a short, intense trip. But it will be good to see my family and to put my arms around my Grandpa. Mom says the service will be beautiful and the weather is going to be sunny and 70. There will be a reception afterwards.....Grandma requested apple pie be served. :)
    In honor of my Grandma, Betty Lou McIntyre, here is one of her favorite apple ideas; perfect for Autumn days. It is in response to a letter I had written her some years back, requesting the recipe:

Betty's Baked Apples


In regard to your question about baked apples--they are delicious aren't they. In the Microwave Cookbook it says core the apples and trim off a strip around the top. Spoon raisins into the center and mound brown sugar on the apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Drizzle with apple juice (I've used water). Cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave for 5-6 minutes for 2 apples and then let stand for 10 minutes. Spoon pan juices over apples. Serve with vanilla ice cream or cream.


We like a syriuppy juice over the apples, so I pour the pan juices into a sauce pan, add more water and 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed) and cook it until it is the consistency of a regular syrup. Cook it on low while it bubbles and keep an eye on it.

Forced Creativity

A year or so into our marriage, I began to start branching out in the food arena, due mostly to the influence of a college friend who was lucky enough to be born into a family where cooking was considered a creative outlet. This friend also wore lovely wool cardigans from the thrift store and smelled of ginger and lemongrass. She moved in with another friend of mine, just down the street from us. I'd go over to their apartment on a Friday night and she'd cook. Watching my friend move around the kitchen; opening up cabinets, stirring pots, checking timers, like some intricately choreographed dance, I began to want to dance like her too.

     And so I started to practice at home. It was fun. Suddenly our weeknight dinners became a little more exciting...something to look forward to. I borrowed recipes and little by little started making more bold choices in the kitchen. Now, I'm not saying that everything was amazing or anything. I specifically remember, in fact, one evening that we ended up eating Dairy Queen for dinner because the dinner I intended to make ended up in burnt chunks all over the inside of our oven.

     I also began practicing with friends. There were about 5 of us and when our boyfriends/husbands were out playing video games at Dave and Busters we'd all get together to cook. There was a catch, however. You had to bring an item or two from your pantry to add to the list of ingredients. Once gathered together, we'd take a look at what was assembled and then would begin to create. It was great. We'd have to improvise, to take risks. It was a kind of forced creativity. And it was always very, very interesting. Being together meant more points of view and more room to grow and to be stretched. (This is also a great way to stretch your "end of the month" grocery dollars. Who knew that can of diced tomatoes and half a jar of natural peanut butter could turn into a fabulous Thai dish!) 
     Experimenting is part of the game. If you choose to try this exercise with some of your friends, be open and let the gathered ingredients guide the dish. Sometimes a box of whole-wheat crackers, a mango, a handful of spinach, leftover chicken and some vegetable broth can morph into the most wonderful deliciousness. And sometimes not. But you are sure to enjoy the evening and come home with stories that will make you smile later the next day as you are pouring your morning coffee. 

     

      

The A-List

I love to shop. And I love lists. So, in theory, I should love going to the grocery store. And most of the time I do. It's the times when I've not been prepared that I've ended up the most frustrated. Armed with my little list of yummies; brimming with potential to nourish and sustain my family, I arrive at the store ready to navigate through the mediocre in order to find the pearls. Ok, so it's really not that dramatic. But sometimes it feels that way as I'm dodging giant neon green signs pushing Twinkies and yellow arrows pointing me to the cookie aisle where I can buy two for the price of one. (This becomes even more precarious when my three-year-old son accompanies me to the store.)

     Fortunately, I have my A-List practically memorized. These are the stars of my cupboard, the icons of my pantry. These are the items I know I'll need every week. I can add to this list as the calendar unfolds, but I know that the basics for my cooking preferences are covered if I simply adhere to the list. It looks something like this:
Fresh Produce
baby spinach (I like the kind that comes in the big, clear, container)
purple onions (I put onions in practically EVERYTHING)
garlic
ginger root
peppers (red, yellow, green....whatever's on sale)
tomatoes 
avocados (one or two ripe ones and the rest not quite ready yet)
sweet potatoes
broccoli
other seasonal vegetables
seasonal fruits
grapes
Dry Goods
basmati rice
brown rice (I like RICESELECT Texmati Brown Rice)
whole wheat tortillas
12 grain or whole-wheat multi-grain bread (I like Aronold's)
Whole-wheat pasta (I like Barilla penne..sometimes it's only a dollar a box at Kroger)
couscous (Again, RICESELECT is my favorite.)
oatmeal
Canned Items
black beans (of course, dried beans are best, but I'm not always thinking that far ahead, so in a pinch canned black beans are fabulous)
garbanzo beans
corn (I add corn to just about anything)
albacore tuna
kosher dill pickles
dry lentils
Cold Items
soy or almond milk
veggetarian cheese substitute (I like Veggie Shreds)
vegetarian meat crumbles
vegan mayo (I only buy Veganaise....love, love, love it!)
Snacks/Cereal
hummus (I used to make my own, but haven't done so in a while...hmm, maybe it's about time....)
cashews/almonds
raisins
natural peanut butter (I buy Kroger Natural Creamy and let me tell you, I am a true pb conoisseur)
blue corn chips
Kashi GOLEAN Crunch cereal (Awesomeness in a bowl. more protein in one serving than an egg and 8g of fiber to boot.)
Condiments/Baking
100% pure maple syrup (I use this as a natural sweetner....so much so, apparently, that when I put some on my son's waffle the other morning he exclaimed "Mama! Syrup is for coffee not waffles! oops.)
spicy mustard
olive oil
ground cumin
curry powder
dill weed
ground coriander seed
fresh basil
Frozen
peas
corn (Roasted in the oven with a little EVOO, this makes a fabulous addition to almost any dish.)


So, there you have it. And here's one of my favorite recipes of all time if that list has you so inspired....


Spiced Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Spinach
Serves 4


What you will need:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon hot mustard
2 Tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 cup chopped onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 big handful of fresh baby spinach
8 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 cans (or about 2 1/2 cups) of cooked garbanzo beans
1 cup vegetable stock


What you will do:
1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the spices. 
2. Add the onion and garlic. Saute until golden, about 5 min.
3. Add the spinach, tomato sauce, and half of the garbanzo beans.
4. In a blender, puree the remaining garbanzo beans with the stock.
5. Add the puree to the skillet and simmer for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over couscous. 

What I'm Eating Now

I like to call myself a foodie with vegan tendencies. It's true, I rarely eat meat. I stay away from cheese and other dairy products and I don't drink milk. I prefer to eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables (I dislike the word veggies....anybody else feel me on that one?), nuts and seeds, legumes, and fish. (I have recently learned that I could be called a freegan or a flexitarian....but it's not really about titles anyway.) Anything else besides these items seem to make me feel sluggish, lethargic, like my body is working too hard to process them. When I sit down to a table set with freshly cooked vegetables, ripe fruit, whole grains and vegetarian proteins, it's like my body instantly knows this is gonna be good and really great for me too. And afterwards, there is never that ohmygoshwhatdidijustdotomyself feeling. Instead, I am rewarded with a sense of calm and wholeness.
     I have a friend who was a vegetarian back in the mid 1990's, before it was even cool to be one. When asked about his dining choices he'd answer "There is already enough killing and violence in the world. I don't really wanna add to it just so I can eat a big, juicy hamburger for dinner." I kind of see his point. Ignore, for a moment, the issues of hormone-injections and ill-treatment of animals to be slaughtered. We don't really need the animal protein in the first place. Why Americans think it's a necessity, heck, a RIGHT, to not only eat three meals a day but to have meat at each of those meals is beyond me.
     Ok, it's not exactly beyond me. In our country, meat=$. To my fathers' generation it meant that things were going to be A-OK. There's enough money to put good food on the table and good food is meat and potatoes. I get it. My dad, bless his heart, puts a smile on his face for every meal I ever cook at his house and after each carefully chewed bite and quizzical look, usually says something like "Well, Sheila-Marie, that was actually very good after all." 
And that's ok. Because it's a big leap for someone like him to make changes. But he's open to it. Because he wants to be healthier. (And because my mother makes him.)
     For me, it's all about moderation and expectations. When I'm at a wedding, I'll probably eat the prime rib. And when I'm celebrating a friends job promotion at her favorite restaurant, yes, I'll try the tandoori chicken because she loves it so much. And I love her.
     Sooooooo......Are you already with me?  Awesome. Wanna eat less meat? Consider making one dinner this week a vegetarian creation. Ready for a bigger change but not sure how to start? Check back in in a few days...we're going grocery shopping. :) 
     DISCLAIMER: I promise that I won't use this space to rant and rave about eating meat vs. not eating meat. I just wanted you to know where I'm coming from. 

The Naked Truth

Lest you start to think that I was born into some whimsical, earthy family that shopped at health-food stores and let the children have sips of wine each night with dinner (heaven-forbid!) might I remind you of what was discussed in my first post.....that this relationship I've established with food has been a journey... read:  cheeze puffs and corn dogs came before hummus and lentil burgers.  
      Growing up, our family ate simple, standard food.  There was the ever-present meatloaf and the traditional mac n' cheese (with a can of tuna and a bag of peas thrown in for good measure.)  In our house, mom got "exotic" in the kitchen about once a week when she made salmon patties (which my sister and I nick-named Sandi Patties, after the popular contemporary Christian artist of the same name.....we thought we were hi-lar-i-ous) with a side of green beans.  
     When I left home for college, the dining hall took over for mom and that was fine by me.  Ours served the usual fare... chicken and rice, beef and broccoli, and of course, PASTA.  Lots and lots of PASTA.  All made from processed, white flour and all ensuring that I'd soon meet the enemy of every freshman girl ever to step foot on a college campus:  the Freshman Fifteen!  Ack!  I shudder at the mere mention of it.  (Looking back, though the carb count of that pasty, pale, penne was probably through the roof, I'm guessing it helped on weekends to soak up the, um, large amounts of alcohol that myself and all of my lovely friends tended to consume.  I'm not advocating this behavior, mind you, I'm just sayin'.)  
      A couple of years later I married the man that made my heart skip a beat.  (He was also the person who introduced me to green tea, chicco-sticks, and Asian kung-fu movies with bad sub-titles...but we'll save that for another post.)  He had also lived on his own for a few years (I was still in the dorms) and knew a thing or two about cooking. And when I use the work "cooking" here, I use it very, very loosely.  He made (and still makes) a mean chili and could whip up a pot of spaghetti in no time, too.  I remember one of our very first grocery shopping trips together.  We were at the Biggs on Colerain Ave. in Cincinnati, OH (which is gone now, btw. I went to their blow-out store-closing sale this past summer and saved a boatload on some really excellent red wine.  My, how times have changed.) and I do believe we spent most of our time in the frozen foods section.  My new husband promptly found his favorite brand of extra spicy, extra crispy fried chicken and loaded our cart with quite a few boxes of the stuff.  Fine by me, I thought.  
     Later that night I remember how incredibly proud I was of the delightful meal I had prepared for my beloved from our shopping adventure.  Spicy fried chicken (straight from the freezer), yellow corn with loads of butter (right out of the can), and mashed potatoes (right out of the, um, box.)
     Yes, it hurts me to say that last bit about the instant potatoes, but it's the truth.  And it's part of my food adventure.  And it was ok for us at the time.  Heck, at least it wasn't ramen.  And if I just described the dinner you just ate, well, that's ok too.  You might consider to just take a moment and think about how that food makes you feel and what, if anything, you'd like to change about that. Sometimes our food habits keep us from recognizing that there's more out there beyond our own little cupboards.  

The MAD Vegetable

A recent trip to my local farmers market (see previous post) produced two, lovely, giant, shiny, purple, eggplants (also know as aubergines in the UK).  I thought about the name on my drive home and then did a little research last night.  The word is derived from the Arabic al-badinjan (Serbian is patlidzan) which is similar to the Italian version which means "mad apple."  Apparently, many cultures thought that too much eggplant would turn one into a raving lunatic.  I love this explanation I found on www.languagehat.com:  

     The reputation for madness may have originated in India because of a folk etymology connecting vatingana with the word for wind, which is associated with madness in India as the moon is in Europe. In any case, Arab doctors warned their patients that eggplant would cause madness, cancer, freckles and hoarseness, among other evils (European doctors would later say the same), but the man in the street didn't necessarily pay attention. The 9th-century poet Kushajam wrote: 
"The doctor makes ignorant fun of me for loving eggplant, but I will not give it up. 
"Its flavor is like the saliva generously exchanged by lovers in kissing."

     So....er....ummm...yeah.  Saliva.  Kissing.  In any case, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the following recipe will most likely NOT cause you to go insane. However, I will not be held responsible for any kissing that may ensue after consumption.  

Baked Polenta with Tomato and Eggplant

Serves 6, Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

What you will need:

1.5-2 lbs. fresh vine ripened whole tomatos, roughly chopped (this is about three large tomatos)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 bay leaf, 2 basil leaves (dried basil is fine, too)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

salt, pepper

1 tube of pre-packed polenta

1 large eggplant, sliced and grilled

vegetarian cheese substitute

What you will do:

1. Heat olive oil and add tomato, bay leaf, basil, onion, and garlic. Cook for 20-30 min. or until tender. The mixture will begin to break down and look like your favorite tomato sauce. (In fact, you can use this part of the recipe as a base for all your Italian dishes.....) Season with salt and pepper.

2. In the meantime, slice the eggplant into thin rounds and grill the rounds on a lightly oiled skilled. (I use a grill-pan with ridges to get the nice grill lines on the eggplant.)

3. Lightly grease a casserole dish and spread the sauce over the bottom of the pan. Arrange sliced polenta over the sauce and then layer the grilled eggplant on top of the polenta. Crumble the vegetarian cheese substitute on top. Bake 25-30 min. or until golden. Let cool slightly and slice. Serve over wilted spinach.

To Market We Go!

Long before it was trendy in the United States, Europeans have been waking early on Saturday mornings, taking their straw baskets down from off their shelves in the kitchen, and trekking into town to their local farmers' market.  The hipsters of American urban pockets, along with the hippies of yesteryear, brought the trend to the States and more recently the average American has decided that this behavior is not only for the uber-cool, but for everyone. Thank goodness for that!  
     A stroll through your local market gives you a chance to be inspired....to see first hand what exactly is in season, and to speak with others about the foods they themselves are preparing.  Think of it as a little hands-on culinary lesson.  If you happen to be a FMV (farmers market virgin), here are a few tips to help you through your first time:
1.  Bring your own bag.  You may decide to even go a step further and use a basket...and hey, if you do, you might as well wear a straw hat and your Teva's, too. But a reusable bag is a good start.  You can find these anywhere these days.  It's good for the environment and it says Hey, I know what I'm doing here.  Did you think I was a FMV or something???
2.  Have cash on you in small denominations.  Kind of like garage-sale-ing.  (Is that a word?)  Easier for both you and the vendor.
3.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  Most likely, the person you just bought that butternut squash from actually grew it and, yes, probably knows a fantastic way to bake it and would be more than happy to share it with you.  This means at your next dinner party you'll have a fabulous story to share with your friends about the farmer who gave you the recipe for the butternut linguine.
4.  Also, don't be afraid of the dreads and sandals and hemp products you may be confronted with.  Hippies are just lovely people who aren't as concerned as the rest of us about natural body odors.  Plus, they grow fantastic basil plants.
     Autumn is a great time to hit the outdoor markets.  If you get too overwhelmed, you can always just purchase a few small pumpkins to carve later in the month. Enjoy!