Salmon surprise

When I went to Whole Foods Sunday, previously frozen wild caught sockeye salmon was on sale for $10.99/lb.  Even though I'm not a fan, the red flesh was irresistible.  While I was standing there, I picked up 8 oz of lump crab meat, thinking I would stuff the fish.  First of all, you can't "stuff" a fillet, so topping it is what I did.

I decided to pull out the zatar and kurkum, the two seasonings together reportedly are great on fish. But salmon is native to a totally different region of the world...and how would those seasonings work with crab?
I was full of uncertainty but I decided to go for it...zatar is essentially thyme and perhaps other green herb mixed with sesame seed; and kurkum seems to be a seasoned turmeric.  I sprinkled the salmon with my everyday seasonings, then rubbed in the Israeli herbs with olive oil.

I mixed the crabmeat up as if I were making crabcakes, omitting the egg and slice of bread.  I sauteed okra on the side, and pressure cooked sweet potatoes in apple cider and butter.

We had the remnants of the pot roast tonight and It is now clear that I need to develop a weekly food menu.  It's ludicrous to cook full meals from scratch every night, not to mention my food budget is out of control.  My new is to make delicious meals for under $15.

Snowy weather

There's nothing like good old fashioned cooking to warm you up during a nor'easter.  Yesterday I took the top round roast we picked up in Santee out of the freezer.  I rubbed it with cumin, ginger, pepper, and my seasoning blend, stuck it in the marinator and dashed through the flurries to Whole Foods for some root vegetables.  I already had a half bunch of carrots (I avoid buying the ones in the bag for obvious reasons), so I bought parsnips, rutabagas, gold potatoes, and a stalk of brussel sprouts. 

By the time I got home the snow was heavy so of course the kids went out to play while I seared the meat.  I sauteed an onion then added french dressing, rice vinegar, and a little broth (I have no idea why but it produced a nice jus).  I put the meat on a small rack and cooked under pressure...I released the pressure and added the seasoned veggies then cooked a bit more.  In less than one hour we had an immensely flavorful one-pot meal with brussel sprouts and meyer lemonade (I think I'm addicted to meyers). 

Substitutions

I am really running these cookies and key lime pie in the ground...that's because they're relatively easy to make and it's not as stressful as baking cakes.  Today I made cookies for hostess gifts and I planned to make a crustless key lime pie because there was a slim chance that some friends would stop by this evening.

I got started on the cookies and realized that I was out of brown sugar...I almost panicked until my daughter reminded me that brown sugar was simply molasses added to white sugar - problem solved.  The cookie baking was seamless. 

While I was prepping for the pie I realized that I had no limes and no Nellie's.  However I did have meyer lemons...I figured it would be a simple substitution but I should have considered the fact that meyers are less acidic and included some zest.  I made some vanilla bean whipped cream to top it off along with a bit of zest. 

Whole Foods had a buy one-get one free sale on Allegro yesterday, so I picked up some Cafe Blend because according to the label it seemed like an ideal dessert coffee. It truly had a lush, creamy body as advertised.

Quickies

This has been a week of quick eats. Monday I made a one pot fish dish: haddock and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, celery, shallots, etc) seasoned and layered in a casserole dish and baked in the oven.  Tuesday night it was "sushi" from Whole Foods Alexandria. Wednesday I planned to make burgers but we were out and about so we stopped at Elevation Burgers at National Harbor. 

I was hesitant, but my daughter insisted that it was my kind of place...hand-scooped milkshakes; organic, grass-fed, free-range beef...a company with a philosophy centered around people and the environment as opposed to profits.  I was a little disappointed when I walked in the door; the decor seemed a little too industrial, it lacked the connection to "the environment" that I was expecting.  However, the burgers were good and comparably priced to what you would expect to pay at McD or Five Guys; the fries cooked in olive oil were ok (perhaps they should consider grapeseed oil).  I couldn't help but wonder how they supplied the entire franchise operation with 100% organic, grass-fed, free range beef unless they either own a ranch or are importing the USDA beef from South America. 

It would be disappointing if it were the latter - organic beef from South America is a bit of an oxymoron; many of the ranches are clearclut rainforest and the meat has to travel at least 5,000 miles to reach the USA.  For some reason, that meat is substantially cheaper per pound than the same locally produced product.

I cooked a few veggies but I was mostly taking it easy...Thursday night we topped it off with a visit to Jimmies on the wharf.  Last night was the epitome of throwing something together. 

We stopped at my brothers on the way home from Alexandria. My sister-in-law said she would make some baked chicken leg quarters. I said I'd rather have something a bit Filipino but neither of us felt like cooking;  the crowd has come to expect us to go all out in the kitchen but we were low on energy and supplies.

She didn't have pancit noodles but she assured me that spaghetti would make a great substitution. I know the whole Marco Polo story, but I was highly doubtful as all noodles are not created equal - Asian noodles vary by culture,and Italian pasta is higher in gluten because it is made from durum wheat. 

She boiled two legs while I cut up and sauteed onions and garlic, added frozen mixed vegetables, then the cooked shredded chicken, seasoned, tossed with the pasta and soy and hoisin sauce. We all agreed that it was more akin to lo mein than pancit but it was certainly a quick meal.

Eggstatic

I have enjoyed egg nog since I can remember, it was a staple at holiday meals...and for some rason, I think it was that Borden stuff that comes in a can...my have times changed, I can't even imagine drinking egg nog from a can.  I remember the first time I tasted WaWa egg nog, it was in the fall of 1990, it was delicious - thick, creamy, just the right blend of spices.  Every subsequent fall I have consumed gallons of WaWa egg nog. 

Two years ago, I went into a WaWa and purchased egg nog...only this time, the carton was not black with gold writing, it was a cinnamon colored carton with cream writing.  I wrongfully assumed that only the packaging had been updated...actually the formula had been changed - it was thin, sweet, and the spices were all wrong...I called customer service and they assured me that it was the same formula.  I highly doubted it, WaWa was no longer the small dairy farm located in Lima...it was beyond regional with huge WaWa gas station convenience stores all over the place.  This new business model had ruined my egg nog. 

Since then, my egg nog consumption has decreased, the pleasure of sipping a cup of egg nog was but a distant memory.  I started venturing out, trying other brands but they were all too thin, too yellow, or the spices were not quite right...I tried Southern Comfort, Horizon, Trader Joes, all kinds of store brands, and finally settled on Turkey Hill.  I was beginning to think I would have to make my own egg nog. 

I stopped in the Alexandria Whole Foods Tuesday night to pick up a few essentials.  When I was checking out, I noticed egg nog in old fashioned milk bottles.  It was nostalgic, I remember my grandmother getting milk, eggs, and oj delivered.  I picked up a bottle, read the ingredients, and thought I would give it a try -$3.99 + $2 bottle deposit.  I must say, not only does Homestead Creamery's egg nog lack the artificial taste present in all of the other brands, it is fantastic.  I have savored every sip. 

This dairy farm in Wirtz, VA is a classic example of the von Thunen model; unfortunately with refrigerated trucking, this model is a bit obsolete because milksheds have vastly increased in size.  I desperately need to find a creamery in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, although theoretically VA could be considered within my foodshed.

Obnoxious

As I sit here with my hot spiced cider, I have come to the realization that I'm a bit of a jerk.  My friend had twins 5 weeks ago and she mentioned that she had a visitor last week and decided to whip up some frozen fish she picked up from Acme.  I couldn't believe it...why was this individual so special...that's when I realized that the only time I'd ever been invited over for a meal was by her mother...of course I gave her a hard way to go...her retort was that I was a foodie. 

She called me this afternoon and suggested that I swing by to pick up some berbere at 2pm.  During the course of the conversation, she said she wanted qulwah but didn't have injera or beef...I volunteered to pick it up.  I made okra for the veggie and a key lime pie for dessert. 

She chopped the onions, tomatoes, meat, sprinkled it with berbere and put it in the pot with oil...at this point it was clear that I have been making beef zigni, not qulwah...she put the top on and let it simmer while she tended to the babies...a short while later I put it on a platter with the okra and a cucumber tomato salad and we dug in. 

Everything was delicious and I had a great time talking trash...the only drawback was that the meat was not tender...perhaps a top sirloin would work for this kind of quick dish?

Before I left, I was sure to mention that today's impromptu meal did not count as an invite.

Tis the season

Winter is two days away, but fall is my favorite season. Veggies are still plentiful, heartier meals, and the eve hot cereal and some of my favorite beverages. 

Old fashioned oats with heavy cream, cranberries, and pistachios; farina with butter and sugar; and new this year - cornmeal porridge.  Apple cider, egg nog, hot chocolate, and this year hot apple cider has made quite a debut. Inspired by our visit to Franklin Fountain, I took a stab at hot spiced cider, no not the hard stuff that Johnny was propagating from seeds, but the good stuff that is produced by grafting.  This has been a great year for cider, with the best coming from Wegman's...the stuff I bought from Whole Foods this week lacked body, flavor, and sweetness; so I certainly couldn't go wrong trying to jazz it up. I don't have mulling spices per se but I was able to improvise. I simmered the cider with cloves, cinnamon sticks, grated fresh ginger, a bit of nutmeg and brown sugar. It was absolutely delicious.

This time of year is also the season for soups. Yesterday we had the liver and onions for breakfast so I had no lunch/dinner plan.  I thought about soup but I didn't have much on hand so I attempted a tomato soup that just didn't come out right, my daughter said it tasted like V-8...so I rummaged around the fridge and dusted off my Griddler and made a veggie panini (broccoli, red onion, spinach, peppers, sun dried tomatoes, sharp provolone) with a pseudo pesto mayo (kalamata olives and basil). 

Old Philadelphia

I think I mentioned before that my favorite ice cream used to be Old Philadelphia. Not only was Philadelphia the workshop of the world but it was the number one producer of a confection commonly known as ice cream in the colonial era, with the primary difference between Philadelphia style ice cream and French style being the omission of eggs.

Tonight we went to see The Borrowers at the Arden; Franklin Fountain was advertised in the playbill...I searched online and thought immediately of Serendipity 3.  It seemed like a great way to top off the evening. I decided against hot chocolate because I've been indulging in Williams-Sonoma on a nightly basis. The mulled cider with cloved oranges seemed appealing but I was indecisive (and I figured I could make that at home). The kids ordered ice cream, the husband ordered pie a la mode and I finally decided to go daring with a lambrakis hot lunch (without egg)...a mixture of malt, chocolate, cream, coca cola syrup. I was apprehensive but was pleasantly surprised, it went down smooth. 

It was a nostalgic ice cream parlor with a colonialesque twist. 

Cookie chaos

For the life of me I can't figure out how I got caught up in the season of giving. 

I have been baking cookies for the past couple of hours for my kids to take to school for their secret snowflakes.  I don't care how politically correct the Quakers think they're being...it's still a pollyanna...and I suppose the homemade treat idea was a way to make it less commercial.  In hindsight, buying a $5 gift would have been much simpler. 

First of all, where do you buy cookie tins?  Obviously not at a supermarket or dry goods store...I suppose the craft stores are bustling with them...we had to settle for plastic holiday treat "tins." Secondly, homemade doesn't necessarily mean made from scratch.  I could have purchased refrigerator cookie dough and been finished quite some time ago.  How many times has someone said that they were "making" cookies when what they were really doing was baking dough.

Somehow I have sent a message to my children that I am a short order cook.  Not only did they inform me that I needed to make cookies tonight, but they requested that they be made without oatmeal.  Well, I only know how to make chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal.  Fortunately the Ghiradelli's bag had a recipe on it...but did I follow it, of course not, I decided to improvise. 

I made 3 dozen cookies without oatmeal and then had the brilliant idea to make 3 dozen cookies with oatmeal for us to have at home.  Guess what I didn't make?

Dinner...that's coming from Bertucci's. 

Burgers and sprouts

There's nothing like a good, juicy burger. I used to get burgers at Fridays or Houlihans but that was before I concerned myself with beef production.  I desperately wanted a burger so we went to Whole Foods for ground meat.  They had ground turkey thigh $4.99/lb, local beef $3.99/lb, grass fed beef $5.99/lb, and bison $6.99/lb...they also had liver.  I bought the liver and one pound of beef.

My cousin's stepfather makes the best turkey burgers - I call them Mack Burgers...he works a concoction of condiments into the meat and my aunt tops those burgers with lettuce and tomatoes and Bay Fries on the side.  I mixed up the meat with HP Sauce, mustard, chili pepper sauce, and onion soup mix (yes I'm still using it). 

While I cooked the burgers, I steamed a pound of brussel sprouts.  The aroma was enticing and those burgers were so good that we wished I had purchased two pounds of beef. 

Experiments

Last night I went to Plate with my cousins.  The menu is eclectic but the food is under impressive.  We ended up ordering soup and assortment of appetizers, the best being Korean skewers but the kimchi was more like a spicy sauerkraut.  We are a difficult crowd to please because we are accustomed to good food.

This morning I was quite hungry when I woke up from a dream about hamburgers.  I went to the kitchen and noticed that my husband had marinated a london broil with what smelled like tamari, garlic, and some miscellaneous seasonings.  I took that out of the refrigerator and heated up the oven.  I made homefries and spinach (with ginger and garlic) to go with it. 

The highlight of my morning was the coffee.  There's a bogus Folgers commercial about a guy coming home from Africa and being so excited to finally get coffee.  Every time I see that commercial, I think - doesn't Folgers know the history of coffee - that it was discovered in Ethiopia and cultivated throughout Arabia before being spread to Europe along trade routes?  Then I got analytical, perhaps the commercial is a subtle way to promote the narrative of an uncivilized population.  Doesn't everyone at least know that coffee is produced in the global south and that the coffeehouse tradition in those countries are more third places than Starbucks could ever be. 

I love the taste of coffee and most often do decaf to avoid jitters.  I have a Cuisinart that grinds the beans just before brewing the coffee (I don't have the high end burr model  which is actually more of a grinder than a chopper - I was afraid that I would become addicted).  I like smooth and mellow coffee so I generally go with blends.  I think I had the best cups of coffee in the UAE, at Bab al Shams and Sheikah Fatima's house.

Arabic coffee has a wonderful aroma and flavor (almost like a chai); it is brewed strong, hence it is served in 4oz cups.  I decided to give it a go.  I added cardamon pods and cinnamon sticks to the beans, and brewed.  It was fantastic - didn't require cream or sugar...I saved my husband a few sips and he can't stop talking about it. 

I think I'll make another pot, this time I might add cloves and saffron as well.

Fluctuation

I've done it again.  Cooking came to a screeching halt after my most recent binge. I cooked almost non-stop Sunday - making the eggplant dish for lunch (this time using chinese eggplant and less sauce), and the fish for the 4Hers...Monday however we had Qdoba; Tuesday Kabobeesh; Wednesday Kabobeesh; I had  fallen into a bad pattern so I had no other choice but to cook today. 

There's nothing like a stir fry to quickly create a nutritious meal.  Sauteed onions, garlic, shallots, scallions, ginger, celery, seitan, carrots, and broccoli.  Made a quick sauce (rice vinegar, tamari, broth).  Microwaved a bag of frozen TJ jasmine rice.  Sat down to eat. Simplicity can be very rewarding. 

Fish school

From hook to table, or in our case, tank to table.  Our 4-Hers finished up their "Take the Bait" project today; a sport fishing curriculum that introduced the boys to the mechanics of fishing, bait, aquatic ecology, etc.  They learned about fish, went fishing, and now it was time to eat fish.  Because their attempts at fishing were unsuccessful, I thought a trip to Hung Vuong would be worthwhile - they could select a live fish and then clean it themselves...there's no place like hung vuong to bring you closer to food. 

They were amazed by all of the live fish - eels, crabs, catfish, etc. Each boy selected a fish, which the fish monger scaled...they watched him gut fish and skin frogs in record time.  Back at today's meeting place, we went over the parts of the fish and removed the fins with shears...my son's fish was still alive, gasping for air as his gills convulsed - I used this opportunity to distinguish between the dissolved oxygen that fish get from water and the oxygen we get from the atmosphere. 

One boy began to hesitate - he thought maybe we were being mean by killing the fish...I told him that we had to kill it to eat it.  My daughter who was still traumatized from the duck said we were murderers (she's probably heading towards vegetarianism)...and thought we should put the fish in water - that wasn't going to happen, these boys were hungry. 

Next they had to gut the fish - my husband cut each fish along the underbelly and the boys removed the insides - marveling as they identified intestines, kidneys, liver, etc...we were bordering on a biology dissection.  The fish bled, some oozed out yellow, others oozed out blue.  My son's fish continued to gasp until the knife met his belly...it was kind of creepy. 

I told the boys that the fish monger probably raised these fish, casually mentioning that some fish are farm raised while others are wild caught.  Then we talked about all the different ways to cook fish - dry heat, moist heat, and with fat.  I cleaned/washed each fish, seasoned inside and out, and set a tray of veggies (scallions, ginger, garlic, celery, carrots, shallots, lemons) in the middle of the table - the boys stuffed their fish and then I cooked them per their request - steamed, broiled, and roasted. 

I served each boy "their fish" with the coleslaw and corn muffins I made this afternoon.  This is what experiential learning is all about.

Master gardener?

I did my master gardener training 4 years ago...I hope I'm able to recall some of that when it's time for me to plan my garden this spring. I'm really psyched about this urban homestead idea. It's time to move beyond tomatoes and herbs; why not try to subsistence farm? I'm a little worried about the opossum and squirrels that frequent the yard, but I'll figure something out, especially since I want to get two hens as well.

One key thing I learned as a master gardener is that size matters. The young crops are usually more tender; larger specimens tend to have gone to seed (nature's mechanism of creating legacies). Bigger is not better, in fact its usually bitter.

When I was shopping for my colonial root veggies, I knew I had to go with Whole Foods because a farmer's market wasn't an option. When I took my grandmother to Reading Terminal on Monday, I chose young firm eggplant.  My grandmother bought rutabagas. Boy was I shocked. They were huge, at least 4 times the size of the ones I purchased from Whole Foods and they were covered in wax, as if someone had accidentally let a candle drip over them. So much wax, it left a residue on my fingers after handling.

To think, cucumbers, apples, and who knows what else is waxed for longevity...what about the pesticides?

All of the root crops were enormous -  the turnips, beets, parsnips. The stuff looked like it was on steroids. There were also Peruvian sweet onions masquerading as vidalias.

I'm not sure if this blog has made me more discerning or cynical about food.

Flabbergasted

Around 430pm I received a text from my husband "is there any dinner planned?" - initially I was a little confused, so I called him; he repeated his question...I told him that I planned to make the eggplant; so he said what else; I said maybe some rice; he wanted to know what kind of rice and what else we were going to have.  I qualified my response saying that I didn't want to prepare a lot of food because there were some miscellaneous leftovers in the fridge.  He said ok. 

I wasn't sure why he posed the question; perhaps he wanted to save me the hassle and take us out to dinner; it certainly couldn't be because dinners are few and far between.  Whatever the reason, I had an overwhelming sense of pressure to prepare a decent meal and all I had to work with is eggplant. 

Generally I fry lightly battered eggplant - the kids love it and will eat it any time of the day.  I had envisioned frying the eggplant and making some rice & beans.  All of sudden, that seemed like a bad plan.  I thought about some sort of Thai fried rice but I didn't think I had the appropriate ingredients on hand.  I pulled an Asian cookbook off the shelf and looked up aubergine - everything seemed to involve more effort than I was willing to put forth. 

I mixed up a sauce similar to what I use for escebeche and then started chopping onions, garlic, ginger, and scallions.  I cut the eggplant into strips (kind of like french fries), fried them, removed from pan, sauteed the veggies, added crushed red pepper, then seitan, the sauce, corn starch, and then the eggplant.  We ate it topped with scallions over rice.  I think I used a little too much sauce, but everyone happily ate every bit. 

They say the sons of Adam can never be satisfied...they always want a little more.

Scrap soup

I think I'm coming down with something...I'm beat, my nose is runny, and my throat is starting to itch...instead of doing something constructive or resting, I made duck soup.  I simmered the heads and feet for about an hour or so...then I sauteed onions, garlic, scallions, and ginger...I added celery and carrots, let that simmer a bit more with the carcass and then added the half head of cabbage.  I pulled some old wonton skins out of the freezer and made a filling out of the remaining duck (back), scallions, cilantro, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. 

Although my soup was not as robust as the peking duck soup I get in Yonkers; I am especially pleased that no part of that duck went to waste.

Ordinary organ

Last night I mentioned that liver would've been on the menu in the 18th century and just about everyone commented that they like liver.  I asked my husband to go to Whole Foods to pick up the grass fed local beef liver I saw for $3.99/lb...they only had two pieces, which ended up being plenty.
I soaked the liver in milk while I made a pot of jasmine rice; sauteed onions; and heated up the pepper pot.  I drained the liver, seasoned, and popped it in the marinator for a few minutes.  I coated it with the pan searing flour I picked up from Wegmans and pan fried with butter and olive oil.  I made a little gravy, quickly smothered the liver and served. 

My son's soccer buddy exclaimed that the pepper pot was the best soup he ever tasted; he also enjoyed the meat and requested seconds...only then did we reveal that it was liver. 

Underlying concern

Clearly the average person knows that something is not quite right with our food; they just don't know why.

After dinner I showed the guests the duck pieces and it stimulated a very interesting conversation.  My mom was excited that I had a fresh duck; my grandmother mentioned how cooking poultry is faster now because animals don't walk around on the ground anymore; they all started wondering about the huge breasts on chicken.  My grandmother also wondered why they are making us eat grain fed beef.  I took the opportunity to enlighten them about meat and dairy production.  As I described the feedlots and chicken houses, my mom wondered if any food was safe to eat. Eureka...she now understands why I shop where I do.  But as I discovered Friday, even that is romanticized...it's no wonder why my Indonesian friend travels from King of Prussia to South Philadelphia to go grocery shopping. 

The conversation shifted to produce; no one could recall the last time they had a real tomato, plum, or nectarine. They hadn't realized that most of the produce has undergone some genetic modification because our food production system has been hijacked by industry and chemical companies.  We have shed the shackles of agrarian life..welcome to post-industrial society.

We talked about the whole gamut, from factory farm to table. My mom wondered why the food wasn't labeled to keep us informed. They said no wonder everyone has all these unexplained illnesses. They couldn't fathom why this would be done to the food that is supposed to sustain us.

Overly ambitious

The menus at the A Taste of History exhibit provided lots of insight into colonial fare.  In the colonial period, meals would have been influenced by seasonality, economic status, and cultural interpretations.  Philadelphia, as the birthplace of the nation, was at the crossroads of cultures - English, French, West Indian/African, and Native American - as well as influences from the many ethnic groups that called Philadelphia home.  With that in mind, I planned what I initially thought to be a straightforward meal - crab cakes, pepper pot, fish, duck, and root vegetables. 

I got started around 10am, however despite spending $130 yesterday for this meal, I needed a few items, so my husband went to Acme; in the interim I made up the crab cakes (back fin) and simmered the beef brisket.  My daughter made the chocolate cake and then got started chopping vegetables.  For the pepper pot, I simmered onions, garlic, scallions, shallots, and ginger; then added tomatoes, yuca, jicama, calabaza, the brisket, cabbage, and spinach.  It was after 2pm and I still had a lot more to do. 

I cut the head and the feet off of the ducks (my son wants to take them in for show and tell) and seasoned inside in out; for enhanced flavor I put celery, garlic, shallots, thyme, ginger, lemon, and dried cherries in the cavity and roasted that on high convection heat (not quite the 600 degree fire but close enough).  It was getting late and I was beginning to worry that my meal would not be ready by the time my 4 guests arrived.  It seemed so simple when I conceptualized it.  I reminded myself that it was simple considering that in the 18th century I would have been doing this daily with a wood fire instead of the luxury of a convection oven.

When I got started with the fish, it was clear that I was over doing it but I proceeded as planned.  I seasoned the bass inside and out then stuffed with peppers, scallions, garlic, shallots, celery, and thyme.  When the duck was finished I put the fish in the oven and low and behold there was grease fire (now we're talking 18th century); I kept slicing the root vegetables (turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, carrots) while my husband battled the flames.  I seasoned and tossed the vegetables with the garlic et al.  The fire was out so I put the veggies in the fish in the oven and hoped that everything would be ready by 5pm. 

My grandmother arrived with a cake and some cookies, so we set up a dessert table.  At 515pm I melted butter so that I could make the crab cakes for the first course.  I served the pepperpot in a tureen with the crab cakes on a platter alongside of it; I totally forgot about the symmetry when I placed the food on the table.  I also forgot that the second course should have been pies; instead it was fish, vegetables, and duck.  My grandmother reminded me that I told her I wasn't making anything complicated; theoretically it wasn't complicated, it just required more prep than I considered.

We followed our meal with dessert, cider, eggnog, and hot tea.  Everyone enjoyed the food and the accompanying history lesson; I'm just not sure where this meal, with only 5 dishes, would rank on the 18th century socioeconomic hierarchy.

Traumatized

The supermarket totally disconnects us from food production (and seasonality).  When you walk into a Whole Foods, you are greeted by flowers and embraced with a warm sense of home. The produce is colorful and inviting.  As much as I am constantly talking about getting connected with the source of food, I don't think I had any idea what that really meant until I went to the Hung Vuong supermarket for some bargain shopping.

Initially I was excited; I was able to procure the authentic vegetables for my pepper pot, including calabaza, jicama, and real spinach and I got a whole bag of scotch bonnet for $1.39.  The excitement quickly dissipated when I approached the seafood department.  I went over to the fish counter and was greeted by a pseudo aquarium. Fish, eel, and mollusks swimming in water. I wanted trout but settled for striped bass, as it was the only wild fish available.  I looked at the meat counter and was mortified; no part of the pig goes to waste, including the blood, the uteri, and the stomach - waste not want not. 

At this point I was beginning to feel a bit too connected to food. The poultry section had old and young chickens and of course duck. The duck were reasonable, $2.49 per pound. It was at this moment that it was clear that I am just as disconnected from my food as the next person.  I have never hunted nor gathered anything. I buy food in nice packaging, shielded from reality.  Well reality is a duck in a plastic bag and when I say duck, that's exactly what I mean, beak and webbed feet included.

All in the family

In 1621 there was a gathering; the pilgrims and Wampanoag people shared in the harvest and signed a treaty.  It is in this romantic spirit that thanksgiving is remembered, as a time of sharing...no one mentions a broken treaty and subsequent wars - 1621 was actually a harvest festival and the first thanksgiving was declared following the massacre of the Pequot tribe in 1637. 

In the United States people have been giving thanks on the fourth Thursday in November since 1863; it became a national holiday in 1941, and has traditionally marked the onset of the Christmas shopping season.  Philadelphia has the nation's oldest thanksgiving day parade - it began in 1920 by Gimbel's department store...thanksgiving has been historically enmeshed in consumption - land, food, and consumer goods (mostly electronics in modern times). 

To the average family, none of this really matters - thanksgiving is a time for sharing, spending time with family, and being thankful for the many blessings of the previous years.  It has also become a time of remembrance and generosity - many families do not have the luxury to sit down at a table overflowing with food.

When we returned from the parade I made puttanesca.  My son asked if we were going to my Aunt Mary's - I said I would call her - he said, why do you have to call her, we can go there anytime...it was at that moment that I understood what thanksgiving meant for my children.  He was absolutely right; on any given "holiday" my Aunt Mary prepared a table full of food and had a house full of people - an open invitation.  I immediately dashed downstairs, made a key lime pie - my daughter suggested that i make cookies because key lime pie is an acquired taste, so I baked a batch of cookies.

We had a great time as usual at Aunt Mary's, lots of good food (turkey, roast beef, ham, greens, string beans, candied yams, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and rolls)  and hilarious conversation.  I exchanged the cookies for a sweet potato pie (she makes at least 10 every thanksgiving).  We then went to my mother-in-law's - at 7pm they were just sitting down to eat (turkey, ham, fried chicken, greens, string beans, mashed sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, pasta salad, fried eggplant, sauteed zucchini, and rolls).  We chit-chatted, watched the football game, and then I pulled out the key lime pie - although some wondered why it wasn't green, it was a hit. 

Tomorrow I'll make turkey salad from the remaining 1/2 breast...although cranberries are a northern hemisphere bog fruit, sadly there wasn't any sauce on either table.

What's for dinner?

I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled across "A Taste of History," an exhibit at the Rosenbach Museum & Library.  This museum is in a 19th century townhouse and is rich in print material. 

The exhibit uses these materials (novels, children's books, handbooks, menus, receipt books, prints) to provide a glimpse into what people ate and how it was prepared in the 18th century.  The lecture was timely because we are approaching the annual multi-course meal that we call Thanksgiving which is reminiscent of everyday life in the 18th century, only without modern conveniences such as refrigeration and ovens; instead people used fire for cooking and salt (sugar, drying, and smoking) for preservation.  In addition, the answer to that question was based on what had been preserved or was seasonally available; the modern time/space compression of agriculture did not exist.

The lecture conjured up memories of baking in a Dutch oven over a camp fire; salt fish; brine roasted chicken; duck, and game meat.  This may be an oxymoron but I'm ready to pull out my bread machine and the dehydrator attachment for my oven - I want to bake artisan bread and dry fruit but I certainly have no inclination to do it the old fashioned way. 

Imagine my surprise when I heard that oysters and lobsters were considered poor food. Shelling out big bucks for a lobster tail or oysters on the half shell  is telling of modern times, especially when considering the relatively low cost of oysters in Bluffton and lobster in Maine.

Modernity and Its Discontents is the title of a political science course that examines the impact the IR (Industrial Revolution) and the FR (French Revolution) had on everyday life, particularly the rising bourgeoisie.  This exhibit added another dimension - food. 

Regional fare

To categorize food as African is a bit of a folly because Africa is not a country, it's a continent.  More importantly, the political boundaries that were imposed during the Scramble for Africa do not reflect the cultural realities of the landscape.  The cuisine that exists is a hybrid of the original cultures with a hint of influence from the colonial powers that dominated the continent for so long.  Though there are similarities within regions (east, north, west, south); each country has its own flare.  I'm going to classify tonight's dinner as West African.  The move from South America to Africa is not that drastic considering that both continents are south of 30 degrees latitude; hence not only is the vegetation similar, but the legacy of extraction, exploitation, and purposeful underdevelopment is also a commonality.

We finished off the Eid last night by having dinner at a rodizio. I was shocked that my son aka "carb boy" exhibited a more carnivorous side as he devoured flank steak, leg of lamb, and beef ribs.  Although I was stuffed, I was underimpressed with my picanha (largely because I kept wondering about where/how it's produced) and I knew I had to do something to put our bodies back in balance.  Unfortunately I couldn't attempt a vegetarian cleanse because I had taken lamb chops out of the freezer.  However, I could attempt to balance all of that meat with some alkaline vegetables.

That's how I crossed the pond to the gateway of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.   

I marinated the chops in bizaara, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and cilantro.  For the veggies I wanted to go heavy on garlic and onions so I did kale (with colored peppers) and okra (with ginger)...and for good measure I pressure cooked yams and acorn squash in coconut milk and ginger. I also made a side salad, which my son devoured.   He later exclaimed that dinner was delicious.  Not only did it taste good, it smelled good - my neighbor called to ask what I was cooking because she smelled it when she pulled into her driveway. 

Although tasty, the lamb was an accompaniment, with the vegetables taking center stage.  This is probably more in line with how dinner should be.  If we had to hunt and gather everything we ate, dinner would take on a entirely different form.

Aji y pollo

Peruvian food seems to be underrepresented (and possibly misrepresented) online. Based on what I had in Miami, the online recipes seem to have way too much going on. Today I searched for the green sauce and found a range of recipes, which again didn't quite seem like what I had. I'm not claiming to be an expert after having one lunch, but I will be contacting my friend so I can get some insight into authenticity (her father is Peruvian).


Since the soup was such a big hit, I went with roasted chicken (again recipes varied widely so I made up my own thing). I scored drumsticks then added garlic, paprika, cumin, olive oil, vinegar, lime - I couldn't resist adding a bit of my standard seasonings as well...I put that in the marinator and let it sit in the fridge for 2 hours. For the green sauce I blended jalapeno, scallion, cilantro, lime, garlic, olive oil, salt - in the back of my mind I was thinking of hara masala and green seasoning and wondering if you can find a variant of this condiment around the world.

I served the soup from yesterday with salad (I transformed a traditional garden salad into Peruvian fare by adding corn and I made a guava vinaigrette - olive oil, guava nectar, vinegar, seasonings) and some Portuguese bread. Then I brought out the chicken (convection roasted) which I topped with sauteed onions and peppers. We ate the aji with everything (I wish I had added another pepper).  We thoroughly enjoyed this vibrant meal...now we just need to confirm the authenticity. 

A taste of Peru

On the way home from our Girl Scout program, I realized that not only did I not prepare anything for dinner, but my daughter led song workshops for 2 hours with nothing to drink.  She requested chicken soup with big noodles like my mom makes when I get sick.  I had a better idea.

I started by sauteeing mirepoix (purchased from TJ for convenience sake); added a chopped head of garlic; semi-minced ginger; and a sliver of a habanero.  I added some broth and some boneless thighs from the freezer and then the yuca.  I seasoned and let it simmer...after I added the cilantro, the family was drawn in, in anxious anticipation they kept asking when it would be ready. 

As soon as my husband tasted the aguadito de pollo, he remembered our pit stop in Miami...this time we used lime, habanero, and scallions as condiments.  Sitting at the table, I remembered picking up a pack of frozen guanabana pulp from Wegmans.  I blended that with evaporated milk, water, and sugar and although I think it smells a little funky, it's very good.  The kids were thrilled to share our vacation memory.

Amazing aroma

When sauteed, onions and tomatoes produce amazing aromas.  Many people say that you eat with your eyes first - the food should look appealing.  While I tend to stay away from food that looks blah, it is my nose that entices me.  The olfactory receptor is essentially how we "taste" food, so it makes sense that aroma draws people in...hence puttanesca. 

That tangy sauce just tantalizes me...preparing it, smelling it, tasting it...it has become one of my favorites.  Yesterday I had it over Ronzoni Smart Taste thin spaghetti (don't get me started again about how complicated pasta has become).  I have a new quick recipe that is bursting with flavor.  I was in Wegman's and realized that at $7.49/lb the Mediterranean Olive Bar was a much better choice than jarred olives...I also picked up some roasted garlic - not only was that a time saver, but it was an excellent flavor enhancer.  I cut yet another corner by purchasing canned crushed tomatoes with Italian seasonings...needless to say, all I had to do was saute the onion, olives, capers, and anchovies, and toss everything else in the pot...I simmered for a bit and voila - a pleasurable dish.

Today, it was onions and tomatoes again.  I wanted to thank my colleagues for their support so I made timtimo.  It was a crowd pleaser.  Not only is it a great vegetarian option, but it's aromatic and flavorful.  I brought it in a crock pot, which drew passersby into my office with inquiries.  Sharing this food brought me joy, particularly because everyone willingly used their injera as a utensil.  The injera was so fresh that I never used the kisra that I bought.

Of course I had to make another batch for the family...now I must explore the food of the neighboring countrymen that occupy the Horn (yes, I'm including Sudan).

Comforting cookies

Somehow I have fallen victim to this notion of comfort food.  This idea is reproduced in many ways in our everyday lives.  There's a host of foods that elicit warm and fuzzy feelings:  chicken soup for colds; homemade baked goods for school events; hot chocolate on a cold day; and of course apple pie.  We are embarking on that time of year - egg nog, tins of cookies, and turkey soup...comfort food season - we will plump up as we prepare for the cold weather in the midst. 

I have been wanting a fresh baked good for days.  In a state of desperation I made a batch of Pillsbury Simply cookies last Thursday.  My daughter called me out.  She wanted to know the origin of the uniformed shaped cookies...she kept saying, they're on your plate, but you don't make chocolate chip cookies without oatmeal...she also said that the aroma was different.  I had to confess - I said I did it for the box top. 

This morning I ran into a stumbling block and the only cure I could think of was to make a batch of Doubletree cookies.  I had everything I needed at home except oats and eggs.  I whipped the cookies together threw them in the oven and smiled as I was enveloped by the aroma. 

As I ate several cookies grinning like a chessy cat, it occurred to me that this may be a recipe for an eating disorder. 

Souper

I was feeling a bit defeated today but I knew that was no excuse to order out.  I tried to think of something I could prepare relatively quickly that would be comforting as well...soup is a food that soothes the senses.  I had asked my husband to pick up a butternut squash and an acorn squash; instead he bought 4 butternuts and 2 acorns.  Clearly I had no choice but to make butternut squash soup.

I am certain that I have made this soup many times in the past...but my soup making days were almost a decade ago...so I gave it my best shot.  Sauteed onions in butter (of course), added celery, then peeled and cubed two squash...I decided to get daring and added a potato and an apple.  I wasn't sure if I was going for sweet or savory, so I decided to make the seasonings savory. 

Once the vegetables were tender, I pureed with my stick blender (leaving a little texture) and was too tickled with my creation.  The aroma filled the air and I was overcome by a sense of relief.  I ladled some soup into a bowl and folded in a little heavy cream and topped with nutmeg. 

The soup is pleasant and has dimension...for a moment, the complexity of the soup allowed me to escape the complexity of my life. 

Broccoli basket

How long does a basket of broccoli last and how many different ways can it be prepared?  Steamed, sauteed with garlic, quiche, casserole, and finally broccoli cheddar soup.

When my husband called me from the North Wales farm stand I remembered that there was one last head of broccoli in the fridge.  I truly haven't been in the mood to cook, largely because I haven't had a taste for anything, so soup seemed like the easiest solution.

I sauteed an onion in butter, added flour and seasonings to create a roux. I then added broth and a hodge podge of milk products (evaporated milk, heavy cream, and half & half) because I had a little bit of each. I threw in a diced potato and let that mixture simmer a bit while I chopped the broccoli (stems and florets).  I added the broccoli and additional seasonings and simmered until there was just a hint of life left in the broccoli...I decided against the stick blender because it seemed unnecessary to pulverize the limp veggie. I folded in the sharp cheddar my daughter grated, turned off the flame, and put the top on the pot while I baked a loaf of Simply Rustic French Bread.  

The soup was savory but the bread had that refrigerated dough aroma and taste.  Guess next time I'll have to pull out the bread machine.

Gravy train

As soon as we returned from our mini break I made pasta to accompany the gravy that I made prior to departure....I went with Dreamfields linguine - very tasty.  But you have to wonder- pasta with protein and fiber that has been "manufactured" to produce a lower glycemic index than traditional pasta - if this was a sensible choice.  Nonetheless, everyone enjoyed it. 

Our accompaniment was an Italianesque broccoli casserole - sauteed broccoli in butter and garlic, seasoned; removed to casserole, melted butter, whisked in flour, half & half, and Italian cheeses - baked for 25 minutes - very yummy. 

Other than the honey vanilla ice cream I made a few days ago, there's really nothing to report.

Catching conch

When we arrived on shore, we fared substantially better; in fact, the highlight of our shore excursion was the food.  Potter’s Cay is nestled under the bridge and hosts tons of food stands.  We ate at McKenzie’s – the conch salad was very good (tomatoes, peppers, onions, lime, lemon, and orange - the citrus does the cooking); the cracked conch was especially good and the rice was quite flavorful; the cole slaw, however was a salty mess.  We picked up a virgin pineapple coconut daiquiri (aka pina colada) down the road and headed back to the ship, but not before stopping to get a chilled coconut and some conch fritters (essentially conch hush puppies). 

Nassau is a colonial port city turned tourist trap due to the subtropical climate. They say they are 85% chocolate and 15% vanilla; the majority of the chocolate seem to occupy spaces that not only lack modern conveniences but are inaccessible to the ammenites that attract so many to the island. Like so many other former slave colonies in the tropics, the Bahamians are both resilient and creative resulting in a local cuisine that is truly exceptional.

Uneven development

When we first arrived in downtown Miami I was taken aback by the intensity of development.  The waterfront screamed tourist trap but it also a bit transient.  The "ethnic food court" was blah and overall the area looked as if Bayside's hey day had come and gone without any reinvestment. 

On day two, we walked off the beaten path and ended up in a shopping district clearly zoned for the local ethnic population (Miami - Dade clearly hasn't invested any money into this area in at least 20 years).  Jackpot.  We went to a Peruvian restaurant - Mar y Tierra - ordered the $5.99 pollo especiala - the chicken soup was very flavorful, yucca works better than potatoes, the cilantro was very nice, and the lime and hot pepper sauce were excellent condiments - fried chicken, salad, and rice...we topped that off with fresh fruit drinks - I had guanabana and the husband had mango. 

As with any downtown tourist area there is marked zones of development.  Fortunately we chose to venture off the tourist path and hit the jackpot.  Now we're on a cruise and thus far the food has been unimpressive.  Maybe something tasty awaits us at the port.

Packing perils

It is glaringly obvious that I have an aversion to packing. Once again on the eve of a trip, I found myself doing everything except pack. At 7pm I started a pot of marinara sauce – I needed to use the tomatoes I picked up Sunday. Because they were salad tomatoes and had been refrigerated, I used two cans of 365 tomato paste for good measure, a ton of garlic, onions, and green peppers (because I have an abundance). I seasoned that with basil, crushed red pepper, sea salt, and quite a bit of evoo. The only thing I forgot to do is give it a whirl with my stick blender, but the tomatoes cooked down nicely. My daughter was very excited about the homemade sauce and we are both looking forward to having it over fresh pasta.

In addition to the “gravy”, I made several broccoli quiches – I did a cheddar, colby-jack, swiss mix and it came out quite yummy. The kids will have that for the next couple of days – did I mention that this trip is kid free?

Needless to say I never went to sleep – I had to do laundry, print out itineraries, send emails, and all the other stuff that goes along with attempting to put life on autopilot. I’m just hoping I’ll enjoy this “cruise fare.”

Simple pleasures

It's amazing how fresh food tantalizes the senses; particularly for city slickers.  We had a soccer game in North Wales today and it seems that every family stopped by the farm stand and picked up produce - I was grinning from ear to ear - excited about the bargains I snagged...a bag of broccoli for $1.50 - maybe 8 heads (it was day old but looked like the stuff you see in the average supermarket).  I bought 15 tomatoes for $2.50 - they had spots on them, but work just fine for cooking - I immediately thought of a tomato pie, now I'm thinking zigni.  The other bargain was a bag of at least 10 green peppers for $2.50 - again day old. 

This experience was telling in a couple of ways- urbanites as deprived of farm fresh produce - and the factory food system has created a demand for perfect produce specimens, hence tomatoes with spots, or peppers with a little wrinkle are relegated to the clearance table. 

In addition to the clearance items, I bought yams, cabbage, and apples.  We drove down the road and stopped in the Whole Foods - half the team was there as well - I bought cheese, pasta, chicken, and some miscellaneous lunch box items.  I was so excited about my finds that I immediately started cooking once we arrived home.  First I pressure cooked the yams in pineapple juice; then I got started on the tomato pie - Gullah style of course.  I was so smitten with my booty from the farm stand that I had not planned the preparation.  As I marinated the chicken leg quarters, I thought of my husband's earlier response to my what's for dinner question.  He reminded me about the simple delicious meals I used to prepare - he claims it was the convection roasted chicken that made him want to marry me - I foolishly thought it was my good looks.

I boiled the cavatappi and started on the cheese sauce - this time I added Gruyere to my blend and it was absolutely fabulous.   After I put the chicken in the oven, I got started on the cabbage.  That's when I realized I was out of control so I stopped myself before I made the stuffing. 

Tonight's dinner was truly food for the soul.

Hypocrisy

I'm plum tuckered out - my back is bothering me, I'm totally exhausted, and I'm completely over scheduled - things could be a lot worse.

We were on the verge of becoming a wasteful family - the one that dines out or takes out frequently - lately it seems that the majority of our meals have been prepared outside of the home with the exception of the puttanesca I made on Tuesday. 

Tonight I truly did not feel up to cooking - I was uninspired - but I couldn't bring myself to order out. There is plenty of meat in the freezer - beef, chicken, and lamb - as well as some miscellaneous frozen and fresh vegetables. 

The kids were nagging me about The Great Food Fight - they desperately wanted to go to Aldi and purchase canned goods for a food drive, expressing genuine concern about the children whose brains wouldn't develop properly due to malnutrition.  I'm not a fan of food drives and I'm definitely not a fan of canned food.  Food drives seem inauthentic - people clear their pantries of unwanted food and donate.  Canned goods were taboo in my house growing up so I've always avoided them because of the sodium content and the taste.  I relented and decided that I would spend $10 on canned goods. 

As I walked down the aisles I was thinking of foods that had relatively decent nutritional value...of course I couldn't resist reading the labels - we decided on kidney beans, pinto beans, butter beans, green beans, peas, corn, and diced tomatoes - I thought these foods could be combined for a tasty nutritious meal - I stayed away from potatoes, carrots, and asparagus because I felt certain that canned versions were unappealing.  I added fruit cocktail (in pear juice) as a dessert choice and evaporated milk for good measure.  I spent slightly over $20 but felt confident that my purchases reflected choices that I would make for my own family. 

At that point I knew I could not justify take-out so I returned home and threw together a meal - simmered fresh brussel sprouts in  broth, pressure cooked yams in juice, and put hamburger patties in the oven with onion soup mix and French dressing.  The meal was very good and the patties were exceptionally flavorful (I've never eaten salisbury steak, but I imagine it to be similar to this).

As I stare at the 35 cans of food, I think of how fortunate we are to have enjoyed a warm home cooked meal as a family. 

Simple compromises

My vegetarian quest failed - it lasted less than 7 days. We had a windfall of dinner invitations that all involved meat.  I have adjusted my expectations - no land animals - just sea creatures; this will be more manageable until I get the courage to go all of the way.

I've also had to adjust my principles for the kids. Bread has been an ongoing struggle; they want white, but I promote grains, fiber, and no hfcs...I compromised with TJs white wheat but the texture and taste were not very pleasant; it quickly became evident that soft bread can only be obtained via chemicals.  Needless to say, I have fallen prey and purchased Stroehmann Family Grains.  Wonder is running a scam - the sweetener is listed as "high fructose corn syrup or sugar" - bogus; Family Grains prominently displays no high fructose corn syrup.

I started thinking about this labeling and wondered if it's a way to market to people who are grasping at straws for healthy eating, or is a wake up call for people who never read labels.  Speaking of which, I noticed two phenomena throughout the market. There is a subset of national brand food prominently marked simple, no hfcs, natual, etc. These products generally have fewer ingredients and stark packaging; they straddle the border of processed foods.  Some of these products raise the same red-flags as low-fat products; all kinds of maneuvering to meet the standards of the processed food connoisseur.  Enter a new term - fully hydrogenated oil (accompanied by mono & di glycerides)...


Then there's the intentional additives, ie Omega-3.  Everyday products are now bursting with this essential fatty acid.  Olive oil, fish oil, etc have been added to everything...there's peanut butter containing all kinds of fish - anchovy, tilapia gelatin, etc.  This is precisely what Michael Pollan writes about - looking at components of food/nutrition instead of approaching it holistically puts foodstuffs in the hands of technicians.  Conversely, if you eat actual food - the stuff that comes out of the ground - then there's no need to worry about hfcs, partially hydrogenated oil, a full day's supply of vitamin c, omega-3, low-carb, or any of the other pseudo-food hype.

More than a notion

This vegetarian plan is more complicated than I thought, especially when trying to plan the right balance of carbs and protein.

Monday I made black eye peas that were rather flavorful, onions, garlic, celery, peppers, low sodium broth, and seasoning; red quinoa with garlic and onions (this could've been kicked up a bit - my daughter reminded me last night that I used to curry and stir-fry quinoa); and nappa cabbage.

Last night I wanted flavor, however, since I'm out of berbere and it was late, timtimo was not an option so I went with puttanesca. The sauce is made with anchovies so one might argue that its not exactly vegetarian but its close enough.

My son is starting to resist. He's claiming he needs more protein; this is clearly an issue of mind over matter because he is a carb boy, he rarely eats meat but I think he just needs to see it to feel like he's had a balanced meal.
  
I'm still forging ahead, we have dinner plans tonight so I'm not sure if that'll be a setback but I do have kidney beans and lentils on hand.  Three days down, 27 to go. 

Wheatable

I've been thinking about doing a 30-day vegetarian quest (fish on Fridays) for several months and decided that there's no time like the present.

We stopped by my aunt's house after brunch and she was preparing dinner - vegetables and seitan over black beans and rice (she embraced veganism many moons ago).  I resisted seitan when it was an option in my CSA several years ago, largely because I've always been leery of fake meat..it seemed illogical to consume a processed substitute for something you're trying to avoid. She offered me a piece and the texture wasn't bad at all...I thought, I might try it...one day.

We ran errands and almost stopped for dinner but I was determined to kick off this veggie quest, so we swung by H-Mart, I was thinking pancit...veggie pancit.  I picked up sugar snap peas, garlic, scallions, carrots, and nappa cabbage.  (Every time I visit that store I wonder if the low produce prices are because the large Korean community gardens are the suppliers).

When I got back to the car I thought it would be great to have some sort of protein...eggs, perhaps...no, I thought I should go back in and get some firm tofu and dice it small...that's when I saw it - "vegetarian chicken" - I read the ingredients and it seemed pretty harmless (unless you have celiac disease) although, the hype about gluten-free and the fear of carbohydrates made me a smidgen apprehensive. Conversely, wheat gluten has been a staple in Chinese & Japanese cooking since ancient times so I gave it a shot. 

I needed a bit more tamari but the pancit turned out fine, and only my daughter realized that there was either chicken or seitan mixed in.  We have certainly broadened our horizons.

Insatiable

I honestly don't know what compels me to continue this blog...it's not that I have nothing else to do, or think that what I'm saying is so profound, but it's an urge - I seek out new tastes in the kitchen and brainstorm on this blog.  I'm driven to improvise.  Tonight I planned to make my salmon stew but I couldn't resist deviating from the tried and true.  I toned down the robustness, added oatmeal and mixed vegetables - very hearty.

In addition to the desire to experience new tastes and textures, this culinary journey is also an attempt to have full disclosure on the origin of the food that I consume and feed to my family.  That brings me back (for the 1000th time) to eggs.  I was flipping through USA Today at the dealer yesterday and there was an article about eggs and salmonella.  The article detailed a large-scale egg  producing operation in Illinois (1.1 million caged hens) and all I could think about is my friend's three chickens wandering in his backyard.  Egg production is automated...from feeding, to removing waste, to bathing the eggs.  They certainly don't have to worry about those hens coming home to roost because 8 chickens are sitting in a 27.7" x 22.6" cage 24/7. 

It is our demand for cheap food that fuels factory farming and the food borne illnesses associated with food production on that scale.  Cheap, however, is relative.  There are many who can't afford any food and as Ramadan comes to an end that is something on which I'd like to reflect.  While I'm cooking and eating for pleasure, there are so many who are not able to eat for nourishment.

Intimidating

Although it's Labor Day, I pulled out the crock-pot...slow cooking seems most appropriate for the winter but I was desperate.  I had taken out a pack of the short ribs we picked up from River Run and realized that I haven't made short ribs of beef in at least 10 years.  I knew they needed to cook for an extended period but I couldn't think of how to season them. 

I sprinkled some of my basic seasonings and worcestershire sauce, tossed in flour, then seared - placed in the crock-pot then sauteed onions, tomatoes, more seasoning...added pineapple juice (not sure why), and a dash of brown sugar.  I cooked the concoction on high for 6 hours.  It was very flavorful but quite oily (next time I'll prepare a day in advance so that I can easily remove the fat).  For sides, I cooked the last of the kale and pressure cooked the last of the potatoes (for smashed potatoes).

My daughter remarked that all of the food was very flavorful, but for me the show stopper were the artichokes (my son thought they were miniature chickens).  I have no idea how to peel and prepare a fresh artichoke but I took a gamble on TJs jarred artichokes with stems (assuming that the canned hearts would be a disaster).  I rinsed them thoroughly to remove the citric acid then drained while I heated olive oil and butter to caramelize the garlic.  I tossed them in the pan and they were excellent.

I also purchased frozen artichoke hearts with which I made an artichoke and spinach quiche with sun-dried tomatoes and Italian cheese for suhoor tomorrow. 

One day I will tackle a fresh artichoke head-on, but until then, I'm sticking with the jarred variety. 

Coming home to roost

I went to a friend's house for a bbq and was delighted to see 3 chickens moving about the yard. As I watched them eat grass, bugs, and worms, I immediately thought about the grain-based, vegetarian diet promintently advertised on supermarket eggs.  If chickens naturally forage for insects, why are factory chickens being denied a well balanced diet? 


Apparently they're easy to care for; they just need a coop, a yard, clean water, and an occasional pooper scooper. They walk about during the day and go home to roost at dusk. I truly enjoyed watching them. The only strange detail about this event was the Heinz hfcs ketchup that was prominently displayed alongside the TJs whole wheat rolls. 

The chickens were purchased at 14 weeks from a 4H-er in Pottstown for $10 and have each been laying one egg daily since they were 21 weeks old.  The eggshells are a pleasing palette, but it makes you wonder how much engineering goes into producing eggs of uniform shapes and colors - our cosmetic demands are a major contributing factor to the food production machine. 

For our needs 3 eggs per day would yield plenty of omelets and quiche.  Next spring our outdoor space clearly needs to be devoted to a bit of urban subsistence food production.

Townhouse pie

If shepherd's pie is made with lamb, and cottage pie is made with beef, then a beef and au gratin casserole must be a townhouse pie...or an explosion as my son called it.

My dad loves shepherd's pie - I don't, I always dreaded when my mom would make it...but my sister-in-law asked me about it the other day saying that a co-worker made shepherd's pie with broccoli and cheese.  I thought that sounded interesting so I figured I'd take a stab, but with potatoes au gratin instead of mashed. 

As I was thinking about the process, it dawned on me that I would have to partially cook the potatoes before baking or make them super thin.  I chose to boil them (sliced with skins on) for about 7 minutes.  I browned 1 lb of grass-fed beef, added onions, the remnants of a tomato, worcestershire sauce, seasonings, then added a 1lb bag of TJs frozen Organic Foursome (the concoction smelled like meatloaf). 

I put that in the bottom of a dish and mixed up half-and-half (didn't have any heavy cream or evaporated milk), flour, garlic, and a little seasoning.  I layered the potatoes on the meat, poured the sauce over and started wondering how it was going to turn out...was it going to be attractive, what kind of consistency, I was a little concerned about the final product. 

As it baked and the aroma filled the house,I desperately wanted to taste it.  It was delicious and comforting...needless to say - the family devoured it.

Inclination

I continue to be astounded by the generosity of people from the East - they seem inclined to be hospitable...this evening we stopped to pick something up from a member of the community.  They asked if we would wait to have tea after sundown.  We felt compelled to oblige. 

The next thing I know, the husband and wife began scurrying around the kitchen preparing all kinds of stuff.  They seemed to be in a race against time, opening and closing cabinets, desperately looking for food to feed their "guests."  That was the kicker - technically we weren't guests...but I suppose that's the difference - for this Indonesian family, once we crossed the threshold, no matter what the reason, we were guests.

This reminded me of a similar situation in Wadi Bani Kharoos in Oman when we visited a family we were meeting for the first time that shared everything until their cupboards were literally bare.  I remember the women slicing oranges, making bread, tea, fish soup, and insisting that we eat while they just sat watching us.  That kind of generosity is hard to come by in these parts.

As they served us the "tea" - the husband kept apologizing, saying that they weren't prepared and that they were so sorry that they could only offer us a small appetizer.  In 15 minutes, they had prepared a spread - dates, roti, honey, ful, pita, and of course tea. The roti was delicious - very flaky and the ful had a had an Indonesian twist.    

As I sat eating, I just kept thinking that there's a lot we could learn from the "third world."  People that we harldy knew, graciously welcomed us into their home without hesitation. 

Gone bananas

My son loves bananas.  Sometimes he'll eat several in a day but somehow we ended up with a banana overstock.  As the bananas continued to ripen day after day I was beginning to worry.  I prefer bananas as they're just beginning to ripen...I don't like the texture or the excessive sweetness of a totally ripe banana.  I actually prefer the Brazilian banana (aka Hawaiian apple banana) to the common Cavendish variety. 

Bananas are quite similar to tomatoes in that they are picked green, transported, and ripened with ethylene...the result is a product far inferior to that which ripens in situ.  It makes you wonder why a tropical fruit that travels half way around the world can be purchased for 39 cents per pound.  Political economy.  But, this widespread availability of what should be a rare fruit is actually leading to its demise.  Enough about banana blight. 


This afternoon the bananas were looking a bit past their prime - brown with yellow spots.  I knew I had to do something but I wasn't quite in the mood for banana walnut bread so I made a banana cake (modeled after hummingbird) with a pseudo vanilla glaze.  The moist, flavorful cake was a great way to end the day. 

Repackaged

When we ate the turkey wings I had a feeling that I had made too much...last night it was clear that no one was interested in leftovers so I made a seafood chowder but those turkey wings were still lurking in the fridge.  Tonight we were going to have no choice but to eat the turkey wings so I thought about camouflaging them in a turkey noodle soup. 

That seemed kind of lame, so I tried to think of ways to jazz it up, but beans were the only thing that came to mind.  That's when I remembered that I've been wanting to make a pot pie for ages but wasn't confident that I could do it. 

Pot pie is the ultimate comfort food - I remember how happy I was when the boxes were developed allowing you do cook a pot pie in the microwave in just 13 minutes instead of 45.  However, there's a huge problem with pot pies - sodium.  Of course TJs (my favorite purveyor of frozen food) offers an alternative but the filling isn't quite right and the crust never browns properly - a pot pie is a total disaster if the crust isn't right. 

Tonight I decided to give it a go.  I sauteed onions and celery, cleaned the meat off the bones, and cut the potatoes into smaller cubes.  I added frozen mixed veggies to the saute, simmered in just a little liquid, added the potatoes then made a roux with butter, the gelatinous jus from the turkey, and flour - stirred in the turkey and heavy cream, then added that to the veggies.  I had enough filling for two pot pies. 

There's no comparison between a homemade and a store bought pot pie.  Those turkey wings were recycled into a very satisfying meal - it's amazing what a little pastry packaging can do.

Chesapeake cake

Yesterday, I must have called every market in a 30 mile radius looking for jumbo lump crab meat. I looked online for local purveyors of Maryland crab meat but was hard pressed to find one. I did however locate plenty of pasteurized canned meat from Vietnam. I kept wondering why crab meat from Vietnam is cheaper and more accessible than crab meat from a bay just a hundred miles or so from here.

I located the meat at two grocers, Whole Foods Callowhill ($34.99/lb) and Wegman's Malvern ($24.99/lb); needless to say, my husband went to Wegman's after work.  My plan was to make the crab cakes last night but I forgot, so this morning it was a race against time as I mixed them up (as I was mixing, I realized that I normally use back fin or a combination). 

I crumbled two slices of bread and soaked it in milk, added seasoning, the huge lumps of meat, mayo, dijon, worcestshire, and egg.  Fried them in butter and got started on the cabbage. I sliced some pepper, carrot, then added shredded cabbage and braised. 

Our suhoor was quite yummy but given the expense, probably not in the spirit of Ramadan.

Against the grain

I'm stuffed.  I think it's mostly liquid but I can hardly breathe.  We had turkey wings tonight - I did them a little different, added tomatoes and green peppers, along with carrots and potatoes - quite flavorful.  I was thinking about dessert earlier and the kids said no more pies or cobblers...they wanted carrot cake - not likely. 

I wanted to use the peaches that were in the refrigerator on their last legs and remembered purchasing a loaf of bread about a week ago that was never opened and was not likely to get eaten, so bread pudding seemed like the best solution.  My main concern was that I usually use challah or french bread, and all I had was Vermont Bread Soft 10 Grain. I wondered if the texture would be ok, or the taste too strong, but I went for it figuring it would at least add a healthy twist to a high-carb dessert.   

I went with my typical formula and just added a bit more liquid - sugar, cinnamon, salt, eggs, vanilla, butter, half & half.  I considered making a vanilla sauce but didn't feel like the effort, so I whipped up some cream instead.  You can truly taste the difference between cream made with carrageenan (shelf stabilizing seaweed extract) and cream that's just cream. 

Less is more

This morning we had a traditional suhoor - cucumbers, tomatoes, feta; lebneh with honey; and ful medames.  Imagine, no meat, yet we were sustained throughout the day. 

The kids have been looking forward to this - my husband makes the ful:  sauteed garlic, onions, and fava beans drizzled with olive oil.  It is filling and quite flavorful.

This all day orientation is killing me...I am not accustomed to working an 8 hour day.  My son had soccer practice tonight so I had 2 hours to prepare dinner. We have some quiche left but I thought I'd take a stab at the Ethiopian style shorba.

Of course I totally deviated from what I suspect is my friend's recipe.  I was thinking along the lines of alicha (the mild, yellow stew) so I sauteed an onion, added garlic ginger paste, a bit of green pepper and four seasoned chicken thighs (I couldn't resist).  I added the liquid and then 1 cup of oatmeal, sprinkled in some zataar and kurkum.  I simmered that and added some peas and carrots and continued to simmer for about an hour. 

The oatmeal gives the soup a creamy consistency but my shorba had a more robust flavor (probably due to the zataar) and actually served as our main course, along with some lumpia I found lurking in the freezer. 

For around $10, our family of 4 had two filling meals - it's amazing what you can do with a little creativity.  It's also tragic for so many, even these simple meals are out of reach.