It started with the Traeger...

I LOVE BBQ but I've never been much of a griller because I didn't know how to build a fire and didn't have the patience to wait for the coals to ash over. Now, I am "grilling" multiple times per week, all year long.

I was in a FB group when my son was in basic training...everyone kept saying they were "firing up the Traeger this weekend"...so I Googled and became obsessed. I purchased one from Costco in the Spring of 2022 and have been smoking up a storm ever since. Purist will claim that I'm neither smoking nor grilling because it's too easy...but my guests say otherwise. 

Smoked lamb shoulder (khaleeji style) has become my go-to...I keep several in the freezer and always make one when we have company. I also do beef flanken ribs, pollo a la brasa, oysters (in December), and everything in between. Last weekend I made summer sausage from ground wagyu.

Folks in my dog training circles are always talking about flattops...so last year I bought a Member's Mark from Sam's (I wasn't ready to commit to a Blackstone). And I cook on it year round - boneless thighs, ribeyes, lamb loin chops, burgers, shrimp, you name it...everything except breakfast.

After two summers of plug-and-play grilling, I wanted to make döner kababs and picanha...that meant I needed to cook over hardwood coals. I couldn't bring myself to buy another gill, so I bought a $60 kettle grill from Lowe's and I've nailed it!

Along the spice route

The geographer in me kicked in today while I was in the spice aisle at the Asian Supermarket. I was gathering spices for pho but realized quite a bit of overlap in the various cuisines I prepare, not just in Pacific Island cuisine but in many of the countries along the spice route.

As I walked down the aisle I thought of garam marsala, bizaara, and jerk chicken...the only significant difference between my biryani and pho is the anise...I already had the cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom at home.

It's textbook spatial interaction and diffusion...and it's delicious.

Bouncing around the Pacific Islands

I have been cooking a little of everything during these past few months...most things have literally been a little of this and a little of that...lots of soups, lots of one dish meals...lots of versatility to accommodate the vegan/pescatarian in our midst.  Recently the theme seems to be Asian.

Congee has become my daughter's staple after school snack and she's even using it for suhur...it's no problem to make now that I have this wonderful 4 in 1 rice cooker.  This week we've had a shrimp pancit, a Thai fried rice made from scraps in the fridge - eggplant, haricot verts that were past their prime for eating raw, and leftover chicken.

Today I'm attempting Pho.  My daughter has been obsessing about Pho for quite some time...I finally tried some in NYC two months ago and it was quite tasty, warming, and comforting.  On Sunday we tried a Pho place in Collingdale of all places and the Pho was fantastic!

As I savored the Pho on Sunday, I realized it is so good because it's essentially a slowly cooked broth made from bones...marrow provides a distinctive flavor.  This would have been an excellent "discovery," except my freezer was recently left open so I lost my marrow bones along with the majority of the beef I would typically use for a stew.   But...I do have something that I can use for a dry run.

We had delicious pan-seared steak for dinner on Tuesday...T-bone and rib steak...for some reason, I cut the meat away from the bone before I cooked two of the steaks.  I thought I'd give Pho a try with the T-bone and the Rib-bone - there is some meat attached.  Of course this will not yield the kind of results one might expect with marrow bones and oxtails, but I'm hoping to get a close approximation using the slow-cook feature on my rice cooker. I just need to figure out something for the vegan.

Making Time for Tea

Things have been a little hectic since our four day holiday in London over the Columbus Day weekend.  I've mostly been cooking pots of soup or baking chicken and fish.  One thing that I have managed to do consistently is Afternoon Tea.

My daughter and I had tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace and I think it was the highlight of our trip...now even a simple cup of tea is anything but simple.  At least once monthly we have a full afternoon, either with company, on our own, or with our fellow London Fanatics.  One thing for certain is afternoon tea is quite a bit of work when you're doing everything from scratch.  On New Year's Day, we added spinach quiche to the menu.
We have put together an eclectic tea service that actually looks quite lovely and have preparations down to a science - she makes the scones and tea cakes, I make the sandwiches (cucumber mint and egg mayonnaise) and set the table.

Today she wanted to make scones so of course I thought we should prepare an Elevenses...we scaled back to just two tiers (no tea cakes) and as usual thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Making time for tea is a great way to stop and smell the roses.

Vegan CHALLENGE

On Tuesday my husband began a 30-day vegan challenge.  He's eating lunch at Arnold's Way, so all I had to do was provide breakfast and dinner.  I am undergoing my own challenge as I try to pull together nutritious and delicious vegan meals...I have cooked vegetarian entrees, but vegan is the next level.  It's even more challenging because of Arnold.  Each day my husband texts a picture of his lunch with a caption raving about how delicious and filling it is...how can I compete with an expert, and of course my meals aren't raw...

I've literally been winging it...and that doesn't work for me.  I like to plan my meals and I try to be organized when I cook.  This week I've found myself cooking late in the day and things are haphazard because of all the dishes.  There's no way I can sustain cooking multi-component vegan meals and our regular meals without a sous chef and a larger kitchen.

My husband is loving veganism and plans to take a raw foods prep class so that he can ease the burden on me...I will likely take the class as well because I certainly wouldn't mind having "carrot cake" for lunch.  Thus far he's enjoyed everything that I prepared, but I have no idea what I'm making next week.  He loved the beans for breakfast and requested that the buckwheat sweet potato 'grab and go' be layered like a parfait to maximize the flavor.  Making that was more than a notion...first I made almond milk to cook the buckwheat, then I pressure cooked the sweet potatoes with coconut cream and pineapple juice, and I topped it with walnuts and chia seeds; everything else was relatively simple - lentils, sautéed vegetables, and roasted cauliflower leek soup.  My favorite is the raw apple sauce.

Greensgrow was selling unsightly apples 6 for $1, I bought them thinking I'd use them in green smoothies or perhaps I'd pull out the juicer again.  Then I thought about apple sauce, which the kids love as a lunchbox or after school snack.  I gave it a shot with 3 apples and literally had applesauce in less than 5 minutes (including the time it took to cut and core the apples) thanks to my trusty Vitamix.  My son said it was the best applesauce he's ever tasted...the best part is that all of the nutrients are maintained because the apples aren't cooked. We enjoyed it so much that my husband went back and bought a dozen more apples.  If all goes well, the kids and I will go vegan...with meat on the side.  It wasn't too bad tonight with our Eritrean meal...timtimo for him and zigni for us.  I'm up for the challenge...just not every night of the week.

Mixing it up with my Vitamix

It is clear to everyone who knows me that I am tethered to the kitchen...I enjoy cooking creatively and I am fond of tools and gadgets. Last year after undergoing a major de-cluttering process, I began to avoid kitchen stores because I did not need another thing. I must say that I have been successful, only acquiring a mandoline and a box grater...and I got both items on clearance at Target (obviously not professional grade, but they serve the purpose).

 I did however, take the plunge and purchase a Vitamix.  As I previously mentioned, this was a year long process. I finally settled on a basic model and then I just had to have a Second Generation because of the preprogrammed settings and the variable speed. I waited patiently for refurbished models to become available and when I finally decided to place my order using the installment plan, they were completely out...since I was already mentally committed, I went for it...and then had to wait almost a month to receive it...it was torture.

This is no gadget and it certainly isn't a blender...it's a vital piece of kitchen equipment and in many ways has transformed my cooking.  We are consuming far more veggies because of our insatiable desire for soups and green smoothies...I have only begun to explore the other food prep capabilities, such as shredding/chopping, which is perfect for pita pocket sandwiches.  I will save a fortune on hot chocolate because I no longer have to buy it from Williams-Sonoma...I simply run the soup cycle with whole milk, chocolate chips, and vanilla...delicious.  I have yet to try any frozen desserts but that is certainly on the horizon.

So many people that I know are interested in the Vitamix after seeing demonstrations in various grocery stores, seeing my pictures, or sampling my soup.  However, I do have one friend who can't seem to understand what all the fuss is about...I just chalk that up to a lack of comprehension skills.  My 86 year-old grandmother wants to buy a Vitamix and is not quibbling about the cost because of the ease of making soups...it's perfect for someone who lives alone and doesn't want to spend the day simmering.

I honestly don't know how I survived all of this time without it...I certainly wouldn't have all of the gadgets had I went for it years ago...and I am using both containers, regularly....I'm thinking I might even need to get a third (perhaps a dry container to make flours and nut butters since my husband has gone vegan and seems to be leaning towards raw).

The Vitamix is easy to use, easy to clean, and it makes eating vegetables a breeze.  Despite popular belief, you're not limited to "pureed soup."  The sky is literally the limit...just about anything can be whipped together and will taste great.  I learned that this morning when I wanted a smoothie and was out of all of my staples...I tossed in carrots, coconut cream, a pear, some frozen mango, and a splash of pineapple juice and it was delicious...just like the random potluck soup I made Friday night - corn, leeks, garlic, and carrots.

If my husband continues on his vegan path, I'm certain that I will get even more creative with the Vitamix.  The kids and I are "Type O" so I will continue as an omnivore but with vegan tendancies.  Check out the Vitamix selection and choose one that fits your budget and your needs.  I recommend the Professional Series (I have the 750) but at the minimum you need one with variable speeds.  Be sure to use Coupon Code 06-009144 for free shipping.  

A vegetarian agenda

The theme of 10th grade is social justice, but I don't think anyone has given much thought into what that looks like in practice, particularly given the state of the school district's budget.  My daughter has been assigned "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Foer as her first honors English book (other than 3 books assigned over the summer) of the school year.  

Frankly I think a different aspect of food production could have been explored as a social justice issue given that a significant portion of the student population receives free or reduced lunch.  The uneven access to healthy food or the rates of diabetes, elevated cholesterol, obesity among urban residents...these are topics that are much more relevant to urban children.  The companion book to "The Weight of the Nation" might have been a good place to start.  

I read "Eating Animals" very quickly (from cover to cover in a couple of hours), hence this is more of a response than a review.  I will state my bias from the onset - from a religious perspective, I fundamentally disagree that eating animals is inhumane. God clearly instructed us on the animals that are intended for human consumption and those that were not, who are we to question God's judgement?  That's not to say that we should go about raising and slaughtering animals willy nilly.  

As I've stated before, in the early 80s my family belonged to a co-op and ate no sugar, salt, beef or pork...we ate organic and "whole" food before it was fashionable. As time went on we slowly began to consume everything except pork.  Over the past decade I have transformed the way I eat largely because of my academic training coupled with the undergraduate courses I teach.  Because I love food, I can't help but bring food into the conversation; unfortunately those tethered to the factory farm system are unable to enjoy unadulterated food...so I teach about tropic levels, dairy farming, animal husbandry, aquaculture, the prevalence of corn and soy, and all of the "science" that gives us more food in shorter time. However, that hasn't hindered me from eating animals...as long as I "know" the source. I don't follow a one-size-fits-all diet, I do what feels right based on how my body responds...some meals are meatless, some are raw, and the majority are quite tasty. 

I do agree with Foer that industrialized agriculture (produce included) is environmentally degrading, both to the natural and human spheres. The food system has become a capitalist enterprise that is so out of control that some people are starving while an obscene amount of food makes its way to the landfill daily.  The food that is produced by agribusiness is virtually void of nutritional value and the multitude of health diagnoses provide evidence that you are what you eat.

I agree with Foer that factory farming exists because people are disconnected from food and have a mythical view about the source/production of food, if they consider it at all. Hence my food philosophy is one of "farm to fork" and I use "table fellowship" to propagate it. Obviously I don't eat food from every "farm." We try to support local farmers as much as possible and if you visit PA's Farm Show and look critically, the burden on animals is evident.  I am literally scared to death of mass produced meat and fish, but because I enjoy it, I source it as carefully as I can.

Foer claims to be a proponent of both vegetarianism and "honorable omnivores," however there are no examples in the book, unless I overlooked them by reading too quickly. It was not until page 244 that he overtly stated his bias and I'm a little concerned that his narrative about factory farming is not well documented (despite the lengthy "bibliography"). I think there are more objective exposes on the market about the factory farm system.  This book clearly arose from a complex relationship with food. His grandmother's uneasiness with food as a result of her ordeal escaping Nazi Germany and his I/Thou dilemma with animals. Just as my food philosophy arose from a complex relationship with food.