Nourishing Me

Getting "Outside"

2012-02-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

Its widely accepted in Alaska that you have to go "outside" at some point during the winter to keep your sanity. Prior to living here, I never would have described myself as a sun person. Now I know I like the sun, I like it a lot. Its not the cold that has bothered me as much as the monotony of grey days this winter. In late December after returning from the "outside" we went weeks without really seeing the sun. It was hidden behind over-cast skies. Let me tell you it starts to affect your sanity. The days blend together and your PJ's call your name all the time. Its true what they say, you are wise to get out at some point during the winter. I am so glad we did.

In conjunction with the annual AGU conference in San Francisco we planned a whirlwind trip through the Bay Area seeing friends and family along the way before continuing on to Maui for "Babymoon". Stopping along the way in Seattle for a long lay-over and "date" with my Dad and his partner Renee to the Museum of Glass.

Practicing what you intend to preach

2011-11-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

For many years I have been the recipient of handmade birthday cards from two extra-ordinary now young adults. With rare exception these two were highly encouraged, read required by their mother to make cards for close family and friends. On the verge of becoming a parent myself, I am keenly aware of how these seemingly small traditions shape young people. I am even more conscious of the necessity to model the characteristics we hope to hope to instill in our children ourselves. How could I ever "require" handmade cards, if I do not make them myself?

Original:

My very first hand-made card inspiration found via Pinterest search "Birthday cards", originally from Oh Party.
My interpretation:

It seems only fitting that the first one would one be for one of

those young people who inspired the tradition.

Eve of New Year's Eve

2009-12-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

How will you celebrate the arrival of not only a New Year but also a new decade?
I am still working out my exact plans but I found lots of helpful suggestion on the internet!

At

I found a great collection of recipes "Eat Yourself Lucky: Good Luck Foods for New Year's Day"

As a child I was forced to eat "Hoppin' John", I turned up my nose and squinted my face at every bite. Last year I realized it isn't actually that bad. I cannot say that it is that good either but definitely not worth any amount of fuss for just a bite or two to secure good luck in the New Year.

This article also include a paragraph at end about foods to avoid. Lobster, chicken - Who knew?

Snopes can be counted on for other New Year's Day traditions to uphold.

and
is also full of simple instructions on how to ring in the New Year with gusto.

Personally,
I think you should spend the first day of the New Year in the fashion you would like to spend the upcoming year. For me that means:
- In a clean house, everything picked up and put away. If you're really on track, all the laundry done
- With the person I love the most (and others too)
- Starting on the perpetual New Year's Resolutions to eat better and exercise my body and brain more

Oh, and I also like this article about how to make your New Year's Resolutions Stick

In an effort to...

2009-10-28T14:49:00.001-07:00

to spend less time at the grocery store (and cooking in general), I have started planning out our meals for the week on Sunday night.

I know I am not inventing the wheel here but I am pleasantly surprised that everything that has been said/written about this habit is true. It has saved me a lot of time. Not only at that grocery store but also in meal preparation throughout the week and space inside my head. Also, I have spent less.

Now, you may say (like I did) that I don't have time to plan. That, that step will take too much time in and of itself. Seriously, I sat down on Sunday night with last month's Bon Appetit, my computer and a pad of paper. Even with distractions on the Internet it took me less than an hour to do the planning.

Now, you may say (like I did) that it is not as fun as going to the grocery store and just making it up on the fly. I don't think that has been true. It is just as fun. I feel charged that I know what I am doing instead of searching for what to do. And the things that inspire me, I file them away for next week or if reasonable incorporate them now. I don't think its drained my kitchen creativity. I think its made room for more.

All in all,
We have eaten just as well but its taken me half as much time and less money. AND it has been just as much fun.

It is not because...

2009-10-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I posted anything here. A long time - months and months.

It is not because I haven't been cooking, I have been.
It is not because there haven't been other sources of sustenance in my life, there have been.
It is not because I haven't thought about it, I do.

Like everyone else my life is crowded.
Crowded with commitments to make a living, to take care of myself and others and the space that we live in, to keep in touch with my friends.
Just crowded... even if in a fun, joyful way.

I don't know if I'll post more.
I don't know if it matters.
I do know: I'll keep cooking, my life and the people and things in it will sustain me and I will keep thinking about it even if I don't write about it.

What's for Dinner? Week of June 15

2009-06-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Monday (6/15): Ginger and Honey Baby Back Ribs; Spinach, tomato, olive and feta bread salad
Why I thought these two dishes would be complimentary is beyond me? Both were tasty but not together.

From the cover of Bon Appetit. I doubled the amount of marinate and added more honey to the recipe. I also reduced the sauce after marinating and basted towards the end of BB-Qing. I did not make the dipping sauce, it seemed unnecessary and a little strange? In the future I would reduce the amount of salt. Very, very tasty but a bit salty.

Tuesday: Left-over Vegetable Chow Fun from Huong-Tra; Cherry cobbler

Wednesday: Gingery Pork Belly, rice and stir-fried veggies

Thursday: Something inspired by Emeril's Tangerine-glazed pork belly recipe. Given that tangerines are out of season, I suspect I will substitute oranges (or maybe even grapefruit) which are slightly more in season.
What's the story with all the pork-belly? I defrosted a large pieced of bone-in pork belly from the Mangalitsa cache, the piece was larger and more unyieldy than I suspected. So, I separated it from the bone (this piece will be used for Emeril's recipe tomorrow) and I used the boneless piece tonight.

Friday: "Everything dinner" heavy on produce. Produce, I suspect will be in the house come Friday - Potatoes, kale, left-overs from the pork belly extravaganza, avocados, cherries, peaches, and produce from this week's CSA box.

The What's for Dinner? post inspired by Chaos in the Kitchen. It seems to be a good way to both plan and re-cap the week's eating.

Sausage, Fontina, Bell pepper and Greens Strata

2009-06-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Traditionally thought of as a breakfast casserole, Strata is really appropriate morning, noon or night. It can be adapted to utilize what's available in your vegetable crisper, makes use of left-over (or over purchased) bread and reheats well. Inspired once again by this month's bon appetite.

I made it for dinner Sunday night.

Sausage, Fontina, Bell pepper and Greens Strata
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat saute until brown:
~1 pound of roughly chopped chicken sausage (I used pre-cooked Trader Joe's Chicken, spinach fontina sausage), about 7 minutes.
Remove from pan, place in large bowl and set to the side.

In pan drippings saute until translucent and starting to brown:
1 onion roughly chopped about 5-6 minutes
1-3 (based on personal preference) cloves of smashed garlic

Add:
2 thinly sliced red bell peppers
Saute until limp 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan and place in bowl with sausage.

Lightly coat skillet (the same one) with olive oil, wilt over medium heat:
1-2 pounds of greens roughly chopped
Remove from pan and place in bowl with sausage, onions and peppers. Stir well to combine.

In a medium size bowl combine:
3 eggs
3 egg whites
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of oregano
2 cups of low-fat milk
1/3 cup of whipping cream
Stir well to combine.

For the next step you'll need:
~1 pound baguette roughly cubed
1/4 pound shredded Fontina cheese

Spray a large square casserole with
Pam (0r other non-stick spray).
Place one thick layer of bread cubes in bottom of casserole. Pour ~1/2 of egg mixture over bread cubes. Mix to coat bread cubes entirely. There will be excess egg mixture in the bottom of the casserole. Layer 1/2 of your shredded cheese, and 1/2 sausage, onions and bell peppers. Cover with remaining bread cubes. Pour remaining egg mixture over top. Spread remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes. Allow to set for 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Time: 1.5 - 1.75 hours (1 hour unattended)
Servings: 6 - 8 large squares

Huevos Rancheros

2009-05-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love to go out for breakfast and when I do it is next to impossible for me to order anything other than Huevos Rancheros. In honor of two of our favorite events at Kent Court, Cinco de Mayo and breakfast for dinner night I prepared my all time favorite breakfast.

It is a hybrid of these two recipes. No picture it was fiddly and gone too quick.

Ranchero sauce

In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, saute
1 onion roughly chopped in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
When softened and starting to caramelize, approximately 8 minutes, add
1/2 - 1 chopped jalapeno pepper (with or without the seeds, your preference), allow to soften a few minutes, add
1 tablespoon of cumin, stir to enliven the spices

Add:
1-15 oz can chopped fire roasted tomatoes
1 can of chopped green chilies
Stir to combine, reduce heat to simmer and allow to flavors to meld approximately 1/2 hour.

Lightly grease a large frying pan, heat over medium. Barely heat/fry a corn tortilla, do not allow to brown, flip once or twice. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of cheese (cheddar, jack or queso fresco are all appropriate choices) in the center of the tortilla. Crack an egg in the middle of the tortilla. It may run off the edges, its fine. Cover with a lid and allow egg to set-up. When mostly firm flip as carefully as you can, and finish cooking to your preferred doneness.

Serve smothered with ranchero sauce, side of black bean, more cheese, and/or sour cream.

Joined

2009-05-10T19:51:00.001-07:00

We will pick-up our first box on Friday, can't wait

Slow return to normal

2009-05-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Prior to the wedding we had a great last dinner upstairs, it seemed only fitting to return to normal with an exceptional meal. Inspired by a several recipes in last month's Bon Appetite, last night we had:

Shitake mushroom, asparagus, and leek tartlets
Saute in 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil,
2 thinly sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only (rinse very thoroughly to remove any sand and grit)
10 - 12 ounces of shitake mushrooms thinly sliced until wilted and lightly browned

Remove from heat and place in a medium sized bowl with,
1 pound of asparagus, bottoms snapped and diagonally cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1/2 cup of creme fraiche
2 oz of grated gruyere cheese
Zest and juice of lemon
1 tablespoon of thyme
Stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 400 F

Cut 2 sheets (1 package) frozen puff pastry into 8 squares, place on 2 ungreased cookie sheets. Distribute mushroom, asparagus and leek mixture evenly, mounding slightly to leave 1/2 inch border on tartlet.

Bake for 10 - 11 minutes, turn and flip sheet position in oven. Bake an additional 8 - 10 minutes, remove from oven. Run edge of spatula under each tartlet to loosen, allow to sit for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

Lightly minted, fresh and bright pea soup
Over medium heat, saute in 2 tablespoons of olive oil 6 shallots - roughly chopped

Add 1 1/2 lbs of frozen petite peas, stir to combine with shallots.

Add 4 cups (1 box) of low sodium vegetable stock, stir to combine. Raise heat, and allow to come to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 8 - 10 minutes. Add:
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint
Juice of 2 lemons

In batches puree peas and broth until silky smooth. Return to stove heat over low. Salt and pepper to taste

Accompanied by
Pan fried Mangalista chops, from our swine supply in the freezer

Commission on Dietetic Registration

2009-04-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Congratulations! You have passed the Registration Examination for Registered Dietitians.

Of a possible 50, ... .
A total scaled score of 25 is required to pass the examination by completing a minimum of 125 questions.

While it is easy to be critical of both the DI internship requirement and the examination itself. At this moment, I am just simply thrilled to join the profession of dietetics.

Thank you to Sharon Bode and all my preceptors at The Methodist Hospital (especially Christi, Hailey Whitehead, and Anne); Texas Children's Hospital Claudia, Dawn, and Terri; Becky at DaVita and Karen at Employee Wellness at The Methodist Hospital.

Butternut Squash and Pork Tagine

2009-02-09T23:20:00.000-08:00

In some countries this dish is made in a fancy dish with the same name, tagine. I use a skillet with high sides, with excellent results.

Start with:
Olive oil, enough to lightly coat pan (not more than a tablespoon or so)
2 pork ribs (the big ones), ~3/4#
Using a large skillet with tall sides, coat with olive oil, heat over medium high. Brown the pork ribs on both sides, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove pork ribs from pan, let stand. Cube pork, the pork will be pink inside and not safe to eat yet.

Turn heat to medium, add to pan:
1 large onion - thinly sliced
4 - 5 garlic cloves - smashed
1 - 2 inch chunk of ginger - peeled,minced
Stir to coat with oil and drippings, allow to cook until starting to brown and onion turns translucent, 5 - 7 minutes.

Add:
1/2 large butternut squash - peeled and diced into small cubes
apple - peeled diced
Stir to evenly distribute onions and aromatics throughout.

Add:
cumin - 1 tablespoon
coriander - 1 - 2 tablespoons
turmeric - 1 tablespoon
Stir and allow heat to enliven spices, cook ~2 minutes
Add:
1 1/2 cups cup of weak chicken broth
Add cubed pork and any drippings back into pan. Cover, adjust heat to simmer. allow to cook 15 - 20 minutes until squash is tender and pork is no longer tender.

Remove lid, add:
raisins - 1/4 cup - 1/3 cup
almonds - 1/4 cup
cilantro - 1/4 big bunch roughly chopped
Allow sauce to reduce ~5 minutes over heat high enough steady bubble. Using wooden spoon, smash butternut squash to aide in thickening. Tagine should be thick, more like stew than anything else.

Serve with couscous, quinoa, or naan to soak up the yummy goodness.

Serving: 4
Time: ~45 minutes

Houston Grub

2008-11-30T07:25:00.002-08:00

Whilst in Houston I was more disciplined than ever about eating humbly. More than any other time in my life I ate at home and brought my lunch to work. I also threw away practically no food, I ate almost everything I bought. Surprisingly, I did not miss eating out. It was not for lack of options. There are more places to eat-out in Houston than any other place I have ever lived or visited. Seriously, there are ten restaurants on every corner.

However, I did eat a few times and can whole-heatedly recommend these fine Houston eateries:

- Zabak's Meditrerranean Cafe
Hands down best, cheapest falfafel sandwich($5) I have ever had. Genuine, friendly service. I went twice in 6-months and would have gone every week if my budget would have allowed it.

- Brasil Cafe
One of my few complaints about cafe's and bars in the SF Bay Area is the lack of not only outdoor seating but also the size and stability of tables. This Houston cafe far surpasses any local cafe or bar. Tons of outdoor seating and small but very stable tables. Perfect for sitting and studying. Plus, the food is great and reasonably priced AND you can can get coffee/tea or wine/beer. Favorite place to linger in the afternoon with a study material.

- Boudreaux's Cajun Kitchen
I was first introduced to Boudreaux's by way of fried dill pickle chips. Not something that prior to living in Houston I would have considered tasty or delicious. But fried dill pickle chips = tasty and delicious. You do however need to split an order with at least three people because you're satiated early with the salty and yummy treat. Boudreaux's has an extensive menu with almost any fried item you could possible want (and many items prepared in other ways too but really why bother). Casual and fun. A little expensive but ample portion size. Great drink specials before 7 pm.

- Big Woodrow's
A fellow intern intern worked at Big Woodrow's throughout the internship and loved it. She insisted that we introduce the incoming class to traditional Cajun food here, specifically boiled crawfish. Crawfish are widely distributed in the southeast and considered a delicacy, rightfully so. I thought it was so great we took my dad when he came two weeks later for crawfish. When ordering crawfish for the first time make sure you find out how spicy they are. I loved it but my dad was a little overwhelmed by the spice.

And who could go to the almost South and not partake of BB-Q:
- Goode Company
Everything they say about Texas BB-Q is true. It is soo good. It also widely available but believe it or not, I only went for BB-Q three times while I was in Houston - twice at Goode Company. Just go, don't think about splitting a plate, get a combo and try as much as you can. They say the pie is also good at Goode Company but I ate so much BB-Q I never had room.

Mangalista Mania

2008-11-30T07:24:00.000-08:00

Several months ago I agreed to purchase a pig (I don't think it was the pig pictured above) from a high school friend, Kylan Hoover. Six months before Kylan and I had gone for lunch together, while catching up, Kylan casually mentioned that he was interested in returning to pig farming (He had raised pigs for the fair in high school). I had just been reading on Michael Ruhlman's blog about a pig-purveyor in Washington who was looking for a northern California outlet for his prized Mangalista. One thing lead to another and Kylan was the proud daddy of more than 50 pigs in less than a month. Given the introduction I feel a connection to his "herd" of piggies.

When given the opportunity I had to have one. Some girls have to call their fiances and say "I went a little crazy and bought another pair of shoes", I had to say "I kinda just bought a pig... with your checkbook." Lucky for me Andy (and my mom) really like bacon. Even a small pig yields far more pork than two can reasonably eat so I solicited friends to purchases "shares" of our new friend.

I have never bought a whole animal for consumption before (chicken's don't count). I didn't know the pertinent questions to ask:
Q: How will the Mangalista go from living to dining?
A: The swine along with nine other friends were transported in a horse trailer from their home in the Livermore Valley to a small family owned slaughterhouse in Modesto on a Monday. Where they met their end quickly and humanely. The whole hogs were transferred in a refrigerated truck to Star Meats in Berkeley where my pig "hung" for several days. Hanging is necessary to allow natural chemical reactions to occur taking the meat from icky to amazing. Kylan left directions for the cutting and on Friday morning the pork was cut. Friday afternoon we picked up many neat brown packages.

The other pigs went on to the French Laundry where they were processed for curing and aging. They will make a prominent appearance early next year on the menu.

Q: How many pounds of meat will the piggy yield?
A: When all is said and done I still don't know. By conventional standards my pig was small weighing just shy of 200 pounds at the end. I weighed most of the individual cuts in order to fairly divide among shareholders. However, I did not weigh the head, heart, kidney's, liver, lard or intestinal bits. Some of the poundage is lost during butchering I think its safe to safe in the end I had over 150 pounds of pork.

Q: What happens to the head, heart, kidney's, liver, lard and intestinal bits?
A: I kept and rendered the lard myself.
I met my limit at "processing" the other offal so I arranged a trade with Hank Shaw. Who made excellent use of the other nasty bits and publicized Kylan's business a bit on his blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook.

Q: How do you fairly divide the pork among shareholder's?
A: We laid all the neat brown packages out on a table in the garage. We took out several "odd" pieces including the pork shoulder that I roasted for the party. We weighed the pieces and with Kylan's help we just started making "equal" piles. On the day of distribution I used my own share to swap with people who wanted different cuts. It just worked itself out.

The list of questions goes on and on.
Needless to say most of us (including me) don't really know how our dinner starts.

Let me tell you this dinner was damn good even knowing a little bit more about where it came from.

Photos courtesy of Andy Bliss - More photos of the pig party.

Daily Grind - Food Service Managment

2008-10-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

Compared to my almost grueling 10-week clinical rotation, my 4-weeks of Food Service has gone by lightning fast. I barely have blinked an eye and I am done.

Once again I was assigned to a hospital within the Texas Medical Center, that's where the similarities between the experiences stop. Unlike my clinical rotation: I arrived at 7:30 am and was almost always gone eight hours later at 4:30 pm; I saw patients only in the halls of the hospital, I don't think I uttered more than ten words to one; I spent a lot of time in the basement (where most hospital kitchen's are located); I had more than enough time to complete the tasks assigned to me; Everyone was really, really nice, all the time.

I wish I had a quarter for every time I have heard: "I didn't get a degree (or two or three) to work tray line", "I hate to cook", "I don't do food service". Seriously, the way many dietitians talk you would think nutrition and food were completely unrelated. Most dietitian despise the words "food service". So, I hate to admit it... I kinda of like it. Although industrious employees who take great pride in their attention to detail, food service doesn't take its self quite so seriously. Your fellow employees come from a greater slice of life. Not everyone has a college diploma (or even a high school diploma); its a little less idealistic, a little more r-e-a-l.

Typical tasks performed during this rotation:
- A lengthy "Patient Services" check-list to get familiarized with all the jobs and tasks required to get meals to patients.
- Audits of: Patient identification and proper hand washing among food service employees (No need to worry: Everyone appropriately identifies patients, everyone washes their hands), the proper use of formula order form among physicians, and kitchen inspections of the hospital and food court kitchens
- Documentation of food service related charges in a doctor's lounges of a newly opened unit of the hospital
- Development of independent learning activities for food service employees who missed customer service training
- Development of a bulletin board marketing a customer service program to employee's
- Data collection and presentation of clinical dietitian monthly productivity
- Analysis and recommendation of provision for emergency food supplies (MRE's v. recognizable, microwavable product).
- Development of tool to track quarterly changes in food cost

Yes, some of this work was tedious. However, I was exposed to the breadth of tasks required in food service management. My days also could not have contrasted the relative sameness of the days of a clinical dietitian more.

Twilight

2008-10-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

There is something completely absorbing about these books.

They are the absolute epitome of a fairy tale and the
sickening reality of adolescence woven together.
Highly recommended

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hi all!
Thanks so much to all of you who e-mailed, called, texted or just thought about my safety over the past 24 hours.

I am happy to report that I have survived my first (and hopefully my last) hurricane unscathed. Many others in the gulf cannot say the same, I feel very lucky. Hurricane Ike came through over night, the real action lasted about 5 hours. Jenny (my roommate) and I dragged a mattress and pillows into the hallway and slept there. It was loud and a little scary but all-in-all okay. Our power was out for about 6-hours but came back on this morning (Most people in the area are not expected to regain power for a few days.) We are LUCKY.

I have posted a few photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/tjgirl/HURRICANEIKE#. My entire neighborhood has debris and trees down all over. Most of the street lights are out. Many of the street signs have been toppled. It just generally looks tattered. People are out and about cleaning up. Most in good spirits. You can hear generators buzzing, people are BBQ-ing. While it NO way feels like a block party, people openly express their gratitude for their personal safety and property. I think everyone's just glad its over.

I expect to go back to work at the medical center Monday or Tuesday.

Hope each of you are safe , warm and dry.

Be in touch.

Always,
~Taryn

Daily Grind - Clinical

2008-09-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

In some ways I can hardly believe that I am already 1/2 way through my Clinical rotation. In other ways if feels like it should be long over. The Clinical aspect of the internship is the longest and most intense of the 5-rotations. It is a 10-week crash course in not only the various disease states and how they relate to nutritional status but also the mechanics of working within a hospital.

It is the practical application of everything you have learned in school
AND everything they don't teach you.

I am at a large, prestigious teaching hospital. It is ranked as one of the best hospitals in the country. Inarguably, it would be next to impossible to get a better experience somewhere else. However, it does have a reputation for being tough on interns. Within a matter of weeks we are expected to learn the lay-out of the hospital (a sprawling 5-building complex with up-teen elevators), a computer charting system, a food service set-up, the subtitles of relating to Dr's, nurses, and other essential personnel, AND see and document on 8-10 patients a day. We work under a different dietitian each week, whom each cover very different floors. Every day, every week is different than the one before. With the level of expectation building the longer we are there.

I have had the opportunity to work the following floors/specialties: Cancer, General Medicine, Cystic Fibrosis, Neuro-ICU, Neuro-stepdown (strokes and other brain injuries), Post-Gastrointestinal Surgery, Bariatrics and next week I'll follow the renal dietitian. After that I'll spend a week with an ICU dietitian before 2-weeks of practicum (working floors independently as an RD would).

So, what does a clinical dietitian do?? It is helpful to think of almost every health care provider (pharmacists, dietitians, physical therapy, speech, occupational therapy, etc..) in a hospital as acting as consultant to the MD. With nurses both playing the role of consultant and actually getting everything done.

Dietitians keep track of the nutritional component of patient care. When patients are able to safely eat, we stop by their rooms and encourage them, make sure they are getting their meals and "between meal nourishment's" (AKA snacks) and try to subtly slip in some healthy eating cues without being labeled as the "diet police". When dramatic changes are needed in a patient's diets (ex. new diagnosis of diabetes or kidney failure) we are sent with a packet of instructions and go line-by-line through a complete dietary change. When patients are unable to eat we act as a consultants, providing MD's with suggestions for alternative support. This may mean a enteral/tube feeding or parenteral nutrition/directly into the blood stream.

Every dietitian has the same mantra when working with alternative nutrition support: "If the gut works use it". Enteral nutrtion, the digestion of food through all or some part of the digestive tract is always the preferred mechanism of nourishment. If a patient is unable to chew or swallow a tube can be used. A nasogastric or nasoenteric a tube is placed through the nose and down the throat to the gut. While a PEG or J-tube is "surgically" placed directly through the abdominal wall to the stomach or intestine. Formula is than dripped or gently pumped into the body, and the gut completes the digestion and absorption of nutrients into the body. Enteral nutrition is used a wide variety of clinical conditions: It is used when a patient simply doesn't have the energy or ability to eat enough, when they are unable to swallow correctly (after a stroke for example), or when the stomach is unhappy but the gut is working properly. Enteral nutrition is almost always the preferred route for a myriad of reasons: It is more biologic, less invasive, less expensive and just less complicated than its cousin parenteral nutrition.

Parenteral nutrition takes alternative nutrition support to a whole new level. The smallest elements of food: sugar/dextrose, protein/amino acids and fats/lipids are directly infused into the blood stream no digestion required. Generally a central line directly into a major artery is used and the nutrition is continuously pumped in. Parenteral nutrition is only appropriate in a select number of patients, those whose digestive tract are unable or unwilling to digest food. This may happen when there is hole somewhere in the gut, after a surgery when the gut doesn't wake-up, with severe inflammation of the digestive tract or just complete upset of the entire system/major trauma. Parenteral nutrition may seem more straightforward than enteral but it is anything but. Our bodies are incredibly efficient at digesting and using food, so parenteral nutrition skips millions of years of evolution. It is anything but biologic, very invasive, incredibly expensive (more than $1,000 per day) and prone to complications. That said in select patients it is a lifesaving therapy.

MD's are only required to take one nutrition class during their training. Dietitians fill in the gaps. Providing consultation about the appropriateness of their selected nutrition regiments and offering alternatives. For our suggestions to be relevant they must be holistic, taking into consideration the other related aspects, of patient care. Since the human body is the ultimate integrated system as a clinical dietitians we review and consider A LOT of things:

Why is the patient here now? What is their progress?
What is their past medical history and how does it relate to their current condition?
Daily labs
Medications
Output of fluid from the body (urine, waste, drains, etc..)
Medical therapies being used (ventilator status, hemodialysis etc..)
What are our goals? (E.g. increase PO intake, minimize loss of lean body mass, etc..)

Unfortunately, a medical record is not a clearly delineated dossier of patient history and treatment, and everything they say about doctor's handwriting is true. So, often it feels like you are detective trying to figure out what the heck is going on with this patient AND what the heck you going to suggest for them. This process repeats itself as you work through your patient list. It can be both ridiculously frustrating and incredibly rewarding contributing to the care of very sick, very sick individuals.

Clinical nutrition is simultaneously everything I expected and an entirely different ballgame.

Ps. The opening image is of the Texas Medical Center, where I am completing my clinical rotation. Check out this link for more information about the medical center and the organization's within it.

Houston Theater District Open House

2008-08-30T10:37:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I checked out the Houston Theater District 15th Annual Open House.
It was quite a nice event. Even though I was not inspired to become an opera singer!

Soup on Sunday's

2008-08-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

I have been horribly uninspired to cook since I started "working".

Perhaps its because I spend at least 8 - 10 hours everyday talking and thinking about what other people eat and seeing first hand the consequences of poor dietary/lifestyle choices. Perhaps its because its not as convenient to get great ingredients (No Monterrey Market, no Berkeley Bowl, no Trader Joe's). Perhaps its because I am only cooking for me. Who knows?? Anyway I've got to get back cooking... Starting with a little soup on Sunday's.

Spicy Southwestern Soup

Soak 1.3 cups of mixed dried beans in water for a few hours.
(I used beans from North Day Trading Co, found in the bulk bins at Whole Foods)
Use a colander, drain and rinse beans.

In a large stock pot over medium-high heat saute 1/2 chopped onion, 2 -3 cloves of garlic in ~1 tablespoon of olive oil. Allow to become fragrant and translucent ~7 minutes.

Add beans back in and cover with about 1.5 inches (~6 cups) of water. Add 2 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon or 2-3 cubes of bouillon. I like chicken or veggie flavor. Add 1/2 cup of prepared salsa. Cover the pot bring to boil and than turn down allow to simmer for 60 - 90 minutes. You want the beans to be tender but not falling apart.

At the end a 5 - 10 minutes before serving (depending on how cooked you like your veggies) Add:
Handful of chopped cilantro
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
1 cup of of chopped carrots
1 chopped squash (zucchini or yellow or whatever you have and like)
Whatever else you think would be good.

Garnish:
Cheese, avocado, lime wedges

Time: 2.5 hours, mostly unattended
Serves: 4 easily - 6

EL SALVADOR

2008-08-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

At the End of Week#1 and 5 Things U Might Not Know About Houston

2008-08-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

Week 1 (or so)-in-Review:

Thus far, I have completed the orientation for the dietetic internship (DI). It consisted of:
Day 1 - Review of policy and procedures; Review of the rotations sites
Day 2 - Introduction to using the evidence based library, case study assignments. I was assigned metastatic brain tumors in overweight patients. My task was to prepare a ~15 minute power point presentation about the condition, the expected course of treatment and the nutritional implications.
Day 3 - In small groups complied nutritional care plans using information from the evidence based library and other journals; Case study presentations
Day 4 - Enteral and parenteral formula review
Day 5 - Introduction to medical charts at a hospital ~30 minutes outside of Houston; Dinner with the out-going interns. They made a fantastic gluten-free menu complete with focaccia bread and tiramisu. It was really good.
Day 6 - Review of charting using the nutritional care process
Day 7 - Attended the out-going interns graduation

5 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT HOUSTON, TX

5. NO-ONE WATERS THEIR LAWNS or PLANTS HERE
Even though its been almost 100, almost everyday...Seriously all of the plants are maintained by the humidity in the air. I haven't met anyone with a veggie-garden, I think people must water those??

4. STOPLIGHTS ARE HORIZONTAL HERE
There also a lot of blinking yellow lights

3. EVERYTHING IS BIGGER HERE
For example, I went to the mall over the weekend. I thought I knew how big it was going to be: I was wrong. Its huge... There's a post-office in it (unlike at the airport), and an ice rink and anything else you could possibly want.

2. IT IS MORE FORMAL HERE
Unless you are friends with someone, you call them Ms. or Mr. (especially women) until directly told not to. No one swears (not even in damn, definitely not s-h-i-t and never anything stronger) in public. The tone is just - different. I can't decide if I like it or not.

1. IT IS AS HOT AND HUMID HERE AS THEY SAY IT IS (like you didn't know that..)
During the weather forecast the temperature really means nothing... Its the "heat index" that really tells you what its going to feel like. Generally, its hot or miserable... Unless there's a tropical storm or a hurricane, than its quite lovely (humid but lovely) but a little scary because you don't know what's going to happen.

CA - to - Houston, TX

2008-07-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

I am a GRADUATE!

2008-05-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

SFSU Graduation '08

Dude - My dad is cool

2008-05-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Think about supporting him in this important cause:

Hello friends and family,

I am joining with 9 other co-workers on our Bio-Rad, Redmond WA company team on Sat May 17, to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. We are taking part in the 2008 Seattle Tour de Cure.

We will each be riding various distances from 15 to 100 miles in this fund raising event.

I would appreciate your sponsorship for this worthy organization, as Taryn, I am sure will attest.

You can make a donation under my name by going to this website:

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TDC451018030?team_id=272528&pg=team&fr_id=5050&et=syMYbtx8AcRFZB_ait0_zw..&s_tafId=166229

So far, our WA team has raised just over $1600.

Thank each and everyone of you for your support.

Sincerely and God bless,

Ross

Last big push

2008-05-01T15:41:00.001-07:00

This has easily been the hardest semester of my college career.

I knew it would be hard, I am taking a very heavy load of classes: Seminar in Clinical Dietetics, Advanced Nutrition, Nutritional Assessment, Food Service Layout and Design and Principles of Financial Accounting. I have continued to work nearly 40-hours a week between Trader Joe's and my responsibilities with the P-family. That coupled with with my mom's knee injury early in the semester, initial wedding thoughts and planning and attempting to maintain some semblance of a life has left me with NO free time.

No free time for reading (other than for class), no free time for movies, no free time for social events, no free time for elaborate cooking, no free time for just about anything... So, please forgive me if I never seem to regularly take photos or post about cooking. Maybe its the business of it all that nourishes me.

While I can't wait for it to be over (I am literally counting the days...) I also realize I don't know what its like to not live like this, with every second of everyday accounted for. Believe it or not, its a little scary to think about what I would do with extra time.... Free time??

Realistically its something I don't think I'll have to worry about for a while since after these last few weeks of school comes the preparation for and the move to Houston, 6-months of internship, real wedding planning, preparation and execution and whatever else happens to occur.

We should all be so lucky.

DI - University of Houston

2008-04-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

Matching Results

I am pleased to inform you that you have been appointed (computer matched) to the University of Houston.

Texas.... baby!

Houston, Texas

Serendipitously digging in the dirt

2008-04-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

Today I serendipitously ran into my friend Leslie. I woke up with a head-ache (an all too common event) and was unable to go to class. After trying to sleep it off, I got up and decided to just start checking things off my daily "To Do" list. After a cheese roll at Cheeseboard, I went to Monterrey Market and while I was mentally making sure I had picked up everything for dinner, there she was in front of the chard. She was on her way to Berkeley Horticulture (maybe the best nursery ever) for the very first time. She tagged along for my grocery shopping, I tagged along to the nursery. After a stop at the butcher we had a lovely fresco lunch before parting ways. Both happy for coincidentally being able to be together.

Before now I have never lived in a place long off to know enough people to "just run into someone" anywhere. Today in addition to Leslie, I saw a friend-of a-friend and an old BMC buddy while having lunch. It feels lovely and familiar. I'll miss it next year where-ever we are.

So, because of this serendipitous meeting I started my garden plot for 2008.

Before:

And after:

I bought and planted:
- English peas
- Snow peas
- Artichoke
- Poppies that look like peonies (to attract pollinators)

Still to come:
- Herbs (parsley, cilantro, thyme, basil, oregano)
- Rainbow chard
- Spinach

First full day of Spring

2008-03-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

I love this website, School of the Seasons.

In my heart of hearts, I like traditions. Events, rituals, what-not: Things that are repeated year after year.

Quietly, I have been working on my own set of traditions. In January to mark Martin Luther Kind Day we attended a gospel concert in his honor; In February for Valentine's Day: 2 Desserts and No Dinner and now the first full day of Spring....

For spring:
- Last night, while chatting with an old friend. I straightened up, in order to greet the "new year" with a "clean" house. I'll finish up tonight.
- I bought daffodils to brighten my apartment.
- I went to the Thursday Farmer's Market. Something, I wish was a weekly tradition.
- Tonight for dinner we-ll be having S - almon (keeping with a neo-Persian tradition).
- If Andy can find the last egg dying kit in East Bay, I'll dye eggs and than have deviled eggs a few days later.
- Moving or not, I want to plant something this weekend.
- On Sunday, it may be the first annual "ham holiday" and sweet potatoes because everyone knows you can't have ham without sweet potatoes

What are your traditions??

Prosciutto and Leeks + Pasta

2008-03-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

Although I am inconsistent at best with posting on my own blog, I never fail to read other people's. Primarily, I am looking for inspiration for that age-old question, "what's for dinner??"

Last weekend I tried out this recipe from Gluten-free Girl (with my own twists of course):

Prosciutto and Leeks + Pasta
Trim, leaving just the white and light green part4-6 leeks

Under cool running water, very thoroughly rinse. Cut in 1/2 length-wise and rinse again. Leeks are notorious for being grainy, you want to avoid that effect in your meal. When in doubt rinse again.

Cut into 1/8" wide half-moons.

In in wide sauce pan (that you have a lid for), over medium heat saute leek moons in:
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

After ten minutes of occasionally stirring. Cover leeks with:
4-6 slices of prosciutto
And cover the pan, set to very-low.

Let leeks and prosciutto cook and caramelize together for at least thirty minutes.

Boil:
1/2 pound of wide pasta noodles, according to direction on label.
(Will vary a lot, depending on whether you are using fresh or dried noodles). Drain.

Uncover your leeks and prosciutto pan. Remove prosciutto from pan and slice into very thin strips. Return and stir to combine.In a large bowl, toss pasta, prosciutto and leeks with:

Mozzarella cheese, to taste
(We used about 1/3 cup of shredded mozzarella because that is what we had around) Fresh mozzarella would be even tastier and a healthy drizzle of:
Balsamic vinegar

Serves: 2-3
Time: 45 minutes

Ps. Yeah, I know its more fun with pictures. I'll get on it!

Mushroom Risotto

2008-01-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

Using this recipe from Simply Recipes. I made a g-r-e-a-t risotto.

It was delicious. No surprise, I made a few changes: I used more mushrooms browning and cooking some of them with the rice; I substituted sherry for the cognac and I used less butter, olive oil and cream than the recipe called for. It did not matter it was still fabulous.

A note about the mushrooms I used: I used plain white mushrooms and crimini's to brown and and cook with the rice; I used more exotic mushrooms in the cream mixture. I was afraid of cooking with more exotic mushrooms for a long time. I thought they would be over-powering and domineering in my dishes. I was wrong: They are really wonderful additions bringing mild, earthy flavors and subtle textures. The price of exotic mushrooms can also be intimidating . I usually buy some white button mushrooms to bulk up my purchase with out bulking up my receipt. And don't worry about the names, just experiment with a few that appeal to you.

Thank-you Monterey Market for the selection. If you live in the East Bay just stop shopping for produce any where else and GO TO Monterey Market. It is the best.

An amazing way to start the New Year

2008-01-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

Guilty pleasure

2007-12-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

Seriously, I love Cup of Noodle.

In just 5 days the semester will be over but... Before than I have three tests that will decide my grade in their respective classes (Nutrition education and communication, Experimental Foods and Clinical Nutrition) and one loong paper to write.

Expect nothing but Cup of Noodle till Sunday.

King Corn

2007-11-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

It has been cool and dreary in N. California, perfect for a movie. Go see:

Jenny Z Showing-it all off

2007-11-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

A week ago tomorrow, we went to check out a friend's (Jenny) photography show. If you're in San Francisco, I recommend stopping in for a glass of wine and a gaze at the photos.
It's at:

Jen's work can also be seen on her website.

Pumpkin, Sage Ravioli

2007-10-31T22:02:00.001-07:00

This one my my favorite things I have made recently.
I absolutely LOVE it.

Roast at 350 F, for 35 - 45 minutes:2 small sugar pie pumpkins (You could also use butternut squash), halved, cut side down.

Remove from oven, and allow to cool enough to handle. Scoop the flesh into a large bowl, discard the skins. Mound the flesh, create a well in the center. Allow to drain and cool. Meanwhile,

In a small skillet over medium-low heat melt,
2 tablespoons of butter
Add,
1 tablespoon of ground sage
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
Sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg
Allow to brown, remove from heat.

Any accumulated liquid in your pumpkin mound should be blotted away with a paper towel. Add the contents of your skillet and
3-4 oz of soft goat cheese (Chevre) (About 1/2 of a large log)
Combine/mash well with a fork.

Use:
Won-ton wrappers
Mound about 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture in the middle, fold on the diagonal (So, you get a triangle) and seal the edges by "gluing" with water. Set to the side, while you finish a bunch.

Bring a large pot of salted water to an almost boil. Boil ravioli in batches (You don't want them crowding each other) for 4-5 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon. Hold in a warm oven, till you're done.
Yields: 3-4 serving
Accompaniments: I ate them with a bit more sage butter (melted butter with sage). I also think a basic cream sauce would work well.
I also want to experiment with using the filling inside a basic crepe recipe. Frankly, I wasn't totally satisfied with the wonton skins (too thin and flimsy) but loved the overall flavors of the dish.

Rosemary, Butternut Squash Risotto

2007-10-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

Rosemary and Butternut Squash Risotto

4 cups of dilute broth, warm (I use Better than Bouillon and the microwave)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

In a large heavy, bottomed saucepan over medium-high, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot, saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the shallot begins to turn golden brown. Add the rice, stir until well coated with shallot and oil. Add the squash and a splash of broth, cover and allow the cook for 4-5 minutes (to give the squash a head start).

Lower the heat and begin to add the broth, 1/2 cup or so at a time. Stir often and allow the rice to almost completely absorb the broth before adding more broth. Continue stirring and adding until the all the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 30 minutes. You'll have thick, creamy pan full of rice and gravy-like stock.

Remove from heat and stir in:
1 tablespoon of butter
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, grated
1 - 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, finely chopped (Use caution rosemary can be very strong, you can always add more but its impossible to get it out)

1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1/4 toasted chopped pecans

Place in large shallow bowls and top with Gorgonzola and pecans.

Yields: 4 generous servings
Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Possible accompaniments: Spinach salad with cranberries or pears

I served it this week tri-tip and wilted spinach.

It was just my birthday

2007-10-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

Homemade Pasta Noodles

2007-09-10T11:35:00.001-07:00

Recipe and procedure to follow.

Photos to start!

Pasta making

Real Caramel Sauce

2007-09-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

This started as a dally into cake making but ended with unfortunate results (in regards to the cake at least). However, I DID create a fantastic recipe for real homemade caramel sauce.

Real Caramel Sauce

2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of water

1 cup of water

Combine in sauce pan with high sides (the higher the better) sugar and water. Make sure you're wearing long sleeves and have a bowl of ice water available (in case things go badly). Turn the heat up all the way and stir occasionally. The second cup of water is for "stopping" and should be close to the the stove. The mixture will go through a variety of stages as it boils and reduces away. Watch in wonder, stir occasionally and wait until the mixture has thickened up, about ten minutes. It will start to turn from a light brown blush to a deep caramely brown. Turn the heat off, wait a few seconds and add half of the "stopping" water, when you have reached the shade of caramel that makes your heart sing AND stand back. There will be hissing and bubbles and lots of opportunity to get burned. Wait a few seconds and than whisk,whisk, whisk the mixture. Voila - caramel syrup.

Pour off and reserve for another occasion about 1/2 the caramel syrup. Return to low heat and add,
2 tablespoons of butter

Whisk and add,
1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream

Whisk, whisk, whisk and add,
1 tablespoon of corn starch.

Continue to whisk over low-to-medium heat until the sauce reaches a thickened, delicious consistency. Do not fret if its a little thin, it will thicken a lot as it cools. Allow to cool a bit before drizzling onto or into whatever you like caramel sauce on. The sauce can be re-warmed in the microwave for a few seconds if it get too thick.

Fall Preview

2007-08-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

The end of summer is just around the corner. It hardly seems possible that in just a week, I'll be back in classes and all my free time will be claimed. This will be my last year at San Francisco State and my entire schedule is filled with classes that I have been taking pre-requisites for, for two years: Experimental Foods, Clinical Nutrition, Advanced Nutrition, etc... The tangible applications of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics. For the first time in my academic career I will be immersed in the subject I have chosen for my work's focus. It is simultaneously exhilarating and scary-as-all hell.

I am also looking forward to the busiest social calendar I have seem in months. Visits from friends from Utah and Canada, family from Seattle; two weddings and a big, 50th-birthday blow-out.

Farther out, close friends are planning a spring wedding in which I may act as an assistant baker. In order to be prepared I am researching and practicing my cake baking skills. So, look forward to cakes, cakes and more cakes!

Orange-Soy Marinade

2007-08-07T17:12:00.001-07:00

In a small bowl combine:
1/2 cup of orange juice
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
1 inch section of smashed/grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon oh honey

Great marinade for chicken (several hours) or salmon (about an hour). With boneless, skinless chicken pieces I bread in panko and pan fry. With salmon, I grill.

Extra marinade can be brought to boil for a minute or two and used as a glaze to finish the dish.

Peach Ice Cream

2007-08-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

4 fresh peaches (2 very ripe, 2 ripe but firm)
1/4 sugar

Lemon juice

Turn on your broiler and position rack approximately 4 inches from the top. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pit and sprinkle the cut side with sugar. Place on a baking sheet and broil until brown spots start to appear on surface, approximately 5 minutes. If the skins easily slip off the peaches, remove them. If they do not, don't worry about. Cut the peaches into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. If your some of your peaches are mushy enough, macerate with a fork or hand. If they are not, don't worry about it. Sprinkle with lemon juice (to prevent discoloring). Set to the side and allow to cool.

1 1/2 cups milk (1 or 2%)
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large sauce pan, over low-medium heat, warm the milk, and cream until steam starts to rise. Do not allow to boil.

2 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 - 3 tablespoons of water
Combine yolks and sugar in a small bowl. Mix to combine. Add enough water to make if just barely pourable. Add several tablespoons of the warm milk-cream to the eggs, stirring constantly to temper. Pour slowly into the saucepan, stirring constantly to avoid cooking the egg. You can slowly raise the temperature but be very careful to avoid boiling the mixture. Stir constantly until mixture thickens (think think pudding). If you think you have cooked the egg, you can strain to remove bits. Transfer to a bowl, stir in vanilla and refrigerate until completely cool.

Once cool, add peaches and freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions.
Towards the end (about 20 minutes), watch your bowl to avoid over-flowing and making a mess. The addition of the peaches was at the the limit of what my ice cream maker could accommodate (but worth it).

Time: More than an hour (I forced the custard to cool in the freezer), less than two
Yield: Generous quart

Simple Lentil Salad

2007-07-18T19:21:00.001-07:00

This recipe uses Better than Bouillion, a product that I love. It allows you to easily make dilute broth, adding extra flavor but avoiding excess salt. I only buy it at Trader Joe's where it is $2.99 a jar vs. any place else where it is at least $4.

1 cup of brown lentils
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon of Better than Bouillon, chicken flavored
1 garlic clove, smashed

In a sieve under running water rinse lentils, removing any small rocks. In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Add lentils, Better than Bouillon and garlic clove. Reduce heat to simmer, cook approximately 20 minutes, covered until the water is absorbed and the lentils are still firm.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Add:
2 tomatoes chopped, including their juices
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
Juice of 2 lemons
Drizzle of olive oil, approximately 2 tablespoons
Salt and pepper to taste

Gently stir to combine.

Yields: 3 - 4 servings
Time: 1/2 hour

Baba Ganoush

2007-07-18T19:20:00.001-07:00

2 eggplants, whole

Heat oven to 400 F. Poke 10-12 holes in each eggplant with a fork. Place eggplants on a baking sheet and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until skin has blackened in spots and eggplants are collapsing in on themselves. Allow to cool enough to handle. Remove the top and slice lengthwise. Remove inside flesh with a spoon, transfer to a colander and allow to drain for
10 - 15 minutes. Discard skin.

Combine in bowl (big enough to add the eggplant to)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Juice of 2 lemon
2 - 4 tablespoons of tahini, to taste
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste.

Add drained eggplant, mix to combine and smash with a fork (think guacamole).

Get over the color and serve with toasted pita "chips" or vegetable crudites.

Time: About an hour, some unattended
Yield: 4 - 6 appetizer servings

I don't know when...

2007-07-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'll be able to eat chocolate again... Seriously.

www.sfchocolatesalon.com

Milestone Birthday

2007-07-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

My mom's birthday was Sunday, we started the celebration with great meal (prepared by me and the folks at Everett and Jones BB-Q) and will finish it next weekend with dinner at Chez Panisse. Here's what I prepared:

Flatbread with Oven-Dried Figs, Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese

1 green basket bursting with figs
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut figs length-wise into quarters, toss with olive oil and spread onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes until the figs have cooked down and "jammed" up a bit. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

2 3/4 cups four, divided
2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon of honey
1 cup warm water, divided
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 -2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, divided

Combine 1/2 cup of flour and yeast in a large bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of warm water and honey, let stand 30 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups of flour, olive oil, remaining 1/2 cup of water, rosemary and salt. Stir until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly, floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (5- 8 minutes), adding enough flout to prevent dough from sticking.
Allow dough to rise in oiled bowl, in a warm place for about an hour (until its doubled in bulk). While the dough rises work on the toppings:

1 large onion
1 tablespoon of olive oil

In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion cook 15 minutes or until very brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Punch down dough, forming into a disc. Roll into a large rectangle (dough should be 1/4" think) and transfer to a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking.

1/4 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup of crumbled blue cheese

Arrange onions, walnuts and figs evenly over dough, leave a border for easier eating. Sprinkle with blue cheese and press toppings into dough to adhere. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes until flat bread is golden brown and the cheese melts.

Yields: 12 - 14 appetizer sized slices

From Cooking Light

Zucchini Gratin

1 lb smallish zucchini, thinly grated/sliced on the diagonal into small chunks
1 teaspoon+ salt, to taste
2 tablespoons of cream or milk
2/3 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts
Dash of nutmeg
3/4 cup of Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of butter

Place grated zucchini in a colander over a bowl or in the sink and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Allow to macerate 20-40 minutes, rinse and allow to drain. Squeeze as dry as possible.

Heat oven to 375°. Spray a shallow gratin dish with nonstick spray. Combine zucchini, cream, walnuts and Gruyere in gratin dish. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Combine the Panko and Parmesan in a small bowl. Add the butter and rub into Panko until it forms large crumbs and spread on top of zucchini. Bake on middle rack of oven until bubbly and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yields: 4 servings

From: San Francisco Chronicle

Fresh Corn Johnnycakes with Green Onion-Herb Sauce

Sauce
Whirl around in blender, or food processor:

4-5 green onions, white and green sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of mayo
2 tablespoons of sour cream
1 tablespoon of Dijon-style mustard

Cover and chill until cakes are ready.

Cakes
Combine in a bowl:

1 cup of cornmeal
2 table-spoons of flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
Dash of salt
Dash of red pepper flakes

Add
1 1/4 cups of buttermilk
1 egg
Stir until well combined.

Gently fold in
1 cup of fresh corn kernels (cut from 2 large ears)

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with olive or canola oil. Spoon batter by heaping tablespoons onto hot pan (2 - 3 cakes should fit in the pan at a time). Cook until there are many bubbles in the middle of the cake and the edges seem to hold together (3 minutes or so). Flip and cook and additional 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan, cover and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat with additional oil, if necessary and additional batter. Serve warm with sauce.

Yields: 8 - 12 cakes

From: Cooking Light

Turnip and Potato Patties

2007-06-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

I searched my favorite food blogs for turnips and this is what I had for dinner tonight (on a bed of lettuce greens). Heavily adapted from this recipe at Simply Recipes. I think they would be great as a breakfast potato substitute.

Turnip and Potato Patties

1/2 pound turnips, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1 1/3 cups)
6 oz potato cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
2 medium sized carrots, grated
2 green onions, chopped
1 egg, beaten lightly
1/4 cup all-purpose white-wheat flour
Grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or canola oil (high smoke point vegetable oils)
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of curry powder or gram masala

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the turnip and potato cubes for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are tender, and drain them. In a bowl, mash them with a fork and stir in the scallions, the carrots, the egg, flour, and curry powder, salt and pepper to taste.

Coat the bottom of a large, heavy bottomed skillet with about 1/4-inch of the oil. Heat the pan on medium high heat until the surface of the oil begins to shimmer, but not smoke. Spoon 1/4-cup mounds of the turnip potato batter into the pan, flattening them into 1/2-inch thick patties with the back of a spatula. Fry the patties until they are golden, turning them once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the patties to paper towels to drain off excess oil.

Yields: Six patties

Time: 1/2 - 3/4 hour

Recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine, January 1985.

Ps. I think Andy took the memory card reader to Italy (I need to check at his house to be sure). It that's the case, no photos for a while (I am taking them I just can't get them off my camera easily). You'll have to imagine and I'll add them in a month or so....

AB's Unbirthday Cake

2007-06-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

So.... a certain someone left for Italy today....for a MONTH. His birthday is next week while he's away so I made this unbirthday cake for him early and we ate it during a fierce game of twelve-letter Scrabble last night.

I combined two recipes into:

Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches
from Fresh Mint Ice Cream via Orangette
This ice cream is the best mint ice cream you have ever had. Very minty without being artificial in any way. I described it as "floral", Andy said "it's just goood".

1 cup 2 % milk
¾ cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
Pinch of salt
2 cups lightly packed fresh mint leaves
4 large egg yolks

Warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup of the cream, and salt in a small saucepan. Over low heat, warm until small wisps of steam are visible but not bubbles in the liquid. You do not want the liquid to come anywhere near a boil. So, go slow. Once steam is seen, turn off the heat and add the mint leaves. Stir until they’re immersed in the liquid. Cover and let steep at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Strain the mint-infused mixture through a mesh strainer into a medium saucepan. Press on the mint leaves to extract as much of the flavor as possible, then discard the mint leaves. Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a large bowl, and set the strainer on top.

Rewarm the mint-infused mixture. Again go slow with the heat. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly add the warm mint liquid into the egg yolks about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking constantly; then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over low-medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. You do not want to scramble the egg mixture so its essential to go low on the heat and constantly stir. It’s done when your finger leaves a definite trail that doesn’t flow back together. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the remaining cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In the last 2 minutes in the ice cream maker I added a 1/2 cup of chopped semi-sweet chocolate chips.

AND

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
from Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla Cream filling via Nosheteria

1 1/4 cups all-purpose white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room- temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

Set rack in the middle of oven and pre-heat to 375 F.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. On low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue mixing until dough comes together in a mass. (I was skeptical that the dough would come together but it did perfectly without any finessing)

Roll small round teaspoons of dough between your palms and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With palm, slightly flatten the dough. (The cookies will spread a lot. Even for ice cream sandwiches make the initial balls slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball.) Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Due to the dark nature of chocolate cookies be careful not to burn the edges. Check quite frequently if you add any minutes to the baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool. Wait a few minutes to let cookies set before removing from sheet.

ASSEMBLY
Once the two component have been made and respectively frozen and cooled. Remove the ice-cream from the freezer and allow to soften for about ten minutes on the counter, assemble into sandwiches and re-freeze.

Pictures... you ask?? We ate them too quick!

Eatwell Farms

2007-06-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

I am sure many of you are not only aware of the Community Supported Agriculture (commonly referred to as CSA) movement but are active participants. A direct partnership between eater and farmer this movement supports smaller often organic family farms, lowers oil/gas consumption of transit and improves the tastiness of dinner. If you are not, I encourage you to look for such an operation that appeals to you in your neighborhood.

This week I picked-up my first delivery of produce from Eatwell Farms. I could not have been more impressed with my share. In my first box, I received:

Bing cherries
Strawberries
Lettuce
Garlic (for drying)
Onions
Summer squash
Green beans
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Turnips
Carrots
Mint

Let me tell you the strawberries were the best I have had this summer AND we have them growing in our own backyard; the mint is brewing right now for a tasty tea in the morning and the carrots are just the cutest carrots you have ever seen and super crisp and sweet. Eatwell also has organic eggs available. I did get a 1/2 a dozen but haven't tried them yet, can't wait for an opportunity.

Seriously, I am swimming in produce. It's great!

Ps. Does anyone know what to do with turnips?? I have never had them let alone cooked them.

Caesar Salad Dressing

2007-06-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

Into a food processor goes:
2 egg yolks
4 cloves of smashed garlic
3 T of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of lemon juice (juice of approx. 1 1/2 large lemons)
zest of 1 lemon
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T of Worcestershire sauce
Whorl around until very well blended. Then add:
1 can of chopped up anchovies (but not the oil they are packed in)
Whorl just a few seconds. Slowly drizzle in:
1 cup of olive oil

Voila! Caesar salad dressing.

Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 1 1/2 cups of dressing, enough for 2 large salads
Due to the raw egg yolk the dressing should be used or tossed in a few days, and always refrigerated.

I make Caesar salad with 2 chopped romaine hearts, a generous cup of garlic croutons and 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan. You can always add grilled chicken breasts or shrimp for a full meal.

Banana Bread

2007-06-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

This banana bread recipe never fails me. Its quick and very good. You can also add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips for a sweeter treat

1 3/4 cup of whole-wheat white flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of veggie oil
2 eggs
3 very ripe smashed bananas
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda mix in a large mixing bowl. Combine sugar, eggs and oil and beat till frothy. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add mashed bananas and nuts stir until combined. Place in a 5" x 9" loaf pan. Bake at 325 for about an hour.

Really-good Chinese Chicken Salad

2007-06-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I roasted 2 chickens (I rarely roast just one chicken. 2 takes just a few minutes longer and the cooked meat is called for in so many recipes). I made chicken pot pie on Sunday for nine, this fantastic salad on Monday and nachos with remaining meat last night.

About 1 1/2 cups of veggie oil
10 wonton wrappers, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips

Pour the veggie oil into a 3 to 4-quart pan (the oil should be about 1/2 inch deep), heat over medium-high heat. Do not allow the oil to smoke, remove from heat if it does. Add the wonton strips in a single-layer and fry, flipping very quickly, until golden brown on both sides, less than a minute total. Lift out with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel to drain.

1/4 of a small cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1/3 cup of cilantro, chopped

In a large bowl toss the cabbage, romaine and cilantro.
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 orange, peeled, sectioned and most of the pith removed
2 green onions (including tops), chopped
3-4 carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal2-3 cups of cooked chicken, shredded

In a 2 to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring about 1-quart of water to boil. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, not more than 3-minutes. Drain, then plunge asparagus into ice water to halt cooking. Drain and set aside. Add cooked asparagus, orange, green onions and chicken to salad. Toss.

Spicy soy-ginger dressing:
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
2 Tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 shake of Tabasco
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of veggie, grapeseed or olive oil (or combo of all three).

Dress salad 30 minutes before serving and refrigerate. Garnish with wonton strips.

Strawberry Ice Cream

2007-06-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

I have lived in a house with an ice-cream maker for almost three years and haven't made homemade ice-cream till now. To be honest, I thought it was difficult to make ice-cream, it is NOT. However, it IS delicious.

Simple Strawberry Ice-cream

about 1 lb of fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into large chunks
8 oz of cream cheese
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
dash of salt

1/2 cup of cream

Into a large, somewhat powerful blender hull and quarter the strawberries. Add cream cheese, sugar, milk, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until thoroughly combined, check the strawberry chunks, stop when pleased. Stir in the cream.

Transfer liquid to ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's directions.
Basically, after freezing the metal bowl at least over-night, add the liquid, insert the paddle and turn it on. I found this on-line resource for real manufacturer's directions. About twenty-five minutes later, voila, soft-serve ice-cream. Can be placed in the freezer till desired hardness. Careful, it gets really hard!

From Epicurious

Jambalaya

2007-05-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Sausage, Shrimp and Chicken Jambalaya

Olive oil
2 - boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb - Andouille sausage, cut into 1/4" rounds
1 onion, chopped/diced whatever
1 red bell pepper chopped/diced/whatever
2 ribs of celery chopped/diced/whatever
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
Tony's Creole seasoning or other Cajun style seasoning
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups of uncooked rice
6 cups of dilute chicken broth (1/2 strength Better than Bouillon)
Worcestershire sauce
Hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
1 lb (less is fine) ;large, whole deveined, shelled shrimp

Very lightly coat a stock pot with oil, over medium-high heat, lightly brown sausage on all sides, 5 - 7 minutes. Remove from pan, retain drippings and add whole chicken breasts to pot. Season with salt, pepper and brown on both sides, 8 - 10 minutes. The chicken does not need to be thoroughly cooked, but pretty close, it should only be slightly pink in the center. Remove from pan, let stand 5 minutes and cut into bite-size pieces. Retain with sausage.

Add a small amount (less than a tablespoon) of olive oil to pot. Over medium heat saute until translucent onions and garlic, about 5 minutes. Add celery, bell pepper, continue cooking, 5 minutes. Season to taste with the Tony's (Be careful: It is both spicy and salty). Add the broth and the retained sausage and chicken, cover and bring to boil. Drizzle in the Worcestershire and Tabasco, to taste. Add the rice and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer about 20 minutes, covered if you're happy with the "stuff" to liquid ratio. Uncovered it you want less liquid. Just prior to serving stir in shrimp and allow to cook, no more than 4 minutes.

Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Finest form of flattery

2007-05-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

I never believed that "copying" was a form of flattery as kid. Obviously, it is....

This quick post came from a new blog I discovered this week.... Food Musings.

What's in your fridge??

The peanut butter with my name on it... It was at work for a little bit and everything has to be labled there.

Somethings in there that I LOVE: Trader Joe's Organic Breakfast Blend Coffee and Orange Juice (even thought the price has gone up still great deal); Strawberries - seasonal fruit, high in Vitamin; bell peppers - I really like them in just about anything or all by themselves.

Something I wouldn't get again: Wolvaer's Pale Ale - Yummy! and organic but not good enough to ship across the country from Vermont.

And why the cereal, mac and cheese box (Damn, I can't eat that now!) and croutons in there. I have been fighting a moth infestation for months. I have nearly eradicated them but anything with wheat in it goes into a plastic tub in the cabinet or the fridge.

There is something generally lacking these days in my fridge...
Dairy. After several very uncomfortable days, I have eliminated dairy totally, for a bit. All uncomfortableness--- gone. Oh- No! I have been thinking.. it might be true: Lactose intolerant. We'll see!

What does the inside of you of your fridge look like?? No rearranging allowed.

Pizza Dough

2007-04-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am constantly inspired by the things that other people are making/eating. One of the newest blogs that I am following is A Ye ar in Bread. I love the individual blogs of each of the contributors too. So, inspired in fact that we're having homemade pizza for dinner.

Pizza Dough
Measure 3 cups of flour, add 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of each dried parsley, oregano, thyme and/or rosemary. Thoroughly combine with a fork. Add a generous 1 1/3 cup of warm water. Stir until combined, starting to have a ball of dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three to five minutes into a stiff ball. Oil a large bowl, add dough and allow to double in size in a warm place (I turn my oven on and than off after a minute or two.) for an hour or so. Punch down and allow to rise for at least 15 more minutes. Roll out.
Add your favorite toppings.
Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

2007-03-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

Andy is teaching a course this semester, he has two T.A.s that are responsible for running the lab associated with the class AND grading mid-terms over spring break. So, to sweeten the task, once they're done grading they can trade their tests for baked goods. They'll have a choice of these or banana bread (upcoming post).

1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cup low-fat yogurt, Greek style (very thick)1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries (leave in freezer until you are ready to use them)

Preheat oven to 375°. Have all ingredients, except frozen blueberries, at room temperature (this takes at least an hour). Prepare muffin pan with paper cup liners.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg briefly with a wire whisk to lighten. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you can no longer feel any resistance from undissolved sugar.
Add the butter to the bowl and mix briefly to combine, then add sour cream and vanilla, whisk until mixture is very smooth.
In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to mix and eliminate lumps.
Add the blueberries to the dry mixture, toss gently for a few seconds to coat the berries.
Add flour mixture to the liquid mixture and combine with a few quick folds.
Scoop batter into muffin pan.
Bake for about 25 minutes.

Once they come out of the oven, brush with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Yields: 12 muffins

Time: 45 minutes, once all ingredients are at room temperature

Super Natural Cooking - Swanson

2007-03-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

I bought this cookbook a couple of weeks ago. I have been following Heidi Swanson's blog for about year. If you haven't seen it you should check-it out. The photos alone are enough to make you drool.

Nothing but a down to earth approach to cooking and eating, whole natural foods comes across in both the blog and book. Without seeming like a "food-elite" Swanson sings the praises of alternative grains (think Mesquite flour and amaranth) and less than familiar presentations of tried and true veggies (Hedgehog Potatoes pg. 97 and Shredded Green Beans pg. 91). All around the book does an excellent job of inspiring you to not only try something new but also puts a new twist on the familiar.

Here's a quick summary of the recipes I've tried.

Roasted Tomato and Paprika Soup (without the paprika) p. 99
In a 375 F oven, roast 5-8 cored and quartered tomatoes, 1 large red bell pepper, and 3 onions peeled and quartered, 5 cloves unpeeled garlic, drizzled with 2-tablespoons of olive oil. Bake until everything starts to look caramelized and yummy. Turn if you suspect burning.

Peel the garlic cloves, dump everything into a soup pot, add about 3-4 cups of veggie broth, puree with a hand blender. Warm over medium. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste.

Yields: 4-6 servings
Time: 1 - 1.25 hours (mostly unattended)

Sweet Potato Spoon Bread p. 110

You need 3 medium-large baked sweet potatoes. (It takes about 1 hour in 425 F oven to bake sweet potatoes. I highly recommend doing baking them a day ahead. Otherwise this recipe is a bit laborious to prepare). In a small skillet, over medium heat in lots of butter brown 4 sliced thin, large shallots. Cook, until everything is golden brown, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl coming 3/4 cup of flour (whole wheat of course!), 1 teaspoon of onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of 1 cup of boiling water, continue to add a bit at a time till its all incorporated, never mind the lumps. Add the sweet potato flesh and blend. Stir in shallots and all that butter, then add 3 eggs one at a time, thoroughly mixing to combine.

Put 2/3 of the sweet potato mixture in a lightly greased casserole dish, dollop with 1/2 of 6-ounces of goat cheese. Finish with dollops of sweet-potato mixture and than the rest of the goat cheese. Bake 30- 35 minutes at 375 F (this is lower than the original recipe), until the goat cheese browns and the bread has set.

Yields: 6 - 8 small servings
Time: 1- 2.5 hours, depending on if you have pre-baked sweet potatoes

Catch-up

2007-03-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am optimistic to a fault. When I announced this blog's exsistence in my holiday letter I hoped it keep me on track with writing and posting. Anyone who's been checking (anyone?? anyone??) knows that it hasn't.....Although I have been cooking I haven't found the time to post. I am going to keep trying.

A couple of things from the last couple of months that have kept me going through the hours school work.... In something like chronological order....

Melanie Bliss, Andy's mom sent two pairs of these great Valentine's Day socks. I love them! I wear them on days that I think might be bad. They make me smile and feel loved!

Two weeks ago, on a random Tuesday this man made me Molten Chocolate Baby Cakes from this book. What can I say?? Andy should be cloned as the ideal boyfriend.

I love my cat. Even when she steals the covers.

I think these might be my favorite flower.

Lemon Curd

2007-01-21T11:14:00.000-08:00

From 1 or 2 Photos

In a medium size, heavy-bottomed sauce pan over low-heat, whisk together 3/4 cup of lemon juice (I used wonderfully flavorful Meyer lemons), 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, 3/4 cup of sugar and 3 eggs. Cut 1 stick of unsalted butter into small bits and add. Cook stirring very regularly until quite thick like pudding, about 10 - 12 minutes. Resist the urge to raise the heat past medium, you do not want cooked egg in the finished product.

I have double this recipe on more than one occasion, substituting some of the juice for orange juice, the same with the zest.

You can use the curd to sweeten yogurt, as a decadent treat on toast, in a layer cake or with just a spoon.

Time: not more than a half-hour

Yields: 1 2/3 cup of curd

From this recipe at Epicurious.

Chicken-Chile Mango Pizza

2007-01-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

From 1 or 2 Photos

Note: This is my attempt at a pizza that Andy had (and loved) in New Zealand after returning from Antartica in 2003. He can't remember the name of the cafe where he had it but he highly recommends both the pizza and Antarctica.

- Over medium heat in a small sauce pan, saute 1/2 chopped onion till tender, add red pepper flakes* to taste. Add 1 cup of prepared Mango Sauce from Trader Joe's (it can be found with the apple sauce), reduce heat and allow reduce to very thick, 10 - 15 minutes.
- Over medium-high heat in a medium sized skillet, brown 1/2 lb of boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts. (In lieu of this step, use any cooked chicken on hand). Season with salt, garlic powder and chili powder to taste). Once thoroughly cooked remove and chop into strips. In the same skillet, brown one thinly sliced onion and one thinly sliced red bell pepper for garnish.
-Pre-heat oven to 450 F. The oven should be very hot for a crisp crust.
- Roll out prepared pizza crust (also available at Trader Joe's. You'll find it with the prepared salads and sandwiches). Keep the crust on the thick side (1/4 inch thick or so) to avoid a soggy center. Place on a cookie sheet dusted with coarsely ground cornmeal to avoid stickage.
- Cover the pizza crust with a thin layer of shredded mozzarella cheese (low-fat mozzarella is fine), a thin layer of mango sauce, chicken, red bell peppers and onions. Finish with a thin layer of cheese.
-Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Allow to sit for a few minutes before cutting.

*In order to balance the sweetness of the mango, you want to add some type of chile to the recipe. This can be in the form of red pepper flakes, chili powder or even actual chiles (fresh or dried and re-hydrated). Feel free to experiment. The mango is very sweet, so you can add quite a bit without burning your tongue!

Time: 45 minutes

Yields: about 3 servings

Chile Verde

2007-01-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

- Remove the "silver skin" of 2-lbs of pork tenderloin, trim and cut into 1-inch cubes. Into a large zip-top plastic bag place 1/3 cup of flour, salt and pepper (to taste) add pork cubes. Shake to evenly coat cubes.
- Over medium high, heat 2 tablespoons (enough to lightly coat) olive oil a large stockpot. Add pork and brown on all sides. Remove pork from pan, place to side.
- Add to stock pot 3 peeled and chopped onions, and 6-8 crushed garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of oregano, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 bunch of roughly chopped cilantro. If necessary, add 1/4 cup of water to avoid sticking. Allow to soften.
- Add 2-lbs roughly chopped small tomatillos (remove husks prior to chopping, rinse well) and 3-4 Anaheim or poblano chiles (carefully slice through the center, remove seeds and white pith) roughly chopped; saute 8-10 minutes till tender.
- Add pork (and any drippings from plate), 4 cups of water; bring to low simmer. Cook at least 2 hours or until pork is very tender, stirring occasionally. Leave pot uncovered to allow liquid to reduce, once reduced by 1/3 cover. The longer the Verde simmers, they yummier it will be.
- Prior to serving, flavor to taste with salt, pepper, lime juice and/or more cilantro.

Accompany with tortilla chips, guacamole, sour cream, jack cheese, lime wedges

Time: 4 - 12 hours (45 minutes active)

Yields: 6 - 8 servings

Apricot-Masala Toasted Walnuts

2006-12-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

- Prepare a baking sheet by covering in parchment paper, or lightly in cooking spray.

- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon of canola oil. Add 2 cups of walnut pieces, stir to coat with oil. Cook 4-6 minutes, until nuts begin to toast, stirring continuously. Heat 3 spoonfuls of honey (I used apricot honey) for approximately 15-30 seconds in microwave, till runny. Sprinkle nuts with Gram-Masala spice powder and salt (approximately a teaspoon of each), stir again. Add honey to pan stir, evenly coating nuts.

- Quickly transfer to baking sheet, spreading in a single layer.

Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2006 (Glazed Honey Walnuts)

Time: 15 minutes

Yields: 8 1/4 cup servings

Holiday Spirit

2006-12-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

Candlegrove

This website posts a daily tip for celebrating the holiday season in a non-traditinal ways.

I look forward to its apperance shortly after Thanksgiving every year.

Spiced Butternut Squash Couscous

2006-11-15T08:50:00.001-08:00

- In a small frying pan, over medium heat toast 1/3 cup of sliced almonds, about 5 minutes. Watch closely, and stir often to avoid burning.
- In an over-size sauce pan, over medium heat, saute 1 roughly chopped onion in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Continue to cook until translucent and starting to brown. Add 2-3 cloves of crushed garlic and 1 inch section of minced fresh ginger. Add the following spices: 1/2 teaspoon each of cheyenne or chili pepper and nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Reduce heat to low, cook allowing seasonings to release aromas.
-Stir in 1 butternut squash (peeled, de-seeded and roughly chopped into 1/2 inch cubes), 1 large can of crushed tomatoes (lightly drained), 1/3 cup of golden raisins. Liquid level should be sufficient to cook for 30 minutes without drying out, add water or broth if necessary. Allow to simmer, uncovered over low, for 25-30 minutes. When happy with consistency of liquid cover and continue to cook.
- When ready to serve, boil in a small sauce pan 1 1/2 cups of water. Add 1 1/2 cups couscous, turn water off and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff. Place couscous on bottom of serving tray, cover with squash and garnish with chopped parsley.

Yields: 4-6 servings
Time: 1 1/4 hours (some unattended)

Accompany with roast chicken, green beans

Adapted from this recipe on Yahoo Food

Baked Polenta with Rainbow Chard and Cheese

2006-11-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

Baked Polenta with Rainbow Chard

- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil 2-quart glass baking dish. Over medium, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep skillet. Add 1 chopped/thinly sliced onion and 2-3 cloves of crushed garlic; saute until translucent and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes, to taste, than add 1-2 bunches of chopped (discard some stems) rainbow chard; drizzle 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar*; continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until chard is tender, about 8 minutes.
* The acidity of the vinegar will dull the color of the chard. However, I think the added flavor is worth the change in color. However, feel free to omit if the color change bothers you.
- Bring 3 1/2 cups of water to boil in heavy bottom sauce pan, add 1 bouillon cube (chicken or veggie). Gradually stir in 1 cup of polenta. Add dried parsley, oregano, thyme and/or other like seasonings. Cook, stirring frequently over low-heat (polenta should only occasionally "pop" until polenta has thickened and begins to pull away from sides of pan, about 10 minutes.
- Combine 2 cups of low-fat ricotta cheese and 2 eggs in medium size bowl, stir. Once polenta has cooked, add 2 cups to ricotta/egg mixture to temper. Add all back to polenta.

From Baked Polenta...

- Layer polenta and chard mixture in oiled baking dish; alternate polenta, chard and a sprinkling of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses; finish with chard and cheese on top. Bake 45 minutes until puffed and browned. Allow to cool 15 minutes before serving.

Time: About 2 hours (some unattended)
Yields: 4-6 servings

Adapted from this recipe at Epicurious

Autumnal Minestrone

2006-11-09T22:31:00.000-08:00

- Pre-heat oven to 450 F. Peel, seed and chop into 1/2 inch cubes 2-3 Delicata squash. Place in a large roasting dish in a single layer. Drizzle with approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil and roast for 35 minutes. At the same time (but in a different dish) place 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes with basil and incorporate 1/2 cup of red wine (whatever is open and around), roast side by side with squash for approximately 35 minutes.
- Chop 1 large onion and crush 2-3 cloves of garlic, in a large soup pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil saute over medium heat until translucent and golden brown. Chop 2-3 ribs of celery, 1 red bell pepper add to pot. Season with 2-3 tablespoons herbs de Provence and/or parsley, basil and/or thyme
- Cover with 1 and 1/2 boxes of low-sodium chicken broth, allow to come a low boil, reduce to simmer. Add the roasted squash and tomatoes. Chop 2-3 carrots, add. Drain and rinse, 1 can of canellini beans, add. Soup is ready when vegetable reach desired tenderness. Just prior to serving add, wilting 2-3 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves (1/2 a bag). Season to taste with salt, and/or red pepper flakes.

If desired, serve with dollop of pesto on top of each bowl.

Time: 1-1 1/2 hours (working most of the time)
Yields: 4-6 servings

Accompany with a crisp salad and bread.

Creamy Curried Acorn Squash Soup

2006-11-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

Heat oven to 400 F.
- Cut 2 acorn squash lengthwise, remove seeds and pulp (retain seeds for roasting, if you wish), brush with butter or olive oil, place face down inside baking dish. Roast for 45 minutes, brushing again with butter/olive oil after 30 minutes if so inclined.
- Chop 1 large onion, crush 4 garlic cloves add to large soup pot and saute in butter/olive oil (approx 1 tablespoon) over medium heat until translucent and beginning to turn golden brown.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of curry powder and 1-2 teaspoons of gram masala spice. If onions and spice are sticking to pan, de-glaze with 1-2 tablespoons of water or broth.
- Add 1 box of lower sodium chicken broth, cover pan an turn to low.
- Once squash is done, allow to cool (10-15 minutes) to allow handling. Scoop flesh from squash, either placing directly into soup pot or passing through food mill. Stir squash into broth. Transfer soup to a large bowl.
- Puree soup in batches (either in blender or food processor) and return to soup pot.
- Add 1/4 cup of milk, half and half or whipping cream
Heat on medium-low (do not allow to boil) till hot. Taste, adding salt, cheyenne pepper or additional curry seasonings to taste.

Time: 1 - 1.5 hours (some unattended)
Yields: 4-6 servings

Accompanied by a simple salad of mixed garden greens with grapefruit section, drizzled with olive oil and garlic bread.