Inspired by a Bittman post, and quite frankly, ashamed that I have not been doing much cooking (or blogging) recently due to travel and copious amount of grading, I decided to make risotto-style pasta tonight. “The new and hip” risotto-style pasta is basically a technique of cooking dry pasta whereby you add the liquid to the pasta in small quantities, as you do with risotto, in order to minimize the amount of liquid you use and preserve the starch in the pasta, rendering the final product creamier than your normal “boil-and-serve” variety.

First, I made meatballs using some left over homemade ground beef I had in the freezer. I’m pretty straightforward when it comes to meatballs:

• About a pound of meat (in this case, only beef, but I also used ground pork, veal, and lamb if I have it on hand)
• One onion, finely diced (and I mean finely diced)
• Two to three cloves of garlic, depending on the size
• Herbs of some sort, in this case, parsley
• One egg, beaten
• Bread crumbs, crumbled crackers, or steel-cut quick-cooking oats, as a binder
• Salt and pepper to taste (and yes, if your meat is high quality and your eggs are fresh, you can taste the raw product)

I like to mix with my hands and make relatively big balls, which I cook in a blend of butter and canola oil.

Meatballs cooking in a blend of butter and oil

For the pasta, first I sautéed one onion and some shitake mushrooms in a little butter-oil blend. I added a few cloves of sliced garlic and my pasta once the onions were glistening. I gave the pasta a stir and let it cook in the veggies for a few minutes. Then I gradually began adding water to the pan, as you would with risotto. You probably should use stock, but I only use homemade stock these days and I didn’t have any on hand. Water works fine, as long as your pasta is properly seasoned.

Sauteed onions and mushrooms

Dry pasta, straight into the pan

As the pasta absorbed the water, I kept gradually adding more. After about thirty minutes (a long time to cook pasta, but besides the occasional stirring, pretty low maintenance), my pasta was soft with still just a little bite. The drawn-out cooking time gave the Hub and I a chance to watch Obama’s speech at West Point, which we missed when it first aired, due to our privation of a televisions.

You can see the pasta is starting to expand and soften as it absorbs the flavors of the surrounding ingredients

Once the pasta was soft enough, I added a handful of broccoli crowns and about half a cup of Parmesan cheese, and then plated with the meatballs on top. A little Parmesan as garnish, and this was a perfect one-pot meal for a busy winter night. More importantly, the pasta was delicious, with a heavy umami taste from the mushrooms and meat (I cooked the meatballs and the pasta in the same pan). Well worth the time, for a superior-tasting pasta.

The finished dish

One thing I really like about Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian that I keep talking about is that besides being a generally good reference, it’s also fairly loose in its recipes. A lot of “if you don’t have x, that’s ok – just make do with what you’ve got!” sort of instructions. I’m trying to become a better cook – and part of that process is learning to be much looser with other people’s recipes, and adapt them to my own tastes. I’m totally comfortable doing that with certain dishes, like risotto, but with others… let’s just say I’m getting there.

Today I worked from home while we had a bit of electrical work done around the house (we  now have a plug in our kitchen island! And under counter lighting! YAY!), and I took our new awesome kitchen and the extra time as inspiration to cook an awesome dinner for me & Adam. And cook an awesome dinner I did! The highlight: Stuffed Butternut Squash.

This was a super super simple dish with all sorts of easy adaptations. It came in the from of a big chart from Bittman – with few instructions beyond “mix these ingredients, put them in the squash and bake it until it’s done.” Sure! So here’s what I did:

1. Roast some garlic.
2. Cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Scoop a bit more of the flesh along the length of the squash to give more room for the filling. Save this extra flesh.
3. Drizzle the squash with olive oil, and stick it in a roasting pan, cut side down. Drizzle with a bit more oil. Stick it in the oven at 350˚F until tender (I gave it 30-40minutes or so).
4. Meanwhile, mix the following in a bowl:
   - Extra butternut squash flesh
   - A handful of dried apricots, chopped roughly
   - A head of roasted garlic (just squeeze the cloves into the bowl).
   - A bit of breadcrumbs (I probably used 3 tablespoons)
   - Some roughly chopped raw almonds
5. When the squash is mostly tender, flip it over and fill with the stuffing and top with more breadcrumbs.
6. Stick it back in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until done! It can go longer, or less – whatever fits your schedule. if it goes too long – turn the temp down so that it doesn’t burn.

We enjoyed our squash with a simple risotto and some garlic zucchini. A lovely dinner, if I do say so myself!

A lovely Thursday night meal.

And later I’ll post about the super yummy dessert I made too…. but first I need to go eat it!

There are works by Jeff Weaver and Bittman that are going for fractions of their worth.

My advice?  Get down there and bid!  You might just steal something.  The Live Auction sounds like a blast as well-

I stopped by the farmers market last weekend, and even though each stand’s tables were practically groaning under the weight of autumn produce—leafy greens, pumpkins, apples—I found myself drawn to a lonely box of end-of-season Italian plum tomatoes. Thinking of the long, quality-tomatoless winter ahead, I filled my bag to the brim with Romas. There’d be plenty of time for kale in the coming months.

I knew what I was going to do with them, too. Last August, I bookmarked a Mark Bittman piece on tomato jam, but, per my usual recipe-overload procrastination habits, I didn’t get around to making it before all of the good specimens had disappeared for the summer. I refused to let that happen two years in a row.

The recipe’s a simple one: tomatoes, jalapeño, ginger, lime juice, sugar and spices, simmered over low heat until thick and sticky. Because I accidentally doubled the amount of cinnamon called for, it was sweeter than it would’ve been otherwise, but if I’d had the foresight to buy extra limes, I wouldn’t have had a problem.

The only real complaint I have here is that you don’t peel the tomatoes before chopping and stirring them in with the rest of the ingredients, so you get bits of skin with any given mouthful. That’s a small price to pay for the ease with which the jam comes together, though, and can be remedied without much trouble if you prefer sophistication to convenience. As it is, I can’t stop putting it on everything I eat. Saturday’s dinner was a tuna sandwich with hard-boiled egg, cornichon, and tomato jam. Sunday’s breakfast was toast with tomato jam. Today, I’m thinking grilled cheese with tomato jam would be perfect for a rainy-day lunch.

Want better news? Even in the dead of winter, a batch of this jam wouldn’t go amiss. Sure, it might lose some depth with less-perfect tomatoes, but when produce in shades of beige and dark green is all there is on the horizon, a splash of vibrant red would be a welcome addition to any spread.

Who doesn’t need a little bit of color to brighten up a bleak, cold-weather landscape? I’m hoping my jar lasts until January.

Tomato Jam
From Mark Bittman, The New York Times

1 1/2 pounds good ripe tomatoes (Roma are best), cored and coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh grated or minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeño or other peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced, or red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste.

1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
2. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then cool and refrigerate until ready to use; this will keep at least a week.

Yield: About 1 pint.

There’s no better way

to embrace a fall day

Than to regroup

with a big bowl of soup

¿Estás de acuerdo? If so, you should probably enter my sopa giveaway at the end of this post.

You should read about yesterday’s eats first, though .

Thursday was warm and sunny—a peculiarity amid standard NYC fall weather. No soup was consumed.

When October hands you 70° weather, you make iced coffee.

When you have limited access to dishware due to kitchen renovation, you enjoy that iced coffee in a classy Solo cup.

Alongside a more fall-appropriate breakfast (also enjoyed on the finest plastic china).

Microwave Pumpkin Pie

I instantly fell in love with this DPAAB upon seeing it on Allie’s blog a couple weeks ago.

Piece-of-cake Pumpkin Pie Perfection: 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1 egg white, pumpkin pie spice and sweetener (I used brown sugar and maple syrup). Microwave for 3 minutes.

This will yield one of those precious little pies/pancakes/call–em-whatever-you-wants-you’re-going-to-be-addicted.

I made two grande “pies” since I was having them as my breakfast—give or take a couple Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Le frosting: 2 TBSP plain Greek yogurt, 2 TBSP cream cheese, 1/2 TBSP maple syrup.

And because I still can’t make up my mind about food looking more appetizing its messy or neat state, here’s messy…

…and here’s neat.

What’s the verdict?

Yo no sé. They both tasted equally delicioso.

Despite a nearly insuppressible temptation to re-create my pumpkin pie puddings for lunch, I went with a sandwich.

Cream cheese and pumpkin—my new favorite combo and breakfast’s star components—were involved.

Piled high between two slices of Arnold’s 100% whole wheat: cream cheese, pumpkin, mushrooms, spinach and roasted red peppers.

Me encanta.

I also had some mozzarella and balsamic. Just cause. 

I got slightly ravenous at an hour I deemed too early for dinner—so I toasted a whole wheat pita and some shrooms to serve as vehicles for la mejor salsa del mundo.

Oh yea, I might have melted a little cheese on the pita chips…

To all my vegans: this was vegan cheese! Are you proud?

You probably shouldn’t be. It was an accidental purchase made by Kev Thug—who seems to be losing a bit of his supermarket savvy. But I liked it!

However, there wasn’t enough salsa for both the shrooms and the chips. So I hit up another of Kev Thug’s purchases as a back-up dip. (Note: back-up, as used in the previous sentence, is not meant to denote inferiority. I don’t want to upset any hungry hippies on their birthdays…)

Remember that time my fridge was harboring hummus fugitives? It’s at it again.

So I relegated the pita chips to salsa dipping duties, and let the shrooms have their way with the Sabra.

I sort of plagiarized Erica’s dinner because her post reminded me that I’ve been meaning to make savory oats again.

In the bowl: 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats cooked in water and soy sauce; topped with broccoli, mushrooms, melted mozzarella and sriracha.

This spicy, cheesy rendition certainly rivals my basic Bittman first attempt. Such a perfect, flavor-packed, filling dinner.

Also had a cucumber that I’d previously marinated in balsamic, honey and krazy salt.

And since I’d had no fruit all day (except, is pumpkin a fruit?), I had an apple for dessert. 

And by apple, I mean “baked” apple.

With PB. Naturally.

Also plagiarized from a favorite blogger.

Ok, let’s get to that sopa giveaway.

Caroline from Campbell’s contacted me and offered to send me a Campbell’s V8 goodie bag to give away to one of my readers. Included is:

• Campbell’s V8 Garden Vegetable Blend soup
• A Campbell’s V8 Soup Health Journal and vegetable shaped pens to keep track of your servings
• A Flip and Tumble shopping bag to stock up on vegetables
• A Pedometer – to count your steps!

To enter this giveaway:

• Leave a comment telling me your favorite canned/convenience soup.
• Tweet about this giveaway, and leave a comment letting me know you did.
• Follow me on Twitter, and leave a comment letting me know you did.
• Add me to your blogroll, and leave a comment letting me know you did.
• Link back to this giveaway on your blog, and leave a comment letting me know you did.

Each of these counts as one entry.

The giveaway is open til Tuesday, October 27 at midnight EST, and I will choose a winner at random on Wednesday morning. Only open to residents of U.S. and Canada.

FYI: This isn’t the giveaway I’d told you I was conjuring up when I asked for suggestions. That is, however, in the works .

Have a great weekend!

-Sarah

Check out my debut on Mark Bittman’s Bitten blog on the New York Times on the Web. http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/chopped-stewed-and-jarred/

Yes, my day has involved all of these things.

I’ll start from the beginning. I was having a particularly cheerful walk to work this morning.  The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the…OW HOLY $#&@!!!!  Something latched onto my upper lip and refused to let go.  I didn’t realize swatting was a bad idea until I felt the wrath of the double sting.  What kind of crazy bee targets an unsuspecting girl’s upper lip for sport?!

Now, I’d been stung TWICE this summer already (actually, another unbelievable story that I’ll save for later…), but this was beyond compare.  The most excruciating pain my poor little lips have ever experienced.  I may have cried.  A lot. Luckily, I was right in front of the gym and able to run in for some ice.  Despite the freezer burn, my mouth still swelled up like a balloon, and I arrived to work looking like a victim of a botched collagen job.  Three Motrins and one Benadryl later, I’m now able to fully close my mouth.  Miracle.

On to the blisters. This story is slightly incredibly less exciting.  Joe picked me up from work, and we went to the gym together.  I was smart enough to bring my shoes this time (an oversight I’ve made before), but left my socks in the car!  Too lazy to go all the way back to the parking lot, I assured myself that I could run without socks on.  Who do I think I am?  My feet are severely blister-prone.  Hence the massive welts I currently have from running sans-socks.  I don’t recommend it.

My run, however, was really good!  I did 32 minutes of 6 min. run, 2 min. walk intervals.  Even after the massive Saturday hike (which I’m still recovering from), my legs felt super strong!

…And the best part of all: Britney. I always leave my ipod on random shuffle while working out (which hasn’t been updated in 3 years), and today three Britney songs came on in a row!  I thought that was pretty exciting.  Although, maybe not so much since my “Britney” to “not” ratio is pretty high.

Yet another boring story: my lunch.  It was nothing special, a salad with chickpeas, bell peppers, scallions, Annie’s Lite Gingery Vinaigrette, and red pepper flakes.

The day also included my homemade hummus, carrots, and two apples (not pictured).

All of that boring-ness was made up for with our incredible dinner!  Surprise surprise, another Bittman delight: Roasted Vegetables, Thai Style.  We threw them on top of bean thread noodles, and it was the richest meal I’ve had in a while.  The perfect combination of spice, sweetness, and PEANUT BUTTER-NESS.  Two thumbs up; it was almost reminiscent of pad thai.

like I said before, we like to keep it romantic up in here.

Currently, I’m enjoying a cup of Tazo Sweet Cinnamon Spice Tea (really gets me in the autumn mood), and watching GREEK on ABC Family.  Is anyone else obsessed with that show?  No? Just me?  Alright.

All of the progress I made studying yesterday is being cancelled out by my failure to today.  Oh well, one day at a time…

]]> http://cashewsandhummus.com/2009/10/04/successful-on-all-accounts/ Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:05:22 +0000 Cara http://cashewsandhummus.com/2009/10/04/successful-on-all-accounts/

Today was a pleasingly productive day!  I was a little bummed I didn’t get to make Megan’s pumpkin bread as I’d planned, but I got a good amount studying in!

After our habitual trip to Whole Foods (unfortunately, samples were pretty sparse), I whipped up some of Joe’s leftover chickpea salad from yesterday’s hike, adding shredded sweet potato and bell peppers.  Just as good as yesterday!  (and now you get to see a picture:)

We have  a massive amount of cooked chickpeas right now.  We’ve been accumulating dried beans for months.  Every time we’d want to make a new recipe with chickpeas, we’d figure we wouldn’t have enough.  Subsequently, purchasing an obscene abundance.  This weekend, Joe decided to cook every last chickpea we had, which barely fit in our largest mixing bowl.  I’m talking like a basketball’s worth (that was the first size I though of…).

Soooo what did I do today?  Made hummus! I use a ridiculously easy recipe from allrecipes.com.  No, it does not include tahini (which may be blasphemous to some), but it tastes just great to me!  You can check out the recipe above, but it basically requires the ability to push a button on a blender.

Ooh hello Joe, hiding in the background!

I’d call that one of today’s successes.  I’ve been meaning to make hummus for weeks!  I guess I worked up quite an appetite…because shortly after I needed some Fage yogurt with a plum, granola, and honey.  Too bad the plum wasn’t quite ripe.  Sometimes, I get too impatient to wait for fruit to ripen…I’m a child.

After a little relaxation watching football, I bit the bullet and headed to Starbucks for a mega study sesh. I felt like I was in college again, it was great!

I partook in the “Via Challenge,” by blind tasting the new Via instant coffee vs. brewed coffee.  Here’s how it went:

Friendly Starbucks employee: Hello!  Would you like to take the Via Challenge?!?

Me: Sure!

Friendly Starbucks employee: Alright, here’s sample one…and here’s sample two…what do you think, don’t they taste identical?!?

Me: Well, no, I can tell that sample one is instant coffee…but it tastes alright.

Friendly Starbucks employee (suddenly flustered and uncomfortable): Oh, well, you’re right.  But it’s really a time-saver and a great deal.  I mean, $9.99 for 12 cups of coffee is much cheaper than coming into Starbucks to buy a brewed cup!

Alright, hold up. If you’re going to purchase instant coffee because you want to make it at home…why not buy a pound of ground Starbucks coffee at the grocery store for $9.99…which would get you about 20 cups of coffee.  Cheaper and better tasting than instant.  I was thoroughly unimpressed.

But I did manage to get somewhat caught up on my studying!

Then I ran over to the gym for 45 minutes on the elliptical.  My usual routine is 1 minute at a moderate pace, followed by 2 minutes at a hard pace.  Although, today my legs were torn apart from the hike yesterday, so I did 4 minutes at a moderate pace, 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes moderate, 2 minutes hard in reverse.  Repeat that set.  I was still just as sweaty as usual by the end!  (Have I mentioned that I’m a fountain?  I have no idea how my body contains the massive amounts of water I sweat out during workouts.)

By the time I left the gym and had a great time catching up with an old friend on the phone, it was already 8:00 and we hadn’t had dinner yet!  I tried to rush, but it still ended up being 8:45 when we finally ate.  I made asian tofu burgers a-la the one and only Mark Bittman.  Have you gotten the hint that I’m obsessed, yet?  I have never made a recipe of his that I haven’t loved.  Besides his cookies and breads.  Desserts aren’t his strong suit.

Anyway, the burgers contained tofu, sesame seeds, scallions, kombu (seaweed), panko (Japanese bread crumbs), soy sauce, and sesame oil.  YUM.  I was a little nervous about the seaweed, thinking it might be too strong, but Bitty pulled through and they ended up just perfect.  We topped the burgers with a little sour cream (didn’t have mayo) and lots of Sriracha.

I love Ezekiel buns, but sometimes there is just a little too much bulk for my taste.  I hollowed out most of my bun.

Currently, I’m sipping on some “Tension Tamer” Celestial Seasonings tea, and getting ready to start the week again.  Am I a grandma?

It was a pretty low-key weekend, and I hate to see it go!  I hope you succeed in your transition into Monday…goodnight!

As much as Miss Menu loves summer’s corn, tomatoes and sunny afternoons, I can’t help but get a smidge excited when the temperature starts to drop, the leaves start to turn and the corn and tomatoes give way to winter squash, apples and the other produce that fall brings.

Fall inevitably ushers in an increased wave of creative cookery for me. Summer meals tend to be more simple, and involve less actual cooking (thanks to an extra-hot kitchen made all the more hot once I switch on the oven). But come fall, I find myself stove-side, eager to whip up soups, casseroles and other heartier fare.

Lately, I’ve been spending more time with some veggie-focused cookbooks to provide some inspiration for my autumnal cooking. Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian is an invaluable resource for all things veggie related. I love the way this particular book is organized—instead of separate chapters for each course, you’ll find different sections devoted to grains, legumes or produce—plus, I love the endless variations for each recipe. His recipes definitely open your eyes to new veggie possibilities: Kale pie, anyone? Or how about some tomato cobbler? Integrating more vegetables into my menu making is a top priority for this season, and these are the kinds of recipes that can help a girl reach that goal!

The other veggie-centric cookbook that I’m exploring is an oldie but a goodie. Mollie Katzen’s The New Moosewood Cookbook was first published in 1977, then re-released in 2000 with new and improved recipes. It’s definitely a smaller collection than Bittman’s, and the recipes can be difficult to interpret (one squash casserole calls for 2 cups cooked and puréed squash, for example, without any instructions on how to cook or purée said squash, or which squash to use), but the collection is infused with creative inspiration and novel flavor combinations.

From Bittman’s tome, I’m eager to try this supremely seasonal Green Tomato-Apple Chutney. Bittman recommends serving the condiment alongside eggs, but I can envision it served on its own on toasts or alongside some mild white fish. And thanks to Katzen’s inspiration, I plan to use the last of summer’s zucchini to create these Zucchini-Feta Pancakes.

Green Tomato-Apple Chutney
From Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

• 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
• 6 whole cloves
• 3 dried Thai or other red hot chiles
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Salt
• 1 large green tomato
• 1 cored green apple
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Put the peanuts, butter, mustard seeds, cloves and chiles in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, then add garam masala and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes.

Add the onion and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste and curry powder and cook, stirring often until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature and serve, removing the cloves (if you like).

Zucchini-Feta Pancakes
From Mollie Katzen’s The Moosewood Cookbook

• 4 eggs, separated (yolks optional)
• 4 packed cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 4 medium-sized zucchini, grated in a food processor)
• 1 cup finely crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup finely minced scallions
• 1 teaspoon dried mint or 1 tablespoon fresh, finely minced
• A pinch of salt
• Lots of black pepper
• 1/3 cup flour
• Oil for frying
• Sour cream or yogurt for topping

Beat the egg whites until stiff.

In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, egg yolks, feta, scallions, seasoning and flour. Mix well.

Heat a little oil in a heavy skillet. When it is very hot, add spoonfuls of batter, and fry on both sides until golden and crisp. Serve immediately, topped with sour cream or yogurt.

Thursday evening is my CSA pick-up time. I usually come home, prep all the veggies and plan out some meals for the next week. Last night I had a dinner obligation so I couldn’t do the normal routine. So, this morning, I planned out some meals over breakfast.

Perusing How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for ideas over breakfast:

• Berry smoothie: frozen berries, vanilla soymilk, splash of pomegranate juice
• Mug of mint green tea and a glass of water
• Handful of almonds (not pictured). I eat a scant handful… about 12 almonds

This week’s CSA bounty included:

• 6 ears of corn
• bowl full of carrots
• small head of broccoli
• 2 purple peppers
• bunch of basil
• kale
• head of lettuce

Since today’s a rainy day, I’m going to stay in and cook/bake a bunch of meals for the upcoming week so I can fridge/freeze them. Meal-planning is a really great thing: it saves money, time, and can often ensure you are eating more healthy, complete meals. Once I’ve chosen a few meals, I start a grocery list. I check the cabinets to see what I already have and create a list of only the things I need. Then, I create a chart for the next week and, taking serving sizes into account, space them out over the week. Once that’s done, I’ll “fill-in-the-blanks.” I cook and menu plan for my husband and I. Since we have different tastes and nutritional needs, I generally plan separate breakfasts/lunches/snacks for us.

This is what my process may look like…

Here are the items I picked for the next week (note: since my CSA pick-up is on Thursday, I plan my weeks from Thursday to Thursday).

• Black Beans and Corn, enchilada style (How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)
• Cabbage and Carrot Slaw, Mexican-style (How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)
• Pesto
• Olive Oil Granola (New York Times)
• Aloo Palak (Vegetarian Times)

Here’s my map of the week. I’ll plug in our meals, taking into account our social schedule. For example, we’ll be at my parents’ house on Saturday and Sunday, so I don’t need to include any Saturday meals or breakfast on Sunday.

Next, I go back and fill in all the blanks. This is where I’ll include any fruits/veggies, snacks that I’ll pick up, yogurt, etc… As I add them to my chart, I’ll add them to my grocery list. Here’s the finished map:

So I’m off with my grocery list, and I’ll post on al of the recipes later today. Happy Friday!

I want to revisit my last entry either today or tomorrow . . . .but before I do that I wanted to share with you what I’m reading right now.  I have spent much time with the “healing” part of my journey, right now God and I are working on the “habit” part, hence, what I’m reading.

Remember, my desire is new habits, better health, reorganizing our overall food intake.  To this end I have been reading “Food Matters” by Mark Bittman (http://www.markbittman.com/books/food-matters)  Like most books I read there is a certain percentage that goes in one ear and out the other . . . . but a lot of what I’m reading in this book is right where I am.  He talks about being reasonable about changing your food intake, not running to extreme diets.  He talks about some myths in our society about why we eat the foods we eat.  He talked about the history of the food pyramid and I just about fell off of my chair!!  For this part alone the book was worth the price I paid for it!!  He has no desire to be a vegetarian, and neither do I.  He says that sometimes you just need a piece of good white bread, a cheeseburger and fries or a steak  . . . . . .  they just are few and far between, but they can be a rare treat.

I have found this book to give me direction, encouragement, support and something to do instead of eat!  ;  )  Plus, in addition to a lot of good information, he has a ton of recipes for a variety of things.  I can’t wait to try making some of these . . . they look really yummy!!!  Anyways, I have really enjoyed this book a lot!!  It’s been a great book to be reading to be reminded about what I’m doing and why I’m doing it, with a lot of supportive information along the way.  I want to strongly encourage you to read it . . . . and then post your thoughts about it below this post!!  =  )

Learning to soar higher and farther and lighter with you . . . . .

Saucy’s distractions-of-choice during downtime at our jobs are obviously our favorite food blogs. Having always been a little apprehensive about approaching risotto, we were excited when Christina came across Mark Bittman’s recipe for “laid back” asparagus risotto. We discussed, took deep breaths, and decided to face our fears. Despite the lack of air conditioning in my current apartment, we were snapping asparagus stalks and stirring (though not constantly!) with confidence and determination. Dana made some baked mushroom polenta slices and wine was poured before we all crawled out on the fire escape to enjoy some fresh air and fresh risotto. Overall, a successful first attempt, though we still might need some lessons from BB.

Laid-Back Asparagus Risotto

1 pound asparagus, peeled, trimmed and cut into one-inch-long pieces, tips reserved
4 to 6 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 medium red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Snap the asparagus stalks into pieces roughly one inch in length. Bittman says to also peel the stalks but we skipped this. Bring a pot of water to boil and add half of the asparagus, cooking for about 5 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water. Place stalks and a bit of water into a food processor and puree until smooth, set aside.

In a medium size pot, heat up vegetable stock.

Add 1 tablespoon butter and vegetable oil to a deep skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add red onion and saute until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add Arborio rice to the skillet and stir until rice is coated and glossy, about 2-3 minutes. Add white wine and stir occasionally until reduced. Add a pinch of salt. Add the vegetable stock 1/2 cup at a time and stir a few times. Once the stock has evaporated, add more. After about 15 minutes, add the remaining asparagus stalks and stir to incorporate. Continue to add vegetable stock.

Once all the stock has been added to the rice, mix in asparagus puree. Remove the skillet from heat and quickly stir in remaining butter and Parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

New York Times columnist Mark Bittman in the article “Recipes for 101 simple salads” says you can toss watermelon and peaches with some ingredients you have lying around already, and you can produce a salad that’s delicious, unusual, fast and perfectly seasonal.

Some things I really like right now:

1. Yelp has saved my life too many times to count

2. Menu from Papa’s Soul Food in Eugene, OR:

3. Mutlicolr Search Lab via Flickr (I could play with this all day)

4. New recipes, mainly those by Mark Bittman and Martha Stewart:

5. Post Secret

6. Trina Turk’s patterns (love this new outdoor fabric):

7. Tracy Kendall Wallpaper

8. Finding great places to watch the sun set:

9. Polker’s Gourmet Burgers in Russian Hill: for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner

10. Looking at never ending library of random vintage things on Etsy

]]> http://easygoinggreen.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/papa-al-pomodoro/ Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:04:16 +0000 mikemilhaven http://easygoinggreen.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/papa-al-pomodoro/ http://thenostalgicyam.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/skimming-book-review-1-food-matters/ Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:15:02 +0000 thenostalgicyam http://thenostalgicyam.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/skimming-book-review-1-food-matters/

are you still allowed to give your opinion of a book that you’ve only skimmed? i hope so, i’m about to.
i snagged this book at the library for lack of anything better, plus i’d heard about mark bittman and how great his cookbooks are, etc. i’m not doubting that.
‘food matters’ is definitely in the pollan-esque camp of being very blunt about what you should eat. the title says it all, and bittman espouses the same eat-lots-of-veggies-and-take-it-easy message that pollan touts. food matters has recipes and meal plans, though – and some good solid advice as to how to fit sound food choices into your busy day. he’s not too intense about it. that’s nice.
but, this book isn’t really about politics of the plate or anything too news worthy, so as a vegan it didn’t really do much for me. i can totally see how it would help someone munching on the standard american diet, but i can barely fit all the veggies that i currently have into my belly, so i’m not overly worried about eating more.
the bit of advice i took away? bittman tries to strictly limit his refined carbs before dinner. at first i thought i didn’t eat any refined carbs, then i remembered how sometimes i binge on cookies or get chinese takeout with white rice, etc. he lets himself go nuts at dinner time, because he enjoys it – which i can totally align around. i’ve definitely taken a couple baby steps to cut down my refined carbs/sugars before dinner – and chances are I won’t double up on them later in the day, so it’s a pretty good idea.

maybe reading this middling review isn’t very interesting, but i can’t help myself.

On a long run, I looooove thinking about what big meal I’m going to have when I finish. (At around mile 22 of this year’s NY Marathon, I began to set my sights on a burger and a nice cold beer). 

Recently, the NY Times blog Well (one of my faves), featured an article and video with Mark Bittman and Deena Kastor. Mark Bittman, of whom I’m a HUGE fan, is a NYTimes foodie. Apparently, he’s also a runner who is training for this year’s marathon. Deena Kastor is a super US marathoner. The two paired up for a run, and for some cooking. 

Check out the article and the video here. 

Happy Fourth of July!

Yes, kale pie. Sounds strange, I know. I received a massive bunch of kale last week from my CSA. It was more than I knew what to do with. Luckily, Mark Bittman and his “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian” did. Hence, kale pie. 

Kale or Chard Pie

adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

• 2 tbsp butter
• about 8 large kale or chard leaves, sliced
• 1 medium onion (I chopped it finely)
• salt and pepper (I used Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper) 
• chopped herbs (I didn’t have any fresh ones on hand so I threw in some Herbs de Provence) 
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375. Heat butter in skillet, add onions and kale. Stir until the kale leaves wilt (like cooking spinach). Add salt, pepper, herbs and remove from heat. 

In a bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, and eggs. Add flour and baking soda. 

In the bottom of a glass baking dish (I think mine may have been 8×8), butter/grease/Pam the inside. Smooth half of the dough mixture across the bottom. Add all of the kale mixture. Top with the remaining dough. 

Bake for 45 minutes. 

Verdict: The pie was tasty. Definitely something a little different than our usual sauteed kale. It was best served at room temp. My only gripe was that the dough seemed a bit dry or bland. That may have been my own fault. In all, if I am again hit with loads of kale, I may try this again but play around with the dough a bit.

Fury: A Novel
by Salman Rushdie
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Salman Rushdie. His work digs into the relationships between people, with oneself, and between reality and fiction. It’s heady and thick and at times swamped with detail to the point of asphyxiation. But this is his intention. In Fury, Rushdie’s protagonist is burdened and overwhelmed and gasping for air. There is no doubt that it is Rushdie himself, portrayed as an impossible, furious, insane, ego-driven, emotional man. He does not care to give the reader a one-level view of life. Human beings are complex. Our minds, our emotions, are layered and often conflicting. Fury is bold. Rushdie is strange. The book is published mid-2001, and it is written in present day, set in NYC. It is fascinating to read something that takes place in that city just before the towers fell – the energy throughout the book and in the characters and their interactions is frenetic and heat-driven, and apt. I don’t think this is anywhere near Rushdie’s best work, but no one else would be more capable of accurately capturing this slice in time.

——

Diary of a Bad Year
by J.M. Coetzee
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a strange and lovely novel. Each page is sectioned off into three voices per page and as a reader, you need to let go of traditional structure and allow the writing to determine which graphs are read in what order. I admire Coetzee for this and for his consistent wariness of narrative and identity. I did not even notice that the protagonist, Senor C, could in fact be Coetzee himself until he made an off-hand remark about Waiting for the Barbarians more than halfway through the book. And then, much later, he is called “Juan” by Alan.
There is a definitive break between the first 2/3rds of the book and the second diary. This is when Alan’s voice is introduced and the perspectives in the three sections begin to weave around each other more – there are four voices now for three sections and they often mix their inner and outer monologue. It is at this point in the book, prodded by some of the content in the “soft opinions,” that I began to wonder whether all of it was imagined/written by the protagonist – that he never actually hired his typist, that she is in fact a muse he created for the book and to usher him to the other side of his life. As the book draws to a close, the protagonist nears death, and the structure and ‘reality’ of the novel continue to loosen.

——

Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes
by Mark Bittman
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have not read the Omnivore’s Dilemma, but have heard it has a similar viewpoint to this new book from Mark Bittman. I found Food Matters helpful and have become even more conscious of my eating habits because of it. Bittman points out that what we eat is directly tied to the health of the environment – in addition to our own health. It’s filled with good recipes and suggestions as well as mind boggling facts. For instance: what it takes to create a steak dinner for a family of four is the energy equivalent of hopping in an SUV and driving around for three hours while leaving all the lights on at home. What I particularly like about Bittman is that he is no stickler. He suggests eating vegan (or close to vegan – don’t berate yourself over cream in your coffee!)for lunch and dinner and eating whatever you like at dinnertime. It’s sensible.

——

The Soul Thief
by Charles Baxter
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

I would recommend this book for fans of Charles Baxter who would like to bring something to the beach. It’s entertaining, but somehow doesn’t not feel as fully formed as the other book of his which I’ve read, Feast of Love (both a nice pleasant book and movie.) But, in general, Soul Thief reads quickly and well. The ending reveals why the language is so romanticized, why some passages are so eloquent and descriptive am why others are sparse.
There are a number of things to discuss in regards of this book, but I will try not to give away the plot – for it is a mystery of sorts. What might be obvious but perhaps overlooked is that Jerome Coldberg loved Nathanial. He was in love with him and wanted everything about him. He made Theresa his lover only because Nathanial did. He got rid of Jamie brutally because she would not go away any other way. He wore Nathanial’s clothes, stole his books, learned his history. He was obsessed. There is haze around the story, chunks of missing time –so that the reader, like Nathanial, will never know what truly happened. What story do you choose to believe? Baxter never really pushes to one side or the other – and in this respect he is loyal to his characters.
The story starts in the 1970s as a remembrance that brings the reader up to present day. A few things to ponder about the book: what’s with a) Nathanial’s Gertrude Stein obsession, b) Jamie’s note, c) ending in general, and d) role of women? These questions make me thing this book would be a safe bet for a book club. It does not push the literary envelope but it is a nice book to sink into for some pleasure reading.

——

Now You See Him
by Eli Gottlieb
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Now You See Him is a decent book. The story is told by Nick, a man in his thirties who lives with his wife and kids in the town where he grew up. The book is labeled as a thriller/mystery because Nick’s childhood best friend, the writer Rob Castor – a celebrity of the town – becomes an even bigger media celebrity once he kills his girlfriend and then himself. Nick unravels upon the death of his friend and the reader is not sure quite why – no one is, really, until the end. An easy, quick read – the story line is engaging and the writing flows. It’s not a masterpiece by any means but I think Now You See Him has gained acclaim because it is a solid contemporary offering from an author who could write many more in the years to come. Very similar to Roth and Auster in that way – interesting twists in a well written story that keeps you entertained in a world that doesn’t always fold neatly together.

——

Tinkers
by Paul Harding
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tinkers is an interesting book. Well written and unusual. It’s the story of a man on his deathbed as his mind drifts through memories and emotions and hallucinations, and every once in a while the reader is brought back into the world of the living, given a countdown to how many hours left before death and given a glimpse of the man outside the memories – who hid money in boxes around the house and with banks around the state to provide for his wife after he died. We learn about his childhood and his father, and because of his state of mind, the reader gets thrown from voice to voice, memory to memory – yet to Harding’s credit, the storyline remains intact. I bought book because the quote on the cover is from Marilyn Robinson and I can understand the connection. This book is about how we come to be the people that we are, how different and odd and unusual each of us are as human beings, and how that difference makes us the same in the end, binds us together. Harding’s characters are admirable. They are steadfast and loyal to themselves, and compassionate to those around them.