At last, the plum pudding is on the stove

If you’ve never baked a yeasted bread, I really encourage you to. It’s seriously not as difficult as you might think. You need a whole morning or afternoon, but the actual labor is minimal. There are few basic steps to follow when making a bread with yeast, but that’s about it. The rest is just time and patience.

The most important thing when it comes to working with yeast is that no liquid should be hotter than around 110 degrees. Now, no groaning. I never use a thermometer. That temperature is about the temperature that you would heat up a baby’s bottle; I test it with my finger in the liquid. If I have to pull out my finger, I add more cold water or wait for it to cool.

The other important step is proofing the yeast. Proofing is just about bringing the yeast to life. You know how you have to soften gelatin before you can use it? Or temper chocolate before you can use it? This is just about the same thing. A proofing step will also assure you that your yeast is working. I am still using yeast I bought in bulk back in my professional cooking days. I won’t tell you how old it is. I keep it in the freezer – not sure if that helps or not! But I’m going to keep using it as long as it “proves” to me that it can come to life and help bake my breads!

So following is a fairly concise list of steps to make this and any bread. And, I promise you will love this recipe. Especially since you can change it up to make it your own!

Fruit & Nut Bread

12 ounces mixed dried fruits and nuts of choice*
1 cup milk
2 ounces butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon yeast
Sugar
3 plus cups bread flour

Coarsely chop the bigger dried fruits, as well as the nuts, and set aside. Pre-heat your oven to 100 degrees, if you can. Alternatively, turn on a warming oven to PROOF. If you can’t do either of these, figure out a nice non-drafty warm place in your house for bread-rising purposes.

fruits and nuts ready for the bread

In a plastic bowl, place the milk, butter, and salt. Microwave until the butter melts, about 30 seconds on high heat in my microwave. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup hottish water. If the bowl is cool, it will cool down the water quickly, so I often run some hot water in the bowl before I begin. You should be able to hold your pinky in the water without burning yourself. By the way, I always use purified water.

When your water is a good temperature, gently sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water. Then sprinkle a little sugar over the top – only about a teaspoon is needed. This activates the yeast action. This is what’s happening in the photo below.

beginning the proofing process

After about a minute, you can see that the yeast has softened, just like the photo below.

proofing the yeast

At this point, give the mixture a whisk. Then set the bowl in your warm place for about 5 minutes. After about 5 minutes, your yeast mixture should have doubled or tripled in volume, like in the photo below. If it hasn’t done anything, it means that your yeast is bad, your water was too cold, or too hot. Don’t worry. You’re not wasting any bigtime money. Just start over.

after tripling in volume

If your yeast has grown, pour in the milk-butter mixture, as long as it’s still not too hot, and give it all a stir with the whisk. Then add 1 1/2 cups of flour. Whisk very well, smoothing out the batter. This is sometimes called a slurry. We are taking our time making this bread. This is our second step. When the slurry is smooth, cover the bowl with a damp towel and put the bowl in your warm place for about 30 minutes. Below is the photo of the slurry after the first major rise. Look how much it grew!

after the first rise

The damp towel served two purposes. One, it keeps a crust from forming on top of the dough from it drying out. Secondly, if the rising dough touches the damp towel, it won’t stick to it.

Switch to a wooden spoon, give the dough a stir, then add 1 cup of flour. This time the dough will be sticky, but more like a dough. Stir as much as you can to incorporate the flour completely. Then cover with a damp towel and put the bowl back in your warm place, for about 45 minutes. This is the second rise. Below is the photo of what the dough looks like after this next rising.

ready for kneading

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees; I use a convection setting. Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.

Have about 1/2 cup of bread flour on hand – you’re going to be incorporating this into the bread dough by kneading it. You’ll also have to have some white flour handy to keep the bread dough from sticking to your granite, or whatever you’re going to be kneading on. Also have your nut and fruit mixture handy.

Place a generous amount of flour on your work surface, then remove the big doughball from the bowl onto the flour. Using your hands covered with flour, knead the dough, incorporating the flour, back and forth, round and round, until the dough isn’t sticky anymore. This step should take about 5 minutes. Now is the time with add the fruits and nuts.

Place all of the fruits and nuts onto the work surface. Force the dough on top of them, folding the dough over, then do it again, until all of the nuts and fruits are in the bread. Using as little flour as possible, knead the dough until smooth and all of the fruits and nuts incorporated evenly; this should only take about 1 minute.

Form the dough into a ball, and place it on the cookie sheet to let it rise for the last time, below.

just before the last rising

While the oven is heating, allow the bread to rise for at least 30 minutes. It should double again in volume. When the oven is ready, carefully place the cookie sheet in the oven. I baked my bread for 20 minutes, then turned down the oven to 350 degrees, non-convection, for 20 more minutes. If you’re not sure if your bread is done, use a meat thermometer. Properly cooked bread should read 195 degrees. Just poke the bread where it’s not obvious!

Remove the bread from the oven and let cool. Then slice and serve. If you want, try my favorite cheese with it, Époisses, or pair it with a triple-cream Brie or a Chèvre. This bread is also good toasted, with butter and spiced cranberry jelly, for breakfast. And, try it with Monterey Jack as a grilled cheese! YUM!

*You can use only pistachios and dried cranberries for an extra Christmassy bread!

close-up of fruit & nut bread

I love this recipe because it is so simple and it only takes a few minutes to prepare. It leaves the skin soft and hydrated and it feels so relaxing after a day in the cold! Dried fruits are great to stock during the winter: they are easy to conserve, they are packed with nutritients and do not have any added sugar. They also count towards your five-a-day, and make a perfect snack. Dried apricots are also commonly used throughout the Muslim world for cooking: try the delicious sweet tajine with apricots and prunes, or the Persian “jeweled” rice using a variety of dried fruits and nuts.

A market stall selling dates, dried figs and apricots (Al barqooq or mishmish in Arabic)

A word of caution though: there is nothing I like more than a long hot bath when it’s cold outside, but it actually makes the skin dry. It is much kinder for the body to keep the water at a reasonable temperature and to not subject it to drastic temperature changes! A cup of tea or hot chocolate and thick woolen socks will go a long way to give you this snuggly feeling.

Using the latest technologies available, many companies now offer dried or freeze-dried vegetables and fruits that can safely be incorporated into your daily diet. These drying or freezing techniques are such that there is almost no loss of nutritional value from the products. Just the water content of the products is evaporated and dried totally. The advantages of these products are plenty. For instance, you can store them in cool, dry containers almost indefinitely without fear of rotting or spoiling. Fresh vegetables and fruits may spoil if stored improperly or for long durations. Another popular use for dried vegetables is while traveling or camping. They are lighter in weight and easy to pack, store and carry. They also double as extremely healthy snacks for adults and children alike. Dried fruits and vegetables win hands down against snacks like cookies, biscuits or fried snacks when it comes to the health quotient.

There are many ways you could use these dried vegetables at home or while traveling. You could eat them as is. They have a crunchy brittleness that is quite endearing to people who likes to snack frequently. Besides they come minus the ill effects like unhealthy weight gain and all the related problems that are packaged along with junk food. Another option to eating them as they are is to rehydrate them and use them in your cooked food or eat them raw in your salads. They are very popular in soups too. Almost all vegetables, be it garlic, onion, peas, pumpkins or any other, are available in this dried or freeze dried form and are available all over the world.

When you are deciding to buy dried vegetables, try and select a company that is reliable with hygiene standards in their drying and packaging processes. Try to avoid those that use additives for preservation or taste. Avoid those that add MSG, sugars, spices or coloring to make the dehydrated vegetables and fruits look or taste better. These additives are detrimental to your health in the long run and with prolonged or regular use.

When you need good quality freeze dried fruits and vegetables, log in to http://o-jeju.com/home.

Dark circles under the eyes are caused by ageing, iron deficiency, lack of sleep (to a certain extent) sun damage and more commonly nasal congestion.  The veins that drain from your eyes to your nose become darker and more visible which leads to fluid retention. So, how do we fight them? Research shows that in order for these veins to “disappear” we need to consume a diet that is high in antioxidants which include vitamins A,C and E all which will help to strengthen the blood vessels. Dehydration can also contribute to these dark circles as a result of the body holding onto as much fluid as it can, so ensure that you drink as much water as you can in order to combat fluid retention and of course demolish those under eye annoyances!

Tips to keep dark circles at bay

• Limit your coffee and tea intake to once a day and drink up the green tea.
• Sip water regularly throughout the day to stay hydrated.
• Up your intake of antioxidants such as tomatoes and legumes, these foods will help to fortify the blood vessels.
• Reduce your salt intake.
• Try and get between eight and ten hours sleep a night.
• Wear large sunglasses (when necessary) and include an spf sunscreen or moisturiser that will protect the delicate skin under and around your eyes from thinning.

These breakfast bars, flapjacks, granola, muesli mix (call them what you like) are mega rich in both antioxidants from the blueberries, cranberries and raspberries and essential fatty acids thanks to the nuts and seeds. Do not be put off by “fatty acids” these are essential for great skin, check out my beat the blemishes post and recipe for more information on essential fatty acids. A great breakfast alternative you will be satisfied until lunch (unless you are insistent on having your mid-morning snack in which case have another one) as these bars are crammed with oats that provide you with slow release energy. These fruity filling bars will be sure to demolish those dark circles!

Recipe

Berry bars

Since I have discovered these I literally make them every week to keep me stocked up, they have proved to be a great snack, breakfast treat, pudding and even cinema snack, yes, I was that girl who brought them out during Skyfall. Indulge the skin even more by having the berry bar alongside some probiotic yoghurt to boost biotin levels that help to draw essential fatty acids from foods for healthy skin.

Yes, at first glance there appears to be a lot of ingredients, however once in the pantry they will last for months and I encourage you to experiment with flavours and ingredients, just don’t forget the primary reason for the original recipes function!

Makes
fills the loaf tin, cut into desired size!

You will need
20cm tin
food processor (if you prefer no large pieces)
grease proof paper

Ingredients
100g dates
100g hazelnuts
100g sunflower seeds
100g raisins
250g porridge oats
70g wheatgerm
60g medium oatmeal
180g banana
100g raspberries
100g dried blueberries
100g cranberries
40g linseeds
juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
40g honey
10ml rapeseed oil, plus a tad extra to grease the tin

Method

1. Blast the ingredients in the food processor until they have combined together to form a dough like mixture.

2. Lightly oil the loaf tin and place the greaseproof paper in and lightly oil the paper itself.

3. Press the mixture into the tin using a potato masher or a utensil of similar function and leave to chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.

4. Cut into bar sizes of your choice and enjoy!

Store in a cool dry place that is easy to reach for when your cravings are screaming!

Without being bias and as a once committed chocolate fiend I have definitely been converted by these naturally sweet super skin treats! Try adding cinnamon, orange or vanilla to the mix as an alternative to lemon.  Let me know your take on them!

Gluten-free oatmeal topped with pepper/raspberry jam, raisins, chopped almonds, and a little almond milk. © Josefina Hellensberg.

© JOSEFINA HELLENSBERG, Restrictions Turned Creative,  MCDM, Cohort 12

I’m always curious to find out what people, other than myself with similar dietary restrictions, have for breakfast. In Denmark, where I am from, the normal and very popular breakfast choice is a breakfast roll (usually white bread) topped with butter and cheese. Yeaaah, so since absolutely none of that works for me (you would probably struggle to find a more gluten and lactose heavy breakfast), I have had to think creatively..

_________

This is a re-post from Josefina’s blog Restrictions Turned Creative where she offers tips and tricks on creative gluten-free and lactose-free eating. By sharing her delicious discoveries she hopes to help others successfully navigate a universe of do’s and don’ts.

_________

So lucky for me, I really like porridge. Any kind of porridge really, but with my recently discovered gluten intolerance, even my choices of porridge have been narrowed down. Before I moved to Seattle, I was basically living of off buckwheat porridge, and absolutely loved it. It was so easy and quick to make, top it with some dried fruits and nuts, and you had yourself a healthy and wholesome breakfast.

However, I’ve been unable to find buckwheat flour in Seattle, like the kind we have in Denmark, so once again I’ve had to find something else to eat. One thing that I really love about this country though, is the fact that you can find pretty much anything in a gluten-free version. Granted, you’re paying a little extra for those products, but it’s still nice to have the freedom to cook “normal” meals gluten-free.

I usually do my grocery shopping at either QFC on Broadway or Safeway on 15th, and both places have a good selection of both gluten-free and lactose-free products. I started buying GF oats from Bobs Red Mill (they have them at both supermarkets), and cook oatmeal for breakfast. It takes less than five minutes to make, and will keep you full for hours.

Election Day Cake

With tomorrow being Election Day I thought it might be fun to share with you a recipe for Election Day Cake.  No kidding, there really was such a thing–and there still is if you care to make it.

The custom of making a special cake for  Election Day has a long history.  Back in the early days of America, voters would have to travel great distances to cast their ballots, often to the state Capitol.   Since only the men were allowed to vote back then, the women of the hosting towns would serve cake to the visiting voters.  Election Day was a festive occasion calling for a special treat.   The Election Cake ( also called Hartford Election Cakes) is a yeast-raised fruitcake first reported as early as 1771 in New England, and then spreading in popularity across the country to the West throughout the nineteenth century. This cake is not heavy like a true fruitcake, but more cake-like with spices, whisky and colorful dried fruits, making this a delicious and patriotic treat.

The recipe takes a good bit of time to make having several steps to it, but the end result is a very impressive tall, tube cake.  Most of the syrup that the fruits were soaked in is used to brush on the cake as it cools adding some additional flavor and moisture.  A small amount of the soaking syrup is also used to make the glaze topping. With whisky as a preservative and containing a good quantity of dried fruits that have been soaked in the whisky, the cake is definitely a keeper,  I mean it keeps well.

ELECTION DAY CAKE

YIELD:   Makes one 10-inch tube cake or bundt cake

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  

  Cranberries, blueberries, and golden raisins soaked in American Whisky.

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups dried fruit, such as cranberries, golden raisins, and blueberries ( red, white and blue)
• 1/2 cup American whiskey
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 package (3/4 ounce) rapid-rise yeast
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) soft unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar for glaze

PREPARATION

1.  Grease a 10-inch tube pan or spray with non-stick baking spray and lightly flour.

2.  Combine 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar with the water  in a small saucepan.  Simmer over med-high heat until sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from heat.

3.  Place the dried fruit in a large bowl.  Add the sugar mixture and whiskey;  stir and set aside.

4.  In a measuring cup, combine the warm water and milk.

Add warm milk mixture to the yeast and whole wheat flour.

5.  Combine yeast with 1 cup of whole-wheat flour in a medium bowl.  Add the milk mixture and stir in.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup whole wheat flour on top.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup whole wheat flour over the top.

Set aside to allow the yeast to ferment until the  yeast breaks through the surface of the flour, approximately 30 minutes.  This is called a sponge.

“Sponge” is ready, when yeast breaks through top layer of flour.

6.  Sift together the remaining dry ingredients and set aside.

7.  Drain the fruit mixture; reserve the syrup for later use in the glaze.

8.  In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar until light in texture.  Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula after each addition.

Beating in the eggs one at a time.

9.  Turn the mixer to low speed and add the sponge; mix until fully combined.

Beating in the sponge and  dry ingredients.

Add the remaining dry ingredients.  The batter will be stiff.  Stir in the drained fruit.

Stir in the drained dry fruits.

10. Place the batter in the pan, cover, and set in a warm place to allow the cake to rise, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.***  I gave my dough the full two hours and it doubled in size.

Batter in the tube pan before rising.

11. Meanwhile, make the glaze:  In a medium bowl, combine the 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 Tablespoons of the reserved syrup drained from the fruit.  Stir until smooth and set aside.

12.Bake cake in a 350 degree oven for 45 – 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

A nice, tall tube cake after baking.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.  When cool, lightly brush the cake all over with reserved syrup, and finally top with glaze, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides.

Brush cake all over with the fruit syrup.

Frost with glaze, allowing some to drip down the sides.

A tender cake, studded with bits of fruit, and lightly sweetened by the glaze.

***TIP:  To provide a uniform temperature for yeast doughs to rise, set the bowl of batter on a heating pad set at LOW temperature. The microwave oven provides a draft free place to raise yeast doughs.  Works beautifully!

Cover yeast batter, place in microwave oven on a heating pad set at LOW temperature.

SOURCE:    About.com,    courtesy of Culinary Institute of America

Most nights I put 1/2 cup of my home made, organic bircher in a bowl, pour over 1/2 cup juice and leave it to soak on the table overnight. In the morning I add some fruit, usually a banana and something fresh or stewed, plus some home made yoghurt.

There are dozens of variations of this theme and the great thing is it is delicious, nutritious and activated by soaking, ensuring your body takes in all the goodness. And, the way I make it, its totally organic and Australian.

Now I have decided to sell Kate’s Raw Bircher Muesli at The Garden Shed and Pantry. There will be plenty at the market too, starting this week.

My son, Hugh, has his own business in Adelaide, called Hughsli. He started making toasted muesli a few years ago and offered it to a local cafe. The rest, as they say, is history. Now Hugh’s range has expanded into markets and niche shops all over Adelaide.

I am going to be selling his ‘Everyday Tasty Cereal‘ from mid November, alongside my Bircher. It is a simple, wholesome and tasty breakfast cereal which is made of 80% South Australian ingredients and has 80% Certified Organic ingredients. Well balanced in nutrition; all at a good price.

French green lentils, organic and Australian. Puy lentils are considered by many to be the best lentil because of their unique peppery flavour and the fact they hold their shape during cooking. Try the recipe below.

Our stocked range of organic, Australian lentils and beans include:

French green lentils, mung beans, chick peas, yellow split peas, (red lentils coming soon),

Salmon fishcakes on French green lentils

For the fishcakes
200g cooked potatoes
200g cooked salmon, flaked
1 free-range egg yolk
55g/2oz cooked broccoli, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp chopped fresh chervil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
55g plain flour
1 free-range egg
55g  breadcrumbs
15g butter

For the lentils
150g French green lentils
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
pinch chilli flakes
15g butter
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives, chopped
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
½ lemon, juice only

Preparation method

Place the lentils into pot and cover generously with cold water. Simmer until they have just softened – this can take between 15-30 minutes depending on the age of your lentils. Drain and set aside.

For the fishcakes, mash the cooked potato in a bowl, then mix in the salmon, egg yolk, broccoli, mustard and herbs. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Divide the fishcake mixture into three equal portions and, with damp hands, shape each portion into a patty and dust with the flour.

Beat the remaining egg in a bowl, then dip the floured fishcakes into the egg and roll in the breadcrumbs.

Heat the butter in a frying pan until foaming, then fry the fishcakes for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown all over. Set aside and keep warm.

Next, place the cooked lentils, vinegar, chilli flakes, butter and chives into a pan and warm through for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the grated parmesan and lemon juice.

To serve, spoon the lentils onto a serving plate and top with the fishcakes.

Ok, I think I’m still too excited within to gather anything. I may have to wait some days before I can properly write something.

Yet I don’t think many would like to wait for God-knows how many days. And I’m afraid of forgeting something !

I could write a book about those three days and yet not make my point. I don’t think a big post could make up for it either.

I’m so confused.

More lemon water.

I’ll have posts to host lost ideas I’d eventually remember but meanwhile : here are the raw circumstancial unchronological sloppy mind-breaking puzzles that made up my life from Friday 26 of October to Sunday 28

***

The men of the family are still home. It’s arond 6h50 in the morning and several people are scattered around the dining hall.They’re wearing colourful salwar kameez or sarees and the incense mixes with their musk and the smell of the flowers. All arround me, people speak quietly and cheerfully, as if they’re too happy but shy to show it. We eat our big bowls of Seviyan Ka Meetha  under the watchful eyes of the 83 years-old grandmother who prepared it. Plates of dried fruits  and jars of warm milk are going around for those who want to have a kind of Sheer Khurma out of their Seviyan or add more cashew nuts and almonds. Then, a ringing at the house and the next thing, everyone is joyfully yelling and standing up. I stand up as well and stare at the guests coming with big smiles and blessings and wide plates full of laddoos. It’s the Hindu family living nearby and they’ve come to congratulate their fellow muslim neighbors on the Bakri Eid : they’ve brought sweets and their own plate with incense,water, spices and flowers on it. One of the daughters-in-law tells me it’s a tradition for the two families to bless each other and give sweets and dried fruits on celebrations, would they be common, hindu or muslim. I reply in a sloppy Urdu to the kannada blessings. The commotion officially gives pace to the happy celebration.

***

-What is that, master-ji ?

-It’s a goat !

-That big !

-Oh! This one is only around 56 kg ! You should check the other ones : there’s one around 83 I think.

-And they’re goats !

-A-a-a-h Khadija Beyti, there are goats exceeding 100 kg ! Turkish breed but natural and fine, don’t worry ! I thought that 4 goats with more than 40 kg could make up for the whole family and the Qurbane as well.

***

Grandmother’s little rant while we’re preparing the rice and the vegetables : Those little people, those youngsters of today….Always blindly following TV things, always wanting things fast and easy, always wanting to be always the ones to gather the harvest of what they may plant, always dropping things they think aren’t useful, always wasting always always ! HAH ! They even WANT TO SIT IN THE TOILETS ! They don’t want to squat anymore like natural human beings, they want to SIT ! SIT Khadija-Ji ! Sit ? in the toilets ? how disgusting and unnatural could it be ? how worse can it get ? And after, they come and complain about constipation and bowel disorders and say food is fat and not good for health!!!! You think sitting on toilets does your bowels good???

***

I’ve seen a camel getting sacrificed, in the guest’s hall. I’ve seen it. I’ve heard of it but didn’t picture it. Now I’ve seen it.

***

Camel biryani. Kabab. Fried liver. Goats biryani. Mutton chops. Camel meat meatballs. Camel meat gosht dopiyaza. Chikki. Roasted legs of goats. Camel korma. Dates. Mutton biryani. Dried Fruits. Pudding. Lassi. Indian sweets. Oh my god ! So many dishes to try, so much red meat and several invitations. To think that at first, I was worried about how to tell the host families about my unfriendly relationship with red meat ! I ended up mumbling some words about how sheep meat used to make me sick and was the first to try out pretty much all the dishes. I tried to not follow a path of excess but this only made my hosts eager and hasty to feed me more. I swear –«Khadija ! Young girl ! Let me feed you ! You’re a GUEST, you should eat MORE» was  a sentence I heard in different houses in these three days ! And to think that I actually do honors to any dish prepared for my sake or laid in front of me ! My detox week will be more than welcome by my stomach and bowels, I’m sure ! Yet all was so –healthy- : light on the stomach, tasty and spicy hot or sweet. Every bite was heaven sent and every discovery made me cry of joy.

***

I cried out of joy a lot during these last three days : from food, from people’s spontaneous confidence and affection, from the calls of my close friends and family, from their happy wonder at my Eid and hasty description of their own, from their sloppy wishes and their interrupted calls or their random conversation topics and gentle mockeries, from the warmth I’ve been surrounded with, from the attention that the grandfather and the head of the family to the little 5 years old boy gave me, from the food – over and over again- , from the quiet smiling relaxing times after the meals, from the conversations I’ve had with the elders on the veranda sitting on the ground with nothing but the trees, the sinking sun and the tea-with-milk in the landscape.

***

At the sunset, colourful lights were turned on around the house and muslim amdahs in urdu were being chanted by women as they prepared for the guests’s meals, the evening meals and cleaned the dishes. Altogether, pretty much all the women of the close big family exchanged laughters and impressions in a whirling language –maybe Telugu or Kannada -. One of the elders who know English, he used to be a philosophy professor at a college, called for my attention as I was discussing with the small children of the house.

-« Give me your left palm, beyti ! »

-« But waalid, knowing the ghayb from reading the palm is no muslim’s business I take »

-« Ha ha…But who told you we’ll see the ghayb ?  Nehi beyti, we’ll read your present »

-« ah.. »

-« Even Hindu astrologers will tell you that the lines of your palms change, according to your deeds. And you know why ? I think it’s because they reflect to a certain extent your story : what you’ve been, what you’re going through and the high probable consequences all this might have on your future »

-« ….. »

-« When I see your palm, I don’t see if you’ll have money or not, if you’ll be happy in your marriage or not, I see all what was poured into you as good and bad feelings, and I can see your maturity and your will, your psyche, and therefore I can compute a consequence. »

-« I see better now waalid »

-« Hah and therefore, your lines will be changing within the week I take ! »

***

This elder is one of my host’s uncles. He was one of the several people that I encountered and who shared with my his personal story, with its sad and happy parts. Just like this, easily, swiftly: there we are, discussing matters and life and they neither felt the need to put boundaries between them and me nor thought it was « personal » to be shared with me or whatsoever.  Somehow, I believe that I share their point of view about what is « personal ». And I’ve always believed that one’s tale of life should be shared, not jealously or fearfully kept. When I thanked the elder for all his trust and his wordings, he laughed and told me : « Beyti, take it from an old man who taught philosophy to generations of young people : those who share know they’re infinite, those who don’t know they’re nothing without their belongings, or at least feel so. It worries me that you need to thank me for something this natural..I feel old and realize I might have not been outside for a long time »

***

I’ve spent the Bakri Eid – Bakr Īd in urdu since Bakri means goat, which is the common sacrifice here rather than sheeps as in Morocco- within three different families for different amounts of time. In an apartment , in a house, in a countryside house near coconut plantations. I’ve tasted different dishes and spoke with different people. I’ve mostly interacted with elders and children and had such a time that it flew by and I often found myself late for some meeting or unable to honor an invitation. And yet, there were things alike aside from some dishes and the warm welcome of a foreign muslim girl far from her home : the big families with the cousins and the uncles and the in-laws and different elders and the friends who couldn’t go home and the children. The lights  in different colours decorating the place along with flowers. The smelly incense and the muslim chants in urdu or local languages or persian. The fact that everyone was helping in some way or another, except me at first but I got to do some chores in the end after insisting ‘til exhaustion. And the visits of the neighbors in the afternoon or other parts of the family. I went with one of the house’s teens to her friend’s place in the afternoon : there, she told, her friends will be gathered. We had chai and Indian sweets and the mom of the friend tried to bring mutton chops and mutton korma for me but I was way too full. Apart from the fact that the teen girls seemed to think of me as some American stereotype kind of girl from the movies, it was just like hanging out with girls speaking about relationships, clothes, makeup, common friends, little events of life, nice inside jokes and memories. They showed me pictures of their families and friends or boyfriends and shared with me their worries about the future and relationships, or their hopes for studies abroad and freedom tv-style. When they asked me how I felt about the Bakri Eid by far, I tried my best to convey all the magnificence and cosmic grace I felt and that was bestowed upon me. They were surprised. For them, the bakri Eid is vacation, a good reason to buy lots of bangles and have heena or an excuse to get fat on good red meat. They found the whole family gathering overwhelming. They thought the children too noisy, the elders too old-style, and the saughtering barbaric. The nice things about Eid according to them were the clothes and visiting their friends in new clothes or getting to see the far relatives coming home with the young males –who some of them they will marry- or the new babyborn and gifts. And there I thought to myself about my previous Eids. I recall when I was young, the Eid was such a thrilling celebration I could barely sleep in the night out of excitment. As the years passed however, it grew duller and duller : I used to get sick the evening of the Eid or the following day because of the sheep meat. Gravy sheep meat and kababs of organs had a bad effect on my stomach. I ended up vomiting and having a fever for the following days. So, I stopped eating it for once. Which basically makes everything in the Eid a big no-no or no need-to : why should I bother attending the slaughter ? Why should I join the women while they’re preparing the kabab ? Why should I sit with the family when I’m not even eating ? And mostly why would I even bother go out from our home when I’m not even enjoying the day nor finding anything special to it? My mom tried to make me eat some sheep meat and therefore started this tradition of steaming meat with vegetables so it’s healthier and more edible for me. And soon afterwards, my uncles and grannie steamed meat with veggies as well. It was healthier and somehow the meat was tastier now that it’s steamed and with lots of vegetables to make up for the intense flavour. Still, as years passed on, I felt the Eid lost its appeal and even that family time was just a gathering no more. But, seeing people here in Bangalore and listening to these teenagers, I finally realize that it’s each one’s effort to make the mood of the Eid and bring its joyful and warm atmosphere. Thanks to this bakri Eid, all I thought about after the end of the festivities was the next Eid and how I’ll spend it with the family. Gosh to think that I used to spend it in front of my laptop, with a book, or cooking some vegetarian dish !

***

Several Hindu acquaintances wanted to invite me in honors of the Eid. And though I wasn’t able to honor all the invitations, I spent a wonderful closing time with some of them. It was so simple and fun : Neyha invited me for a Kerala massage in an Ayurvedic center. Sunita told me shyly that coffee and apple pie were on her. And I went along with Anu, Sid and Mamta to a small amusement park where Sid tried to scare me on the big wheel and Anu got sick on the breakdance attraction. We ate sweet spicy corn –go figure- and won cotton buds and litte pencil cases at the ball-throwing stand. And all the while, we were discussing sarees, food and Diwali. Anu agreed on having me over at her family’s for the celebration and let me tell you one thing : there’s nothing like the promise of an upcoming celebration spent with a family and friends to lift up your melancholic mood after the end of such a great such an unforgettable Bakri Eid. I’m looking forward to it !!

***

Remember the mom who wanted to feed me mutton chops and korma ? When we were deparrting from the friend’s house, she brought the plates wrapped and a big bag of raw mutton meat. She told me to take the dishes and eat them at home and give the meat to my parents as a little gift of the bakri Eid from their home. I tried to explain to her that my parents are far away, that I’ll be taking a plane for a day and a half after two months and that the meat won’t make it at the airport. I tried and failed. Even the friend failed to convince her mother. I ended up taking everything at home.

***

And speaking of dishes being taken at home, one of my good muslim neighbors gave me a taste, a large taste of her mutton biryani and her pudding, whereas another family I wasn’t even acquainted with prepared a colorful plate of Indian sweets and dried fruits and asked my good neighbor to deliver it to me for they didn’t find me at home.

***

It’s over 4 pages on Word and I’m aware I didn’t tell any of the tale I’ve been told by the children and the elders, I didn’t recount any life story and I didn’t type any of the conversations I had with the witty 83 years-old grandmother –thanks to her daughter’s translation skills- or the sweet 10 years old girl that told me to stop looking at my laptop and just look at her. I’m aware I didn’t faithfully write the chronological events and feelings, the little and big happenings of the three days and not to mention the visit to the church, my planting of a banyan tree in the countryside house, the collection of teas I was offered and the Indian traditional games I was taught.

***

After four hours, I feel drained and yet able to write more but there’s so much, just so much sinking in the bed river of my conscious. I don’t think a long post or a book or postcards or tears of joy or happiness can make a proper tribute to all that. As time goes by in Bangalore, I feel things -feelings and thoughts- growing stronger and stronger and wordings and tributes becoming weaker and weaker. And as the philosophy professor has inspired me to think, I believe it’s our existence, our health, our body, our mind, our soul, our deeds, our attitude, our behaviour, OURSELVES, that are the true and final tribute to what we’ve been given in this adventure. I am the final tribute of all what people pour into me.

So lucky for me, I really like porridge. Any kind of porridge really, but with my recently discovered gluten intolerance, even my choices of porridge have been narrowed down. Before I moved to Seattle, I was basically living of off buckwheat porridge, and absolutely loved it. It was so easy and quick to make, top it with some dried fruits and nuts, and you had yourself a healthy and wholesome breakfast.

However, I’ve been unable to find buckwheat flour in Seattle, like the kind we have in Denmark, so once again I’ve had to find something else to eat. One thing that I really love about this country though, is the fact that you can find pretty much anything in a glutenfree version. Granted, you’re paying a little extra for those products, but it’s still nice to have the freedom to cook “normal” meals glutenfree.

I usually do my grocery shopping at either QFC on Broadway or Safeway on 15th, and both places have a good selection of both glutenfree and lactosefree products. I started buying GF oats from Bobs Red Mill (they have them at both supermarkets), and cook oatmeal for breakfast. It takes less than five minutes to make, and will keep you full for hours.

So, GF oatmeal is my current go-to breakfast, what’s yours?

GF oatmeal topped with a little bit of pepper/raspberry jam, raisins, chopped almonds, and a little almond milk. So delicious!

Photos by Suzanne

I am heading to Mexico for business. Here I am waiting at the gate with time to spare so thought I would share a pic of the Vegan traveler pack. Love how apple connects with Vegans had to do it … my snack pack should last me the whole trip. Will update and check in if I can although I have quite alot of business to do so not sure on time. Earlier this year I traveled to Hawaii easily as a Vegan – a plug for Alaska Airlines here – I was stunned to learn they offered a Vegan option for snacks on board – that was awesome and I sent them an email of compliments for this progressive forward move. Hawaii was easy for Vegan travelers with plenty of options. Will be looking for Vegan ideas where I am and advise back when I get a chance for an update.

Ok, so not that I’m the biggest fan of these to start with but my fiancé is CRAZY over these. He loves them for breakfast, before workouts and just as a healthy snack in general since it’s loaded with goodness! And yes, I’ll have to admit now that these are pretty good!! Especially with a bit of chocolate chips…which shall be added to my next batch!

There seems to be a bit of slightly varying recipes out there but this one seems to be closest to it and as my guy says, it’s even better!!

The Pretty-Much-Real-Deal Clif Bar Recipe (adapted from nearlydeaf.com)
Recipe makes 9 bars (original recipe said 6 but that would make them way too big!)

Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups Rice Krispies
- 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
- 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal (apparently this works wonders for your digestive system. Ahem…makes you pretty regular…:)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (original recipe called for 1/4 cup finely chopped but having more increased the sweetness which made them even better. Also, I simply used Crasins whole without chopping for convenience)
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds
- 1/4 cup corn syrup/ brown rice syrup
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the Rice Krispies, quick-cooking oats, flaxseed meal, crasins, and chopped almonds.
2. In a saucepan, combine the syrup, honey and brown sugar and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Stir the mixture continuously (to ensure it doesn’t burn & stick!) as it will only take a minute or so to boil. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the almond butter, vanilla extract and almond extract until the mixture is blended.
3. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry mixture, and stir with a spoon until evenly coated. As the liquid cools, the mixture will become stiff.
4. You can use an 8″ square pan or a cookie sheet (I skipped the part to spray with cooking spray as I found the “dough” doesn’t stick). Press the mixture into the pan. Use wax paper to help press the mixture flat and even across the pan.
5. Allow the pan to cool for about an hour and cut into 9 bars.

Keep them refrigerated as I found that they store for at least 2 weeks! For long term storage, you can freeze them, but I’ve yet to see how long they can freeze well for…

AND in case you’re interested…Nutritional Facts below!:
Each Bar Contains:
232 calories, 8 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, 35 grams of carbs, 9 grams sugar, 5.4 grams fiber, 5.5 grams sodium and they are a good source of calcium, phosphorous, zinc, iron, magnesium, vitamins A and B6 and Omega 6 and Omega 3.

Ideas for Variations:

- Syrups: Feel free to use any kind of syrup you like as this acts as the adhesive for the ingredients. You can choose from brown rice syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup or half/half with some honey if you like!
- Nut Betters: I prefer using almond butter just because I love almonds a lot but for a less pricey alternative, you can sub with good ol’ peanut butter!
- Dry Fruits: Cranberries, blueberries, mangoes, apples, raisins, dates, prunes, apricots, cherries, etc. As long as it’s dried, why not?
- Additional Ingredients: This is where you can be creative! You can always do a combo of cinnamon + dried apples for a apple pie treat or cherries with dark chocolate chips

This time of year is when things get really hard for a lot of people like me because goodies seem to be everywhere. There are bowls of candy popping up all over the place- coworkers bake and share with the office- the season of holiday parties has begun- etc.

I fully endorse partaking in seasonal sweets all in moderation. Don’t you worry- I’ll be having plenty. But on a day-to-day basis, making sure I enjoy the tastes of fall (and sweets!) in a healthy way ensures that I don’t go overboard with these treats when they’re presented to me.

Here are some of the yummy things I have been partaking in:

1) Sugar Free Werthers

I think I love werthers’ hard candies because of my grandfather. I just had a pang of homesickness hit me thinking about him. He is notorious for slipping the grand kids little sweets here and there like smartees and werthers. I’m sure he was happy to see my lil’ bowl of them on my table when he was here this weekend.

That caramel/ butterscotchy flavor is so seasonal to me. I love it. CVS had bags of sugar free werthers on sale (5 candies for only 40 calories FYI). I bought the regular flavor, cinnamon, and coffee. Mmmmm. Perfect for a pop of caramel.

2) Low-Cal Hot Cocoa

Not clean eating at all but I’m okay with it. It cures my chocolate cravings and keeps me warm. I’m excited to experiment with it and mix it into tea, vanilla almond milk, and perhaps create something with pumpkin? We shall see where the fall/winter takes me.

3) Low-Cal Caramel

Again, like the opposite of clean eating but I love caramel. Having it in a bottle is so easy for when I’m looking for something to sweeten up some apples. Will and I nommed some of it drizzled on apples while we watched Food Network’s Halloween Wars.

We are Food Network junkies.

4) Eating Seasonally

Speaking of apples… eating seasonable whole foods that are good for me help me to stay healthy and happy. Apples, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin can easily be turned into dessert feeling foods with the help of some honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats, etc. Google recipes! Explore pinterest! Endless possibilities.

Not to mention, dried fruits like cranberries and raisins can make the perfect add-ins to ordinary foods like oatmeal or cereal to give you that fall feel. And they are deliciously sweet.

The amount of good, sweet recipes out there incorporating butternut squash, cranberries, pears, figs, are ABSURD. All of the food I’m mentioning now not only tends to be cheaper because it’s in season, but it’s a healthy way to embrace the season.

5) Baked Oatmeal and Other Sweet Breakfasts

Almost all of my breakfasts are sweet. It’s my favorite way to wake up. Fruit is a must in my breakfasts- and it’s usually in the form of banana. It’s just the perfect way to add sweetness and creaminess to oatmeal, pancakes, and other breakfast creations. I can’t help myself. Don’t even get me started on pumpkin…

You’ve seen me make Kath’s baked banana oatmeal and her baked pumpkin oatmeal. Both are warm and delicious and sweet.

I’ve been digging the Sweet Breakfast Scramble by Tina of Carrots N Cake too.

Two-ingredient pancakes and oatmeal can be customized to include canned pumpkin, dried fruits, and other fall-y deliciousness you have on hand.

Just last week- I didn’t blog about it- but I used half a pumpkin muffin given to me by a friend to add to my oatmeal in the morning for a more balanced but also semi-indulgent breakfast. It’s all about balance and moderation my friends.

6) Tina’s Americano

I got this idea from Tina of Carrots N Cake for a relatively low-cal pumpkin Starbucks drink… she does an iced americano with one pump of pumpkin spice.

I’m working on figuring out a good combo to get from Dunkin Donuts (my true love) But I do know a small pumpkin flavored hot coffee from Dunkin is only 100 calories so it’s not too bad. And I’m pretty sure it’s like an extra ten to make it a pumpkin mocha or pumpkin white chocolate.

Share with me your favorite Fall bites and sips! xoxo

P.S. If you haven’t check out Taylor Swift’s new album “Red” yet- I highly recommend it. I’ve been listening to it nonstop today.

If you’ve planned a wedding, you know what it takes.  Guests lists, linen choices, the juggling of families and friends, invitations, attire, and a plethora of other decisions about details big and small.  Managing it all without turning into a raging bridezilla (or groomzilla in the name of gender equality) requires finesse and more than a little patience.  It’s a wonderfully exciting time, but it’s also exhausting.

So could you imagine adding a cooking challenge to your engagement?  This recipe for jeweled rice is a traditional part of a Persian wedding banquet.  The rice, studded with dried fruits and sprinkled with pistachios, is said to bring good luck to the newly married couple.  I’ve also read that a bride’s cooking prowess is judged by her ability to execute this dish.

Parboiled before being tossed with dried fruits, the rice is then scooped atop sautéed onions in spiced butter.  You don’t add water to the pot and during cooking, the rice at the bottom crisps up to form a crunchy layer known as tah-dig while the rest of the rice steams until tender.  Heat control is key here and it’s a bit of a tricky balance for the cook.  I, for one, know that I wouldn’t have wanted to add it to my pre-wedding festivities although I would have delighted to have this sultry dish on my buffet table.

This time of year, I like to pull out Persian Jeweled Rice to add splash to my holiday table.  It’s hard to change tradition and if you are like me, you have your favorite Thanksgiving dishes that you want to be the same year after year.  Yet as a cook, you might also desire to get out of your routine and do a little something different.  Enter this recipe.  While folks may delight in your sweet potato casserole or your homemade apple pie, I would guess that the rice on your table does not gather guests round.  Why not change that?

This spectacular dish requires a bit more prep than traditional rice, but it’s well worth your effort.  Don’t feel compelled to follow the recipe directly. Use whatever dried fruits you have on hand and toasted sliced almonds would make a worthy substitute for the pistachios.   Do rinse your rice repeatedly before parboiling.  This step rinses off the starch and ensures that your finished product is light and fluffy.   Happy cooking!

Persian Jeweled Rice - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 8 to 10

Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl

4 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/4 cups white long grain basmati rice
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
6 black peppercorns
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped dried apricots
1 stick unsalted butter
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, gently smashed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
Special equipment:  cheesecloth, twine, and a thin cloth towel

In a large (5-quart) pot, bring the water and salt to a boil.  Wash the rice under running water several times.  Make a bouquet garni using cheesecloth and twine, containing the cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and black peppercorns.  Once the water is boiling, add the rice and the bouquet garni to the pot.  When the water returns to a boil, cook for 5 minutes then drain the rice and let it sit in a sieve.  Do not discard the bouquet garni.

Toss the fruit together in a large bowl.   In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat and stir in the ground cardamom.  Remove three tablespoons of the butter and set aside.  Add the saffron threads and the yellow onion to the pot and sauté until the onion is soft.

Spread the sautéed onions evenly over the bottom of the pot.   Add the rice to the dried fruit and toss to combine.   Pour the rice, dried fruit and the bouquet garni over the sautéed onions and butter.  Make holes in the rice to the bottom of the pot with the handle of a wooden spoon.  Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over the rice.

Cover the pot with a tea cloth and a heavy lid (be careful that the tea cloth is not close to the flame).  Cook over medium-low heat for 30 to 35 minutes.

Let the rice sit, off heat, for at least 15 minutes.  Scoop the rice out of the pot and into a bowl.  If needed, dip the bottom of the pot into a bowl of cold water to loosen the crunchy rice (tah-dig) that is covering the bottom of the pot.   Scoop the crunchy rice out of the pot and sprinkle it over the rice.  Sprinkle the final dish with the chopped pistachios and serve.

It looks good even before it’s baked!

The finished product! Awesome with a glass of Almond milk!

One for me, one for you!

The first olives to be ready to sell from this year’s harvest are the koroneiki, which are picked either green or black. (The kalamata is a later olive). I have chosen to sell the green koroneiki because it is so different to the black kalamata we have all been enjoying from last year’s crop. The flesh of this green olive is firm and the flavour excellent.

The koroneiki olive has high levels of polyphenols (antioxidants) and, when picked green, has the highest levels of  any olive. It is the leaves of this olive tree that are used to make olive leaf extract, a substance reputed to have a range of health benefits which you can read about here.

The first barrels have arrived this week and I can’t wait to take them to the market!

With the rising alertness of the need to improve diet and carefully watch the foods we eat and the food we give our family, it pays to educate ourselves on dried fruit nutrition. Dry fruits are considered rich source of nutrients and regarded as delicacies.  Several fruits that come under dry fruits category are: Cashews, Walnuts, Almonds, Raisins, Pistachio, Date, Peanuts, Macadamia nuts, Hazelnut etc. Dry fruits are known since old times to have great nutritional benefits attached to them. Dried fruits are rightly blended with substantial quantities of essential nutrients in a rational proportion. They contain essential minerals, vitamins and enzymes. These fruits are packaged in aesthetic designs either as assorted or as a mix in different proportions and sold as gift pack in the market at good prices.

Dried fruits and nuts give great nutrition to the body. Particularly in those times where the body is stressed out physically and needs some immediate nutrition, these snacks are the best way to provide it to the body. As a snack, these are preferable to fresh fruits because they provide sugar in a more concentrated form like raisins also added a boost of taste to tasteless foods. We also know that raisins and dates are a good source of fiber. Dry fruits are hygienically processed and enriched with high nutritional elements to make them yummy and ready to be consumed uncooked or used in a variety of foods items to make them tasty. You can make your own by drying your own fruit which is easy but a little bit time consuming.

Dried fruit has superior concentrations of certain vitamins, minerals and antioxidant element than its fresh counterparts. Vitamin and mineral content of dried fruit varies depending on what kind of fruit it is. However, compared to fresh fruits, vitamin and mineral content is often higher. There are thousands of varieties for dried fruits available globally. Now a day these fruits and nuts are becoming the mean of gifts for festival occasions. People are sending different types of dried fruits gift boxes to their loved ones on the occasions of festivals, especially on Diwalli. But before you buy, make certain that you locate a company that uses natural methods to dry their fruits, rather than chemical agents. has a high nutritional content and when combined with dried nuts, it can provide a very healthy snack.