I was interviewed by the Vancouver Sun last month about how to make healthy choices in ethnic dining. I wanted to have a permanant link to the article on my blog so here it is: Bidding goodbye to butter chicken: How to find healthy ethnic food

Chicken Masala

Sunday Mr. Gaunt and I decided to make this Indian dish that I’ve had on the menu for a while. I had tried last week to find garam masala seasoning at the regular grocery store but couldn’t, so Mr. Gaunt and I found an Indian Grocer near our house on Sunday. The Grocer we went to was suer small but had tons of cool Indian spices and ingredients. There was also a super sweet young guy working there that we chatted with for a while who gave us a great website to look up Indian recipes and videos. We found the one thing we needed and got some other fun items, including my favorite Naan Bread!

The Recipe I used was the easiest I could find, indian food often has a million ingredients. We of course did a few substitutes, instead of white rice we did Quinoa, and I only used 2 chicken breast dipped in Whole Wheat Flour. I also used half a bag of frozen red and green peppers instead of peas. It turned out really well, and pretty spicy (we did 2 tablespoons of the Garam Masala) both of really enjoyed it. Oh and incase you make this recipe note that it feeds at least 4 people, so you will have leftovers!

Friday the 15^th of January I was at the closing event of the Foundation for Tomorrow workshop cycle which aims to educate women about the water footprint of home cooking. The women who attended the cooking workshops were awarded a special certificate to acknowledge their expertise on cooking home made meals more sustainably. More that 70 women attended the ceremony, most of them are of a Turkish background.

The Foundation for Tomorrow (Stichting voor Morgen) is the initiative of Sevim Zor, who is a ICT software engineer working in the Netherlands, but with a background in Turkey. Sevim started the Foundation in order to make available scientific information about water footprint in an easily understandable way for practical situations in daily life. One of the projects is a series of ten workshops Cook for Tomorrow (Koken voor Morgen), which were given in low income neighborhoods in The Hague aimed at people of different ethnic backgrounds. Workshop participants are stimulated to cook their (traditional) dishes with produce grown regionally (rather than in their country of origin), and also to store them properly in order to avoid wasting food.

One of the workshops has been attended by two colleagues of mine from the Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Leo Dvortsin who is a researcher interested in ethnic food and ethnic entrepreneurship and Mehmet Dogan who acted as interpreter. Leo is also one of the co-authors of a study into the market potential for ethnic food, commissioned by the Task Force Multifunctional Agriculture, published in january.

The Foundation for Tomorrow features as a case study in this report, and it is a very inspiring example for those who are busy making our urban food systems more sustainable without losing sight of the socio-economic constraints that many city dwellers face, as well as celebrating the ethnic diversity that inhabits our country.

‘’The ceremony is not the closing event’’, said Sevim Zor, who took the initiative for the cooking workshops more than three years ago. She plans to roll out the concept to other groups of women in The Hague and also to other Dutch cities with large ethnic communities. The festivities this morning also included a little quiz competition, where people were asked to raise their hands in a multiple choice questionnaire setting to estimate the water content of several ingredients, often used in ethnic dishes.

The winners were awarded a set of practically designed placemats, that can be used in the kitchen, and which show information about water content of food ingredients as well as recipes of more sustainable (Turkish) dishes. These placemats will also be the new teaching material for the upcoming workshops. ‘’Women who cook every day meals are not just cooks but also teachers’’, said Sevim, ‘’they should encourage other family members to be more conscious about using scarce resources, such as food, water and energy’’.

One of the concerns of the Foundation is however that its activities depend on voluntary work to a large extend. The women who organize the workshops may have demanding jobs elsewhere as well. The workshop cycle was sponsored (by Fonds 1818) but the women devote so much more time to organize everything efficiently and effectively. If this is to become a bigger initiative, the funding issue requires more attention. I was the only male attending the meeting (except for Omar Hunkar, a personal friend of Sevim and the photographer for this occasion). And although the teaching material is all in Dutch, for the most of the time the women socialized in Turkish, a language I do not understand. But it was a fantastic experience, the Foundation for Tomorrow is a gem in the Dutch metropolitan landscape worth nurturing, no matter the language used to convey the message.

Traditionally an English pick nick food, the Scotch egg is one of my favorite things to make. Of course there are many variations on preparation. In authentic pubs they will be deep fried. I however prefer not to fry and instead bake them.

Having read my article on boiling the perfect egg, you are halfway to Scotch egg deliciousness. For the batch I made this evening, I used three pounds of ground turkey sausage and six boiled eggs. One and half pounds of the sausage was of the spicy or hot Italian style and the other half was regular turkey sausage.

Roll your boiled eggs in a bit of starch or flour, this will help the slippery egg and sausage bond.

Form a patty with the sausage and wrap it around the shelled boiled egg, then rolling the ball back in forth in your hands close the seam and place on a cooking sheet that has been lined with foil. Even with turkey sausage quite a bit of grease drops from the meat.

Put your Scotch eggs into pre heated 350 degree oven and turn them every ten minutes or so for an even browning. Once the sausage is cooked in about 35 min, let them rest on the counter for another five.

I love eating these things hot, and with a very course ground mustard. Sometimes I add just a bit of horseradish to really spice it up. Traditionally they are served cold, but a lot of the things English people do is different, so I prefer mine hot.

For all my low carb friends out there, these are the best!

Cheers

This week I ate at two places new to me. The Silly Goose in East Nashville features locally grown and organic food in its dishes; a chalkboard on the wall lists some of their suppliers and the foods they’ve supplied. The Goose’s menu is very simple and, I imagine, subject to change with the seasons. I actually ate there twice this week.

Inside The Silly Goose

The first time I had the Sparky wrap, with turkey breast, basil aioli, dried cranberries, brie, pecans, and baby greens, with a side of herbed couscous and a basil lemonade. All very tasty, and the basil  lemonade was a revelation. A touch of balsamic syrup on the couscous was just right. On the second occasion, I had the Goose Stack salad, with chopped mango and roasted red pepper, sliced avocado, goat cheese, tomato, baby greens, mint, and basil. This dish was very artfully prepared. The greens, topped with a ginger-citrus vinaigrette, were separated to one side of the plate, while, as the name indicates, the other ingredients were stacked: tomato slice on the bottom, topped with the other items. Again, very tasty, and all the ingredients were fresh. My wife and I tried the orange coriander ice cream, which was fantastic. Check out the Nashville Scene’s review of The Silly Goose here.

Cafe Bosna turned out to be in an unassuming strip mall I’d passed many times without giving it a second thought. Owner Sevala Kulovic and her husband were refugees from the Bosnian war and have now been in the States sixteen years. Her menu features a mix of American and Eastern Europe-inspired dishes; she usually has a special or two not listed on the menu. On the night we visited, it was the traditional goulash, which I couldn’t pass up. I had it over rice, with a side salad and pita bread. Delicious. The beef practically melted in my mouth. (Yes, I generally avoid meat unless I know where it comes from. So sue me. I loved every bite.) My wife had a ginger veggie wrap, which she gave a thumbs-up to. Check out The Tennessean’s recent review here.

Sevala Kulovic, owner of Cafe Bosna

In addition to the delicous food, what made dining at these places enjoyable was the friendliness of the staff and the intimacy of the spaces. The Silly Goose is practically a hole in the wall; there are only four tables and a bar with four stools for seating. Apparently they are set up to do a lot of take-out. But the staff was very friendly and helpful, and when your food arrives there’s no doubt it’s been hand-made. Cafe Bosna has a somewhat bigger space but, like The Silly Goose, its seating area and kitchen area feel very open to each other, with only a counter separating them. The night my wife and I were there, only a couple other patrons were in the restaurant, and Sevala took time to talk to us and tell us a bit of her own story. Honestly, it felt like we were visiting a Bosnian great-aunt we never knew we had. We promised we’d be back—and we will.

So, a couple of discoveries in Nashville dining this week. And the more you find places like this, the harder it is to go back to the corporate, industrialized, pseudo-hospitality dining of Chili’s, Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesday, etc.

Mexican food is my personal favorite, and the best part about it is that you can use most of the same ingredients for multiple dishes. So, if you love Mexican food, a few ingredients can go a long way.

(Photo from www.carlsjr.com)

Key Ingredients that can be used for most Mexican dishes:

-Shredded Cheese

-Refried Beans

-Carne Asada

- Tortillas

-Tortilla Chips

-Salsa

-Guacamole (or Avocados, and make using My Signature Guacamole Recipe)

-Sour Cream

-Jalapeños for the spicy lovers (add to any dish if desired)

-Mexican Rice

Bulky Burrito

Ingredients:

1. Olive Oil
2. Salt
3. 1 Big Tortilla
4. Shredded Cheese
5. Refried Beans
6. Mexican Rice
7. Carne Asada
8. Guacamole
9. Sour Cream
10. Salsa

Preparation:

Fully cook meat and warm up beans and rice. When these ingredients are ready bring a tablespoon of olive oil to a shimmer on a frying pan big enough for your tortilla. Dash in a little bit of salt. Then warm up one side of your tortilla until air bubbles appear then flip over and start adding ingredient in any order on only half of the tortilla. After the cheese is melted then remove the tortilla with all the added ingredients and roll the tortilla up starting at the side with all the ingredients on it. Fold in the sides of the tortilla as you roll forward.

Loaded Quesadilla

Ingredients:

1. Olive Oil
2. Salt
3. 2 Tortillas of your choice
4. Shredded Cheese (preferably Mexican Blend, Sharp Cheddar, or Colby Jack)
5. 1 Tomato
6. Spinach
7. Carne Asada
8. Refried Beans
9. Sour Cream
10. Guacamole

Preparation:

Slice tomato, warm up refried beans, and fully cook meat. Bring a tablespoon of olive oil to a shimmer on a frying pan big enough for your tortillas. Dash in a little bit of salt. Then warm up each tortilla on the stove, one at a time, on one side only until air bubbles appear, and then remove. After this place the not warmed side of one tortilla on the pan and start adding all the ingredients in any order, including the warmed up beans, the sliced tomato, guacamole and sour cream. Then place the warmed up side of the tortilla directly on top of the added ingredients, so that when you flip the whole quesadilla the not warmed side of the tortilla can get warmed up. Flip after thirty seconds. Let warm for thirty more seconds and then remove from pan.  Cut in half, and you are ready to eat! Accompany with chips and salsa, and/or Mexican rice and you have yourself a full meal.

Mountainous Nachos

Ingredients:

1. Tortilla Chips
2. Shredded Cheese
3. Refried Beans
4. Carne Asada
5. Guacamole
6. Sour Cream
7. Salsa

Preparation:

Fully cook meat and warm up beans. Place two handfuls of tortilla chips on a microwavable safe plate. Sprinkle shredded cheese all over chips and microwave for 30 seconds or until cheese is melted. Then load the rest of the ingredients on top for a delicious plate of loaded nachos.

We are not big into take out, but on the odd occasion we do Chinese take out; I am always surprised at the vast amounts of steamed rice that are left over. Some may just throw those paper boxes off into the trash, but there is gold in there boxes. Golden Fried rice!

The secret to fried rice is cold, dried out rice, just like you will have if you stash those boxes in the fridge for a week.

I will just say a word here about the equipment needed for fried rice production. A wok would be perfect to do this, but I have this thing about kitchen gear that serves multiple purposes and a wok just cannot do that for me, so I use a large omelet pan to keep everything inside and off my gleaming cook top.

The only special item that you might not have on hand that is for me a necessity is sesame oil. This can be found in the grocery store in the Asian food section. Sesame oil lends a wonderful toasted flavor to the rice and also provides many health benefits including the lowering of blood pressure ( I am not a licensed physician, but I am a member of several 12 step programs…).

So let’s get cooking! Fried rice can be made with just about anything use your imagination and fridge. Today I happen to have a can of turkey Spam (more on this in later posts and for you spam-o-phobes you can use any meat that you like) some pineapple celery and carrots. I am going for a Hawaiian style fried rice to be served with eggrolls that are going to come out of a box. I don’t do a lot of deep frying so the frozen variety is my best option. I gained an attraction for Spam while in Hawaii, it seems to be the only meat on the islands and cheaper than chicken gizzards it is fun to cook and kids love it.

My pan gets nice and hot before adding olive oil and the cubed spam. I sauté this until seared on the outside. While I am doing this I grab the rice out of the fridge and in a large bowl break up the rice, getting rid of clumps. I also add a little salt at this point. I will be using soy sauce which is very salty, so go easy here.  Once the spam is fried up I will sauté the diced carrots and celery until slightly steamed. They get set aside with the fried spam and finally the onions are sautéed for just a few minutes to release the natural oils.

Beat an egg or two or three depending on the amount of rice you like and keep it on standby. For my giant batch I used four, and in true Cantonese style they were scrambled and served on top of the rice.

My omelet pan is fired up hot and I add sesame oil and olive oil to the hot pan and in goes the rice. I use my patented flip to keep the pile of rice moving and off the bottom. The key to stir fry is move move move. The high heat keeps the food cooking and the constant moving keeps the mixing going on. Dash of pepper here, splash of soy sauce there, then taste taste taste.

Food to me is labor of love and all the effort that I put in, all the flipping and prep and getting ready is only to show how much I love you. So when you come to my house and I cook for you, you will know that the special meal that I serve you is my way of saying I love you…..

Cheers

Eliza brought me to one of the Asian Groceries in Greenville last night.  It is located out on Wade Hampton Rd. (Supposedly there is another one out on Laurens Rd.).  I was ecstatic to be in the place.  I love being able to find a whole bunch of ingredients that are hard, if not impossible, to find at other grocery stores.  Also, most of the stuff is very affordable.  I will unquestionably be going back.

My favorite find had to be the two types of dehydrated mushrooms I bought.  They were shiitake and something called chicken mushrooms (which were not, incidentally, chicken of the wood).  I was also very pleased to buy a large thing of turmeric powder for under $2 (this was a 4oz container mind you . . . I have not been able to find even a 1.1oz container of turmeric at regular grocery stores for under $5).  I have found that ethnic groceries almost always seem to be the best place for buying spices (along with the turmeric I bought a big thing of chili powder, curry powder, and lemon grass powder, all three being things I was wanting to add to my spice collection).

For dinner I reconstituted some of the mushrooms I bought in a small sauce pan with vegetable stock, vinegar, soy sauce, and a bit of lemon juice.  In a large pan I stir fried onion, garlic, a small amount of crazy hot Thai chili peppers (I mean these things are really fierce), fresh chopped ginger, and two beautiful eggplants.  I also cooked up some soba noodles (but made the mistake of cooking them too early so they ended up being a big stuck together clump by the time everything else was done).  Once the veggies had cooked pretty well I added the mushrooms, and the noodles (which Eliza suggested I slice up with the knife so that they were not a huge sticky block of buckwheat noodlage) and then it was ready to serve.  For a little extra flavoring we garnished our plates with sriracha sauce.  This was a delightful and simple meal (and I have plenty of leftovers for lunch today. Yay!).

As I cook more and more I am finding that I have a really strong leaning toward Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines.  I love all sorts of curries and am find of a good number of the essential ingredients within the specific regional cuisines.  Of course I tend to be a very inventive cooker and rely heavily upon improvisation in the kitchen, pairing flavors where I think they will fit, so likely my primary cooking styles are more of a hybridization of more eastern cuisines.  Whatever it is, it all seems to produce delicious and filling meals.

I fully intend to return to the Asian Grocery in the future (probably the not to distant future at that).

Red light (or pink light, rather) district, bark and bugs for dinner, and homemade plum wine. That’s my first light at Dali, an ancient city tucked in Southwest China.

When our bus pulled into Dali’s West gate, the departing sun was hanging above the iron-gray city walls over a thousand years old. The sky was pained stripes of pink, golden and purple.

Dali is located on a fertile plateau between the Cangshan mountains to the west and Erhai lake to the east. It’s the ancient capital of both the kingdom Nanzhao, which flourished in the area during the 8th and 9th centuries, and the Kingdom of Dali, which reigned from 937-1253.

December was the offseason at this otherwise busy tourist haunt. The cold air swept in from the lake as the rainbow sky turned slate. Small bands of sightseers speckled the narrow streets meshing mud-brick houses with white walls and arched black shingle roofs. The city was alight for the visitors with rows of shops beckoning them in for souvenirs, crafts, snacks and drink.

We were out hunting for food and wandered into a street dimly lit except for pink light blazing out of every other shop. Each had similar settings: long couches lining the walls, a coffee table in the middle, pink florescent lights beaming on posters of scantily-clad human figures, and women wrapped in tight sweaters and knee-high boots lounged around on the couches, sometimes with men in their mix. It didn’t take too much effort to guess the goings-on at these houses.

So we went back to the brighter part of the town and walked into a restaurant that advertised local ethnic food on its window. We asked a waiter with hair that looked like Son Goku in Dragon Ball Z for recommendations. “If you guys are brave enough,” he suggested with a smirk, “deep fried water dragonflies are pretty tasty.”

Charlie and I exchanged a look and a nod: Of course we were brave enough.

We also ordered stir-fried bark and homemade plum wine to wash them down.

So they came.

The bark looked like the skin of the poplar—grayish white with black specks. It was chewy and a little bitter.

Then there were the “water dragonflies,” hundreds of them, fried golden, piling in a white plate and staring at us with their enormous eyes. They looked just like grown-up dragonflies except for teeny wings, also fried golden and translucent.

Charlie and I exchanged another look, wimpiness in each eye.

“I’ll follow you,” I half pleaded and half ordered.

Charlie drew a deep breath and said “ok.”

So he picked up one of the unfortunate creatures with chopsticks, opened his mouth wide, sent the insect ever so cautiously in as if steering an airplane into a hangar, closed his mouth, drew another deep breath before started chewing haltingly and gently.

Now there’s no backing away for me.

I sent in a golden bug with its bulging eyes, slender body, stringy legs and all into my own mouth. My teeth cut through a thin crispy crust and hit some soft matter while the entirety of the inside of me coiled into a tight knot.

It tasted rather bland.

I was slowly uncoiling when Charlie piped up: “Do you feel that some of the legs are clinging to your gum and that you have to lick them off really hard?”

That’s it for bug eating.

And the “water dragonflies” turned out to be young dragonflies, so I’m still feeling deeply guilty for chomping on such lovely creatures.

Question of the Day: What is your favorite ethnic food?

If you can’t view the video, Click Here

Happy to celebrate Christmas Eve with friends from Hawaii:
@melissa808, @melissa_kim, @turkeyboy808

We tried out Island Style in Las Vegas, Nevada, to get samplings of local Hawaii food in Vegas. This was a blend of Hawaii local with Korean.

Our answers included Korean, Japanese, Thai, Chinese (most those responses mine LOL).

What’s your favorite ethnic food?

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Check out @melissa808’s “Urban Plate Mix”, a popular blog on The Honolulu Advertiser site.

When the holidays come around, my mind immediately wanders back to the days our family gathered around my grandparent’s dining room table with a huge plate of steaming lutefisk set upon it.  My grandmother was from German descent, but my grandfather came directly from Sweden as a young boy.  So, my grandmother learned to cook the Scandinavian fish delicacy for the family.  We always ate it on potatoes with white gravy.  That is just the way it came.  I was told that it was because we are Swedes and that it was the only proper way to eat it.

My grandfather, Walter, took pride in finding lutefisk fresh in the Ballard, Washington, markets.  Ballard is a city just north of the city of Seattle, across the Lake Union canal, and sports more than its fair-share of Pacific Northwest Scandinavians.  My grandmother, Evelyn, took pride in complimenting the seasonal foods with all things Scandinavian – yulekake, krumkake, rosettes, lefsa, and kringla.

Now, lutefisk lovers all over the world have suffered ridicule at the hands of non-lutefisk eaters.  I do not know why there is such animosity towards us.  So, to better garner mutual understanding and perhaps greater dialogue on such culinary subjects, I offer below the recipe for cooking lutefisk from “Our Favorite Grange Recipes,” which was compiled and edited by the Home Economics Committee of the California State Grange with Gladys True as Chairperson and printed in 1965 by the Record of Yolo County:

• Saw dried imported Lutefisk (a North Atlantic cod fish) into 3 parts.

• Clean thoroughly and place in a wooden bowl or pail.

• Add water to cover and set in a cool place for 5 to 6 days.  Change water each day.

• Remove fish and thoroughly clean wooden bowl.

• Make a solution of water, lime, and ashes and allow to stand overnight.

• Drain off clear liquid and pour over soaked fish.  Set in a cool place for 7 days.

• When fish is soft, remove from solution, scrub bowl well and soak fish for several days in cold clear water.

• Cook in boiling salted water at simmering temperature for about 20 minutes.

• Drain well and serve.

NOTE:  The Norwegians serve the fish with melted butter; the Swedes serve it with white or mustard sauce.  Allow 1/3 pound per person.

And that is just for the first piece of lutefisk!  Two things are made very, very clear when reading this recipe.  First, preparing and cooking lutefisk takes a lot of forethought and planning.  There is a good three weeks before one could eat this delicacy.  Also, I would like to humbly point out, this obviously takes a higher than average level of intelligence.  Secondly, at the end of the process, the cook has a very clean bowl.

I have recently lived in another lutefisk eating haven of North America. It is the Red River Valley of the North.  The beautiful thing about living there is that virtually every truck stop and restaurant serves lutefisk for the holidays.  Why, one could eat out at a different restaurant every night of the week from Thanksgiving until Christmas and have lutefisk every night!  It is obvious that this truly is the place of “Walhalla” – “the valley of the gods.”  These people are blessed.  Truly blessed by the divine.

Walhalla, Pembina Gorge, North Dakota ©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

I consider myself to be a fortunate man to have such a rich heritage and life experience.  I am thankful that I live in the United States of America.  This is a rich and bountiful land filled with people from all over the world.  These holidays allow us to give thanks and celebrate the religious background that helped us attain such blessings.

However, if you are like me, as we enter into the holiday seasons, it is much too easy in the hustle and bustle to forget that gratitude and appreciation should be the greatest marks of the season.  Somehow this gets lots in the midst of frantic Christmas shopping, Thanksgiving meal planning and cooking, company Christmas parties, family gatherings, and decorating.  The greatest challenge to all of us is to not let the overindulgence of our materialistic society numb us to all that we are blessed with in this world.  I want to gently caution you as I remind myself:  Do not forfeit your future as collateral for fulfillment today with material goods that fade so quickly away into a closet, storage unit or Goodwill bin.

Americans seem to think that God will wink at our gluttony and overindulgent materialism in the face of the rest of the world’s needs.  I think we are wrong.  I believe we will be judged as a nation by how we treat the hungry, poor, naked and immigrant in the rest of the world.  Our expanded waistlines as well as overstuffed closets and storage units testify against us like the blood of Abel crying out from the ground.  How can we have and enjoy so much when so many have so little?

I want to challenge all my friends to consider the food you eat and the things you purchase in light of eternity and your eternal reward.  My family, for example, gave Christmas money this year to Gospel for Asia to help purchase a goat for a needy family.  This goat will provide milk and cheese for a long time.  We did this to remind ourselves how blessed we truly are in this world.  There are plenty of local and global ministries that help the poor and downtrodden.  I would recommend visiting the website adventconspiracy.org to get more ideas.  I challenge you to remember these ministry efforts in your giving during this season.  Remember what Jesus said, “In as much as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it unto me”.  Now, there is something that will last much longer than three-week old soaked lutefisk.

©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

‘Twas the day before Christmas, with things all a bustle.
As Mama got set for the Christmas Eve tussle.
Aunts, uncles, and Cousins would soon be arriving,
With stomachs all ready for Christmas Eve dining.
While I sat alone with a feeling of dread,
As visions of lutefisk danced in my head.
The thought of the smell made my eyeballs start burning.
The thought of the taste set my stomach to churning.
For I’m one of those who good Swedes rebuff,
A Scandahoovian boy who can’t stand the stuff.
Each year, however, I played at the game,
To spare Mama and Papa the undying shame.
I must bear up bravely. I can’t take the risk,
Of relatives knowing I hate lutefisk.

Deschutes River and Columbia River Confluence ©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

Then out in the yard I heard such a clatter.
I jumped up to see what was the matter.
There in the snow, all in a jumble,
Three of my uncles had taken a tumble.

From out in the kitchen an odor came stealing,
That fairly set all of my senses to reeling.
The smell of the lutefisk crept down the hall,
And wilted a plant in a pot on the wall.
Uncles Oscar and Lars said “Oh, that smells yummy,”
And Kermit’s eyes glittered while he patted his tummy.

Mama announced dinner by ringing a bell.
They rushed to the table with a whoop and a yell.
I lifted my eyes to heaven and sighed,
And a rose on the wallpaper withered and died.
Then Mama came proudly with a bowl on a trivet.
You would have thought the crown jewels were in it.
She set it down gently and then took her seat.
And Papa said grace before we could eat.
It seemed to me, in my whirling head,
The shortest of prayers he ever had said.

Then Mama raised the cover on that steaming dish,
And I had to face the quivering fish.
The plates were passed for Papa to fill,
While I waited in agony, twixt fever and chill.
He dipped in the spoon and held it up high,
As it oozed to plates, I thought I would die.

Then it came to my plate, and to my fevered brain.
There seemed enough lutefisk to derail a train.
It looked like a mountain of congealing glue,
Yet oddly transparent and discolored in hue.
With butter and cream sauce I tried to conceal it,
I salted and peppered, but the smell would reveal it.

I drummed up my courage, tried to be bold,
Mama reminds me, “Eat before it gets cold.”
Deciding to face it, “Uffda,” I sighed.
“Uffda, indeed,” my stomach replied.

Then summoning the courage for which we are known,
My hand took the fork as with a mind of its own.
And with reckless abandon the lutefisk I ate,
Within 20 seconds, I’d cleaned up my plate.
Uncle Kermit flashed me an ear-to-ear grin,
As butter and cream sauce dripped from his chin.
Then to my great shock, he spoke in my ear,
“I’m sure glad that’s over for another year.”

It was then that I learned a great wonderful truth,
That Swedes and Norwegians from old men to youth,
Must each pay their dues to have the great joy,
Of being known as a good Scandahoovian boy,
And so to tell you all, as you face the great test,
“Happy Christmas to you, and to you all my best.”

(author unknown)

Do you loooove breakfast, so much so that you often eat it again for lunch, and dinner? You could pull off the thrice-daily cereal routine -and yes, I’ve been a culprit – but as great as three servings of Frosted Flakes tastes, I’ve got a dish for you that is as wholesome as a hot breakfast, delicious as a quick lunch, and hearty as a home-cooked dinner. It’s easy, it’s quick, and it’s ethnic to boot.

It’s shakshouka!

Native to North Africa and the Middle East, shakshouka is a breakfast often served straight out of the skillet, with a side of pita bread in which to stuff the piping hot concoction. However, I am a celiac, which means I’m gluten-intolerant (can’t eat anything containing wheat, barley, or rye).  I’m also a distance runner, and I’m constantly looking for more protein to stay full and rebuild muscle. Hence, the following recipe, which reflects my own spin on the ethnic favorite. The chickpeas and black beans offer lean, healthy proteins and the rice, a staple in the celiac diet, allows this classic breakfast to transition easily to lunch or dinner.

Yeah, it might be hard to pronounce, but this stuff is easy to make.
See for yourself! 

Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 chopped green (or red or yellow) bell pepper
1 can chickpeas
1 can black beans
1 chopped red (or white) onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 clove chopped garlic
1 jar tomato sauce
4-6 eggs
Black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and tumeric, to taste
2 cups brown rice
4 cups water

Instructions:

1. Boil the water in a sauce pan. Once the water is on high boil, add the rice and cover, removing the top periodically to allow steam to escape. Do not stir the rice, let it absorb the water on its own.

2.  Coat extra large skillet pan with the oil, turn heat on medium-high. Add onion and peppers, stir until they begin to brown.

3. Add chickpeas, beans, tomato, and garlic. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add tomato sauce, heat until it begins to boil. Add spices at your discretion.

5. Once sauce is boiling and vegetables are cooked through, crack the eggs atop the mixture. No need to break the yolks. Cover the frying pan and turn the heat to low until the eggs are cooked through.

6. Once the eggs are cooked, serve over rice directly from the skillet. Makes 4-5 servings.

As I was looking for a place to celebrate Jason passing the bar, the B Cafe stood out from Opentable. Over 50 types of Belgium beer, and ethnic Belgium food sound like the perfect place for Jason. And let me tell you, I did not regret my choice at all. On the menu, they had beer from 5 Trappist monestaries, as well as a bunch of Abbey ales and specialty brews. Just to show you how rare the Trappist beer is, Wikipedia indicate that there are only 7 in the world that are authorized to label their beers with the Authentic Trappist Porduct logo. 

The Trappist beer Jason tried were Chimay and Rochefort. He also tried one Abbey ale Corsendonk that was much lighter in texture. The Rochefort tasted similar to Chimay Blue but was a much darker and richer beer, very intense. I got the Duvel which was lighter and wheaty with some fruit fusion. It was delicious and not too rich that leaves plenty of room for food.

For our appetizer, we actually got the Moule Frites (an entree) because people raved about it on the review. They cook the mussels in various sauce including garlic and beer, curry, white wine, and saffron with white wine. We got the mussels with garlic and beer, the sauce was intense. The mussels were so good, and we consumed about two pound of mussels were in the pot with the fries that were fried perfectly.

For entress, I got the belgium beef stew, and Jason got the Berkshire Pig served in three ways (pork belly, sausage, and loin). The belgium stew was cooked so good I can still taste it. Jason’s pork belly has very crispy skin with very well marinated meat inside. The loin on the other hand was a little overcooked. The pig dish was served with candied pear which I also loved. Jason said it was too sweet for him.

Overall, our experience at the B Cafe was awesome, we would highly recommend the place. The price was very reasonable with dishes in its lower twenties. If you love beer, that is 100% the place to be.

Have you ever really had a hankering for Southwestern Mexican food? The kind of yearning which is not satisfied by your average Mexican restaurant.  If you are an aficionado of southwest Mexican cuisine then you know what I mean. Even though I love Mexican food, there are times when you need those subtle flavors of the southwest cuisine. Fortunately for those of us that live in Sarasota, we have El Toro Bravo to satisfy our southwest Mexican cravings.

Sarasota's El Toro Bravo

El Toro Bravo is a family friendly, casually oriented, local kind of place. Family owned and operated, the food is real homemade Southwest Mexican cuisine. Individaully prepared, fresh, and tasty.

If you have not been here before, your 1st impression might be “Is this the right place?” Rest assured, once you dip that 1st chip into the homemade salsa you will say to yourself ” I am definitely  in the right place, if not then I just made an outstanding discovery!”  The food is great! Ample portions, well prepared, and served with a desire to do it right. A limited but serviceable beer and wine list are available to accompany your meal.

Not only is the food superb, the price is right. For that reason El Toro Bravo is one of our “Friday Faves.”

SRQ Reviews the restaurant guide you need to find the best dining and new restaurants in Sarasota, Florida.

You can join the El Toro Bravo Club and receive email specials and discount coupons. A great way to try something new.

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Copyright © 2009 Maxine Schackman

More fall food for you on this fine Friday. I’ve got to admit, I’ve never tried making gnocchi, but it seems simple enough and this one sounds too good not to try. And for an update on last week – Fall is now beginning to appear, though subtly, in Southern California.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH GNOCCHI

via CSA Delivery

Gnocchi:
1 butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed, cubed
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring counter and hands
1 cup parmesan cheese
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

White wine butter sauce:
4 Tbsp butter
1 sprig rosemary
2 Tbsp chardonnay
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Place the squash on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt. Roast in the oven for about 35 minutes, turning once. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Transfer to a food processor and pulse. (This can be done a day or two in advance.)

In a bowl, combine the squash puree, flour, cheese, egg yolks and nutmeg and mix to form a uniform dough. Knead the dough and form into a ball. Rip a hunk of dough off the ball and roll it piece into a 1-inch thick rope. Replenishing the flour on your board and hands when necesary, continue to form ropes until you have used up the dough ball. Using a knife, cut each rope into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil.

Next, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the rosemary and wine, cook until the wine has boiled off, but do not allow the sauce to brown.

When the water is at a rolling boiling, add the gnocchi and boil until the gnocchi rise to the surface, about 3 minutes. Remove the gnocchi using a slotted spoon, holding them over the pot until they have thoroughly drained (you may have to do this in batches), then add them to the butter sauce. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat with the sauce. Garnish with a bit more cheese and serve.