ps. one happy thing, one sad

I went for it. I walked down into Oakland proper and got myself a little pick-me-up in the form of a big plate of java fried rice from Spice Island Tea House. This stuff is amazing. I was studying it between bites, but I honestly don't know how they make it so delicious. It is magical. And, at lunch it's only $5.95 (plus $.50 for adding tofu). Dang. I am in love with it! And, it's enough that I was totally happy eating half, and then having the other half to bring home for dinner later. The gift that keeps on giving. I think I may also have just officially started pms-ing today, as that's when my need for java fried rice peaks. I resisted last month, but Spice Island won today. The sweetest defeat I've ever suffered. [if anyone knows the secret recipe, i will give you one gajillion dollars* for it]. It says it has "sweet soy sauce" on the menu. What's sweet soy sauce? It also has millions of bits of tofu (as well as the big chunks added for the $.50), onions, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, green bell peppers, bits of red chilis, green beans, mushroom, egg and crispy shallots.

And, speaking of sweetness? I topped my lunchtime extravaganza off with a cone of cinnamon-apple-honey-granola yogurt from Dave & Andy's. This is my favorite meal on earth, I think.

But, the sad thing referenced in the title of this post? I was going to bottle my kombucha, and when I took one of the canisters out I saw that it had a tear in the paper towel cover, and there were freakin' fruit flies in it. So, I had to throw out a whole batch and two mothers. Luckily I still have two, so can start new batches today, but that's sad. No one wants fruit fly larvae in their fermented beverage treat.

*don't try redeeming this shit. there's no such thing as a gajillion, sucker.

my newest love

I'd been hesitant to post about my newest love because I have his book from the library, and there's only one copy in circulation, and I want to keep it forever. But, I just checked the library site, and now there's a dang hold on my copy so I won't be able to renew it. Crap. Buying new books does not fit into the budget, but I'm in love with this chef and his cookbook. Whoever has the hold on this book--a pox upon you!

So, anyway, the book is The Breakaway Cook by Eric Gower.

Last night I made two of the recipes from his book. The Edamame Salad with Pickled Ginger, Maccha Salt and Roasted Almonds and the Crispy, Tangy Tofu. Holy cow. Both were amazing. Very light and perfect for a summer dinner. I made them, and took them over to Maggie's with a jug of my homebrewed kombucha. Yum.


Eric's whole philosophy of "breakaway cooking" is that:

A breakaway cook is, above all, someone who loves great home cooking without excessive fuss – it’s all about keeping things very simple and accessible. Simplicity is what distinguishes breakaway cooking from fusion food, which often muddies the waters with needless and excessive complexity. Breakaway cooking reaches all over the globe for inspiration and ingredients to produce easy, no-fuss food. The flavors are bright and fresh, and the ideas are simple yet sweeping.

Breakaway cooks aren’t fancy restaurant chefs trying to achieve cutting-edge or trendy results. They typically work solo, or if they’re very lucky sometimes have a friend or family member to help out, and they typically work in imperfect kitchens, with imperfect tools, limited budgets, and limited time to cook.

A breakaway cook is someone who's willing to take a culinary leap by combining everyday staples—chicken, eggs, common vegetables, pasta—with an international bazaar of readily available ingredients: miso, green tea, tamarind, chutney, star anise, pomegranate molasses, lemongrass, ginger and galangal . . . the list seems to grow everyday. The Breakaway Cook shows home cooks how to take these "global flavor blasts" down from the shelf and use them in new, time-saving ways. These intense flavors then get combined with the freshest of local organic produce, and are woken up even more with the liberal use of excellent salts, citrus, fresh herbs, and good olive oils and vinegars.

I love his style, and I LOVE the way those recipes tasted. And, they were really easy and straightforward. I had to make a couple substitutions/omissions, and it was still amazing. I'm especially down with his ideas of making flavored salts and vinegars as a simple way to infuse your cooking with "flavor blasts". I made his maccha salt last night for the edamame recipe, and used it today on some hard-boiled eggs with my lunch. So delicious!

Here's the tofu recipe:

Crispy, Tangy Tofu
serves 4 [ek: uh, this served 2 and I could've totally eaten more]
from The Breakaway Cook, p. 100

zest and juice (about 1/4 c.) of 1 large lemon, preferably Meyer
zest and juice or 1 orange
2 T. carrot juice [ek: i didn't have carrot juice, so just used water]
1 T. honey
1 T. soy sauce [ek: i used Bragg's liquid aminos]
pinch of cayenne
3 scant T. rice flakes or fine dry bread crumbs [ek: i used panko]
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of freshly crushed black pepper
1 block silken tofu, drained, then wrapped in paper towels to absorb moisture
1 egg yolk
1 generous T. unsalted butter
1 t. chopped fresh chives (optional)

Put the citrus juices into a small saucepan, add the carrot juice, honey, soy sauce and cayenne, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer while you prepare the tofu. [ek: i actually added the zest, too. when i read through the recipe i thought he forgot to add it, but i'd do it again. it made the sauce extra citrusy and delicious].

Put the rice flakes (or bread crumbs), salt and pepper in a coffee or spice grinder and pulse a few times. Be sure the paper towels have absorbed as much water as possible from the tofu, then slice the tofu along its "equator", creating 2 large flattish slabs. Cut each of those in half, giving you 4 pieces. Spoon the egg yolk on one side of each piece and evenly spread the rice-flake crust over them. Heat the butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat and saute the tofu, crust side down, for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Carefully flip the pieces over with a spatula and briefly cook the other side, about 2 minutes. Pour some of the reduced sauce into a warm plate or shallow bowl and slide the tofu into the center of the sauce, crispy side up. Top with the orange and lemon zest and the chives, if desired.

And, here's the edamame salad recipe.

Edamame Salad with Pickled Ginger, Maccha Salt, and Roasted Almonds
serves 5 or 6 [ek: Mags and I each had two helpings of this, and I had one helping left over for lunch today]
from The Breakaway Cook, p. 66

1 T. unsalted butter
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. minced shallot
3 c. cooked edamame
1/2 c. pickled ginger (p. 38), juilienned [he makes his own pickled ginger, which I'm totally going to do, but I didn't have that ready, so just used it from a jar]
1/4 c. vinegar from Pickled Ginger
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced into irregular shapes
freshly crushed black pepper
maccha salt (p. 36)
1/4 c. roasted almonds, roughly chopped

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the galic and shallot and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl and add the edamame, pickled ginger, vinegar and avocado. Mix and sprinkle in plenty of pepper. Divide the salad among individual plates, dust each serving liberally with the maccha salt, and top with the almonds.

I can't wait to try as many of the recipes as possible before I have to return the book (on 7/18, you bastard! no, not you. that person who has a hold on the book). I will definitely be buying a copy of this when I'm more financially solvent.

In other news, I've been on a quest to track down a source for raw dairy. At the beach Doggie made some waffles with raw milk, butter and cottage cheese that were amazing. I haven't been able to stop thinking of them, so I emailed around and found a couple sources for raw milk and cheese (alas, no butter or cottage cheese yet, but one farm said they may start making yogurt soon). E-dawg and I are making a little road trip out to Le-Ara Holsteins/Wilson Farms tomorrow to pick up some milk. And, then she and Kara and I are making the waffles tomorrow. I'm getting some strawberries and ricotta cheese (the raw cultured cottage cheese was sorta like ricotta) and maple syrup, and Ellen's brining some of her friend Richard's country honey and some raspberries. Kara is going to make "something complimentary", and I can't wait to see what that is because she's an insanely good cook. Now, that is what a Sunday morning is all about!

Oh, and the kombucha. I finished one batch on Sunday (took about a week and a half to get to the acidity that tasted good to me), and started two more. I bottled what I'd made, and have been drinking it up (made about a gallon). It's not as effervescent as the stuff you get in the store (I'm thinking that's probably because it's mixed with fruit puree which gives it something to eat and build up pressure), but it's delicious and I feel good when I drink it. The two mothers that will come from the batches I'm making now are spoken for, and one of the ones from the batch after that, but if you're interested in making your own, just let me know and I'll put you on The Mother List.

i wish every day were the weekend

...because weekends are where it's at. I was even (still) sick this weekend, and it was good. Any benefactors out there want to make this a reality?

Anyway. I finally found some big glass jars so I could start the kombucha magic! My dear Doggie gave me a mother and some starter liquid, and now she's started. It had actually started to form another mother in that small jar. You can see both of them in the photo.

If you're not familiar with kombucha, it's a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY). It's full of goodness (this from wikipedia):

Acetic Acid: Its main function is to inhibit harmful bacteria. Acetic acid is used as a preservative because of this action. It is also what gives Kombucha that 'kick' to its smell and taste.
Butyric Acid: Is produced by the yeasts and when working with gluconic acid. Might help combat yeast infections such as candida.
Gluconic Acid: Is effective against many yeast infections such as candidiasis and thrush.
Lactic Acid: Found in Kombucha in its most potent form L-lactic(+). Lactic acid is essential for the digestive system.
Malic Acid: Is also used in the body's detoxification process.
Oxalic Acid: Encourages the cellular production of energy and is a natural preservative.
Usnic acid: Potent antibiotic that exhibits antiviral, antiprotozoal, antimitotic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.
Kombucha also contains vitamin groups B and C, beneficial yeasts and bacteria.
Also, this:

In addition to, or aside from any possible health benefits, many users report a relatively subtle but definite perceptual shift after consuming kombucha. This perceptual shift is generally characterized by mild euphoria, relaxation, and an overall sense of physical and mental well-being. This effect is not to be confused with the highs associated with some illegal drugs. There are no known psychoactive or psychotropic substances found in Kombucha other than trace amounts of alcohol and if not made with decaf tea, caffeine. Alcohol amounts vary from .5% to 1.7% depending on brewing time and amounts of sugar used in the fermentation of the tea which may account for the experiencing of these effects by some consumers. Stimulation of the circulatory and immune systems, and associated glandular releases, may also account for some of these effects.

AKA It kinda makes you feel a little bit high. Personally? I enjoy that. And, it's really easy to make. I started it on Saturday, and hopefully it'll be ready by Saturday. It's really up to personal taste, so I'll start tasting it on Thursday and go from there. Woo hoo! I love that stuff, and it's so good for you! E. & A. are in line for their own mothers when I get a few ready. If you're in the 'Burgh, and would like one, let me know and I'll put you on the list.

I'm going to start some kefir soon, too. I just need to get the car back in working order (have an appointment on Friday. please cross your collective fingers that it's super easy and cheap to fix) so I can get over the east side of town where they sell organic milk. Dang.

I did start a new batch of chick pea sprouts for veggie burger making. I love those sprout burgers! The ones I made at the beach were super-duper, so I'm going to add a bunch of the same stuff, and this time they'll be even healthier since they're sprouted.

And, speaking of healthier, I lost two more pounds! I swear to the baby jesus that it's the shedding of the secret that is once again allowing for the shedding of pounds. I was stuck, and now I'm un-stuck. So,

Starting weight (02-jan-2007): 245
Lowest weight: 205
Today's weight: 208
Goal weight: 140

Sweet! I can't wait until I break the 200 pound mark. It's been a long time since I've seen the other side of 200 pounds, and it makes me a little giddy to think about it.

Okay. So. On Saturday I got some lovely mushrooms at the Farmers @ Firehouse farmers market from Mushrooms For Life (locally foraged and cultivated). I got a 1/4 lb. of beautiful shittakes and was trying to decide what to do with them when I was on the phone with my chef-mentor Doggie, and she suggested that I bake them. I'd actually just seen that somewhere online recently, but had forgotten about it, and she instructed me to slice them really thinly, then toss them in a little olive oil with salt and pepper, then bake them at 325-350 for about 20 minutes (shaking them after 10 minutes, and then again every 3-5 minutes until they're ready). Oh. My. God. This is one of the best things I've ever tasted! They're really crispy and smoky and taste a LOT like bacon. Freakin' magically delicious.

Before:


After:


I also saw the cutest, sweetest mushroom I'd ever seen. It was a pompom mushroom, and it was described as being "similar to crab". Oh, hell yeah. First off, it's truly beautiful, secondly, the texture is *exactly* like crab, and thirdly, the flabvor is fantastically mild and delicious. She suggested that it's best with eggs and mild cheeses. So, I made an omelette with the pompom, parsley, green onions and chevre. And, sprinkled some of the baked shittakes on top. YUM. (I bought one mushroom and it was enough for two omelettes).

pompom:


omelette:


I also made a really tasty quinoa salad this weekend. Last week I had a doctor's appointment near Whole Foods, and was starving when it was done so I ran in and grabbed something from the prepared foods bar--which I'll never do again since it was approximately one bajillion dollars. And, it wasn't even very good. I got this orange-almond-mint quinoa salad, and it just didn't have much flavor. So, I used that as my inspiration and made this salad. Which, I gotta say, was way better.



Quinoa Salad

Dressing:
juice and zest of two oranges
2 T. olive oil
2 T. honey
2 T. greek yogurt (I'm in love with Fage Total 0%--fat-free!)
1/2 t. fine-grain sea salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. finely minced crystallized ginger (honestly, I can't really taste this in the finished product, so feel free to leave it out or add 1 t. fresh grated ginger instead)

Whisk together and set aside.

5-6 c. cooked quinoa
1 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley (you could also use mint, but I didn't have any)
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced
more salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts.

Mix the cranberries, parsley and green onions into the quinoa and add the dressing. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Sprinkle generously with pine nuts when serving (if you put them all in they'll get soggy).

It's really yummy, and really good for you! Quinoa is a complete protein! Totally a little powerhouse grain. I love it.

Apart from cooking, I had some other fun this weekend. Yesterday I hung out with Lauren. She took me to brunch at Zenith where we met up with Austin (the birthday boy!). If you haven't been to brunch at Zenith, do it. It is amazing. The tastes and the unbelievable bounty. It is something to behold. And, we ended up sharing our table with Monica and Jai, and they were a real good time. We had a really interesting discussion of our religious backgrounds, hilarious religious-related stories and childhood secrets and dreams. All while shoveling in some fabulous food. That is where it's at.

Afterwards, Lauren, Austin and I went to the Carnegie Museum of Art to see the Phil Collins (not that Phil Collins) exhibit, the world won't listen. It's a video installment of fans of The Smiths in Istanbul singing karaoke from The Smiths' repertoire. It is amazing. Really amazing. Fun and funny and touching and sad and sweet. Really amazing. We danced, we sang, we had a wonderful time. It's only there until July 1st. If you get a chance this week, go see this. I'm a HUGE Smiths fan, but I think this would be fun for anyone. So good.

Then we bid Austin adieu and headed over to Braddock for the I Made It! craft fair and free vegan cupcakes from Dozen (chocolate with coffee icing--yum). Tons of super-cute stuff. Lauren snagged an adorable shirt, skirt and hat. Good stuff.

Okay, it's Monday and I have work to do. So, yeah.

back in bidness

Well, quite often during my beach week I remembered to photograph the food, but sometimes I forgot and sometimes it was too good for me to get up and grab my camera. I took a couple old standbys with me--Heidi's wheatberry salad and otsu. Always good. We ate the otsu in the car after picking Dra up at the Philly airport, and ate the Wheatberry Salad right after arriving at the beach and settling onto the back deck. But, everyone there was a talented cook, and a couple of them are honest-to-god chefs, so believe me when I say we ate like queens.

I held strong with sticking to my vegetarian ways and didn't eat any seafood even though it looked and smelled dreamy. Seafood was always my favorite. I considered just making an exception for that week, but then I opted not to go the route that would ensure guilty feelings. So, no fish for me, but I'm including a couple pictures with seafood because it looked so good.

What I made: otsu, wheatberry salad, mesquite chocolate chip cookies, lemon soup, zucchini-feta-herb salad, crepes w/ lemons and sugar and/or berry-rhubarb compote, veggies burgers (based on the sprouted garbanzo burgers and a bunch of extra stuff throw in), fresh rolls, Heidi's Yucatan street corn, marinated tofu filets, and, um, that's all I can remember.

wheatberry salad on fresh greens (based on Heidi's recipe from Super Natural Cooking):

lemon soup (Molly Katzen's recipe from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest):

corn and fixin's (crema w/ lime zest, queso blanco and limes dipped in chipotle chili powder):


fresh rolls with spicy peanut sauce and mango relish:

crepes with lemons and sugar and cherry-strawberry-rhubarb compote:

marinated and grilled tofu filets with grilled veggies:

veggie burgers with nowlzie's remoulade sauce and the best gaucamole in the world:


And, here's a sampling of food my friends made:
Dra's famous Caesar Salad with Dina's famous croutons:

Dra's famous "fancy boli" that we like to call "The Dra" (half with procuitto, half without):

Dina's potato cake:

Schwatts's clam extravanza:

Schwattzie-Bear's lobbie madness:

Also, some highlights not pictured: Doggie's effing amazing raw dairy whole grain waffles with raw cottage cheese, fresh strawberries and maple syrup; Dina's famous lobster bisque; Schwatts's famous bacon-wrapped scallops; Schwatts's awesome potato chowder (and seafood chowder variation); Dina's chicken salad and faux-chicken salad; hardshell crabs; Dina's bananas foster bread pudding. I know there was more, but that's all I can think of right now. If you would like any of the recipes, lemme know and I'll hunt them down and post 'em up. But, suffice it to say, we had a fabulous week--and not just the food. These are some of my favorite peeps on earth. And, look how happy they are!
Scwatts:

Doggie:

Dra:

Nowlzie:

Dina:

Me:


p.s. Doggie gave me starters for both kombucha and kefir. Stay tuned for more about this!