Health

Today is Earth Day. I remember the first one, back in 1970. We planted trees at Delaveaga Elementary School. Mock plum, if I'm not mistaken; something with lots of pink blossoms. Do you feel at home in the great outdoors or, like Woody Allen, are you "two with nature"? If you don't live in the country, I encourage you to head out to the biggest park you can find and take a walk, or just sit for a while. Open your senses and take in the beauty. In this consumer society, we are continually made to feel as though we (and our fat thighs, stringy hair, deficient pecs and shabby clothes) are the center of the universe. The opportunity to see where we actually fit in—our place in relation to the vastness of the ocean and sky—is truly invaluable. Show this to your children (live, not on TV).
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My love for cardamom knows no bounds. I covet its pungent, deliciously floral spice—to smell (I adore perfumes that contain it) and to eat. Is that strange? If you are not familiar with this gorgeous flavor, I suggest you give it a try in either a sweet or savory recipe. I have posted several previously (rich shortbread-like cookies, a vegetarian curry, and ice cream). Don’t miss the new ones posted below: the ultimate lassi for warm weather; lamb chops for the grill or stovetop; and an easy and highly armotic basmati rice.
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I’ve decided to post about this delicious Korean “tea” because, even though it’s delicious hot and is particularly helpful during cold and flu season, it can also be enjoyed on ice throughout the warmer months. I was first served this wonderfully flavorful brew at Jin Soon in the East Village, where I occasionally have a pedicure (although I stopped wearing polish on my toes a couple of years ago). They call it “citrus tea.” When I asked about it they told me it comes “pre-mixed,” and when I pressed them they said it was from a can with Korean writing on it. Hmmm…I could tell it didn’t really have any actual tea in it, but I was perplexed by the type of citrus, as it was sweet without any hint of bitterness despite the pulpy rind floating in it. I next encountered this tea at HanGawi, a favorite vegetarian Korean restaurant, where the ginger tea with pine nuts is also a winner. And by then I got a clue and googled it to find out just what exactly I was drinking.
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Have you see the movie Food Inc. yet? The film takes a good hard look at the state of industrial agriculture and factory farming in this country. Everybody really needs to see it. It is very consciousness-raising and may radically change the way you eat. (At least I hope it will.) This Wednesday, April 21st, at 9pm, PBS will be broadcasting Food, Inc. and is encouraging viewers to throw a potluck and watch the film together. You can get more information, including a huge listing of crowd-friendly recipes,  by clicking here. I think it would be wise to eat before watching the film, as it won't exactly enhance your appetite. Even better, throw a vegetarian potluck! I've posted a few more recipes below.
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It’s so wonderful to be able to celebrate with friends. Nothing makes me happier than sitting down to a delicious meal with a group of pals in high spirits. If I have made the meal, so much the better. It’s a way for me to express my love, to share a little bit of myself. We had three weekend guests at our tiny cottage, and two more drove over from Stone Ridge for the evening. Because Stephanie is still watching her fat intake (like a hawk), I had to come up with a menu that was virtually fat-free yet could still satisfy all these gourmands. I don’t think anyone left the table feeling deprived.
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My friend Scott recently gifted me with an interesting bottle of cleaning solution. I’m very into using natural products like baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar for cleaning (see more here), but I also want something that smells naturally good, so I often add essential oil of lavender or geranium to these concoctions. Looks like the people behind Thieves products have something similar in mind. They make a special blend, combining oils of cinnamon, clove, lemon, eucalyptus and rosemary for a fresh and rather medieval scent. Turns out they took a cue from some 12th-century thieves who were able to rob the dead victims of the Plague without becoming infected. How? By rubbing themselves with a concoction of aromatic herbs, including cinnamon, clove and oregano. Needless to say, Thieves products work wonders on airborne bacteria, helping to fight mold, mildew and musty odors. Check out their website for great tips on cleaning, and to learn more about their products, which can also be used for cleaning your own insides.I'm off to Turks & Caicos tomorrow for some fun in the sun and I'm very excited to have a little vacation time. G and I have not left the country since our trip to Southeast Asia last winter. I'll probably post a few times from there but you'll have to forgive me if I'm not quite as prolific. Even gluttons need a break now and then...xoxo
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I've had some positive feedback on my round-ups of ingredients, so here's a new one for you. This time it's vinegar, in some of its many permutations. As children, my sisters and I called each other "Vinegar Pig." This originated from our love of drinking glugs of white vinegar straight from the bottle while dyeing Easter eggs. I've never been one to shy away from sour pickles or throat-scratchingly tart salad dressings, and I'm still known to take a swig from the bottle of balsamic, but I think by now I've learned how to employ vinegar to slightly more subtle effect.
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I'm a sucker for new ingredients, I admit it. When I come across something I've never seen or tasted before I get kind of excited. Because of G's current gastric "issues" (parasites? wtf?), and his gluten intolerance, he is currently off wheat, rye, barley and most oats; as well as spicy food, alcohol and dairy. He's also really trying to limit sugar, so not that much fruit either, and red meat is kept to a minimum. I pretty much follow his restrictions since it's just easier that way, and it's really a much healthier way to eat. Plus I'm trying to drop my menopausal rubber tire and the less cheese, chocolate and bourbon I consume right now, the better. Despite all this, we have an incredibly interesting and varied diet. Organic chicken wings with a tangy blood orange glaze? Yes, please. Seared scallops with a reduction of pureed shallots, prunes and balsamic vinegar? Yep. Escarole salad with colatura dressing? All allowed. Our pasta is made from brown rice, and it's delicious. I never feel deprived. This is partly because I am always discovering new and exciting ingredients. Like the black garlic, above.
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Anecdotal evidence would seem to indicate that they are scarce. Beets are one of the few foods that G will not eat. Perhaps the only food. And during a recent beet-themed recipe competition on Food52, it came out that many other women's husband are also beet-shunners. Most of them, in fact. You may have heard that even the President is in this camp. There are no beets in the White House garden. Sadly, there are rarely beets in my own kitchen—despite the fact that I LOVE THEM. As a child, I was known to eat beets until I peed pink. I can't resist their intensely earthy sweetness. G thinks they taste like dirt. This got me to thinking that maybe there was some sort of Y chromosome thing involved. (Although there are undoubtedly loads of Russian men slurping down their borscht.) Anyway, it's a mystery.Beets are rich in the highly desirable B vitamin folate, plus potassium, manganese and fiber. Purple, golden or candy-striped chioggia, their antioxidant properties are numerous. For a much more thorough nutritional analysis, see here. Beets pair wonderfully with sprightly greens, with goat cheese, walnuts and citrus zest. They are often eaten with horseradish, which cuts through their thick sweetness. I love eating beets just simply roasted and dressed with sherry vinegar and walnut oil. But this recipe for a beet rösti (an Editor's Pick on Food52) is a fun way to try to fool the man in your life into eating them. I used golden beets because they more closely resemble the potatoes used in the classic Swiss rosti, a pancake that's like a crusty slab of hash browns with a slightly creamier center.
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Ever since that dinner at Il Buco a couple of weeks ago, I've been thinking about the wonderful coconut-lime sorbet I tasted there. So creamy and rich, yet so tart and refreshing. Once I started experimenting in the kitchen, I went off on my own tangent. What I came up with is different, a bit more exotic, but I think just as delicious. It's SO easy—did you get your ice cream maker yet? This recipe does call for a couple of unusual ingredients: deeply flavorful jaggery, which I showcased here, and those beautifully perfumed wild (kaffir) lime leaves, which I also recommended for this curry. If you have trouble finding the lime leaves, you can substitute some lime zest, though the flavor will be quite different. I have seen them on occasion at Whole Foods, definitely at Kalustyan's, and at any Thai market. I've also come across them dried, but have never tried those. (Someone once asked me to do a post about how to stock your pantry, and I will attempt that soon, but what I consider to be basic essentials may seem rather arcane.) Just because this is called sorbet, by the way, doesn't mean it's especially low in fat. Coconut milk is actually rather high in fat—how else could it be so unctuous? But supposedly this vegetable fat is more easily metabolized by the body. It contains lauric acid, which is also found in mother's milk and has been shown to promote brain development and bone health. Coconut milk is considered very healthy in Ayurvedic medicine, where it is used to heal ulcers.
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