Support Your Local LIbrary

Last Saturday I went to the main library in downtown Los Angeles for the Culinary Historians of Southern California's  http://chscsite.org/calendar/ monthly program.  The CHSC is an affiliate of the library and in addition to the monthly program they also hold dining events, create culinary celebrations, and contribute to the library's extensive culinary collection.  One way they do this is through their annual used cookbook sale which will be held this year on Sunday, August 21 starting at 8am at the Hollywood Farmers' Market.  Another reason for going to the library that day was because I was bringing 4 very large boxes of cookbooks that Cousin Roger was donating for the sale, but before I delivered the books I gave them a look-see and found one in particular with a lot of inspiring recipes (more on this later).

Saturday's program was "Battle Royal: The Baking Powder Wars" brilliantly presented by culinary historian Linda Civitello.  "From 1876-1928, baking powder companies waged a vicious, no-holds-barred war for control of the market".  There was congressional corruption and libelous and/or false claims for and against each combatant's product, with involvement from the FDA and even President Teddy R.  With interesting facts, humor, and historical slides to accompany her talk, Linda made baking powder fascinating, even to my friend Bonnie who would be the first one to tell you that she's all about making reservations and not at all about making baked goods. 

At the start of the program, on a giant screen in the center of the auditorium was an equally giant and beautiful shot of baking powder biscuits/shortcakes piled high with luscious fresh strawberries. I pointed at the screen and vowed to make something resembling that asap.  And as it happens, May is National Strawberry Month, so - hello - what could be more perfect?

Spoils of War Strawberry Shortcakes                                                    
1 cup white wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. cold Earth Balance margarine
2 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 cup cold soy creamer
additional soy creamer for brushing

1.Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.                                                                             
2.Mix flours, baking powder, sugar and salt together.
3.Cut the margarine into the flour mixture and pinch
together until the mix is crumbly. 
4.Add the creamer, stirring until combined into a nicely
 formed dough. 
5.Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and
gently roll out to 3/4" thick. 


 6.Cut the dough into 8 rounds, plus 1 really big one,                           
then place on the baking sheet, brush the tops with
soy creamer, and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly
browned.

So support your local library, because not only do they have an amazing amount of books, movies, documents, reference materials, exhibits, lectures, and programs, but it's FREE and you can order online at http://www.lapl.org/ and have the item sent to the branch nearest you.  Plus, from time to time you'll be inspired to bake something delicious - winning!

Rave Reviews Keep Pouring in for Camp Blogaway 2011



Bidding for Vintage Scout Shirt Starts Soon

 Hello Muddah, hello Foddah,                                   
I've just got back from Camp Blogga,
Camp was really quite amazing,
Smores & seminars & even some stargazing.

Hello Muddah, hello Foddah,
What a great time at Camp Blogga,
From the learning to the eating,
and especially the new friends I was meeting...

But seriously - last weekend I had the best time in a long time at Camp Blogaway, a weekend mountain retreat for food and wine bloggers.   From start to finish this was an outstanding combination of fantastic organization and leadership (thanks Patti Londre), great workshops, delicious food (duh), and super nice, fun people of like minds.

To pay homage to some of the camp sponsors, and with a tip of my sombrero to Cinco de Mayo, I've created this tasty, zesty, colorful, light, and versatile dish, perfect for any meal of the day, in front of a fragrant wood-burning fire in a mountain lodge, or on a sunny deck outside your own backdoor.

Fiesta Frittata with Watermelon & Avocado Salsa

Salsa:                                                                                  


Tip: Replace Tomatoes in Salsa with Watermelon!

 2 California avocados, peeled & cubed                            
3 cups fresh watermelon, cubed                                   
1 shallot, diced
1/3 cup fresh key lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
at least 4 splashes of hot sauce
S& P
Frittata:
2 1/2 cups peeled & cubed Idaho potatoes
1 16 ox. container liquid egg whites or equivalent
3 green onions, diced (green & white)


Potato Man Reaching for Refreshing Watermelon Mocktail

 1/4 cup fresh
cilantro                                                                 
2 Tbsp. olive oil
S & P to taste

For the salsa, in a bowl mix together the avocado, watermelon, shallots, and mint.  Whisk together the hot sauce, fresh lime juice, olive oil, and add S&P to taste.  Pour the dressing in the bowl and toss to combine.  Set aside for 20-30 minutes - enough time for all the different flavors to come together.

For the frittata, first steam or boil the potatoes until tender, then mash and cool them.  Mix the potatoes, eggs, diced onions, and cilantro together, then season with S&P.  Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan and heat to medium-high.  Add the frittata mixture to the pan and after the mixture begins to set on the bottom (about 3 minutes or so), put the lid on the pan and continue cooking about 8-10 minutes.  As soon as the frittata is nearly set, place the pan in your broiler at highest heat and brown the top, about 2 minutes.

For more camp info - http://campblogaway.com/

Need Key Limes for your favorite Latin recipes and Summer drinks? - http://www.melissas.com/Products/Products/Key-Limes.aspx   

A Great Way to Start Your Day

Do you know why the first meal 'of the day' is called breakfast?  Because you've been sleeping and not eating for a few hours, kind of like a fast, and then you wake up and you eat something, thereby breaking the fast.  Don't you love it when words actually make sense?  

The reason why many people say breakfast is the most important meal 'of the day' is because eating revs up your metabolism which is very good.  And if that first meal 'of the day' includes a little protein, fiber, carbs, and some vitamins, minerals, and other good things, then you're more likely to stay energetic, focused, and away from tempting but nutrient poor snacks until you have your next healthy meal.

Why do I keep using 'of the day'?  Because 'du jour' 
is French for 'of the day' (there I go again), and 
commonly refers to an item that changes each day, 
e.g., soup du jour.  But since I'm talking about 
breakfast, today's recipe is Parfait du jour, and 
although 'du jour' usually means 'of the day' 
and changes each day, this parfait is so good 
you'll want to have this Parfait du Jour every jour.

Parfait du Jour  
2/3 cup high fiber twigs cereal (TJ's/99 Cents Store)
1 cup mixed red and green grapes
3 Tbsp. toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. ground flax seed 
3 Tbsp. pomegranate arils (aka seeds, but they're really the fruit around the seed and the seed)
2 Tbsp. chopped crystallized ginger


If you have a glass parfait glass that would be so nice, but any old bowl or glass will do.  Simply layer all the ingredients starting at the beginning of the list and the bottom of the glass.  Admire the beautiful layers.  Resist any urge to stir the parfait up, because part of the Parfait du Jour experience is to dig your spoon down to the bottom of the glass, scoop up a bit of everything, then put it all in your mouth and get ready for a fantastic surprise.  Do this a few more times, then you can start mixing it up a little and finish it on your own terms.

Also look for Melissa's Pomegranate Arils at your favorite supermarket!

 

Although cousin Lee, a recent Parfait du Jour convert, likes to use sliced almonds and those are delicious too, since I am the all-knowing creator of this recipe please do it my way, at least the first time.

One more thing:  while Parfait du Jour is just about a perfect breakfast and you should have one every day, it also makes a very tasty before bedtime treat.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Unleavened Bread



Show me the matzo!

My favorite Passover holiday memories from long ago include my mother's wonderful cooking but my most favorite was finding the hidden matzo and getting a $20 bill from my Uncle Art.  On the downside, going without leavened bread for the week was tough (when I actually did it), but the upside was the fried matzo (matzo brei) we'd have for breakfast every single day.  Sometimes cinnamon & sugar was the topping of choice, and other times it was good old, delicious maple syrup - Log Cabin, I think.  Just writing about it makes me want to go to sleep so I can wake up and have it for breakfast ASAP.

Passover Bulletin:  Here's the lost 5th question that we now ask at the sedar:  "Why, if matzo is spelled matzo, do we still call it matza?"

The other "sacrifice" we had to make during Passover was the very limited choices when it came to baked goods.  There were a couple of types of cake, made with matzo meal, and coconut macaroons (not those fancy French kind that are all the rage), and that was about it.  Today there are endless choices, if you can drive all the way to Fairfax or a few special bakeries scattered throughout the Los Angeles area to wait in an endless line with other mensches.  If not, here's an easy recipe that has just a few ingredients, takes just a little bit of time, and makes the best Passover macaroons you'll ever have - or so said my friend Bonnie.

Fancy French Macaroons Non                          
4 cups Melissa's coconut chips
1 cup raw almonds
equivalent of 3-4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup teeny semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup Melissa's Dried Orange Peels, diced

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil.  Separately mince the almonds in a processor and then do the same for the coconut chips.

Mix all the ingredients together.  The mixture will not be like cookie dough but like a mixture of stuff slightly held together by wet egg whites which is what it is.  If not wet enough, add more egg white.  Then put some mixture in a tablespoon, press it lightly with your fingers, then place it carefully on the parchment and repeat, leaving at least 1" between mounds.  If the mixture scatters a little when placing it on the baking sheet then just pat the loose pieces back together.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let rest for a minute or so and then move to a cooling rack.  Start another batch until all the mixture is baked.  When cooled place the macaroons in an airtight container, each layer separated by parchment paper, or place a few in a cellophane bag, tie with a ribbon, and think of how much easier this was then driving to Fairfax. 

HAPPY PASSOVER EVERYONE!

Celebrate National Grilled Soy Cheese Month



Blogger Rendering of Grilled Soy Cheese Sandwich, Miscellaneous Optional Garnishes, and Hot Tomato Soup


Ok, so there isn't a National Grilled Soy Cheese Month, yet.  But, April is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month and April is also National Soy Month, so I thought I'd combine both celebrations to create a totally new, better reason to eat one of the most classic of all sandwiches.  Full disclosure: I've been a very enthusiastic vegetarian for many years and try to keep dairy intake down as much as I can

Most people don't realize that you can make a fantastic, flavorful, creamy, messy, greasy (in a good way) and "please can I have another one of these" grilled cheese sandwiches using shredded soy cheddar & mozzarella cheese.  Honestly I think all grilled cheese sandwiches are pretty darn good tasting- now I don't mean toasted cheese but truly grilled, i.e., in a hot pan, seared and flipped side over side - but they're also pretty darn full of saturated (bad), unhealthy fats.

So why not do your heart a favor by trying this simple and ridiculously delicious grilled soy cheese sandwich as soon as you can.  Remember, Passover starts next week and that means days on end with no grilled cheese sandwiches in sight.  Better stock up, don't you think? 

More Grilled Soy Cheese Please
2 slices of your favorite bread
2 tsp. or so of earth balance natural buttery spread
1/2 cup or so shredded soy cheese
2 tsp. sweet & spicy mustard or apricot jam
miscellaneous optional embellishments, e.g., tomatoes (fresh or sun dried), pickles, grilled onions
miscellaneous optional garnishes, e.g., cherry tomatoes, stuffed green olives

Spread one side of each slice of bread with the mustard or jam.  Add the shredded soy cheese.  Here's where the miscellaneous optional embellishment(s) should go if using.  Close the sandwich.  Spread the top slice with the buttery spread.  Heat a non-stick saute pan to medium high 1-2 minutes.  Place the sandwich in the pan, buttery spread side down.  Cook about 2-3 minutes, pressing down on the sandwich with a spatula.  Before flipping the sandwich over, cover the top slice of bread with the other teaspoon of buttery spread. Flip the sandwich over and cook another 2-3 minutes, pressing down again with a spatula.  Flip the sandwich back over for another minute then turn off the pan and remove the sandwich to your plate, maybe next to a matching bowl of hot tomato soup.  Cut the sandwich up, or not, garnish with miscellaneous optional garnishes, or not, dunk into hot tomato soup, or not.  Any way you have it - what a celebration!

Extra! Extra!! Vegetarian Times Discovers Fantastic New Writer!

I'm thrilled to let you all know that Vegetarian Times magazine has published my story on Supper Clubs in the April/May issue.  As a vegetarian for 25 years,   
VT has helped guide me through a wonderful, 
plant-based, compassionate lifestyle filled with delicious, beautiful food.   Health experts, chefs,  and many other culinary professionals are now all in agreement that eating primarily fruits and  vegetables, with whole grains, legumes, soy,  and mainly unsaturated fats, + exercise,  is the best way to achieve wellness.   Plus, it opens up your culinary creativity to so many fantastic ingredients.
you may have overlooked in the past.

     The story was inspired by an idea to create a fun, low-key, stress-free way to bring people together to enjoy vegetarian food.  One of the recipes I picked for the story from the VT archives was a refreshing and colorful 3 Citrus Basil Cocktail or Mocktail.  While the theme of the story was "Spring", this is the perfect drink for anytime of the year, and it lets you choose your favorite citrus fruits of the season.  Though the original recipe calls for orange, lemon, and lime juice, I went with Pixie Tangerines, Kishu Mandarins, and a bit of lime.  I also used fresh frozen strawberries instead of the raspberries, so use the recipe as a guide to make this tasty drink your own. 

I hope you'll pick up a copy of the magazine - but you'd better hurry.  I hear the issue is flying off the shelves! 

For the Citrus Basil Cocktail recipe go to:  http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10548?section=

For more info about Pixie Tangerines, Kishu Mandarins, and every other citrus fruit known to man, go to:  http://www.melissas.com/Products/Products/Ojai-Pixie-Tangerines.aspx

My Big Fat GREEK SALAD



Blogger's Rendering of Greek Salad 

 Breaking News: There are no original ideas so stop trying to have them.  Well maybe there's one original thought per idea.  Just when I was thinking how clever I was to come up with the perfect post theme,  I did a search and found that several someones had already beat me to it.  So now I know I'm going to have thoughts/ideas that although not original they still really work.  Like here for example, where I'm going to tell you about my little twist on a classic Greek salad.

My culinary creativity is based on, but not limited to, these concepts:

1.  Recreate recipes at home that I enjoy at restaurants.
2.  Vegetarianize recipes that aren't already vegetarian.
3.  Veganize recipes if possible.
4.  Use what's in the fridge, freezer, or pantry before shopping for more food.
5.  Don't let a recipe define your food - just let it be your guide.




Tomato Pie at Tomato Pie


The other day mommy and me went to a place in Torrance called Tomato Pie because we both love pizza.  (Sorry for those of you who are hoping for a pizza recipe, but this post is about Greek salad.)  As you can see from the picture, the pizza was perfection.  But the great extra bonus was the delicious Greek salad that we had first, definitely big and fat and filled with the usual GS ingredients plus a few artichoke hearts and yellow bell peppers for extra deliciousness. 



Greek Salad at Tomato Pie






Because I like to recreate recipes at home that I enjoy in restaurants and because I also like to veganize recipes if possible and because there's no way you can have a Greek salad without feta cheese or a really good facsimile, I went about making my version of a classic Greek salad with "feta' and here it is now:



My Big Fat Greek Salad (veganized)
feta:                                                                    salad:
1/2 pkg. extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes        4 cups mixed greens
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil                                 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced thickly
1 Tbsp. liquid from Kalamata olives                     1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 tsp. dried oregano                                          2 baby cucumbers, cubed
s & p                                                                   Kalamata olives (as many as you like)
1 tsp. minced garlic
dressing: 


My Big Fat Greek Salad with tofu "feta"

 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil                                  
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
pinch of dried oregano

Put the tofu cubes in a container, add the oil, olive liquid, oregano, s & p, and minced garlic, and toss to combine.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but overnight or longer is even better.

Put all the salad ingredients in a bowl.  Add the "feta" with the marinade.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad.  Toss again and enjoy.  Oopa!