Produce of the Week: Horseradish!

Yes, it is ugly. But it's good for you!

This is the only time of year I think about horseradish. Such a "bitter herb" doesn't usually make it into my sweet-tooth-influenced culinary adventures. But, it is the first night of Passover tonight, and I am necessarily obliged to think about the root. Apparently, most people think that horseradish is only fit to be used in sauces and cremes. Or, if not, their family came out of Eastern Europe originally and still finds comfort in boiled cabbage and brisket.

Well, once committed to using horseradish, I couldn't very well give it up! Horseradish happens to fall into our favorite family of vegetables - the brassicas - hence its distinctive cabbage-y, turnip-y flavor. While it has graced the fields of people dating back a few thousands of years, it was used mostly for medicinal purposes. It boasts a slew of vitamins and minerals, in addition to diuretic and antibacterial properties; it was commonly used to treat ailments such as sinus congestion, coughs, and urinary tract infections.

In terms of food origins, the Germans are granted responsibility for using horseradish as a condiment on meat and fish. And while I definitely found horseradish recipes while scouring my family's collection of cookbooks, I don't have too much interest in the many way the root complements gefilte fish! So, I gave up on Jewish cooking and my E. European roots, I decided to embrace some newer takes on the old standby.

The LA Times had an appetizing Beet and Horseradish side dish recipe - however, I found it a bit too heavy on the mustard. Playing off of my favorite winter staple, check out this Roasted Root Veggies recipe with our bitter star. For a bit of eccentricity, try the Parsnip and Pear Latkes and substitute 1 tbs grated fresh horseradish and 1 tbs tapioca starch for the egg. If you really want to make that transition to spring, opt for a light Asparagus dish with horseradish sauce.

For me, tonight, I added a little zip to my mashed potatoes and kale inspired by 101 Cookbooks!

Smashing Purple Potatoes with a Tang

4 medium purple potatoes, washed, peeled (if possible), and halved

1 medium rutabaga, quartered

1/4 large onions, chopped

2 tbs fresh horseradish, grated (sprinkled with a little vinegar after grating)

2 tbs olive oil, or to taste

salt, to taste

Non-dairy creamer, optional or to taste

1. Boil potatoes and rutabaga until fork tender.

2. While potatoes are on, caramelize the onions in a small frying pan with about 1/2 tbs olive oil.

3. When both are done, combine in a bowl (or sauce pan) with horseradish and salt. Mash with a masher!

4. Add olive oil to preferred taste and consistency.

5. Serve with a side of garlicky sauteed kale!

Up Next: Pies!

Dare to Bake - Orange You Glad?

Another month, another Daring Bakers Challenge. This time, we celebrated the ever so popular citrus season of California and Florida (too bad I'm in Washington, now). Generally, I don't care a whole lot for fruit and chocolate mixing - except if it's covering strawberries - but it was time for a chocolate dessert! I am also trying to improve my presentation skills. Anywho, here is the recipe for my vegan version of a Chocolate Orange Tian:

Chocolate Sable Cookie (based on lavender sable cookies from Love, Eric)

1/4 cup vegetable or nut oil

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)

1 tbs chocolate peanut butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup non-alkalized cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1. Whisk wet ingredients together. Mix in cocoa powder and then add other dry ingredients.

2. Roll dough into a ball or log and refrigerate for an hour.

3. Use cookie cutters or cut log into circular cookies.

4. Bake for 12 minutes at 350F, until set but not browning yet.

Chocolate Tofu Mousse (based on Chocolate-Almond Midnight in The Millennium Cookbook)

2 cup/16 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips or bar

24 oz firm silken tofu

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

1. Melt chocolate in microwave (at 30 second intervals) or in a double broiler.

2. Food process tofu, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add chocolate and process until smooth.

3. Pour into well-greased ramekins and bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until top is set.

Blood Orange Marmalade

Freshly pressed orange juice ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams

2 medium orange used to make orange slices

cold water to cook the orange slices

pectin 5 grams

granulated sugar: use the same weight as the weight of orange slices once they are cooked

1. Finely slice the orange. Place the orange slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.

2. Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices.

3. Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.

4. Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them (using a knife or a food processor).

5. Weigh the slices and use the same amount of granulated sugar . If you don’t have a scale, you can place the slices in a cup measurer and use the same amount of sugar.

6. In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes).

7. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

To Assemble

1. Using a circle cake form (or a tin can with both ends removed, like I did), layer the ingredients - cookie, marmalade, mousse (scoop out and smooth after cooled), and then arranged orange segments on top.

2. Unmold and refrigerate until serving!

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.

Stay tuned for my initiation into "You Want Pies with That"

Spring is Here!

...and happy belated St. Patrick's Day and Macaron Day! Oh, gloriousness! It was like half of the residents in Puget Sound were out biking, walking, or roller blading today amidst the blooms of cherry blossoms and croaking frogs!

I am too tired to write, but too excited not to post that I finally have achieved the elusive 'feet' on macarons - for the second time! While not by any stretch of the imagination vegan, these little gems are made from the eggs I purchased at the farmer's market from the goat lady. I do believe that supporting more humane and ecologically-sound raising of animals (like the ones I find at the U-District FM), is critical to creating an overall sustainable food system.

After several attempts and failures, I finally succeeded in obtaining feet on chocolate macarons. I used Syrup and Tang's proportions and followed much of the great advice from Audax Artifex and Eat4Fun. The clinchers were aging the egg whites, letting them form a skin before baking, and stacking the pans.

Then, in a wave a springtime inspiration, I made pastel pink and green macarons a few days ago. The pink contained ground up dehydrated strawberries and a vanilla filling. The green took their color from this wheat grass/chlorella powder I had - which gave them a bit of an interesting earthy flavor that grew on me - and I filled them with an Irish Whiskey spiked dark chocolate ganache. The combination was actually pretty fantastic! Plus, they had a good dose of antioxidants from the chocolate and greenery.

Sleep ... I'll try to be more substantive in my next post.

Confessions of a Chocoholic: American Chocolate Week

Welcome to Oh! Chocolate - the site of my chocolate class last Thursday.

When I first exclaimed to my sister how excited I was that this week - March 14th-21st - is American Chocolate Week, she responded with "Eeww!" Ew? Who ews chocolate? Well, it wasn't the idea of chocolate that offended her, but the idea that I bought into a celebration of the fake, plastic-y, Hershey-esque, mass-produced chocolate that Americans inhale like it might be disappear any moment. No, my dear. Although I consume an embarrassingly large amount of chocolate, I am very discriminating about the source and quality of my choices. But, anyway, on to celebrating the beauty that is chocolate!

Oh, my! Heaven on a plate greeted me as I walked to the back of the chocolate shop.

It was only last Thursday, after spending the early part of the afternoon playing around in tempered chocolate that I discovered the significance of the upcoming week. Not really caring who came up with this spectacular idea for the third week of every March, I decided I DID want some background info on chocolate - Wikipedia, here I come!

Yes, I did get to take home my dark-chocolate dipped goodies...and the leftover tempered mass!

The delicacy that now graces our grocery shelves hails from a rich ancestry dating back at least three millennia. A drink of the gods, xocolatl, the product of cacao beans possessed great ceremonial and healthful properties that made it a staple in the regions south of the present-day US border. After being co-opted by the Spanish, and then improved upon by the French, this tantalizing bean has made its name in the culinary arts.

I won't even attempt to go into the complex process of growing and turning cacao into the chocolate we delight in, but I will extol its supposed benefits (mainly because I have to believe that eating so much of it is actually good for me). Granted, these health perks are only realized with dark (65% cacao or greater), non-alkalized chocolate or cocoa. It is high in antioxidants (so chocolate covered blueberries provide a double dose!), improves circulation, and possesses a mild stimulant - theobromine. And though no one has proven the aphrodisiac effects of chocolate, I for one would be easily won over by a good dark chocolate bar!

Now, as much as I love chocolate, I realize its toll on the environment and farmers in developing countries. The cacao plant only grows in the tropics, and the people who make their living from selling this prized crop are often underpaid and exploited. If you want to make your chocolate habit a little more ethical, check out brands of Fair Trade chocolates. And, read the cocoa chapter in Fred Pearce's Confessions of an Eco-Sinner.

Finally, what would a post on chocolate be without a few recipes to tantalize your sweet tooth and satisfy that baking urge? I admit I often choose a good piece (or many pieces) of dark chocolate over something with added ingredients, but I am a fan of chocolate desserts on a whole. A while back I posted on vegan truffles, which were lauded by my sister as seriously "unveganlike." Bittersweet surprised me one day with a Chocolate Chickpea Spread that put a smile on my face. Chocolate Beet Cake is amazing - use Bull's Blood and it's even better with more beets! If you love Flourless Chocolate Cake, which I do, here is a recipe for you! And just when you think it can't get any better, fill up on omega 3 fatty acids with Chocolate Avocado Mousse.

Now that I've spent way too much time expounding upon chocolate, I will leave you with the promise of an ode to St. Patrick's Day in the next post!

Produce of the Week: Spring is Here!

Well, technically, the first day of spring is on Sunday. But here in the Pacific Northwest the weather has been acting like spring since the New Year. Well, the farmer's market has finally caught up and I purchased a most exciting green from Nash's Organic Produce this week. Usually, they are my source for staple roots like rutabagas, turnips, beets, and some times cabbage. But, this Saturday they had something new and exciting: Lacinato Rabe!

You may be thinking, "ha, you mean broccoli rabe, right?" Actually, I am completely serious. While broccoli rabe, rapini, broccolini, or whatever else you want to call it is remarkably similar (technically even the same species), it is NOT the same as lacinato rabe. A rabe is more generally the flowering shoots of overwintered brassicas that show up usually around March. It is quite the treat before the burst of asparagus hits in early May, and so marks the beginning of spring in my book. My delicacy this week was of the lacinato kale variety!

So what does one do with lacinato rabe? Lightly braising this beauty seems to be the most popular preparation method out there. I consulted Crescent Dragonwagon's Passionate Vegetarian for the low-down on using rabes (in her case, broccoli rabe), and ended up with a delicious garlicky dish:

1 tbs olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bunch rabe of some sort

salt to taste

1. Heat the oil over medium. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, right before beginning to brown.

2. Add the washed rabe, tossing lightly in the oil and garlic. Place lid on top.

3. Cooking for 10-15 minutes until tender but not mushy. Stir occasionally to make sure it's not burning. Add a few tablespoons of water if all the liquid has evaporated.

4. Serve immediately!

Lacinato rabe with black bean sauce is also a hit among several blogs. You might draw inspiration from other recipes with broccoli rabe as their star - NY Times has a risotto recipe (sub veggie for chicken stock and leave out the cheese) and Mark Bittman has his own ode to Broccoli Rabe. Smitten Kitchen's Broccoli Rabe Pizza looks fantastic if you want to take the non-vegan route.

As for myself, I am a fan of a simple sauté with some lemon juice. Overall, I was actually more taken with the kale variety than the broccolini, because of the hint of delicate kale leaves left to balance the fruiting bodies. This will definitely be on my shopping list next week!

Other Resources on Rabes:

http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/04/21/seasons-eatings/getting-down-to-the-brassicas/

http://www.seedambassadors.org/Mainpages/still/napuskale/napuskale.htm

The End of Food

I generally read two books at a time: a non-fiction piece that exposes the depressing reality of our world, and a fantasy novel that provides an escape from everyday life. Well, I just finished my slap-in-the-face real world book - The End of Food by Paul Roberts. Knowing what I know about the food system and our global economy, I shouldn't have been at all surprised by Roberts' analysis. But, for some reason this book threw me off balance. Maybe it wasn't as peppered with optimistic tidbits as some others I have read; maybe it was Roberts' focus on the politics of the matter. Whatever it was, this is a dense, info-packed thought-provoker.

The treatise begins by recounting the evolution of Homo sapiens food consumption. This was actually one of my favorite parts (maybe because I am a bit of an anthropology nerd at times). Roberts tracks our progress from hunters and gatherers, to the advent of farming, and through our more recent industrialization of food production. For all our thousands of years experience in procuring and eating food, we have only recently begun distancing ourselves to such a great extent from our source of foods - although we have been manipulating crops and animals almost from the beginning.

This little historical bout quickly turned to a description and critical analysis of the development of modern industrial agriculture. Believe it or not, in less that 100 years, America has gone from a largely small-family-farmer agrarian society, to conglomerate consolidated industrial power. And along with this shift, our food has morphed into the almost unrecognizable. We learn about the political and economic underpinnings of this transition as well as its continuing development. From the grocery store shelves of highly processed corn products in a multitude of shapes, colors, and flavors, to the health consequences of the big business livestock industry, and finally to the impact of global food markets on world hunger, The End of Food covers as many bases as one book can.

Paul Roberts tries to take an unbiased approach of a journalist in unearthing and conveying the "true" story of our food system. I think he does a pretty darn good job of this, while still managing to scare the living daylights out of me. The harsh reality is not often softened with sunshine and rainbows, but it is not presented in a way that makes me want to curl up under a rock and just shut down. There is hope; there is a LOT of work to be done and a huge necessary reworking of our mentality and approach to food . But, there is hope.

If you enjoy food, care about the direction our food system is headed, and want a matter-of-fact explanation of our current and potential future situation, The End of Food is an excellent choice and a good (if not the fastest) read.

Produce of the Week: Garlic

So, I almost didn't write an entry today, because I am currently in a produce desert - yes, I am watching two teenage girls for the rest of this week (and last), and their diet consists largely of sugar, sugar, and some fries and pasta thrown into the mix. Ouch. I can't believe I used to eat that! Well, inspiration struck, and I decided to highlight the Italian's go-to ingredient: Garlic!

This bulb hearkens from the onion family, and has both culinary and medicinal value. While our modern-day varieties probably originated in Asia, wild garlics come in many shapes and sizes and have found their home in many habitats. If you want to try your hand at growing garlic, stop by your farmer's market and grab a head of garlic. Then, around September or October (around 6 weeks before the first frost), separate the cloves and pop each into the ground pointy end up. By June, you will have a new head for each clove planted! They are hardy plants and great for our PNW climate!

Mention of garlic's uses extends back as far as biblical times. It holds claims to a variety of medicinal benefits, such as fighting fungal and bacterial infections, promoting heart health, and decreasing the risk of cancer - to name a few. While not necessarily clinically proven, garlic has been used for thousands of years to combat many ailments.

What we know it best for these days is its culinary prowess. While a necessity in pasta dishes, stir fries, and marinades, there are a few garlicky comestibles I just adore. The first is nice and simple...Roasted Garlic! The simple process of sticking a head of garlic in the oven produces this slightly sweet, highly aromatic, buttery goodness.

1. Wrap a head of garlic, doused in a little olive oil, in aluminum foil with the opening on the top. Place on a pan, pie tin, whatever, and put in oven.

2. Bake at 400F for 30-45 minutes, until cloves are soft.

3. Spread on toasty bread or use in bean dip...or just eat it straight!

Hummus

2 cups soaked and cooked dried chickpeas or 1 can of the beans

1 tbs sesame tahini

2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic (or three roasted)

a few pinches salt

cumin (optional)

1. Stick it in a food processor and hit it! Adjust proportions to your taste. Serve with veggies and/or pita.

The Garlic Fries look absolutely heavenly. Try using purple potatoes for color or German butterballs for rich creaminess. Some fancy Roasted Garlic Bread is also a kicker ... cheese optional!

And for all of you garlic fanatics, for whom this post just doesn't cut it, don't forget to make a trip to Gilroy, CA. The Garlic Capitol of the World hosts a garlic festival every year at the end of July!

The Sinister Side of an Early Spring

Mountain Rainier from a West Seattle beach on a clear March day!

I have to admit that I am quite enjoying the mild, almost spring-like weather that has comprised this year's Pacific Northwest winter. It has been nice spending quality time with the out-of-doors and frolicking in the sunshine. In fact, I almost feel lucky to be unemployed and "stuck" at home in Seattle.

Under this facade of cheery blue skies, though, a darker side to this story exists. In my experience growing up in Western Washington, the months between Thanksgiving and St. Patrick's Day (and some times well into May) tend to be full of overcast skies, a constant drizzle of precipitation, and temperatures only marginally above freezing - so that we rarely experience snowfall in the low elevations, but still must bundle up. This year has been very different, more along the lines of the SF Bay Area winters I had enjoyed for the past five years.

In fact, according to the Western Regional Climate Center, for the past six months minimum and maximum temperatures have exceeded the average and in the past three months rainfall has fallen short of its average. But, hey, why am I complaining?

Well, in spite of prevailing notions that Seattle sees naught but rain 365 days a year, we actually experience rather dry post-Independence-Day summers. Washington State depends largely on snowpack to feed our rivers and reservoirs in the spring and summer. Warmer and drier winters lead to less buildup of snow in the Cascades and subsequently threaten water supplies in the ensuing months. In fact, snowpack has range from 54-87% of normal for the year - does not bode well for this year's Fourth of July fireworks!

But this isn't just summer drought prohibiting fireworks; seasonal variations in stream flow affect the dams that that pervade the State's tributaries. Hydropower from these dams constitutes 72% of our electricity production! Ok, so no air conditioning this summer ... but also less water for irrigation, as stream flows decline and groundwater tables drop. Eeks.

What about the animals? Well, the iconic Pacific Northwest salmon will not fare too well with reduced flows impacting upstream migration. Plus, warmer water temperatures wreak havoc with these cold-water fishes, plus alter the stream habitats themselves. Warmer temperatures also influence other migratory patterns, like those of birds. According to the Institute for Bird Populations, while tropical species may be enjoying the weather changes, temperate species may suffer decreased reproductive success (thought to be linked to the changes in food supply).

So there you have it. I may have been exulting in the lovely weather, but as we have just seen, it is NOT all sunshine and roses. If you are a gardener, take advantage of the warmth now, because who knows what the spring and summer will hold!

As the sun sets over the Puget Sound, we will just have to wait and see what the future holds...

Other Resources:

UW Climate Impacts Group

Office of the Washington State Climatologist (how awesome is that?)

WA State Department of Ecology

Grocery Showdown: Walmart vs. Whole Foods

You probably would not be surprised to learn that I love Whole Foods. Sure, it may be nicknamed "Whole Paycheck," and it may veer slightly away from the idealistic locavore shopping spree that I often dream of. But, it offers quite a variety of products that do take into consideration ethics and sustainability.

Recently, the Atlantic ran an article comparing Walmart organic, local, etc. products to those at Whole Foods. The author, Mr. Corby Kummer, went into this experiment like me, skeptical. How could a grocery super-power that offers the lowest prices, in addition to everything from clothing to trash cans, ever live up to the standards of Whole Foods.

As you will read, Walmart prevailed for some of the dishes in the blind taste test! I will admit, that the Big Box has been making admirable efforts to be more sustainable - if one can be "sustainable" at that large of a scale. And because they are so big, they have enough clout in the industry to really make changes. But, really, Walmart Green? I think not.

While the video put me off in the beginning, with the author's slightly pretentious demeanor, by the end I found myself nodding my head. I don't like Walmart. I don't like the general concept of these mega-conglomerates that jack DOWN the price of goods with so many external costs. That said, Walmart does bring produce to communities that probably would otherwise focus solely on highly processed, high fat, high sugar products. Who am I, really, to judge people just scraping by, who purchase "fresh" peaches flown in from Chile?

All that over with, I think I'll stick with my local farmer's market for produce, eggs, and dairy. Thank you very much!