Please Pass the Greens

Yoga Classes and Cooking Classes in Warwickshire for 2012

2011-12-28T04:55:00.000-08:00

Hello internets! This is just a quick note to say that I've been busy planning my cooking classes for 2012 and preparing for at least three months in New York City, starting in late March. Sorry about the lack of recipes lately. I did recently make up a great dish with leeks, white wine, sweet potatoes, spinach and a few spices and herbs, topped with goat's cheese and crumbled hazelnuts, made into a bake/gratin sort of thing, which was delicious. I need to either post here or add to the cook book.

And now for a little "shameless self-promotion" as they say...to let you know about upcoming events in 2012. As always, these are all FUN, very affordable, pleasurable (!!!) and all designed to increase your vitality and wellness! Why? So that you can enjoy your life, enjoy the amazing body that carries you around every day and have more energy to be there for yourself, your life, your dreams and the people you love.

My regular Thursday night yoga class, the only one I teach that's open to the public, starts again on the 5th of January at 7:30 pm, at Motionhouse Dance Studio, Leamington Spa, CV31 3SY. Please check out the poster for it.

Cooking classes start the weekend after New Year's with what will be a very fun and delicious "Naughty but Nice" baking class, including the always amazing Black Bean Brownies, pumpkin ginger hazelnut bread and more. There will also be a detox class to get your body bouncing back after Christmas and New Year's indulgence, and to help you accomplish your health goals in 2012 - whether that's weight loss, better skin, strong and healthy digestion, relaxation or something else health or wellness-related. If it's just mouth-watering, delicious and absolutely healthy food you want, there is a Thai class and a Mexican Feast class. I've even got two Cooking and Nutrition for Menopause classes scheduled, which will cover how to flourish at any time in your life, reshape your body if you so desire and prevent illness over the long term.

There's also my "You Don't Need Chocolate" workshop in late January, which helps participants overcome unhealthy eating habits by giving them tools to change whatever isn't working in their lives. It's a physical, emotional/mental and spiritual approach to eating and loving your body! It also includes a cooking class for lunch! Please contact me for more info by viewing my website for my email and phone number.

So, that's what I'm up to! If you'd like to get in touch, to know more about the lady teaching these things, or to hear what others say, feel free to stop by my website: http://www.michellepalmer.net. It's under construction, but soon it will look fabulous. Or my LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=13571131&trk=tab_pro

Whatever you do to start off 2012, I wish you much abundance, fun, health, vitality, joy and fulfillment. Lots of love and peace on earth.
Michelle xx

Dublin, Ireland: Jonnie Fox's, Dunne & Crescenzi, Queen of Tarts and more...

2011-11-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

(This post would take me for-EV-er to do as a one-part thing, so I'm dividing it in two: first Dublin, later Kerry.)

If you're single and you love to travel and experience new cultures, I recommend dating a foreigner. You know your country, they know theirs and you get to show each other around. It's even better if you meet a European and get married, because besides having a lovely partner you now get to spend as much time in European countries as you like (or as much time as you can afford to spend away from daily life). And Europeans usually like America...or at least parts of it. Sometimes, as in my case, they like it very, very much...so the benefit is mutual, a la "I scratch your back, you scratch mine."

It's also nice if you each speak another language or two; and if those languages are different. In our case, I speak Spanish and he speaks Irish Gaelic and passable French (some Parisians actually listen to him). That enables us to get around in a good few Western countries. Now, finding an Italian, Spanish or French-speaking European that you have chemistry with is another matter...

For the past two weeks, we were in Ireland - which is great because that's his turf and it's lovely visiting a foreign country with someone who's completely at home there. We spent a week in Dublin for work, a week in Kerry for play and a few days in Mullingar, visiting family.

I love finding little gems of places to eat, shop, hike, see, etc. and so I wanted to share some of those from Ireland...as usual, the eating places are healthy or at least high-quality, with good vegetarian or seafood options.

Let's start in Dublin, a place that many Americans swoon over due to their heritage and love of the Irish people. I've been there about five times now. Colm studied at Trinity and now he does some work, sometimes, at UCD. We usually stay at the Stillorgan Park Hotel, a nice hotel with a strange name. It isn't central, but it's near UCD and they have a gym in the basement and bring you complimentary tea while you're sitting in their lobby. It's very comfortable, and if you're going to drive to Jonnie Fox's, Ireland's highest pub just outside of Dublin towards the Wicklow Mountains, a great venue for Irish music and really nice pub food, it's a good place to stay at. There are buses every 10 minutes for under 2 euro that go to the town centre in about 20 minutes.

We went to Jonnie Fox's twice. First with one of Colm's students. I had escargot, which I love, and somehow I feel, as an animal lover who's 95% vegetarian, that it's really not a big deal to eat escargot. Snails have to be about as low on the food chain as you can get. They're also fairly good sources of protein and vitamin E. Just like almonds. And they sure are nice with herb butter on brown Irish soda bread. There were also mussels in cream sauce, Irish lamb stew, smoked salmon or fresh crab salads, vegetarian curry and plenty of other delicious things.

Jonnie Fox's is full of entertaining antiques and kitsch. Chamber pots on the loo doors, stockings hanging above the fireplace as though you've traveled back in time to before the invention of washing machines, old 'WANTED' posters and ladies toiletry ads on the walls, mining tools from two centuries ago secured to the ceiling, portraits of someone's great great grandparents...you get the idea. You don't run out of things to look at.

They also have live music seven nights a week. On Monday, our first visit, a man started singing very nice traditional Irish music on acoustic guitar at 9pm. The same guy was there on Thursday in the main dining area, but then as we were about to leave (after a dinner of smoked salmon salad, mussels in white wine sauce, an amazingly good carrot and sorrel soup, and a shared slice of whiskey cake), I passed a hallway on the other side of the bar and could hear a very enthusiastic fiddle, coming from some undiscovered part of the pub and saw people walking towards it as if they were on a mission. I pulled everyone down the hall and into a huge room full of long tables with benches, a stage at one end (in front of a giant old fireplace with more long stockings pinned to it) and a bar at the other. The tables were lit only with candles, some incredible Irish music was blasting and a four-piece band was setting up. Everyone was tapping their feet and clapping to the recorded music while bar staff fixed audience members with pints of Guinness. We managed to find seats and proceeded to have the best night I've ever had in Ireland.

The lead singer was a total comedian, making jokes in a lovely Irish accent the whole time. One of the members was supposedly one of the best musicians around, and from the way he played the fiddle and the tin whistle, I believed it. The other band members were awesome too, great on the guitar with lovely singing voices. It was one of those magic serendipitous things that you just can't manufacture. But going to Jonnie Fox's on a Thursday night at 9 pm would be a good start.

Two friends from Arizona arrived in Dublin a few days after we did, to get a much needed break from the 40 C/100+ F degree weather they'd had for months. One woman's cold and dreary is another man's paradise. I was entrusted with finding a dinner spot. I had made reservations at The Winding Stair, a bookshop/restaurant I've been wanting to go to for four years, but that didn't work out; instead, we ended up at Dunne and Crescenzi, which was atmospheric with gorgeous food. Their prices are in the middle, the Nero d'Avola wine we had was excellent and they served some of the best pesto I've ever tasted. I really love pesto.

I don't know how they did it: maybe they flew the basil in from Italy that afternoon. Maybe it was the olive oil. I'm guessing it was light on the cheese, medium light on the garlic, plenty of amazingly tender juicy basil and exceptional olive oil with pine nuts and gourmet salt. It was ground very fine, perhaps by hand in a mortar and pestle. Whatever was in it, it was good. The hake with artichoke puree and balsamic reduction was pretty nice, too.

After dinner we walked over to Dawson Street (which has restaurants like Carluccio's and The Farm, bars like Cafe en Seine and classy clubs like Sam Sara) and had half a pint at The Dawson Lounge.

Colm said it wasn't much bigger than a closet. The sign claims that it may be the world's smallest pub. It's actually not as claustrophobic as all that. But it is cozy. Go just to say you've been in there. Or go to Porterhouse Central on Nassau Street, just around the corner from Dawson Street in the direction of Trinity College, an independent brewery (no Guinness! good for those who want to support smaller companies, more artisan-crafted real ales and micro-brews).

The next day I googled "best cafe Dublin" and came up with Queen of Tarts, which has two locations very near to each other: a small tea shop on Cork Hill, Dame Street and a more spacious location on Cow's Lane, also off of Dame Street. I went to the shop on Cow's Lane and had a roasted vegetable, rocket and hummos sandwich on gluten free bread. Gorgeous and easy on the digestive system.

Obviously I had a tart, too: a plum tart, with a nice surprise of marzipan under the sweet-tangy plums.

There were many other tempting items...oh if I only had three stomachs...

Cow's Lane is perhaps my favourite street in Dublin in my favourite area of the city. It's in Temple Bar, a very touristy area, but Cow's Lane is away from all the touristy stuff: away from the chain stores, the high street stores, and full of independent shops like Cows Lane Designer Studio, full of collections by Irish artists: clothing, hats, jewelery, ceramics and other art. There's also the studio of Claire Garvey, an amazing designer whose creations I always stop to drool over.

There's more to Cow's Lane...a shop that combines antiques and art objects, a wine bar, another bakery or two if you walk downhill (toward the river, away from busy Dame Street) and turn right, a bookshop...spend a couple hours wandering around.

Other places to check out in Dublin: Powerscourt shopping centre has tons of great eye candy. I'm not a fan of malls or shopping centres but everything in this place is unique, beautiful, and they have some nice restaurants on all levels, like Cafe Fresh on the top floor with organic vegetarian food and a cupcake stand on the bottom floor that usually has free samples on its counters. Avoca, which is sort of like Anthropology but more, is located very near to Trinity Uni on Suffolk Street, but it also has other locations, including one on the Ring of Kerry. Avoca has lots of overpriced stuff that you don't really need but can still enjoy looking at, as well as an upscale cafe, which is also pricey. We ate at their Ring of Kerry spot later on in our trip and the lemon meringue pie was fabulous (and HUGE).

There were a number of other restaurant that I scoped out and took cards from while I was walking around, such as The Cedar Tree, a Lebanese restaurant that looked amazing; Salamanca, voted Dublin's best tapas in 2010; and Bruno's in Temple Bar, an elegant looking spot with upscale traditional Irish food.

Want a facial? There's a place called Lotus on Temple Road in the neighbourhood of Blackrock, near where we stayed, with a second location in the city centre at 54 Talbot Street. Aimee gave me a back massage and a facial with something called an "ultra-sonic scrubber" that was much more pleasant and far less 'scrapey' than it sounds. Actually, it was super fantastic and I plan to go again next time I'm in Dublin. I even contemplated buying my own ultra-sonic scrubber online. Check their website for internet specials.

Last but not least, we took a tour of the Bru na Boinne area in County Meath, about an hour's drive from Dublin centre, and went inside Newgrange, the oldest surviving building in the world (I think that's what they said - over 5,000 years old, older than the pyramids). Newgrange is a passage tomb built with sophisticated astrological knowledge, and probably not enjoyed by claustrophobics. Book your tickets in advance, by at least a week or so, because it's probably the most popular historical site to see in Ireland, aside from Dublin.

That's about it for Ireland part une. Ireland part deux coming soon!

Moroccan Spiced Sweet Potatoes with Hazelnuts, Popcorn and Pepitas

2011-09-11T05:24:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever seen a full Oprah show (I watch TV very rarely), but I love her website and newsletters. That amazing woman has access to the best of the best, and much of it is available for free online. Articles by the best writers, spiritualists and health experts out there; recipes from the top chefs; fashion tips from chic designers and stylists. I receive the weekly food and recipe newsletter, and last week a collection of recipes for ethnic street foods caught my eye. In particular, a recipe for Moroccan Spiced Sweet Potatoes with Pecans, Popcorn and Pepitas. Whenever a recipe title starts with 'Moroccan', I'm interested.

I had two large sweet potatoes getting bored on my counter with question marks hanging over them, wondering what they would become and when, and this recipe calls for some of my favourite spices, so I got to work. I also love popcorn but rarely think of making it. Very exciting.

Sweet potatoes are very rich in beta-carotene/vitamin A, which of course is good for the eyes, but also for the immune system. They're high in fiber and, I think, are a fabulous vegetable for children who need nutrients, love sweet things but already eat (generally, in developed nations) way too much sugar. Sweet potatoes, when cooked, are very easy to digest and a source of complex carbohydrates: preferable to white rice, flour, cereal, etc. In fact, the recipe below calls for sugar but you could easily leave it out. I used my darkest, least refined sugar but you could also use maple syrup, date syrup or molasses. That would be perfect.

Moroccan Spiced Sweet Potatoes with Hazelnuts, Popcorn and Pepitas

I'd say the popcorn is optional. It gets a bit soft when mixed in with the rest, and mushy popcorn is...well, there's just something not right about that. Not to mention the kernels getting stuck in your teeth. It's up to you - you might prefer it on the side.

2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons ghee, macadamia nut oil (if you can get it) or olive oil
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon and 3 Tablespoons dark muscovado sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
about 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice or mace
1/8 teaspoon unrefined salt
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 Tablespoons butter (or ghee, or macadamia nut oil)
1 cup plain or salted popped popcorn (see note above)
3 Tablespoons chopped pecans, hazelnuts or almonds, toasted
3 Tablespoons pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)
optional: 1/2 cup bio yogurt (optional: original recipe uses sour cream)

Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, 1 teaspoon maple or date syrup or molasses, paprika, pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, mace, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add sweet potatoes, toss to coat, and arrange on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until just tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pepitas: you can do this in the oven by tossing them with a teaspoon or two of oil, sprinkle with salt and then pop them in the oven for 5 - 10 minutes, until starting to brown. Or, my preferred method, toss them into a small skillet with a bit of oil and salt and toast them on medium or a touch lower until they start to brown; they will also start to pop and jump a bit, which is how you know they're almost ready. Like popcorn.

Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons of maple or date syrup or molasses and cook for 1 minute. Add roasted sweet potatoes, popcorn, hazelnuts and pepitas; salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until glazed and heated through, a few minutes. Serve in bowls.

The original recipe says to top with sour cream (what Americans call creme fraiche, I think; it's popular on Mexican food). I used organic soya yoghurt instead. It was nice, but I'd say it's optional. It does cut and balance the sweetness of the potatoes, nuts and sugar and the heat of the spices, which is lovely.

Dance Breaks for Joy and Pleasure

2011-09-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

I have been super inspired, lately, by people like Dr. Christiane Northrup, Mama Gena and other women teaching similar "women's health, prosperity and joy through pleasure" philosophies (and backing it up with science!). I've been on a spiritual path for years now but I'm feeling like, instead of "working on our issues" and all of that heavy duty stuff, what most people really need is to create more pleasure in their lives, especially to balance out what you read and see in mainstream media news on a daily basis...or if you keep telling yourself things like "I never have enough time/money/whatever" or "life is hard" or "I'm too old/young...". It takes courage to break out of that spell because other people will say things like, "oh, you're lazy, eh?" or "how are you going to make a living if you do that?" or "how selfish of you - who do you think you are, the queen of Sheba?" and then we start feeling afraid or ashamed. Even if other people don't discourage us, our own thoughts pipe up to say "oh my god, I can't do that, I've got a book to write! When will I ever finish it?? I need to make some money, damn it!" or "but if you don't clean the whole damn house (cook the whole damn dinner, etc.) by the time (insert partner's name here) gets home, he/she might be upset." Well, scrap all of the excuses and do something that feels good, that meets your needs for fun, nourishment, enjoyment, fulfillment. Seriously. Now!

I think this is especially important as it relates to the work I do with food, teaching others to eat well, change their eating habits, enjoy their bodies, etc. It's necessary to know your "primary foods": that is, what feeds your soul? What non-food substances FEED you? Maybe it's music, art, nature, sports, dance, massages, hot tubs, singing, on and on. Bring those things that give you joy and pleasure into your life so that food is no longer the primary way of escaping the activities you don't fully enjoy but think you "have to do". Then, little by little, realise that you always have a CHOICE and start eliminating those things you don't like that you don't have to do, or work on changing yourself or your situation to create a life that is more in alignment with who you are.

That's a short and sweet way of generally summing up a process that can take years for some people, and that usually puts you on a big learning curve; but the great thing about food is that it's a great place to start a new self-care and self-love practice...and to notice your ability to receive and make time for something that is good for you. You don't have to change careers or move house or change relationships; just eat something healthy yet totally delicious today with complete mindfulness, with awareness of the tastes as they hit your tongue and the pleasure and enjoyment you feel in your body as you chew, swallow and benefit from nourishment.

Another way to start feeling great is to take dance breaks. I just made a short but great playlist of dance songs that really get me going, and danced to about three. I was sweaty as anything when it was over, and felt totally different! It also gave me the chance to confront my own resistance to feeling good: at first, I felt silly. I wondered if I really needed to be dancing. I'm a yoga teacher, aren't I?? I wondered how I should move. But then, the more I got into the drum beat and the uplifting lyrics, the more I wanted more and more! I jumped around, moved my hips and shoulders, kicked, clapped, snapped my fingers. It was so fun. And hey, it's a busy day: I worked out, I'm doing some of the cleaning around the house to get ready to go away and I have a book to write. So I needed a dance break. But it's really important to take dance breaks even when you don't NEED them. That's one way of knowing that you're making your own pleasure and joy a priority. Living a healthy, vibrant life is more infectious than saying 'yes' to the requests of others even when you want to say 'no' and then feeling over extended, overly busy and resentful of either someone else or yourself. Take care of yourself. It changes the world.

My other inspiration is my cat. Miso knows her boundaries but she's not afraid to get in there when she wants to be snuggled. She goes where she wants, scratches and stretches when she feels like it and isn't ashamed to bear all in front of the fire on cold winter days and really relish in the enjoyment of warmth. She also loves sleeping in the sun in the grass, or in the middle of the herb bed or under the kale, rolling in the dirt and pondering the lady bugs and beetles that walk under her nose. She feels no shame about eating. When she wants something, she lets me know. She knows her needs and isn't afraid to state them. She allows others to love her and take care of her. She really knows how to receive. I think these are all exceptionally admirable qualities! Miso is totally in the flow of life. She goes with it. She doesn't resist or try to force things. She may be a bit on the chubby side but it doesn't affect her self-esteem: she knows that she is worthy of unconditional love and care (which I love giving her), whatever she might look like on the outside, however many tufts of fur she innocently leaves on the carpet. Many people spend years in therapy trying to achieve what she naturally has. What a great guru.

Anyway, whether it's an aromatherapy bath with rose petals, lighting some candles on your desk while you work, eating some delicious food with total presence and awareness, lying in the sun or whatever, make sure you take time for pleasure today. Regardless of your situation!

Here are some songs from my Dance Breaks!!! playlist:

1. an amazing video to "Human" by The Killers, a great song!

2. I Can't Break Away, by Big Pig, from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (except you have to sing "I CAN Break Away" and change some of the lyrics to be more empowering):

3. Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire. Needs no introduction.

4. What A Feeling from Flashdance - never fails to make me feel good. "I can have it all, now I'm dancing through my life!":

That's all for today. Take a break from work and go have FUN!

Dino Kale with Pasta and Pesto

2011-08-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

The organic farm down the road keeps us supplied with the most wonderful kale all year round. Red Russian, Dino Kale (called Cavalo Nero in the UK) or good ol' Curly kale. I adored dino kale when I was in New Mexico, sometimes eating a dinner composed entirely of sautéed kale with spices, ghee, garlic and a bit of lemon juice. Yum. It's also great in dal, any hearty soup, or steamed with a soft boiled egg on top. In really cold wintry weather, I love making a kale bake with stock, onions, garlic, plenty of dark kale, gluten free breadcrumbs and gruyere cheese on top. That's one reason to accept the chilly weather in England these days. I've also started juicing vegetables again, so I save my kale stems and juice them with a small apple, half a cucumber, maybe some lettuce or a carrot. The apple (or pear, or carrot, etc.) balances the bitter green flavour, making it palatable.

If you have some basic knowledge of nutrition, you probably know that kale is really good for you. It's linked to the prevention and reduction of five types of cancer, it lowers cholesterol when you eat it cooked, and is basically one of the best foods out there (click on link to read more). It's best to cook your vegetables a bit because your body isn't really able to digest plant cellulose unless it's cooked, and kale's cholesterol-lowering ability is aided by the cooking process. Very tender greens such as rocket and lettuces eaten raw are okay: it's a good idea to have some raw vegetables along with the cooked.

We grow kale in our back yard. It grows all year round, doesn't mind cooler climates, even developing a sweeter taste after a frost. It's a good plant to start with if you're just getting into growing your own food.

One easy, quick and delicious way to eat dino kale is with pasta, pesto and pine nuts. I use gluten free pasta (I like Orgran's buckwheat spirals). Any sort of pesto will do. I used a variety with almonds and lemon instead of cheese, from the nearby organic shop. Pine nuts are very pricey these days, so feel free to use walnuts or maybe sunflower seeds, pepitas or almonds. Other types of kale, or any green cruciferous vegetables, also taste lovely. I used some tender young broccoli shoots along with half of a large bunch of dino kale, all from Canalside Farm.

Dino/Cavalo Nero Kale Pasta with Pesto and Toasted Pine Nuts
serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are and what else you're eating

pasta: enough for two to four people
pine nuts or other nuts: between 2 tablespoons and 1/4 cup, depending on how many people you are serving
1 bunch dino kale (or other cruciferous green vegetable)
2 large garlic cloves
1 small onion (optional)
1 tablespoon (one glug or spoonful) of ghee or butter or macadamia nut oil
several large spoonfuls of pesto
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
pinch of chili flakes (optional)
liquid: stock, broth or water
juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
optional herbs: oregano, parsley, thyme
unrefined salt to taste (not table salt)

De-stem the kale to the degree that you prefer (some people like stems) and slice the leaves widthwise into thin strips. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. While you're prepping, you can boil a pot of water for the pasta, and pour in a bit of oil and salt. When the water is boiling, pour in the pasta and cook until done (this can be done while cooking the kale to save you time).

The other thing to do while the kale is cooking is toast the pine (or other) nuts. I recommend doing this in a small skillet. Nearly every time I toast nuts in the oven, I forget about them and they burn, so I recommend keeping them where you can see them. Pour them into the small skillet, heat over medium and toss occasionally to toast evenly, adjusting the heat as needed, until lightly browned, perhaps 5 - 8 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium or a touch hotter. When it's heated, add the (optional) onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown. Now add the garlic, stir and cook for another minute or so. Add the kale, stir again until coated in the oil. Add the paprika, cumin and (optional) chili flakes; stir. Begin adding the liquids with the stock or broth, a generous splash at a time. Turn the kale over occasionally to let the heat and steam get to all the leaves. Turn down the heat a bit to medium/low so that the pan doesn't dry out. Add the lemon juice when you don't need too much more liquid: it has a tendency to caramelize quickly on the bottom of the pan. Towards the end, when the kale is nearly done, add any herbs you fancy using and mix them in.

Stir several spoonfuls of pesto through the pasta, then add the cooked kale and toss. Sprinkle with pine nuts, maybe some grated grana padano if you eat cheese, and serve.

Reducing Sugar

2011-08-15T03:15:00.000-07:00

I think I need to set the record straight, before people start telling me to re-title my blog as 'please pass the browns.' Ok, I post a fair number of recipes for desserts. They're crowd pleasers, or they're in response to requests. Sometimes, they're just pretty. It's always good to have a gluten-free cake recipe for special occasions. But I actually think that eating sugar is one of the worst things for you, and have been re-examining my intake of it, swapping simple carbohydrates for protein and vegetables.

When I say sugar, I'm usually talking about white sugar and products that have similar effects, like high-fructose corn syrup (even worse that normal white sugar), golden syrup, demerara, unrefined cane crystals, etc.

Most days, I try to avoid sugar altogether, and I never eat sweeteners like aspartame. I don't care if the FDA has approved it - for one thing, companies like Equal, NutriSweet, Spoonful, etc. are subsidiaries of Monsanto and the less money you send their way, the better. Also, I think it's a terrible idea to take the government's advice as gospel when it comes to health. They're much better at supporting companies and economic interests than they are at supporting your unique needs for vitality and well-being. But if you're reading this blog, you probably already have a sense of that. Artificial sweeteners also keep you craving overly-sweet things instead of allowing your taste buds to adapt to real, unprocessed food. I recommend Stevia if you are looking for a sugar substitute.

Refined sugar is ultimately dehydrating, it actually depletes your body of nutrients and after the initial buzz, leaves you feeling lethargic. It's addictive (if we consider an addiction as 'continued use despite adverse consequences'), it's one of, if not the, main contributor to weight gain, obesity and diabetes. The list goes on but you get the idea. Research suggests that high carb, low protein diets create a release of seratonin (the relaxing 'feel good' hormone), one possible reason why we turn to sugar for comfort when most of us feel too short on time to run a bath or take a walk. We get desensitized to the presence and intensity of sweetness due to it being added into so many foods (sugar in mayonnaise??), creating a dependency on and continual craving for it.

I see people abusing their bodies with sugar everywhere I go. It's a socially acceptable addiction, and sadly, often the cheapest food option due to big-business farming practices (for affordable vegetables, check out Community Supported Agriculture farms or learn to grow your own vegetables in your yard or at an allotment). I sat in a coffee house yesterday, working, while the woman next to me ate a slab of carrot cake and slurped down a large frappuccino-thing with whipped cream for lunch. On the plane back from America, the woman in front of me, traveling with a group, announced, "anyone want snacks? I knew we'd get bored so I brought MnM's, Oreos, Nutter Butters..." the list of branded, sugary junk rolled on and then she produced a large plastic bag full of it. The food they served on the flight was also loaded with the white stuff, plus extremely high gluten white rolls, muffins, crackers. These foods feel much like sugar to me when I eat them, in terms of their effect on my energy levels.

The sugar thing has also come up recently from listening to podcasts by Dr. Christiane Northrup and reading "The Four Hour Body" by Tim Ferriss, author of my favourite business/lifestyle book, "The Four Hour Work Week". Christiane discusses sugar (and a high glycemic diet, which also includes white flour, refined grains, white potatoes, milk, alcohol, etc.) as a major contributing factor to digestive issues such as heartburn, IBS, etc. not to mention hormonal problems, fertility, depression and weight problems. Additionally, our sugar cravings can actually be a sign that we need protein or water. Eating sugar with caffeine (coffee and donuts, anyone?) creates a release of stress hormones in your body because of the huge jolt to your system of stimulants. I'd say most of us already have enough stress. I can't help cringing when I see all of the energy drinks in stores: on their own or coupled with the high amounts of sugar in American's diets, it looks like a recipe for adrenal fatigue (your adrenals sit on top of the kidneys and one of their functions is the production of stress hormones like adrenaline).

So why not decide to enjoy the potentially marvelous human body that we walk around in, instead of enjoying another cinnamon roll or brownie that won't really nourish you? Well, depending on where you start from, that can be a long process but it's fully worth the work. I'm not promoting perfectionism, just more awareness of what you're really eating and how it affects you. I eat sugar occasionally: when my brother, a professional pastry chef, whips up chai creme brulee or his dark chocolate covered salty caramels for Christmas, I tuck in, in moderation. You'd be mad not to! But, over the years, I've noticed a direct connection between the amount of chocolate I eat (regardless of the quality of it) and the amount of skin breakouts I get. And the less sugar I eat, the more I'm able to feel the buzz, the crash, the sticky sour taste it leaves in my mouth.

So, for these reasons and more, I've been starting my days with an egg or two and vegetables, or maybe brown rice or oats. I've reintroduced small amounts of poultry and fish. I never really stopped eating fish completely, but for a long time I only had it once every one to six months, and I haven't eaten chicken in years. My energy levels feel steadier, I have less of that "wilting, must eat now!" feeling and it's just nice to be eating less sugar. At first, I tried Tim Ferriss' idea from T4HB of having 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, but this was making me gain weight, or retain water, or something. I don't seem to do well with objective rules about food that don't come as an answer to "what feels nourishing to me?" When I listen to my body, I get the nutritional answers I need. Under the 30 grams of protein plan, I had to supplement my breakfast eggs with protein powder, and it never works for me to eat 'edible food-like substances' such as whey. I always end up back with my beloved vegetables. Also, I'm a yoga teacher who cycles and hikes. I need some starch, some energy-rich food.

My cardinal rule is 'listen to your body.' Many of us listen to our minds when we make food choices. That's why we end up trapped on a plane with bags of junk. Your body wants to be nourished, it wants real food that contains nutrients that it can process in the way it evolved to do. Food is the best medicine there is, or it can be poison, depending on what you're eating. And the voice of your body, and what it truly wants, is much quieter than the voice of your cravings, especially if you're not used to a wholesome diet. If you want to listen to your body, you usually just have to sit down, take a relaxing deep breath into your belly and ask your body or your belly (as a thought, so that you don't look like a nutter), "what would nourish and sustain you right now?" Wait a bit and see what comes up.

They say that 'the path gets narrower' and I have found that as I refine my health, my body's tolerance for junk gets lower and lower. I'm far more sensitive to and aware of the true effects that substances (food, products, etc.) have on me. Ten years ago, three quarters of my diet was sugary, floury things. My body had adapted to my lifestyle and I often felt sleepy and unwell but didn't see the correlation (or didn't want to). Our bodies are amazingly adaptable, for better or worse.

Growing up, ice cream or something sweet was nearly required after dinner, and if we ate out, I ordered desert, because why else would one eat at a restaurant if not to 'treat' yourself? That was my thinking then. Trips to Dairy Queen or other ice cream shops were a way of spending family time together, or celebrating any occasion. These days, I almost never order dessert at a restaurant, because I'd rather leave without feeling stuffed and sleepy, and be able to look back on that dinner as a lovely time without negative after-effects. I enjoy my dinner far more now that I'm free of that remorse. It also reduces the cost.

And so, in the end, I've reduced my sugar intake and slightly increased my protein intake while keeping my main focus on vegetables, always vegetables. I get a couple of egg whites or a bit of fish or chicken almost daily, and make up most of my diet from vegetables, whole grains without gluten, nuts and seeds, lentils and beans. I've done this because, in following my 'listen to your body' rule, it feels right. I don't eat much fruit, but if it's seasonal I'll have a bit. While in Oregon recently, I freely noshed on the fat, sweet blueberries that were in abundance in my mom's front yard. Heaven. I get starches from brown rice, sweet potatoes, corn chips (with hummus or a bit of aubergine pesto) and oats. Oats, being low in gluten and sometimes gluten free, seem to suit me best. Perhaps that's a genetic thing, being of Celtic heritage. I love the big, organic rolled ones. Home made granola is easy to make: I sweeten it lightly with apple juice or maple syrup, and add cinnamon, ginger, coconut flakes, sesame seeds, maybe a bit of grated ginger root, chopped almonds or hazelnuts. It's delicious with rice or nut milk.

If I eat sugar now, what form does it take? While on holiday, I had some dairy-free coconut lemon sorbet several times, and a slice of wedding cake, and some really amazing local ice cream on my last night there. It almost never gets hot enough to properly enjoy ice cream or sorbet in England, but that's not the case in the USA at the moment. Day-to-day, I'll have a couple of pieces of candied ginger. Good for digestion and small. I sometimes put honey in my tea (I add it in after the tea has cooled a bit so that the heat doesn't reduce the fabulous health benefits of honey - it also comes from the hive that my friend keeps, just a five-minute drive away). I bake, probably twice a month, vegetable-based low-gluten breads with a little bit of organic unrefined demerara sugar in them (zucchini bread, pumpkin bread...).

What do I avoid? I never eat breakfast cereals, fast food, processed food, commercial cakes and pastries (unless in France - their wheat harvesting, baking traditions and process are totally different than the ones that produce your Tesco criossants and baguettes). The food I eat (or don't eat) in the morning sets the tone for the day, and my ideal breakfast is one or two soft-boiled eggs over steamed greens, or lentil vegetable soup. If you're a coffee and muffin type, that probably sounds crazy, but it tastes great and feels great. If you're looking to make one small change in your life that will have tons of positive effects, breakfast is a great place to start. I actually almost never eat granola, even though I mention it above. Dessert and ice cream are only for special occasions. I drink very little alcohol (your body processes alcohol just like sugar). I also avoid other foods that contribute to high blood sugar levels, like white potatoes, white flour and any other whites.

All that being said, I don't sweat it too much. I don't want to spend my life obsessing, and at the moment, if I avoid most chocolate and keep my gluten, cheese and cream, alcohol and coffee to a minimum, I can eat just about anything and feel great. But that's because in the past, I committed to periods of several months where I cut out all dairy, gluten, soy, sugar, chocolate, alcohol. Not all at the same time, but as I improved and refined my health, I had to heal my digestion. I've never felt better than when I was totally dairy, gluten and soy free for 90 days. And since then, my body can tolerate a bit of gluten occasionally, especially if the source is organic, non-GMO or grown in France. Thank GOD for French baking...

All of this is food for thought. The point is that it's probably a good idea to reexamine your intake of sugar and high-glycemic foods. It's also no fun to be a perfectionist who restricts food. There are other sweet, pleasurable things in life, like massages, taking in some fresh air and beautiful scenery on a hike, a good movie with friends (without MnMs), loving your pet, allowing yourself some much-needed rest, snuggling on the couch. If all else fails, there's always candied ginger.

Chocolate Pistachio Cake: Dairy and Gluten Free

2011-06-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

While eating dinner with friends a couple of weeks ago, I was trying to describe the sort of recipes that I create, and one person perked up and told me she had a cookbook that I needed to borrow. She brought in 'Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache' by Harry Eastwood (Harry being a woman's name in this case). The book features 80 vegetable-based gluten-free baked goods recipes, the majority of them desserts, with a few savoury biscuit and scone recipes. Parsnip fudge, dense chocolate cake made with aubergine (aka eggplant), orange and butternut squash cupcakes. Harry uses finely grated vegetables, and sometimes finely ground nuts, in place of butter. It's my kind of cooking.

There are a number of recipes that I want to try at some point (particularly the Red Velvet cake, when I have enough beetroot), and I thought these cakes would be the ideal kind to keep in the freezer. You know, just in case. I don't really keep snack or junk food around the house, so sometimes I open the cupboard and all I see are ingredients: soy sauce, bags of lentils, balsamic vinegar, tahini, sea salt, basmati rice, honey, bay leaves, gram flour, cream of tartar, tamarind paste, black beans. Not exactly appetizing fare! And sometimes it's 3:25 pm and you want something with your cup of Earl Grey but you want it to be healthy-ish. And there's nothing prettier than a home-made cake sitting on the counter, flecked with sliced green pistachios. So I made her Chocolate Pistachio Cake with courgette (aka zucchini). Mmm.

The trick, if you're baking for vegetable skeptics, is to make this when they're not around so they can't see what you're doing. Then, after they've eaten a piece and told you how good it was, break the news that there was green plant matter in their cake. Okay, courgettes are totally harmless and on the tame side of vegetable baking, but in many people's minds, vegetables live in one field, sweet things live in another and they should never cross-pollinate. But c'mon, people, it's 2011. Modern technology. Innovative thinking. Turnips in your Steamed Golden Syrup Sponge Pudding. It's a brave new world.

This recipe is a modification of the one in Harry's book. The icing recipe is mine, in the sense that I just threw it together with coconut milk instead of butter. I've added cinnamon because I like that spice with chocolate and with courgettes (just like zucchini bread), and because it helps balance blood sugar levels. This cake is fast to make. It bakes in only 30 minutes, and doesn't require too many ingredients. Don't be put off by having to grate the zucchini/courgette: trust me, it grates very quickly. You have to do these things for the sake of good food. And the pistachios grind down to a powder in just a few minutes.

The original recipe seemed to imply that this would provide enough batter to make two layers. I prepared two spring-form pans but half the batter didn't even cover the bottom of one (unless spread ridiculously thin), so I scraped it all into one and ended up with a perfect, 1 1/2 - 2 inch high cake. Works for me.

A note about lining a spring-form pan with greaseproof baking paper: it's a pain in the arse if you try to fit the paper in perfectly with it going up the sides and all of that. So just do this: open and remove the sides (ring) of the pan; lay a piece of paper over the circular base; push the ring down around the base and lock it into place, securing the paper over the base like a drum. Trim away the excess paper and lightly grease the sides and base of the pan with oil or butter. You can easily run a knife around the sides after baking if you have to. Having paper over the base is sufficient.

A note to American readers about the measurements in 'grams': this sort of thing happens when you live in England. But having a kitchen scale is extremely handy, so this is your excuse to get one. And while we're on the topic of measurements, if you don't have an oven thermometer, please get one when you can. They're cheap and many ovens vary widely in temperature. If I set my oven to 150C, it shoots up above 200C (hotter than hell, in other words) for some odd reason. I guess it's not a great oven. So unless you have a fabulous oven, an oven thermometer will serve you well.

Chocolate Pistachio Cake
Adapted from 'Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache' by Harry Eastwood
Dairy and gluten free.

FOR THE CAKE
100 grams shelled pistachios
3 medium organic eggs
180 grams demerara sugar
300 grams topped, tailed, peeled and very finely grated courgette (zucchini in the US) (about 3 medium courgettes)
120 grams self-raising gluten free flour blend
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
60 grams good quality cocoa powder
optional pinch of salt unless the pistachios you buy happen to have a bit of salt on them

FOR THE ICING
60 grams icing sugar
20-25 grams good quality cocoa powder
3-4 tablespoons coconut milk (full fat - I open a can of the stuff, then keep what I don't use in a glass jar in the fridge and put it into oatmeal or curries)
1 handful roughly chopped pistachios

METHOD
-Line the base of a spring-form cake pan with parchment or baking paper and lightly oil the base and sides of the pan.
-In the bowl of a food processor, grind the pistachios into a fine powder. This takes several minutes. A good idea is to add a tablespoon of the flour to the pistachios after an initial period of grinding: this helps them 'skate around the bowl' instead of clumping and turning into pistachio butter. Which sounds nice, but won't work here. Make sure you really do grind them to a powder: the texture of your cake depends on it.
-Start heating the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
-In a large mixing bowl, with electric beaters, beat the eggs with the sugar for two full minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the grated courgette and pistachio dust.
-Using a sieve (the kind you'd wash lentils in), sieve the flour, cinnamon and cocoa powder in to the courgette mix. Cocoa powder tends to have lumps in it. You can push it through the holes of the sieve with a spatula to break up the lumps. Before you turn the beaters on again, swirl it all together to moisten the dry ingredients so that when you turn on the beaters, you don't create a cloud of cocoa. Now beat again to incorporate everything really well, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Pour into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes (the book says 30, mine took nearly 40, probably because I had all of the batter in one pan).
-Meanwhile, to prepare the icing: in a medium mixing bowl, sieve in the icing sugar and cocoa powder using the spatula method above. Add two tablespoons of coconut milk and mix with a spatula to smoosh out any clumps. Continue to add coconut milk, 1/2 or 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until you have a nice, thick, spreadable consistency. Set aside.
-When the cake is done (test it by inserting a thin knife into the centre, making sure it comes out clean), remove the sides of the pan. Allow it to cool for fifteen minutes or so, then turn it out onto a plate and allow the other side to cool. At this point, you may want to pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes. You want it to come down to room temp or a bit lower, otherwise the heat in the cake (there's a lot of it in there!) will totally melt your icing.
-When the cake has cooled, ice it. Sprinkle roughly chopped pistachios on top. Serve. Feeds 12 health nuts with sweet tooths.

The Complete Guide on How to Use Coriander and Cilantro (Coriander Coconut Chutney Recipe)

2011-06-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

If you're new to spices, or you could use some new ideas to jazz up your meals, then this monthly series where I pick one spice or herb and cover natural remedies, health benefits, a recipe or two and other tips is for you. I'll do one spice per month until I've worked my way through my entire spice rack, which has 40 jars on it! So I better get started.

But first, as far as any natural remedies in this post (or anywhere else on my blog) go, please see my disclaimer.

I didn't start cooking until I was 24, and I started with Ayurvedic Indian food. I didn't realize how adventurous I was being, as a cooking virgin. The recipes were full of items I'd never heard of, like asafoetida and turmeric. But I knew cilantro from eating it in guacamole, even if I had never cooked with its seeds, called coriander (in the UK, coriander is used to refer to the leaf and seeds of the plant).

Cilantro/coriander's leaves taste astringent and sweet. In Ayurveda, this makes coriander very cooling. Wherever there is fire, coriander will be there! You do start to notice that it's used most commonly in dishes that also contain chillies: Indian, Thai, Mexican and Chinese foods. It also goes well with sour tastes, as in yogurt dips (yogurt being sour) or with lime, as a garnish.

Some people have a huge aversion to coriander leaves because they find it tastes a bit like soap. I'm in the 'love it' category. The seeds of the plant are much more tolerable, lacking the funny flavour that puts some off the leaves. I use the ground seed in place of the leaves if I have to (I'd rather not). The leaves have the stronger flavour, so it's not usually advised to substitute them for the seed, but hey, rules are made to be broken. I like to use a bit (or a lot, depending) of ground seed along with the leaves to sort of 'layer' the flavours: meaning, if you have a dish and it calls for coriander, putting a bit of ground seed in with the leaf creates more complexity in the flavours in the dish. As an example, you can also layer flavours when you need a dish to be hot: heat can come from black, white, green, pink or red peppercorns; or from dried chillies of all sorts; horseradish, wasabi, mustard; perhaps try putting in two or three items from the same taste 'category' instead of only one, and adjusting amounts accordingly, so you don't overload the dish with heat but you build the flavours in complexity. Curry powder, for example, has heat from black mustard seeds, ginger and black pepper. It has sweetness from fennel and cinnamon. And so on. Hopefully that makes sense.

Here's where I use coriander/cilantro the most:

*leaves as a garnish in Chinese style stir-fries, ground coriander seed as part of the spice in the stir fries; a bit of coriander seed is nice in other hot or sour Chinese dishes where you might not use the leaves;
*Thai dishes such as Tom Yum soup, Thai curries, Thai rice and noodle dishes. I cook the coriander stems along with other vegetables in the curries and soups, then sprinkle the leaves over at the end, and ground coriander seed and stems would almost always go into a home-made curry paste if I was making it;
*Indian foods: chutneys, any Indian curry, vegetable dish, rice dish, home made curry powder, and Ayurvedic teas;
*Mexican dishes: chili tomato rice, guacamole, most chili-laden Mexican dishes. Cilantro also freshens and 'greens' up a Mexican dish that has cheese, helping to cut through the sour and oily qualities. The leaves are excellent as a balance to spicy mole sauces, and the stems could be cooked with any roasted veg that you're putting into your enchilada;
*yogurt dips: leaves and ground seed, perhaps with lemon and cucumber? Sort of like Tzatziki?
*Chutney! Recipe below.
*summer drinks: pound up a few sprigs of coriander with a handful of mint leaves, pour boiling water on them, steep for a while and drink; or, steep then chill it in the fridge, add some lime juice and a bit of stevia or raw agave nectar and enjoy your cilantro mint ice tea. Yum!
*digestive tea: one of the most popular Ayurvedic recipes is a soothing tea to drink at anytime, for anyone, made of 1 teaspoon each: coriander seed, cumin seed and fennel seed (use whole seeds). Place the seeds in a pot, add a pint or two of water, boil, turn to a simmer, simmer for a few minutes, covered, then strain and drink. This healing brew is helpful for indigestion, acid stomach, cystitis, sluggish digestion and many other conditions. You can make some in the morning and take it in a thermos to sip on throughout the day.

As a natural remedy, cilantro is a great herb in the summer because it's so cooling. Meaning, it's helpful if you're prone to heat rash, excess sweat, irritability, if you have acidity, internal inflammation (anything ending in 'itis' like cystitis), skin irritation or other 'fiery' conditions; or if you just need to cool off. The juice is a good thing to drink (along with unsweetened, pure cranberry juice) for urinary tract infections. The juice also soothes skin rashes and burns, burning sore throats, and is excellent for intestinal disorders and as a blood cleanser. I would guess that this is because, as a sweet and astringent tasting green plant food (like cucumbers and avocados), cilantro is powerfully alkaline. That means it counteracts the acidic effects of foods like sugar, coffee, alcohol, wheat, corn, dairy, meat, etc.

To make cilantro juice, wash a bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro in cold water, then run them through a juicer. If you don't have a juicer, put the washed bunch in a blender with a cup or two of water (depending on the size of the bunch) and blend. If you want to make more of a paste to place on heat rash or irritated skin, then add water slowly, in a trickle, while blending until you have the desired consistency. Apply where needed (but not on broken skin - see you doctor).

How to keep your cilantro fresher for longer if you buy a bunch of it from your local vegetable market? Treat it like a bunch of flowers. Snip off the very ends of the stems and place it in a short glass or jar with a bit of water (not enough water to reach up to the leaves, only about an inch or so of the stems). Then you can just leave it on the windowsill or maybe place it in the fridge.

Or, if you buy a bunch of cilantro and know you won't be able to get through it all, make a chutney. This is a really delicious topping for curries or basmati rice. It's also nice as a dip for South Indian flatbreads - like papadums, dosas or kallappams.

Coriander Coconut Chutney

1 packed cup fresh coriander leaves
1/3 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut flakes
1 teaspoon honey
¼ - ½ teaspoon salt (not table salt - sea, rock, kosher or iodized)
2 Tablespoons lime juice (about 1 small/medium lime)
1/2 inch fresh ginger root, peeled with the tip of a spoon and minced
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional!)
1/2 teaspoon (or a bit less) cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon (or a bit less) coriander powder

Blend the coriander and lime juice until chopped; add a little water if it's too thick. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until you have a paste-like consistency (again, adding minimal amounts of water if needed).

Cardamom Snickerdoodles

2011-06-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

I love baking. It's therapeutic and can be so beautiful, especially when cake is involved. But I'm also a bit of a health nut. What I consider ideal is having a couple of sporty, hungry teenage boys to pass the cookies to so that I'm not stuck in the house, alone, with an entire cake or batch of cookies. Teenagers have amazing powers of absorption when it comes to food.

Let's cut to the chase. I made some Snickerdoodles in April and took them to dinner at the house of our friends Oleg and Anna, and their sons Dennis and Alex who are...14 and 16, I think. They're both very tall for their age, which makes them look 24 and 26. Their hair is a perfect blend of their mom's curly red and dad's fluffy blonde hair. I hope Oleg doesn't mind me calling his hair fluffy. I simply mean, 'not flat'. It's a good thing. But anyway, they loved the Snickerdoodles. We were over there again last weekend. The lads, plus Lucy, Dennis' girlfriend, cooked dinner for 10 people. I was so impressed, given my complete cluelessness about cooking when I was their age. They wanted the cookie recipe, or at least the spelling of the word so they could look it up.

I guess Snickerdoodles are American – this seems obvious when I think about it. There are plenty of silly words in British English but Snickerdoodle is not one of them. If it was an English 'biscuit', it might be called 'Snickies' or something else with a 'y' sound at the end. They love that over here. Like chocky for chocolate.

As a thanks for dinner, guys and gal, here's a recipe. I thought they'd be nice with cardamom in them. I love cardamom and think it's amazing in the right desserts. Dennis and Alex fondly remember the chai crème brulee that my brother made for everyone at our wedding party in 2008, and last week I had a similar cardamom crème brulee at a very authentic French restaurant near our house. Mmm. Anyway, the cardamom is optional here but I love it.

If you're going to use gluten free flour, it's a good idea to use baking paper so that you don't end up demolishing the cookies while trying to scrape them off the bottom of the pan. Baking paper lets you lift your gluten free wares off easily, with minimal crumble. It's a miracle for the gluten free baker.

I fiddled around to make them a bit 'healthier'. I used half whole spelt flour and half gluten free self-rising flour and modified the amount of baking soda accordingly (self-raising GF flour has baking soda in it). Feel free to use ordinary unbleached all-purpose flour. I also used demerara sugar, but I ground it up in the blender because I didn't want huge crystals but I wanted to keep the sugar unrefined. It's an easy trick that I use when I need powdered or caster sugar but don't want the white stuff.

Cardamom Snickerdoodles

for the dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
pinch of salt (not table salt) (omit if you have to use salted butter)

for the topping:
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

In one bowl, cream the butter and sugar with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the egg and mix well.

In a second bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt (if using) and cardamom. Do try to grind the cardamom yourself, the aroma and taste is amazing. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until it starts to clear the sides of the bowl and comes together into a dough. Pat down the top, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight.

When you're ready, take out the dough and preheat the oven to 350F / 180C (I have an oven thermometer and I only have to set my UK oven to 130C! Obviously, these are handy). In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Scoop out spoonfuls of dough, enough for 1 inch balls, and form them by rolling the dough around gently between your two palms. Then toss them in the cinnamon mix to coat and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until just starting to brown around the edges. Makes about 32 cookies. These freeze well. In case you need to save them for the next time you see some teenagers.

How To Beat a Crappy Mood (plus a recipe for spiced greens)

2011-05-30T04:41:00.000-07:00

It's been raining since I woke up at 7. I have a sore throat and a sinus headache. Two weeks ago, I had a kidney infection. It was excruciating. I'm better now, but, you know...being able to feel your inner organs (in a bad way) just isn't right. So, I'm lying in bed with a shiny new cold, having just recovered from an internal infection. Schtuff happens. And because I've had to rest a lot and work less in the past few weeks, I start to feel like I'm trapped in a little town in the middle of a foreign country, going nowhere. That's not really true, but it's how I feel today. In other words, I'm in a crappy mood. Just being honest.

So, what do I do when that happens? Here's a list of a few essentials. Try them out next time you're stuck in a rut.

*First, I make sure I'm eating good food, in other words, green vegetables, since they're packed with nutrients (see recipe below). I include spices like turmeric for its antibacterial properties, its benefits for the liver and skin and many other healing functions. I might eat a kiwi or two because of their exceptional Vitamin C levels. I have a couple of eggs for protein, which helps keep my blood sugar steady. But basically, I keep my food light and super nutritious. I don't eat cookies or a chocolate bar. That makes you feel worse, once the sugar high has worn off and you've swallowed it and can't taste it anymore. Then you just feel more lethargic and maybe slightly regretful, and your body still needs the real food to nourish it.

*Second, I move. I turn on this song...

...and I dance. There, now you can do it too! I adore old music videos. They don't make 'em like they used to. I'm diggin' the guy in the orange/red shirt and black trousers on the platform - I don't know what he's up to, but it makes me smile. I almost always choose 'Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now' by McFadden & Whitehead because it's the most positive, uplifting song I can think of. You could say, in terms of Ayurvedic medicine, that 'Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now' is universally beneficial. I jump around, clap to the beat, kick my legs up and really get the blood going. Even with a sore throat. I do this in front of a mirror so that I have someone to grin at. It feels great.

*I drink ginger infused hot water with lemon and add some manuka honey after the 'tea' cools enough to comfortably hold the tip of your finger in. Manuka honey is helpful in fighting off infections (it seems) because of its antibacterial action. Ginger helps to clear any phlegm, perks up your digestion in a big way, and helps to detoxify the body. In Ayurveda, ginger is also said to promote circulation and creativity. You can't lose with ginger. Just slice an inch (or less if you want less spice) of ginger root into 3 cups (700 - 800 ml) water and boil; then reduce to a simmer and cover, simmering for 5 - 10 minutes until it's nice and spicy. Pour into a mug, squeeze in lemon to taste, let it cool down and stir in the manuka.

*I ask myself what I really, really, really feel like doing. In other words, I listen to my body. This is a little like meditating. Maybe I need to rest. Journal. Dance. Stretch. Finish a task that's been on my mind for too long. Clean the house. Get some sun. Turn off the computer. Snuggle the cat. Whatever it is, I take the time to do it.

After all of that, I can usually fight off any encroaching ailment, feel better and get some good work done. Like writing this post, so that you can have a better day too.

Dark Greens with Garlic, Lemon and Spices

As usual, use organic where possible to avoid giving yourself a dose of pesticides. The better the vegetable, the less you have to do to it to make it taste gorgeous. So hit up your local farmers market or save money, support independent farmers and join a CSA (in the UK or the USA).

The point of this recipe is simplicity and ease. It can be as fast as: steam greens. Toss in lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve. Or you can get fancy with the garlic and spices.

Chard, kale, tenderstem or purple sprouting broccoli, broccoli rabe, beet greens, turnip greens, spinach, arugula (rocket), mustard and dandelion greens...these all work. If you're using dandelion or mustard greens, you might want to use them as an accent to a different green like chard, spinach or kale, unless you're really hard core about your bitter foods.

2 bunches of greens, about 300 grams, or 4 big handfuls after you chop them
1 - 2 Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 medium/large garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, enough to sprinkle over the pan
1 - 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (save the rind and put it in tea)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon each: cumin, coriander and paprika powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
pinch of chili flakes (optional)
fresh herbs (optional): parsley, coriander, basil, oregano...it's up to you. A sprig or two of each.
fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (to taste, or leave it out here)

Wash the greens, remove any tough stems and chop them. Mince the garlic. Heat the oil on medium in a medium/large skillet, then add the garlic and sesame seeds. Toast for a minute or two, just until the garlic starts to brown a bit. Then add the greens, lemon juice to taste and crack the pepper over the greens. Stir occasionally until the greens have wilted down.

A minute or two before the greens are cooked to your liking, add the cumin, coriander, paprika and turmeric powder; also add the fresh herbs. Sprinkle a bit of salt over everything. Mix well. With dry spices, you want to add them just before you're done cooking. They dry out the pan and will stick and burn quickly if there is very little moisture in the pan. You want to heat them just enough to take out any raw taste but not much more.

Taste for salt and pepper, then serve. I actually love this for breakfast, for the way it tastes and for the way it makes me feel, with an egg or two on the side, or fried and placed on top.

Walnut Pesto: Better Than Nutella

2011-05-29T01:26:00.000-07:00

I know the title of this post might make some people think that I'm not human, but the truth is that the full cup of walnut pesto we made the other day was gone within 24 hours. We also recently had some Nutella hanging around, since Colm occasionally makes crepes on Sunday mornings. The jar of Nutella, less than a cup, lasted over two weeks.

It's true: I eat pesto straight from the jar. I love it. Not the store-bought stuff, but real, home made pesto. The difference is huge. Actually, let me make that really clear: home made pesto is a million times better (and somewhat cheaper) than store-bought varities. I haven't made my own pesto for nearly a year - probably not since the last time basil was in season. I had forgotten the massive difference between the stuff from the store, made with cheaper ingredients and probably containing preservatives, and the stuff you make at home. I had forgotten the sweet sharpness of raw garlic, how bright the taste of fresh basil is, the tang of the parmesan (or lemon). I made it right before dinner on Wednesday, and we each mixed a big spoonful into our soup. The next morning, I put some of it on a salad that I was taking to work. Colm took the rest of the soup with another big spoon of pesto. When I arrived home in the afternoon, I spread it on oatcakes with goat's cheese as a snack. Then Colm came home and saw how quickly it was disappearing, so he had to have it on rye crackers. And that was it. Done. Gone.

Maybe, if we have this stuff around all the time, then we'll adjust and regain some self-control and civility. It's worth a shot. But before that happens, maybe you should make some yourself so that we can be in good company. It only takes a few minutes to make, walnuts are far more affordable than pine nuts these days (at least they are in England), and they're rich in omega 3 fats. Basil is a green leaf, and green leaves are always good for you, unless they're rhubarb leaves.

If you don't eat dairy, you can use a bit of lemon zest and juice, to taste, in place of the parmesan. This is a trick I learned from Peter Berley's books, and it works really well: the sour, bright taste of lemon replaces the sour taste of cheese. There are thousands of ways to make pesto: with different nuts, vegetables, herbs and spices, so feel free to play around. It's also very easy to make, and involves no cooking. I'm sure that stirring it into mayonnaise would be amazing. On artichokes. Mmmmm.

Walnut Pesto
note: 1 cup = approximately 235 ml, 1/3 cup = 80 ml

1 generous cup of chopped basil leaves, packed lightly
1/2 cup or a bit more of roughly chopped walnuts
1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese (or 1 - 2 tsp. lemon zest and 2 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice - this is a guess, so taste as you go if using lemon)
3 small or 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
good quality extra virgin olive oil, about 1/4 - 1/3 cup - enough to create a paste-like consistency and to cover the top for storing

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, walnuts, garlic, cheese or lemon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Begin to blend on a low speed and as it's blending, slowly drizzle in a thin stream of olive oil. Continue to blend and drizzle until the pesto is coming together into a paste. Pause and scrape down the sides of the mixer. Adjust the salt if you need to.

If you're happy with the consistency, then stop here. Or, add more olive oil as needed and blend again. I like my pesto thick enough to hold together when used as a spread. Plus, with home-made pesto, you need to put a layer of olive oil over the top to keep it from turning brown (see below), so more oil will go in anyway. Blend for a total of several minutes, making sure all ingredients are well ground.

How to store: Spoon the pesto into a jar with an air-tight lid and pat it down, making sure there are no air bubbles and that the top is flat. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over it and close the jar. The oil will sit on top and keep air out. Refrigerate. I prefer a jar that is tall and thin rather than wide and flat so that I don't need as much oil.

Now you have some delicious pesto. The self-control part is up to you. Good luck!

Turnip Potato Soup with Turnip Greens

2011-05-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

I am not a lover of turnips. I don't know anyone who is. Turnips are not the life of the party in the vegetable world. That would be asparagus, which everyone is head over heels for at this time of year. But spring is also a good time for baby turnips, whom I fell for last week. Baby turnips, made into a soup, with their greens.

In New Mexico, you could head to the local co-op and find a vast, sprawling line-up of amazing greens, many grown locally. Dandelion greens, broccoli raab, broccolini, dino kale (called cavalo nero in the UK), mustard greens, all sorts. It's a bit harder to produce all of that when you live in the middle of a northern island. But we have an amazing CSA right down the road, and last week we had a small bunch of baby turnips, greens attached, in our share. I was stumped. What to do?

I looked up a recipe for turnip soup with turnip greens by Deborah Madison. Instead of stock, it called for milk. I am also not a huge lover of milk. Maybe a splash in my tea now and then, but not four cups of it, with turnips. But I hadn't made a milky soup in ages, and I decided to throw caution to the wind and plunge ahead with reckless abandon. It was delicious. The next week, there were no turnips in my vegetable box, so I had to beg. I made the soup again, this time with some old potatoes that needed using up (it's almost new potato time) to thicken it. It was, again, delicious. My partner, also a turnip skeptic, loved it.

I thought that a turnip soup recipe might be a nice way of saying thanks for the bonus veggies. I also feel that what the world needs now is greens, bitter turnip greens. They're delicious, especially fried in butter and mixed into a soup that's creamy and sweet. Their bitter crunch balances out the other flavours in the soup. Spring is the time of year to eat plenty of bitter green vegetables - daily if you can - to help cleanse your liver and balance out any lingering effects from winter indulgences (spotty skin, excess weight or water retention, etc.). So say Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. And with all of the amazing green leaves coming into season at the moment, it makes perfect sense to focus on this type of vegetable. I topped my bowl of soup with some walnut pesto, which was really delicious. So delicious that I'm going to have to make that my next recipe.

Turnip Soup with Turnip Greens (and potatoes)
inspired by The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison

3/4 lb (6 - 7 small) turnips, removed from their greens before weighing
All the greens from the turnips (most of the stalks included)
3/4 lb potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 leeks, tough green part discarded, washed and sliced into thin half-circles
6 branches of thyme, plus a few pinches of fresh thyme leaves
2 cups of organic milk
water
sea or kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Wash, trim and peel the turnips. Slice them into 1/4" rounds. Peel the potatoes, quarter them if they're large and slice them into 1/2" pieces. Bring a small pot of water to the boil, salt the water and add the turnips and potatoes. Blanch for 1 minute, then drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a heavy bottomed soup pot with the olive oil. Add the sliced leeks and cook them in the oil for a few minutes, until they're going translucent. Then add the potatoes, turnips, thyme, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon or so of sea salt. Cover and stew all of this over medium low heat for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the milk and about 2 cups of pure water, enough to not quite but almost cover the vegetables. Slowly raise the heat without letting the milk boil. Eventually it will simmer a bit, but keep the heat low so it's barely boiling or just under. Cook this way until the turnips and potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, sort through the greens, remove the ends of the stems and discard any that are too tough. Wash the greens and stems. Chop them into small pieces. Melt the second tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet. Let the butter brown a bit if you like. Toss in the greens, season with salt and pepper and fry them in the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally until they're tender, 5 - 10 minutes.

When the turnips are tender, remove the soup from the heat and puree with a hand blender. Add the turnip greens and stir to incorporate. Season with pepper, taste for salt, stir in some fresh herbs of your choice (thyme, parsley or chives) and serve. I happened to be making pesto at the same time and it made for a really nice garnish, so that's an option too.

...Start All Over Again

2011-04-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

Oh dear. I'm afraid I haven't been a very committed blogger, even though I have 3 years of blog ownership behind me now. It's so easy to push blogging to the back burner when you're feeling the pressure from every other direction. Your blog doesn't send emails asking for an immediate response, it doesn't require you to be at your desk by 9:30 am or to memorize your lines by next week. It doesn't send you letters threatening to fine you £100 if you don't file on time. But I have many ideas, videos, recipes and helpful information about health and other elements of a well-lived life that I'm constantly thinking about, so I'm recommitting. I just wanted you all to know that. In case anyone is still listening.

Here are some of the things that have inspired me to post about in the very near future: apple cider vinegar as a natural beauty treatment for hair; a basic beginners' guide to growing your own vegetables; becoming 'financially literate'; yoga poses that let you massage your own back; gluten-free South Indian-style flatbreads with coconut and cumin; how to cleanse and detox for spring; great pubs and inns in Northern England to enjoy; and more.

At the moment, I'm feeling very inspired by spring and the amazing weather that England has been enjoying. We've waited a long time for it. See you soon.

New York, New York, New York

2010-09-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm people watching in SoHo right now. I've been in New York for a week now, and I'm wondering, why did I ever leave?? Yes, it's incredibly crowded and often noisy, fairly dirty, and there are no majestic mountain ranges or lush wild forests running through the middle of Manhattan (only a great park). But besides that, I can't think of what's not to love.

It feels so young, vibrant and electric. You eavesdrop on the dramas of life unfolding at tables next to you and see it on the street corners out the window. Budding relationships and meetings being described, hashed out and turned over in the Williamsburg cafés and on Washington Square benches. Mirrored sunglasses, late summer dresses, over-sized tunics over leggings and chunky boots pass you on the street. The promising screech of your subway as it rocks into the station to whisk you away. Seasoned 'locals' with attitude; students 'fresh off the boat' from far parts of the country or world, trying not to look bewildered, like I was eight years ago today when I moved to New York from Oregon, by way of San Francisco. Wow - today is the day I moved to New York in 2002, with two over-sized checked and two carry-on bags, an air mattress and a post-it with an address where I would be sleeping on the floor until I found my own place. I left from Portland, Oregon and cried hard as I looked out the window, feeling like life was moving too fast. But the next morning, I came out of the F train station at 24th street and headed three blocks south and one block east to my acting school. I still felt completely overwhelmed but was starting to feel that it was worth it. It was a warm, clear, bright sunny day - just like today. Everything was new. I stayed for four years, until I missed the west enough and had several good reasons to leave.

Life has been an adventure and quite a learning experience since then. I have no regrets, but it's amazingly good to be back. Some of the same people still work at the places I used to frequent: I walked into the Park Slope Tea Lounge and there was Rex; he even remembered me. Apparently the market for actors and artists is very poor since the recession, and people still have their day jobs. I recognized three of the bus boys at Morrell's, the wine bar where I worked for a year when I was 23. If I'd had more time, I would have gone to The Harrison as well to try and track down Nathan, the Maitre'D who taught catwalk models how to strut and made gowns from safety pins and rubber bands.

There's only so much we can do in 5 and 1/2 days, and all those subway rides can eat up a lot of time. We're doing this trip on the cheap (mostly), so we tried airbnb.com, which worked out great. We stayed in Williamsburg, on the street I dreamed of being able to afford when I was 22. We were half a block from the L train stop at Bedford Avenue, in the master bedroom of a tiny apartment. Its main occupant, a friendly NYU student, spiffed up her bedroom for us and slept on the couch. The New York Times has a great review of AirBnB that explains how it works, as well as giving great examples of what to do in Williamsburg, so check that out for more info.

On day one, while I napped, Colm worked in Verb Cafe across the street, and proclaimed their espresso to be 'the best ever' when he woke me. We had breakfast there the next morning, and everyone was incredibly friendly and down to earth, as good Brooklynites are. The cranberry orange scone was like a 'welcome home' (I haven't seen any cranberry orange scones since I left the US) and the black tea, hand-selected and packed in tea bags by the baristas, was almost floral, not bitter or overpowering. They've been roasting in Williamsburg for over 10 years, apparently, and are obviously passionate about it. They also have these little brown-glazed porcelain cups, which is how you know that your coffee is going to be good.

I'd recommend going to Williamsburg if you want to explore Brooklyn. I also highly recommend Park Slope, Prospect Park, Carroll Gardens, Fort Green, DUMBO ('District Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass') and more. Within the same stretch of Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, you can find a 24-hour bagel shop, one of best pizzas in the city, the delicious and affordable Wild Ginger, a vegan pan-Asian cafe, also affordable and tasty Tai Thai next door (with calorie contents listed on their menu, which you don't usually see), and much more including clothing boutiques and many bars. I adore Brooklyn in general: the art cinema and top-notch performances at BAM, 5th and 7th avenues in Park Slope, the Co-op, and more creative, local, artistic, green, delicious, punk and chic enterprises than you can shake a stick at.

We ate many of our lunches at Whole Foods salad bars. I think it's an excellent way of grabbing a quick, healthy, affordable (£7.99/pound) way to eat and you know what's going into your mouth. I ate a lot of kale, roasted broccoli, mixed bean salads, baby arugula and spinach, olives and walnuts. Between a bagel for breakfast and dinner out, all those vegetables helped us stay grounded and well nourished while wandering. Plus, there are many locations all over Manhattan.

New York looked healthier than ever. There's a yoga studio on every other block, which was a big surprise: I didn't realize it was such an industry now, and I hope yoga studios aren't turning into factories. But I'll assume it's a good thing. I forgot how much walking you do if you live in or visit New York. It takes a couple weeks for your energy levels to adjust. We had no trouble sleeping at night, especially with some good earplugs.

I fully indulged my nostalgia, going to Balthazar for breakfast and snapping non-flash photos of the interior on the sly, trying not to look like a visitor (dare I say Tourist). Colm's almond croissant was stale, unfortunately, and it was overpriced as usual but I don't really care when I'm there. It's Balthazar's, it's where I took Colm for an elaborate Sunday brunch on one of our early dates and drank champagne at 11:30am (I don't remember this but he swears it's true). It's where Katy and I had our farewell meal before I left. It's where my best friend from Uni and I went when she visited in 2003, because she heard that Johnny Depp was a regular.

We also ate at Rosa Mexicana by Union Square. Café Pasqual's is definitely more authentic and, I hate to say, more interesting and creative but Rosa has things that Pasqual's doesn't have, like tequila flights, and it was my last chance for table-side guacamole before returning to Leamington. There was also tasty Middle Eastern nosh at Zerza with our friend Masha who had moved to the Washington Square area just a week before, and affordable delicious sushi and vegan food in Park Slope.

There are zillions of great places to eat in New York. It's also pretty easy to find food that's fairly cheap and very tasty, due to the plethora of restaurants. Hopefully this has given you some ideas of how to get around the city while feeding yourself healthy, affordable fare and also feeling like you're on top of the world. Because in New York, that's exactly where you are...and I miss that so much.

Chocolate Beetroot Cake with Chocolate Orange Ginger Drizzle

2010-08-28T23:43:00.000-07:00

At this moment, my friends are out dancing. I came home to write about chocolate cake. Before you raise an eyebrow, you should know that this isn't just any chocolate cake, but a chocolate cake made with beets. I know what you're thinking: 'beets in a cake? gross'; but it's actually totally delicious, and while scraping the crumbs from the pan with the tip of my finger as I walked home, I was composing poetry in my head about the earthy, mild sweetness of the beets melding with the bitter sweetness of chocolate, the moistness of the crumb (due to the beets), and the way the flavours of candied orange peel and sweet ginger spiked up the whole thing as the perfect ending to a perfect bite. So why would I dance to '90's music when I could tell you about chocolate beetroot cake?

I love baking, and I love finding ways to bake healthfully. Part of this is doing it from scratch, and using fresh, organic, unprocessed, local ingredients. I love mixing in mashed/grated vegetables, or sometimes fruit, into my breads and cakes, too. "More vegetables" is a good general motto when it comes to my food, and baking is no exception.

One obvious example is banana bread, or carrot cake. But there are also apple cakes, pumpkin breads, zucchini bread (the English call this 'courgette cake' and think it's very strange indeed), sweet potato or pumpkin pie. When I heard of a recipe for chocolate cake with pureed beets, I was intrigued...partly because I knew I could get a good reaction from it, especially from Colm.

We grew beets in our garden this year because their green leaves are tasty in salads, steamed and tossed with dressing or fried with garlic and butter and really nutritious. Now we have an entire drawer full of the red roots. Roasted beet gets old; I prefer chocolate cake.

This recipe was passed around last year to the members of the CSA that we belong to. I've seen it in The Sunday Times and on Nigella Lawson's site. I've tweaked it a bit to make sure it contains healthy fats (coconut oil or ghee). It has a lovely, deep purple tint as you might expect, and is very nice if you sprinkle some shredded coconut on top after you drizzle on the melted chocolate. I've also mixed in a handful of chocolate chips, flaked almonds, chopped walnuts...you could improvise forever! So have fun with your purple chocolate cake. Just don't tell people what's in it until they're happily munching.

Chocolate Beetroot Cake with Chocolate Orange Ginger Drizzle
Adapted from Jill Dupliex's recipe in the Times Online

Notes: It's important to measure your beetroot precisely, otherwise the cake can taste too 'beety', so this is a good excuse to invest in a kitchen scale (which will be otherwise extremely useful, too!). I have also Americanized many of the amounts, putting them in cups instead of grams, for simplicity.

scant 1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup gluten-free self-raising flour or mix of this and whole wheat flour (I used 1/2 and 1/2 of each)
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup unrefined cane sugar
250g cooked beetroot
3 large eggs
2/3 cup ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil, melted
1 tsp good vanilla extract
80g orange chocolate ginger (Divine chocolate is making this flavour now - it's very hard to stop eating by itself, so melting it and putting it on a cake helps). If you can't find this flavour of chocolate, then melt 80 grams of 70% dark chocolate with 2 tablespoons each of minced candied orange peel and minced candied ginger.

Heat the oven to 180C (160C in a fan oven) and oil an 8 inch round or spring-form cake tin. Sift the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in the sugar, and set these dry ingredients aside.

Purée the beetroot in a food processor. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the side between each addition. Add the vanilla and oil, and whiz until it is smooth. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the beetroot mixture and mix it all lightly. Pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean (peek at it around 30 minutes - if it's browning, cover it with foil). Don't worry if it doesn't rise much. When it's done, let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove if you like before icing.

While it's cooling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set into a pot of boiling water, over the steam, until smooth. Whisk in the minced orange peel and candied ginger if using. Drizzle this over the cake in streaks and swirls. It will set and harden after a half hour or so, but you can eat it before that. I'm sure this cake is delicious with vanilla ice cream.

Take a Hike...and Do It Well

2010-08-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

I finally climbed Snowdon a few weeks ago, the highest peak in England and Wales. This makes it not so high: we climbed it fairly easily in 5 1/2 hours, but then again, the weather was crap. We didn't exactly feel like lingering except for a few moments in the visitor's centre at the top to get out of the rain and eat. We also didn't bother taking pictures, since you couldn't see much and it wasn't worth drowning the camera. Instead, I've included pictures from past treks in this order: Mt. Humphreys in Arizona (13,992 ft.); Mt. Harvard in Colorado (14,420 ft.); the South Sister in Oregon (10,363 ft.); Santa Fe Baldy (12,632 ft.) in the Pecos wilderness; and the Lake District in England at Christmastime.

Snowdonia, in Northwest Wales, is the wettest part of one of, if not the, wettest country in Europe (Ireland might be wetter). I would bet that May or early June is the best time to climb, since the hot dry summer weather seems to come early, definitely not in August. Plus, with school out for summer, the trail gets to be like a mountain motorway. We sat down for a brief rest and drink on the way up and watched a never-ending stream of tour groups, summer camp kids, families, couples, lone trekkers and many dogs marching up. I couldn't help but notice that many climbers were wearing converse sneakers, urban walking shoes, Wellington boots and other slippery footwear while walking a path that was almost entirely made of slick rocks with so much water flowing over that you were practically walking through a stream.

I have always been adventurous, and I intend to stay adventurous until I die. But I used to be adventurous and unprepared (ah, youth!). Now I have an idea of what to bring in case of drastic changes in weather, physical needs, etc. My husband is a pretty good climber and has taken proper training courses on winter mountaineering. When we first met, he wooed this wannabe New Yorker back to the west by whisking me off on plenty of outdoor adventures, and did all of the planning and packing while I focused on having a fabulous time and looking great while doing it. Over the past few years, I've taken over much of the planning and packing role. Seeing all those walkers in converse inspired me to pass on what I've learned from a very sensible, well-trained outdoorsman on how to make sure you'll be able to saunter off (or up) with confidence.

What to bring:

* A good backpack can save your shoulders and back from discomfort. It doesn't have to be expensive but should sit on your hips and not pull on your shoulders. Having a waterproof shell to wrap around the pack is handy (many backpacking packs come with this).
* A map of the area! We strongly prefer topographical maps, along with a compass. What if you want to know where you are, take a shorter or longer route, know how much incline or descent is ahead of you? Maps are the best. They also get your imagination going: "what's out there??" In England, we use the Ordnance Survey maps.
* A map bag! This is really important in England. You don't want your map to get trashed by rain, and a proper map bag will sling around your neck easily, and close with velcro to keep water out.
* Water: I bring two litres for a day, more if it's hot, dry and if the hike is a long one. I have a bottle that holds about this much and bring that, or reuse old plastic water bottles (avoid buying new plastic water bottles every time you hike: it's not environmentally friendly, so just filter some tap water and fill up an old bottle. Think low-maintenance and low consumption).
* Footwear: Bring two pairs of socks that complement the fit of your boots (test beforehand). I have several pairs of double-layer socks which aren't super thick but the two layers help prevent blisters. Invest in a pair of real hiking boots, even if you're just a casual hiker. They grip rocks, don't slip (at least, mine never have), and protect your ankle from strain while you're going over rocks and god knows what else – it's not like walking down the street! You won't regret it. Or, trail runners are okay – they look like running shoes but have a 'shank' (piece of metal or hard plastic) running down the center of the sole to help prevent your ankle from turning. They don't hug your ankle, though, and aren't as supportive; but I've climbed a few large-ish mountains in them and they're okay.
* Gaters: Not essential, but if you're going to be walking through water and mud, these are great. They're plastic foot/shin guards that latch on near the toe of your boot, strap under your heel, wrap around the ankle and go up the shin: they zip up and keep your boots from filling up with mud and water. They look like leg warmers...but are water-proof and are not cute or fashionable, sadly. Useful in England.
* Leg wear: On multi-day hikes, I like to bring: one pair of athletic lycra leggings (the type that runners often wear); one pair of standard 'hiking trousers' (the khaki/grey type that often will zip off and turn into shorts); one pair of loose fleece leggings for staying cozy warm at night; and one pair of waterproof leg covers. On a normal day hike, I'd only bring the lycra leggings, OR the hiking trousers, and the waterproofs if there's any chance of getting wet and/or cold. Or, if you're hiking in a hot dry place like Spain or Utah, shorts and sunblock.
* Tops: I like to wear a yoga tank top (they have a bra built in), a light 'wicking' fabric long-sleeved top and then a fleece...and the all-important rain/wind blocking outer layer (should be thick & warm if you're climbing high or if it's winter or otherwise cold). If it's hot, again, I'll just wear the tank, tie a wind-breaker jacket around my waist and bring sunblock and a hiking sun hat with a good brim.
* I almost always pack a pair of gloves and fleece scarf.
* A sun hat for warm weather, and a warm hat for cold, is vitally essential.
* Sunglasses are handy.
* Sunblock and lip balm (preferably with SPF) are essentials.
* And for fun...I also pack a tube of lipstick, because I like the way it makes me feel. So when you're relaxing in the pub or lodge at night, showing off your toned hiker's legs, you can feel a little bit glammy. For you, that might be a razor if you're going on a long trek and don't want to get too furry, or a bit of glittery eye shadow, or none of the above; whatever says 'enjoyment' and doesn't weigh much.
* High calorie foods are important to bring, in case it gets very cold, or something happens and you (god forbid) get stuck for a while, it's good to have a chocolate bar or bag of cashews...whatever, on top of your lunch and snacks.
* I like to have something fresh, juicy and easy to digest when I hike: maybe a peach, or bag of cherries, or a small tupperware of cooked vegetables. It's nice to have real food when you're working hard. I never feel good after a day of dried fruits, nuts, trail bars and bready sandwiches, so this helps balance that. I'm happy to carry the extra bit of weight that fresh food contains due to its water content.

When you're going on a longer trek, obviously, there will be soap, more food, etc. to think about but for clothes, that pretty much covers it.
You don't have to bring all of this, but know that layering is important because mountain weather can change very quickly. It's easy to think, 'oh, it's July, how bad could it be??' and I admit that my brain still works this way: but if you're high up, the weather is an entirely different beast than it is in your backyard. Make smart packing a methodical process of ticking off a list. A well-designed pack that's designed for hiking allows you to store unneeded layers on your back without discomfort. Being prepared also gives you more freedom to expand your exploring experiences. Nothing is better than feeling comfortable while you're out adventuring.

I hope that helps you to feel confident on your next hike! Given the fact that most of us spent zillions of hours driving, looking at computer screens while sitting, sitting and watching TV, time spent outside is more important than ever for your health and the health of the planet. Not just in the city park, but the real outdoors, unmanaged by humans. The natural, wild world nurtures your imagination; de-stresses, detoxes and relaxes you; and reminds you of what truly matters in life. Movement and taking time to get outside and see, touch, smell and experience the natural, real (not virtual) world is vitally imperative. I can't emphasize this enough. How can we save the environment if we aren't in touch with it, if we don't have a connection and a sense of care for it? If you think of our evolutionary process, you'll realize that we've been movers and shakers, literally, since the dawn of time...until the last 50 years. So go take a hike!

Anticipating New Mexico, New York, Chillies and Tea

2010-08-23T02:52:00.000-07:00

(what follows is, basically, a bit of a travel guide to north-central New Mexico and New York/Brooklyn)

"Do you remember coming over the rise on the interstate and seeing Santa Fe with the mountains behind it?"

I don't remember what we were talking about; maybe a certain mountain you can see, coming in from Albuquerque, that he wanted to climb; but I remember that view. And I remember, driving from Santa Fe to Los Alamos (or the other direction, down to Santa Fe), coming over rises, or around corners on windy mountain roads and seeing expanses of red rocky mountain desert canyon yawning out before you. Oh, I've lived a lot of places, but I really loved living in New Mexico. The stark, bare rawness of landscapes.

Wildflowers blooming in a frenzy after spring rains. Giant lightning bolts, disconcertingly near, in summer thunder storms. Hatch chillies, smoked in turning iron baskets in supermarket parking lots. The smell of sage everywhere. Coyote silhouettes seen in the lamplight at night. Big snakes lazily crossing the trail you happen to be hiking on. Native American ruins, shards of ancient pottery spotted on a morning walk in the canyon behind the house we rented.

I was excited to move to Europe (watching snow fall on Ponderosa pines in October of 2007, a week before leaving), but thinking of it now, perhaps we should try to live in New Mexico for a few months every year. It would be hard to choose between summer in the mountains, hiking and climbing and biking, wild mushroom picking, wearing flowy skirts and eating gelato; or winter, when the skiing at Pajarito is relatively cheap and good, the snow is powdery and you're married to a trained winter mountaineer who knows what he's doing.

I'm going back in a week, and will also be visiting New York City, where I lived for four years until July 2006. Colm is already in New Mexico, where he used to work. When he's not working, he's seeing old friends, hiking in Bandalier, climbing mountains, eating breakfast burritos and enjoying other things you just don't find in the West Midlands. Oh, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this.

There was Chocolate Maven, the adorable back-alley bakery slash fine dining establishment where we loved to have Sunday brunch (Sunday brunch doesn't really happen in the UK), or grab a macaroon and a brownie on the way back to Albuquerque after a weekend in Los Alamos. Café Pasqual's, where we went for huevos rancheros and buckwheat pancakes on one of our first dates. Their gheen chilli sauce was smoky and amazing, and they had little wooden toy cars and trucks on the tables that Colm used to enjoy pushing around while making motor noises to embarrass me. Anasazi Restaurant, the ultimate upscale, New York tourist meets wild west native spot where birthdays and civil ceremonies were celebrated. I was still a meat eater the first time we went, on our second date. I ordered the most amazing pork chop, and wore spiky black satin heels with jeans and a lacy top. The Pyramid Cafe in Los Alamos, where we met for work lunches and always ended with baklava and Turkish coffee. Artisan gelato to take the edge off summer heat on my lunch break from law firms. Elegant, exotic, expensive chocolate 'elixirs' from far-flung corners at Kakawa; and hipster see-and-be-seen-ism at the aptly named Tea House, the antidote to overwhelm from too many art galleries on Canyon Road. I don't think I'll be able to go to all of these places in eight days, but I'll do my very best. I'll make space for it with lots of hiking.

And then New York: the Tea Lounge in my old neighborhood where Katy and I used to meet, talk about boys and read the Sunday NY Times...and where I once found $60 wadded up on the floor. The Park Slope Food Co-op where I can't shop because I'm no longer a member (Katy will have to sneak me some of their home-dried papaya), Rosa Mexicana in Union Square where Colm and I drank pomegranate margaritas and ate tableside-made guacamole after taking a helicopter tour of Manhattan. Sarabeth's where we once waited almost two hours for a table (it's amazing what he'll let you get away with on a first date), Joe Coffee where I used to sit, hoping to meet cute single straight men in New York's gay neighborhood (?), and so many other places whose names I don't remember, but whose storefronts, street corners and dining counters I can describe perfectly.

As you can tell, my nostalgia levels are through the roof. When we met, I was living in Brooklyn, working in Manhattan, and Colm was in Los Alamos. Our early dates took place over long weekends, and we only saw each other once a month or so. We'd save up all of our restaurant curiosities and outdoor adventure ideas and pack it all into amazing spans of three days. I had a TONY subscription and would dog ear all the spots I wanted to try. He'd take me mountain or rock climbing, in snow and in sun. He also booked that helicopter tour on our first date, which, gents, is the way to sweep a girl off her feet. I think we live a little more simply nowadays, but damn, we created some fun memories. There was also that decadent brunch at Balthazars, the bread basket with pastries that just wouldn't quit.

I don't really believe in nostalgia; I try to live in the present. But when I touch down in Newark, you can bet I'll be listening to 'America' by Simon and Garfunkel. And then when I head on to Albuquerque, I might have 'Heartland' by U2 going, all misty eyed as I gaze out the window. I can't wait.

Healthyish Places to Eat and Things To Do in the Czech Republic

2010-08-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Driving around the Czech Republic is probably something I wouldn't have done if I hadn't moved to Europe. When I told my dad I was moving, three years ago, he said happily, "well then I'll just have to come and visit you!" For a travel-happy Oregonian whose daughter had already lived in San Francisco, Colorado, New Mexico and New York, it was a natural progression of events.

If I want to see my family in person, someone's going to have to travel a very long way. And so we usually try to meet up somewhere interesting and call it a holiday (or...'vacation'). This time it was Prague and the rest of the C.R. I did some research, and some very foot-punishing wandering, to find some excellent AND health-conscious places to eat and share, just in case any of you are headed that way soon.

I ate the most delicious Indian food I've had in recent memory in Prague. My guide book named the restaurant, but said book was six years old and there was a wine bar where my Indian restaurant was supposed to be. Not bad, but I wanted something solid in my belly. We asked locals and wandered through multiple cobble-stoned mazes until we finally went under an arch, into an inner courtyard, under another arch and...there it was! If it weren't for asking others, I never would have found it. And luckily, my father is happy to be a 'destination eater' and our searching paid off.

Indian Jewel (www.indianjewel.cz)
+42(0)222310156
Tyn 6, 11000 Prague 1 - Stare Mesto

The mulligatawny soup was amazing, even though I barely made it through due to my low tolerance of chillies. It was garnished with tiny bits of browned garlic which gave it the most wonderful smoky, earthy flavour. Our mains were fabulous too. My mushroom and pea curry was spicy but not overpowering and super tasty. I tried a bite of dad's black lentils in cream and butter which was total creamy curry heaven: the texture of the beans and astringent cilantro taste kept it in balance.

The other 'best ever' in Prague was chocolate ice cream. That's right: best Indian food and best chocolate ice cream. Not bad, eh? The ice cream came from 'Chocolat Gourmand' in a lovely district full of grand old buildings and designer boutiques (I heart window shopping). It was made at a shoebox-size chocolate shop with a long counter of specialty truffles, and next to that, a small ice cream cart with maybe six flavours. Dad bought the 'dark chocolate orange' and I tried his. I also sampled the super dark plain chocolate which was outstanding.

Chocolat au Gourmand was joined with a pastry/cake/tea room/sandwich shop (called 'au Gourmand') which we returned to the next day for breakfast after drooling over the cookies in the window. I was more impressed with the ice cream but that's not to say there was anything wrong with the pecan chocolate chip cookies and cappuccino!

au Gourmand and Chocolat au Gourmand (www.augourmand.cz)
Dlouha 10, Praha 1 (and other locations for au Gourmand)
+42(0)723065248

We also found a quite good Thai restaurant with tons of great vegetarian options, and a tasty sushi spot near the Prague Castle. Sushi is a rare commodity in the middle of England, so whether or not it was the best sushi in Prague was of no concern to me. They were located in an area with tons of interesting-looking spots to eat, so even if you don't fancy raw fish, head there for other choices, and obviously for the Castle and cathedrals.

Lemon Leaf (Thai: www.lemon.cz)
Myslikova 14, 12000 Praha 2
+42(0)224919056

Susharna (www.susharna.cz)
Trziste 12, Praha 1
+42(0)257219759

And lastly, there was a vintage clothing shop that I loved. Even if you're not a shopper or browser, going to the shop takes you to the old town, the part you want to walk around in anyway:

Retro/Vintage
Michalska 18, Praha 1
+42(0)774273238
www.vintage-clothes.cz

On our way out of Prague, we stopped in the town of Kutne Hore and looked at the cathedral there. It was breath taking. And of course, if you know about the Czech Republic, you probably have heard about the Ossuary? Well, it's this church that's decorated with over 40,000 human skeletons. Yup. Very...macabre? Creepy? Thought-provoking? Whatever your reaction, it's definitely worth a stop. We caught the last 10 minutes of open hours, which, honestly, was plenty of time for me. It's located in the town of Sedlec.

Eventually we ended up in Czesky Krumlov, one of the prettiest European places I've visited. It's a well-preserved medieval town, a Euro-fairytale type of place. C.K. is a bit of a tourist trap, but it's also stunning and has a castle on a cliff, many riverside cafes, and if you're there in the off season, you'll miss the crowds. They also have a nice vegetarian cafe, Laibon, on the banks of the river Vlatava that runs through the old town. The menu descriptions were more exciting than the food itself, but it was such a relief to find real vegetarian appreciation for a few days. There are tons of little cafes in the same area, perfect for having a Pilsner Urquell and staring at the river while you get some sun on your pasty English legs.

Laibon
Parkan 105, Cesky Krumlov 381 01, Czech Republic

Our last stop was Karlovy Vary, an old-school spa town where the Russian Mafia seem to have a presence. It was also really beautiful, and I think in the winter it would be a great place to do some hiking and then come down for a dip in the hot springs. If you want to do spa stuff, plan ahead so you can sift out the tourist traps from what you want. We didn't, and missed out. Oh well. We did have a fabulous end-of-trip meal at a restaurant on a bridge over the river that runs through the old town. I can't remember the name of it, but...if you walk to the bottom of the old town and end up at the Grand Hotel Pupp (the famous fancy one), then turn around and walk back (north-ish), you'll see people eating on one of the little footbridges over the river, just a few minutes walk up from the Pupp. It was asparagus season when we were there, and what I remember most was the dessert my dad ordered: strawberries cooked with green pepper. Apparently, pepper brings out the flavour of strawberries in a whole new way. I loved it, actually. Spicy strawberries. I don't think it was green bell pepper, though perhaps it was this with a bit of peppercorn, too; they had removed the evidence, those sneaky devils, so if I had to guess I'd say green peppercorns. Or maybe it was green bell pepper with a bit of black pepper. They had simmered the strawberries down into a sauce with the pepper, then removed it, and served it with custard or vanilla ice cream.

Summer Vegetables with Tomato Wine Sauce on Pasta, in Nice

2010-07-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

For the past five weeks, I've been meaning to tell you about the Czech Republic. Meaning to upload my pictures, come up with a recipe that reflects my time there and post it. But now I'm in Nice on the Cote d'Azur, and it's really lovely too - obviously. How could southern France not be lovely?

It's not that I didn't love Prague and the other cities I visited: in fact, I had perhaps the best Indian curry ever, and definitely the best chocolate ice cream ever, and I saved the addresses of the places that supply these two mind-blowingly good edibles. We also found a good vegetarian restaurant on the banks of the river in Czesky Krumlov, and I'll talk about that too. It's a great relief to find a vegetarian restaurant when you're traveling in eastern Europe. But France always seems to come first with me.

France has a very special place in my heart. It's my 5th time here, and it's always magical. Two summers ago, we stayed overnight in Paris, on our way to Antibes by train. We climbed into bed at about 11:30, full of sleep, but realized we'd never be able to drift off with a block party happening on the street below, the DJ blasting music that carried up to the top floor of our petit hotel. My usually dance-phobic husband decided that if we couldn't beat 'em, we'd join 'em. We put our glad rags back on and went down to dance until 2am. As you can see, it was worth it.

We arrived in Nice yesterday evening, and after lying on the bed in a daze for a while, we picked ourselves up and walked into the old town for dinner.

After picking a random but tasty-looking outdoor cafe, and being served khir as soon as we sat down, I wondered "why can't the rest of the world be like France?" "I don't know" sighed Colm. Everything made so much sense: the khir was cool and refreshing after walking through tiny cobbled streets in warm, moist air and sandals. The portion sizes were perfect, leaving room to comfortably have dessert. The baguette didn't come with butter, so you just tasted the bread, using it to sop up the sauce that sits on your plate when you're done. French food really gets the concept of quality over quantity. It keeps things simple and lets the ingredients speak for themselves.

I took a holiday from vegetarianism and ordered mussels in white wine and cream with a side of haricot vert. The green beans came cooked in generous amounts of butter and garlic, and the mussels left you with lots of liquid for bread dipping. I watched happily as Colm sank into 'I'm in France' mode, ordering a carafe of rose wine and later asking for "une desert, si vous plait". We each had one and picked at them lazily. Then we ordered an espresso but their machine was broken, so they brought us Limoncello. Twist my arm! A street guitarist came around, playing the Gypsy Kings. I talked with him in a mix of Spanish, French and Italian that I didn't understand very well. Eventually we paid (not much more than the cost of a curry in Leamington) and wandered deeper into Nice's old town. We stopped and watched some capoeira dancers do back-flips, marveling at their unreal muscle definition. Not bad for a Sunday night.

An Englishwoman once said to me, "Have you been to Italy? No? Oh god, you have to go! I'd give up the rest of Europe and just take Italy!" Maybe Italy is even more beautiful and sensuous and delicious, but for now, my love affair with France continues.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but in France, I drink espresso shots. I have them with a pastry in the morning. It's the best thing in the world. And every day, you get to try a new pastry - talk about a good reason to get out of bed! There were five good bakeries within a five minute walk from the hotel (how do I love thee, let me count the ways!). Sometimes, lunch was gelato, because it was just that hot. Or 'bio' (organic) cherries from the market, eaten while window shopping, pits spit into the gutters when no one was looking. Or baguette with cheese back at the apartment after my midday two-minute cold shower.

On Saturday, a friend took us on a bus trip East along the coast. We went through two tunnels, then got off at the second stop after that (sorry, I don't remember the name!). From here, we walked downhill until we came to a path to the beach (Plage Maia, or Maya, or Mala, I think...). It's a beach you can't drive to, so even on a Saturday in July, it wasn't overly crowded. Colm and I had our first 'swim in the sea' in 4 1/2 years of being together. I hope we don't go that long without swimming in the sea together again. We shared a pair of goggles and looked at the not-so-colourful fish, dark green grasses and gnarled rocks. Not quite the Caribbean, but still, the water was warm and he was there. After the swim, our friend Sergei (a Russian with the temperament of a Spaniard) took us to a paved path (called, I believe, Sentier du Littoral, from my Google map searching) that we hiked on until we ran into a big port on the west side of Monaco. By this time, we were very warm, sun-baked and ready for lunch or at least a cold beer. We climbed (and climbed and climbed) back up to the main road, caught the bus and got off at Villefranche Sur Mer. Almost every restaurant was closed for the afternoon and I was feeling desperate, but we found a spot with good salads. I was sticky with dried salt water and sweat, had on my blue straw cowboy hat, lace-backed shirt, and everything was right with the world. Bumble bees bobbed along through the air, a gentle breeze blew, and we watched as a wedding procession trundled slowly by our table. We ate salad Nicoise, penne arrabiata and drank cold beers. It was heaven. I highly recommend working up an appetite in this way.

This is starting to run on a bit, so let's get to the recipe. I love having a kitchen when I travel. I want to try the things I see in markets that may not travel back with me so well. We stayed in the Citea apartments, thank god. Air conditioning, wireless, and a teeny two burner stove. So my summer veggies from the Cours Selaya market didn't go to waste.

I made a vegetarian pasta dish twice that week that went something like this:

Summer Vegetable Pasta with Red Wine Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil (flavoured with garlic or rosemary is nice)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 celery rib, diced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
generous splash or two of red wine (white wine is fine too)
2 - 3 large tomatoes (about 3/4 pound or a bit more), ripened locally, sliced in half or quarters (stems cut out)
a bay leaf if you have it
1 courgette (zucchini), sliced into half moon shapes
1 eggplant, cubed
1 teaspoon sugar if you have it
fresh basil and parsley, maybe oregano too
chunky sea salt to taste (flavoured sea salt is a popular market item)
ground pepper

Note: If you're at home with your oven, you can roast the cubed eggplant (aubergine) on 400F or 180C until it's nice and soft, then toss it in towards the end to give it a few minutes to soak up the other flavours.
Languidly cook this, wherever you are, with some windows or a door open and the air conditioning off:

Heat oil and butter in a skillet. Add garlic, onion and celery and cook until onion and celery are translucent, soft and sweet. Add the fennel seed and stir briefly. Add the red wine, tomatoes with their juice, chopped vegetables, bay leaf, a bit of pepper and salt. Smash the tomatoes with your spoon to release the juice, then let that simmer with the wine to reduce into a sweet, tangy sauce. The vegetables will soften and cook at the same time (see note about roasting aubergine/eggplant). Taste as you go and adjust salt, pepper, etc. When the vegetables are cooked and you're happy with the thickness of the tomato/wine 'sauce', then toss the fresh herbs in and stir them around. Remove from the heat and mix with fresh cooked pasta. We had this with a baguette and some cheese (he likes Comte, I like most types of Goat's cheese); and other nights, it was salad with endive, avocado, rocket/arugula, other greens, fresh herbs, lemon juice, the herbed olive oil and maybe some nuts and dried fruits.

Bon apetit!

Simple Cauliflower with Cumin

2010-05-24T14:13:00.001-07:00

Oh, Monday...and not just any Monday in England, but a Monday in late May, 25 degrees, strong sun and my cat asleep in a patch of shady dirt between rows of lettuce in the garden. We don't get days like this very often 'round these parts. I figured the chances of me getting anything practical done today were slim to none, so I decided to just cook.

I had a bag of nettles in my fridge - yes, that's right, stinging nettle tops. They're a really delicious green and are so good for you. Nettles are starting to enter the mainstream among adventurous foodies, or at least with gardeners, foragers, herbalists and the cooks who love them. Nettle soup motivates me to get my feet out walking in the woods every spring for an hour or two while I collect several bags and freeze some for use later in the year. So I made stinging nettle & purple broccoli soup to test proportions for a cookbook recipe. Then I experimented with a cupcake idea: my favourite kind of experiment. It came out underdone but still tasted delicious. I picked some spinach and red lettuce from the garden and tried it with a citrus vinaigrette that I'd tested last week, topped with goat's cheese and toasted, salted pumpkin seeds. Then I pulled out the head of cauliflower that I'd neglected since acquiring it last Wednesday and did something with that, too.

I've never thought much of cauliflower. In fact, I rarely eat it unless it stealthily finds its way onto my plate by way of restaurant or dinner at someone else's home. I mean, who has time for a white vegetable? Especially one that looks like broccoli but seems to have even less flavour. But then, a few years ago, I decided to try choosing my produce based on which items seemed to have the most 'life' in them. In other words, who looked the freshest, most flavourful and full of goodness? And the cauliflower at La Montanita in Albuquerque kept winning hands down. So I rolled my eyes, gave a sigh and grabbed a head of the stuff.

What I do like about cauliflower is that it makes a great 'comfort food' vegetable: it often gets baked with bread crumbs, stock and cheese; or simmered in an Indian curry with plenty of ghee and spices. This method popped into my head as I stood at my stove with this head of cauliflower, staring at it and not knowing what to do next. But I was going through a 'butter solves everything' and 'cumin tastes good with anything' phase, and so I improvised and this was the result. I think it's quite tasty, and it always convinces me to eat a bowl of cauliflower, which used to only happen as often as a hot day in the English midlands.

Simple Cauliflower

1 medium/large head of cauliflower
3 - 4 tablespoons butter or ghee
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
a few tablespoons water or stock
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese to top

Wash the cauliflower and shake off excess water. Trim off most of the stalk but not all - basically, I use the florets and their stems and maybe an inch of the stalk. Chop the cauliflower into small pieces: it should be chopped small enough to look crumbly.

Melt the butter or ghee in a medium skillet. Add the cauliflower and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cumin powder on and stir well. Cook for five minutes or so, stirring often to cook evenly. If the pan gets too dry, splash on a couple of tablespoons of water. Cook until the cauliflower is done to your liking: softer or a bit crunchy. With the heat on medium/low, sprinkle the whole wheat flour over all and mix well. Continue to stir, making sure to scrape the drying flour from the bottom of the pan as it starts to stick. You want the flour to brown and stick to the cauliflower, creating a toasty flavour. When it's starting to brown, take the cauliflower off the heat and divide into bowls. Top with grated cheese and serve hot as a side dish.

Spiced Hummus Recipe

2010-05-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hummus is the well-worn, reliable go-to in the world of healthy foods. Always a great snack, loved by many, good for you, doesn't offend vegans or coeliacs, present on many restaurant menus. Hummus is there for you when you need it.

If you're vegetarian or interested in healthy food, chances are you've made your own hummus. You know the drill: chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic & salt with many possible additions and variations. I'm a hummus lover, and when I taste a particularly tasty version, I try to recreate it at home and pinpoint the exact flavours that make other people's renditions of this ubiquitous middle eastern dip so delicious.

There's a great restaurant in Leamington Spa called Rhubarb. It gets top marks from me for atmosphere, and its hummus gets top marks, too. Honestly, I can't really taste any tahini to speak of in their dip - it tastes more like chickpeas, white beans, something salty and herby, maybe caraway seeds, probably some lemon juice and garlic...but can you call it hummus without tahini? Doesn't that turn it into 'bean dip'? Anyway, I've been trying to place this 'salty herby' quality and one day, when I was walking down the street, completely not near the restaurant and not eating hummus, a lightbulb went off: "bouillon!"

Ah, bouillon...you've saved me from culinary boredom time and time again. You make everything better. A bit of bouillon dissolved in water makes a great cooking liquid, not just for soup, but for anything where you need to splash some water in the pan. Or, if I'm cooking, say, a South Indian style broccoli, I might use water infused with cumin, coriander and fennel seeds to steam it in the pan (if I have that lying around, which I do because cumin/coriander/fennel also makes a great tea). What I'm saying is that when there's cooking liquid in a recipe, you can add some fabulous zing to your dish by using something more interesting than water. And since there's water in hummus to thin it out, why not dissolve some bouillon in the water? I'm talking about the good stuff, though. No cheap XO brand here. Perhaps something fresh from scratch or at least an organic brand that's tasty and full of flavour.

Back to hummus - the reason we're here. I replaced the water with vegetable stock and added a few Middle Eastern spices and here's what I've got so far. I'm sure the adventures in hummus tweaking will continue for many years.

Hummus with Spices and Herbs

2 cups cooked chickpeas
2-3 tablespoons of light tahini
juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 bouillon cube (approx. 1 - 1.5 teaspoons) dissolved in 2/3 cup hot water
1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 teaspoon paprika
1/3 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
drizzle of high quality olive oil
salt (you may not need any) and fresh milled pepper to taste

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas with tahini and lemon juice. Blend well. Then add everything else and blend again until it's all well combined, a minute or two. Pause a few times to scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl. Taste for lemon, salt and spice and adjust as necessary.
When you've blended it well, scoop out into a bowl; drizzle with a bit more olive oil, a dusting of paprika and a few bits of parsley if you like. Serve with pitta bread, corn chips, vegetable sticks, over a salad or on wholegrain bread.

Making Organic Easier

2010-05-18T01:36:00.000-07:00

I'm big on organic eating for many reasons, but I know a lot of people have a hard time justifying it due to the higher costs and lack of common knowledge about the benefits.

Personally, I think the benefits are: fewer food allergies, less carcinogenic crap in your body, higher amounts of nutrients in your diet (organic produce has a better chance of being grown in better soil). Aside from the benefits to your health, organic farming is so much easier on the environment, whereas commercial farming, or agribusiness, has a long history of being incredibly damaging to the soil, water supply, air and more. This is understandable, given the fact that the focus is on maximum production and profit for minimum cost, not on quality of produce, quantity of nutrients or maximum harmony with the environment, farm workers and affects on consumer health. Oh, in a perfect world...

There are also the reasons we don't know. There are thousands of synthetic (not native to the human body) chemicals used to grow our food, put into our skin care, hair care and other hygiene products; chemicals used in building our houses, laying carpet and more. Sadly, only a very small fraction of these have actually been tested for their effects on humans or animals. Apparently, the FDA can't test a chemical for its effects on health unless there is already evidence that it has detrimental effects. I'm not sure how that's supposed to protect the public, but...I'll stop before ranting. All of this inspires me to educate myself and take matters into my own hands. So how can we live more in the solution than in the problem when organic food can seem so expensive and elitist?

My personal choice has been to grow a garden at home with my husband. Put in a bit of work in the spring, and you're rewarded for months with the tastiest, freshest produce you've ever had - it's heavenly. I'm not a gardening expert, I just started last year and am slowly expanding, but you can turn yourself into a gardener through podcasts and internet tutorials, so go get 'em. Another option is to eat out less and save money for better food that way. Yet another option is to check out a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm near you: this can be a very affordable way of eating some amazing, local, organically grown produce while supporting small farmers who care about soil quality and the environment.

Last but not least, the article that inspired this posting, by PBS. It's a list of foods that contain the highest pesticide residues: the ones you really should buy organically grown, as well as the foods that come out fairly clean in tests. Have a read, it's interesting.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/the-dirty-dozen-and-clean-15-of-produce/

If you're still unconvinced about the importance of protecting your health and the environment, rest assured that venturing into the world of food grown with a focus on quality rather than quantity will help you to look and feel your best right now, enjoy your food more and reduce your risk of illness for years to come. It also makes a big, positive environmental impact to reduce your animal-based foods and replace them with organically grown produce. I hope you enjoy your new way of thinking about the foods you eat!

Saag Paneer from Scratch

2010-05-10T13:18:00.001-07:00

In late March and early April, when I was home in Eugene, OR, we went to 'Govinda's Vegetarian Buffet'. Years ago, just the name of this place would have put me off - I wasn't sure what to make of it and had no idea what sort of food they served. These days, it may be our favourite restaurant in Eugene - or at least, 'old reliable'. Govinda's looks like an oversized espresso shack on River Road - not a street known for its food (unless it's fast and processed). But when our bodies have had it with espresso, pricey joints and glasses of wine with desert, Govinda's is just what the doctor ordered. What can I say, when you know what it feels like to eat really health food, how can you not keep coming back?

I generally adore Hare Krishna food - wholesome, vegetarian and totally scrummy (that's 'scrumptious' plus 'yummy' for those who don't know British English). When I asked for recipes, they recommended a book called 'The Higher Taste'. In a happy, synchronistic moment during the first cooking class I taught after returning to England, one of my students produced a pile of The Higher Taste cookbooks and said he was giving them away for free! How great is that? It turns out that it's not so much a collection of pure H.K-style recipes, but a mix of dishes from all over the globe - India, Thailand, Middle East, Europe, Greek, Latin American and more. One of the Indian recipes was for saag paneer.

I've cooked Ayurvedically for years now, with classic Indian spices & herbs, but haven't done much home cooking of the typical curry house dishes: naan bread, chana masala, etc. That all changed last week when I made Saag Paneer from scratch.

This was a process that took several days - which I hope won't put you off. Think of it as a good excuse to relax and take it slow. Or, you can just go out and buy your paneer and then it'll only take you half an hour. Or, use chickpeas instead of paneer. But I wanted to be able to say I'd made my own cheese, and I wanted my paneer to be organic and hormone free, damn it - so I took matters into my own hands. If you don't eat dairy, just skip this first part and substitute 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas for the paneer.

Paneer for one meal, serving two hungry people:

2 litres (8 cups, almost 4 pints) of organic whole milk
1 lemon (for 3-4 Tablespoons of lemon juice)
Cheesecloth
fresh herbs - optional. I used several pinches of dry basil.

Juice your lemon first.
Pour the milk into a big saucepan with several inches of room at the top for foamy boiling. Bring it to a full rolling boil on medium high heat, stirring frequently to prevent any sticking or scalding. When it boils and foams up, turn the heat to low, and while it's still foamy, drizzle in the lemon juice. Give it a slow stir in one direction and after 10 - 15 seconds, take the pot off the heat. Continue to agitate the 'milk', which will separate into a pale yellow-green watery liquid, plus lumps of curdled clumps at the bottom. If your clumps aren't forming after one minute, place it back over the heat and keep stirring gently; if necessary, add a little more lemon juice. When the curd has formed clumps, cover the saucepan and set aside for 10 minutes.

Place a sieve or colander in the sink and cover the inside with 2 - 3 thicknesses of cheesecloth. Drape the edges of the cloth over the side of the colander. Gently pour the liquid and curd clumps into the colander. If you're going to add in any herbs, do it now by gently folding them in. Then pick up the corners of the cheesecloth, twist it up and run it under cold water for a few seconds. Squeeze your curd bundle to drain out excess liquid. If you have something to secure the twisted bit of cloth, like a wire tie, that's handy. At this point, I simply put a milk bottle, filled with water, into a coffee mug and used this as a weight to further compress the water out of the cheese and also to keep the cloth together. So basically, find something heavy and put it on top to continue draining the cheese.

After half an hour, you're in business. It should be compressed and feel firm. If you're not going to use the cheese immediately, then wrap it in a paper towel, place in a container and refrigerate - use within 4 days.

Saag Paneer
Adapted from "The Higher Taste", published by The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

2 very large bunches of fresh spinach (if they are not very large, then make it 3 or 4 bunches - spinach really cooks down!)
1 block of paneer, cut into half inch cubes (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 fresh hot green chili, seeds removed and minced (optional)
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sea or rock salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil
4 tablespoons cream (I improvised and used whole milk)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt

Steam the spinach in a large saucepan with a little bit of water until it has cooked down and softened. With a fork, lift it out of the pan and into a food processor. Whiz it up a few times until it's roughly pureed. Remove and set aside.
With a mortar and pestle or a blender, or the same food processor after rinsing it out, blend the minced ginger, chili and garlic with a spoonful of cold water. Add the coriander, paprika, cumin and turmeric; pound or blend into a smooth paste.
Heat the ghee or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the spice paste and fry for a minute or two until the paste is aromatic and starts to stick. Fold in the spinach and mix well to combine with the spices. Cook for a few minutes, then add in the cream, paneer, garam masala, salt and cook for another few minutes. Serve hot with steamed basmati rice.

Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-05-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Vegetables are my 'bottom line' diet, particularly green ones. That's what I crave more than anything, and I love feeling good more than I love the feeling of overindulgence, or the taste of sugar hitting my tongue (but I do admit to having a sweet tooth!). But baking chocolate chip cookies is an activity that I still love, even as a health nut, just as much as I loved it when I was...less than a health nut.

As a teenager, I would bake a batch for my family just to have an excuse to taste the batter. I can't really recommend doing this, since I've taken a food hygiene and safety course and eating raw eggs isn't the best idea. I use organic eggs as much as possible, but anyway, I've never had a problem. Touch wood. Maybe it's a cultural thing. My Irish hubby thinks it's gross, as does the Scottish husband of another ex-pat American friend, but she will also happily lick a spoon that's just come out of the light brown/dark brown thick, silky swath of dough in the mixing bowl.

While I was 'reforming' my health, I didn't bake any chocolate chip cookies. Maybe not for several years - can you believe it?? I still make them only rarely, and when I do, I make them to my specifications (unrefined sugar, gluten and dairy free, with ground flax seed for omega 3 fats), and usually when I can share them. Some very good helpers have appeared recently, a troop of neighborhood boys from Poland who play soccer on the green outside my front door and work up a really good appetite. This recipe is gluten and dairy free, with unrefined cane sugar, and these nine year olds are nuts about them. They also said that the dark chocolate was nice - but you know, they are getting free cookies, so there better not be any complaining.

Chocolate chips are convenient, but I never use them anymore. I buy bars of chocolate so that I have more choice of what kind of chocolate I'm using: I've been using Divine 70% dark for several years now. It's fair trade, high quality, not too bitter, and dairy free. They're also an independent company, and since Cadbury's bought out Green & Blacks, they've been putting whole milk fat into their dark chocolate - not necessary, in my opinion. I put the bars on my cutting board and chop them first lengthwise, then widthwise. What's left is flakes and cubes that will dot your cookies with tiny bits of chocolate throughout, plus some nice big jackpot chunks here and there. And if you roll the dough into balls between your palms, you can feel the edges of the cubes poking into your skin. It just seems more artisan to me, and I like that.

Why gluten free? Well, maybe you have a problem digesting wheat, or have other digestive difficulties. If so, gluten free might help...a lot. Gluten free foods are also a nice way to get more variety in your diet: as you'll see, this recipe has about five different kinds of flour instead of one, including milled flax seed, which is really high in omega 3 fats. Between bread, pasta, cereal, pizza and more, we've been inundated with high-gluten processed wheat for most of our lives, but eating a varied diet is vitally important. Wheat, dairy, white sugar and other refined 'white' foods, when eliminated, help many people to naturally deal with asthma, skin problems, weight, digestive problems and more, including more problematic diseases like MS and diabetes II.

Some practicalities: these cookies freeze well, so if you don't want them sitting there calling to you, pop them in a bag and freeze for a summer's day. If you can't find sorghum flour in your local whole/organic foods shop, then ask in Indian/Asian grocery stores for Juwar flour - it's the same thing, and it tastes very much like wheat. It's great for gluten free baking. And my final but most important note, if you don't have an oven thermometer and you enjoy baking even a little, I strongly suggest you get one. The Celsius to Fahrenheit converter says that 375F is 190C - but my oven only needs to be at 145C to reach 375F - which I never knew until I had the thermometer. My baking is much better having spent the £5.99 it cost to get this miracle gadget.

Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you don't want to run around getting all of the different flours, you can simply use 2 1/4 cups gluten free flour blend in place of the first 4 ingredients.

3/4 cup sorghum flour (known as Juwar Flour at Indian shops)
1/2 cup potato flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup rice flour
1 1/2 cups demerara sugar (unrefined cane crystals)
1 cup sunflower spread (or other vegan butter that bakes well - not diet 'butter')
2 Tablespoons tapioca flour or potato starch dissolved in 4 Tablespoons cool water (or 2 eggs)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
200 - 250 grams dark dairy free chocolate bars, chopped to the size of chip you prefer
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts (optional)
baking paper

Preheat oven to 375 F, 190C. Like a baking tray with baking paper (this makes such a difference for gluten free baking). In a large bowl, cream the vegetable butter with the sugar using the back of a large wooden spoon. Mix in egg replacer (or eggs) and then add vanilla.
Separately, sift all the dry ingredients together and then add to the wet. Mix to incorporate. Blend in the chocolate chips and optional nuts. If you have time, refrigerate for an hour or two. Scoop tablespoon-size balls onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool, if you can wait.

Falafel with Tahini Sauce

2010-05-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

This week, instead of heading out for some soggy camping over the May Day holiday weekend, I had the girls over for dinner. Estrogen was in the air: a bottle of champagne was popped, announcing the start the evening. There was the intention to watch Memoirs of a Geisha (my second viewing in a week), but instead we sat 'round the table having a 'chin wag' (Irish for 'social chat') until midnight. We calculated that by the end of the evening, the four of us had each spent over an hour talking - wow.

Some seriously good food makes its appearance when we get together, and it's almost always vegetarian and home made. We're all members of the amazing local CSA and each week are happily inundated with some the best organic produce around. Perhaps we'll make our own version of Sex and the City entitled 'Veg in the Country'. I'm sure it would be a sensation: 'organic chic!'

Dinner included a loaf of fresh bread baked with sultanas, walnuts and home-grown wheat; warm puy lentil, leek and dill salad; field greens with vinaigrette and toasted pumpkin seeds; falafel made from scratch with tahini sauce; and gluten-free rhubarb crumble for desert.

Middle eastern food is one of my absolute favorite cuisines. The smoky, deep flavors and colorful ingredients feed my love of exotic things: it's the kind of food you'd eat on a good adventure in a country where you really feel like a foreigner. It lends itself so well to finger food, as if you could lay it out on a big wooden platter in the middle of the table and pick it clean. Personally I quite like to stick my finger into the tahini sauce or hummus, or when I'm sharing, I'll use a falafel patty or dolmade for my flavor vessel. I like spices, herbs and a lot of variety in flavor and fresh produce, and middle eastern food delivers.

Exploring the culinary arts keeps me on my toes, learning new techniques and exploring endless flavor combinations. In this case, it was working with raw chickpeas (gasp! - are they digestible??) and deep frying. But it's not hard to make falafel from scratch. The trick is getting it to hold together while frying but I haven't had any problems so far, so hopefully you won't either. Basically, you soak your chickpeas overnight at least, dry them on a towel, then throw them in a food processor with everything else, blend until pasty (a couple minutes), form little patties and drop those into a heavy-bottomed pot with oil you've heated on medium/medium-high and fry until golden brown. You don't even need an official 'deep fryer'.

Falafel Patties with Tahini Sauce

Don't use canned chickpeas here, they're too wet and mushy.

Falafel
1 3/4 cups dry chickpeas
two big garlic cloves
small/medium red onion or two shallots
1 big handful flat parsley leaves
1 big handful cilantro (fresh coriander) leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon (or a bit more!) harissa paste
1 teaspoon paprika powder
4 tablespoons flour (I used white spelt)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
sunflower oil to a depth of 1 inch or a bit more in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot

Tahini Sauce
1/2 cup light tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
small garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika powder
a few parsley leaves, chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste

The night before making the falafel, soak the chickpeas in filtered water (cover by an inch or so: they will swell up) so that by the time you make them, they've soaked for a whole day.

Roughly chop the garlic and onion and rinse the fresh herbs to remove any dirt.

Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas, lay down a towel and pour them out onto it. Roll them around and pat to dry. Then put them into the food processor along with everything except the oil. Process until you have a thick paste: at least one minute, probably a little more than two minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides. Taste for salt and seasoning: if you want it spicier, add more black pepper, cayenne pepper powder or harissa paste. It's nice to have several different kinds of 'spiciness' in a dish: it adds interest. Blend again to incorporate anything you've adjusted. Have a plate ready; take out small handfuls of falafel paste and form little patties: 1 1/2 - 2 inches across, patted down to a thickness of less than 1 inch.

Meanwhile, pour the oil into your pot and heat over medium, medium/high heat for about 5 minutes, until hot enough that a bread crumb fries to golden brown in 1 minute when tossed in.

When your falafel patties are ready, gently drop them in to your heated oil. The first one may bubble and splatter; use caution if your hands are wet, as water droplets landing on the hot oil (it causes quite a commotion). Fry as many at once as will comfortably fit on the bottom of the pan. Turn them over with a spoon after 30 seconds or so. Have a plate with a paper towel ready, and when the falafel are golden brown, take them out and drain on said towel. It only takes a little over a minute to fry them. Continue until all your paste is used up.

Now prepare the tahini paste: in a bowl, with a fork, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice and water. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk again to mix well. Taste for seasoning and serve with the falafel.

Falafel are usually eaten in a Pitta bread pocket with salad and dressing, but I like them on their own, dipped in the sauce, or maybe served over spicy greens like rocket (called arugula in the USA) with tahini sauce as dressing.

Red Lentil Soup with Tomatoes and Cilantro

2009-06-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm headed to London for three days of training with an Ayurvedic gynecologist. And when I return, Colm will be home. I can't wait for that, too. Honestly, I think I've forgotten how to be a bachelorette. There's no one here to share the food, so the leftovers are piling up in the fridge. And parts of my routine have really gone out the window. I've lapsed into old habits like reading until 1am, letting the dishes pile up, and talking to the cat...a lot.

Not that I think any of this is bad: in fact, it's very good to shake up the routine and stay up late; you know, just to see what actually goes on at 1am, since I usually miss out on that. And Miso has been very dominant of my lap, claiming it as her territory, which she doesn't do as much when there's two of us here.

I'm not sure what I used to do when I lived alone in Brooklyn. Did I divide recipes by 1/4? I do remember eating 'tofurkey jerky' sticks and single serving yogurts - things that were handy for one person - especially since I wasn't cooking much at the time. If you ever eat a tofu dog, don't microwave it - it melts. Colm was delighted at how easy I'd be to impress with a home cooked meal. As they say, you've come a long way, baby.

Now when I cook for one, I make dishes that have it all in one pot and are tasty enough to eat for consecutive meals. Like this one.

I found this soup really easy once the onion was chopped and it was all simmering. I modified it a bit, and added chopped spring green leaves for extra nutrients. I love the colours of it: red tomatoes, orange from the lentils, a bit of yellow turmeric, bright green cilantro and dark spring green leaves.

Tomato Cilantro Soup
Adapted from the New York Times, who adapted it from Martha Rose Shulman. July 7, 2006.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly toasted and ground
2 teaspoons hot curry powder (or mild if you prefer)
1 pound chopped tomatoes with juice
1/2 pound red lentils (a heaping cup), preferably soaked for several hours beforehand
1 quart vegetable stock
1 bunch chopped greens: spinach, chard or watercress are all nice
black pepper to taste
cayenne to taste (optional, omit for Pitta and Vata)
juice of 1/2 small lime
For garnish: chopped fresh cilantro, thick greek yogurt if you like

Heat the oil in a soup pot, and add the onion. Cook until translucent and sweet but not brown, about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic, salt and spices; stir for about a minute, not too long; don't burn the spices. Add the tomatoes and put the heat just under medium. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have reduced their juices. Add the lentils and the stock; stir well and taste for salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until the lentils have broken up. Add the spring greens and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until they are bright green and tender.

When the lentils and greens are ready, taste the soup for spice and salt. Add black pepper and cayenne, if using. Add the lime juice and stir it in. Toss in a handful of chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves and take the soup off the heat. Stir the leaves around. Serve topped with a spoonful of thickened yogurt if you like. I didn't have any but it didn't matter; it was totally delicious anyway. I ate it with a fresh salad of leaves from our local farm with bits of fresh organic mozzarella. Perfect dinner for one.

Grilled Courgette, Aubergine & Other Summery Things

2009-06-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

My favorite day of the year, now that I'm an ex-pat, might be the first day that it's actually warm enough to sleep with the window open. Where we need to sleep with the window open because it's that hot outside. There's something about the cold, damp weather in the UK that seems to get under my skin more expertly than the cold & damp in Oregon or New York.

I get so happy about the warm weather that I feel inspired to do whimsical things like photograph my sheets drying in the sun. But the hot, sunny weather never seems to last that long in these parts...

The meal that I was totally hooked on last week when it was summer was a simple feast of roasted Mediterranean vegetables: zucchini (courgette), eggplant (aubergine) and tomatoes (toe-MAH-toe) - piled onto a slice of wholemeal bread with a slab of grilled halloumi cheese. You can grill these in the oven, but doing it over an open flame is ten times better. We rarely get to cook with fire, the way we've done since the dawn of time, and I'm an old-fashioned kind of girl who loves her caveman-style meal prep.

Halloumi is a fresh cheese made from goat and sheep's milk, originally from Palestine. It has a high melting point, so you can grill it. Don't salt it, though, as it has plenty on its own. In fact, you might want to take some of the salt out: take the cheese out of its package, rinse, and set in a bowl of cool water to cover for 15 minutes; then discard the water, rinse and repeat; do this soak several times to help remove some of the salt. As someone who's into eastern medicine, and who's predominant element is fire, I shouldn't eat too much salt, so this trick helps (salt is heating).

Roasted Summer Vegetables and Halloumi

You'll need:
1 package of haloumi cheese, sliced into pieces 1 cm thick
1 or 2 eggplants/aubergines; 1 or 2 zucchini/courgettes; 2 tomatoes; other nice vegetables to use: large shiitake or portobello mushrooms, onions, corn on the cob, asparagus...
Herbal oil: 1/4 cup good olive oil, into which you can put: 1 minced or crushed garlic clove; salt and fresh ground pepper; and herbs of your choice. We had sage, thyme and oregano.

Make the herby oil ahead of time so the flavours infuse. Instead of slicing the tomatoes and having the juice go everywhere, I cut out the tops so as to make a little funnel into the centre of the tomatoes for the herbal oil. Slice the eggplant and courgette in long strips from end to end, about 1 cm thick, and lay them out on a baking tray or flat plates. Brush them on both sides with the oil (I don't soak the veg in the oil the way one might do with some meats; they'll soak it up and become little grease bags) and let them sit for a while, maybe 30 minutes while you get the grill going.

The next part, Colm did, so this is guesswork; but basically, once the fire has died down and the coals are nice and hot, put your veggies on the racks and grill them until they start to blacken a bit but not too much; you know, barbecue them.

Grill the haloumi until it gets the nice grill lines and starts to brown. Slice some bread, put a tomato on it (or half of one), smoosh it on the bread and put a piece of haloumi on top. As for the other veggies, I just eat them straight: this, to me, is perfect.

Note: the herbal marinade contributes essential flavour and moisture to the vegetables here, so don't skimp on the herbs, garlic, minced shallot or spring onion...whatever you like. Basil would be lovely in there too. If you don't eat cheese, or bread, then just take that part out and enjoy what you can eat here - all elements were amazing on their own, but some make great combinations.

Tomatoes, garlic, halloumi and eggplant are too heating and/or oily for Pitta, so Pitta-types shouldn't have this all the time. But the courgettes, asparagus, corn on the cob and shiitake mushrooms that we also brushed with oil and grilled were absolutely amazing, and those are fine for Pitta.

Beet Risotto with Beet Greens

2009-06-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

My bloke left on a train, about 40 minutes ago, and won't be back for over a week. I found myself walking home, racing the rain to get inside before it soaked me, wondering what the next 10 days will be like. I've been feeling quite whimsical for the past two weeks and now I have lots of quiet time to get creative with.

I always have much more to do than time to do it. A few of my aspirations for the week: 1. read "The Mists of Avalon"; 2. start working through the list of movies for 'Deeply Feeling People' on the Anima Center website, and maybe invite the girls over for one or two of them; 3. bake a batch of these and find someone to share them with. On Sunday, there's a 10K race which, I found out yesterday, I'll be running in. No time for boredom.

It's all up to me to use the vegetables in the garden now. I run out of things to do with beets very quickly, but luckily I've stumbled upon a good one: beet risotto.

This is a recipe that I got from "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison. I call this book 'The Bible', because it's huge, and because it has every ingredient in it that a vegetarian might ever want some inspiration for. There are over 1,400 recipes, and it taught me loads about cooking when I started in 2004. One night, coming home on the subway in NYC, I saw two girls holding a copy and discussing it. I decided it was just what I needed.

I jumped at this recipe because of the 'jewel-color' she promises in the final product. If we owned this house, I would paint a wall a similar shade. It also sounded unusual, which is a characteristic I find attractive in my meals. It didn't fail to please, and even my professional skeptic of a partner who is slightly more picky than I, likes it. Beets are wonderful for blood health, and in Ayurveda they're decently tolerated by all doshas (don't overdo it for Pitta). I love juicing them with ginger and apple, too.

Beet Risotto
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

1 bunch of beets and their greens
1 small/medium diced onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 TBS olive oil or butter or a mixture
1.5 cups arborio rice
6 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
fresh ground black pepper
zest and juice of one small lemon or part of a large one
a handful of pre-toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1/2 cup crumbled goat's cheese (optional).
Note: the herbs can be fresh, of course; but our basil isn't grown up enough for me to start eating it, and I didn't want to go all the way to the top of town for fresh parsley, so I cheated.

Wash, peel and grate the beets until you have about 2 cups. Wash the greens and chop them into small squares or whatever bite-size you fancy. You may want to de-stem them, unless you're a fan of beet stems.

Melt the butter or heat the oil in a medium/large saucepan, and add the onion. Cook over medium heat until translucent and sweet but not caramelized. Add the rice and stir until well coated, about a minute; then add the white wine and simmer until it's absorbed. Now add in the grated beet root, along with the basil and parsley. Stir this all around, then add 2 cups of stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the stock is absorbed, then keep adding stock in 1/2 cup increments and let each addition absorb before adding more. When you've added all 6 cups and the risotto is just about done, add in the beet greens. Adding them at this late stage will keep them fresh and not overcooked, but heated enough so that the texture is nice and they're easily digestible. Season with fresh pepper, taste for salt, and add the lemon zest and juice. Thoroughly mix, then serve. Sprinkle with goat's cheese and the toasted nuts.