Good Food Is On the Rise

We recently saw the film "Good Food" at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). I won't give away all the film's story, neither do I want to formally review it. I do want to say this film was important to watch -- really for everyone who eats :)

Its SIFF description included: "This lively tour of various Washington State farms and ranches that have adopted healthier organic methods in raising their products offers several lucid arguments in favor of smaller, more efficient farms, and purchasing locally grown crops." If you are in Seattle and have some dough for a night out while supporting our local farmers, you can enjoy a fund-raising dinner at Rover's restaurant on June 17th. There you can also meet the film makers and some of the featured farmers.

What we learnt from "Good Food" was not necessarily surprising, but it was amazing. Film makers Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young brought us lessons straight from the source - our farmers! with vivid scenes and personal stories. The film made more real all the hard work put into our food. It featured Alm Hill Gardens, Alvarez, Blue Bird Grain, Blue Heron, Skagit River Ranch, M and B Orchards, Marra, Billy's Gardens, and more.

Because we saw "Good Food" at SIFF, after the screening we met directors Dworkin and Young, and farmers Gretchen Hoyt and Ben Craft, the folks behind Alm Hill Gardens. It was wonderful to hear first-hand that like so many other local farmers and ranchers, they work not to get rich, but for the good of the community! Ben shared more of Alm Hill's story: when they first produced raspberries, several decades ago, their only options were selling to canneries or distributors. Neither type of corporation cared whether the food was organic and neither gave them the personal, community connection they craved.

Then Alm Hill found Pike Place Market in Seattle, where for more than 100 years the motto has been "Meet the Producer." Pike Place Market was their first chance to sell directly to the people. Selling at Pike Place kept them in business, proudly if barely, and they have now sold there for more than 25 years.

Today with the rise of farmers' markets all over Cascadia, Alm Hill and many others are really seeing the fruits of their labor. Washington State alone now has over 100 farmers' markets. An amazing number, isn't it? Good food is on the rise! Good food also has a bright future, as Growing Washington, a non-profit 501 c 3, is helping to carry Alm Hill's legacy into the future.

Sustainability is not only an environmental issue, it is also about our economy -- it is building markets that work fairly for both producer and consumer. You can do your part just by buying more food directly from farmers and ranchers. Don't give your hard-earned money to the middle men and profit-takers at large, corporate brands and grocery chains. Small farms produce higher quality foods and incredibly, they do it more efficiently than large industrial farms because they have much less waste per acre. Our entire food system would be more efficient, more sustainable, and healthier for everyone if it was based on small farms using modern, organic methods.

Are there limits to eating local? Well, there is no way I am giving up a good mango when I see it, and we can't grow them in our climate. I will buy almost all my foods locally, though and I am always looking to reinforce my commitment.

Finally, there is that most human reason -- that we instinctively and personally want to meet the producers, just as they want to meet us. The farmers we saw in the film and talked to afterward wake up at 3 a.m. to load their trucks. This labor of love is not done just to pay their bills and they're certainly not getting rich. They do this to see who is buying their produce and to learn what we think about it after we do. They love to hear how much we loved their spinach, or that our kids ate peas for the first time because they were so fresh and wonderful :)

Don't we all feel the same, that we want to know what went into our food and we want to meet the people who grew it? Farmers' markets are a win-win in so many ways.

Just this past weekend, I talked to a local rancher, Eiko from Skagit River Ranch at the Ballard Sunday Farmers' Market, who I had seen along with her family in "Good Food." I had to tell her that I was so happy to see the chickens where my eggs came from, and all the dedication they had to bringing their best to market. She gave me the biggest smile and a heartfelt thank-you. I'll never forget that connection. When tempted to grab a carton of eggs at the grocery store, I'm now sure to hold out for the farmers' market, as well I should.

Here are a few future show times for "Good Food" while it is playing around Seattle. If you can take a long lunch break and want to catch a free screening, go to the Seattle City Council's Brown Bag Lunch viewing on July 9th.

For more about eating local and connecting to the source:

• The Washington Farm Link is operated in conjunction with Cascade Harvest Coalition


• Growing Washinton is a non-profit with many programs in sustainable agriculture, economic and societal health, and cultural preservation


• Seattle Chefs Collaborative "works with chefs and the greater food community to celebrate local foods and foster a more sustainable food supply. Our members embrace seasonality, preserve diversity and traditional practices, and support local economies." Seth Caswell, chef of Stumbling Goat restaurant has been on the forefront of this.
  


• Gleaning Project recovers local surplus produce to feed the hungry in Whatcom County


• Sustainable Ballard is my neighborhood's organized effort toward general sustainability

Some night this summer, I would love to show "Good Food" on a large screen, outside in our backyard. I will decide the date based on the response I get to this post. Anyone for an outdoor summer movie?

Our Edible Garden

[Romaine, Sungold Tomatoes, Strawberries]

We have been so inspired at times, and yet so angered at times, by what is available to eat around here. Due to both our frustration and for wanting to be a part of the solution, we started to grow some of our own food. When I say "around here," I mean Seattle and the region we call Cascadia. Click the tag Cascadia to see my posts featuring regional foods and issues.

We had other reasons, too, like the cost of food, the environmental benefits of growing organic food, and Seattle's encouraging urban gardening scene. We are vegetarians, and we spend most of our money on the green stuff -- vegetables, herbs, and fruits!

[Siegerrebe Wine Grapes]

I mentioned in my post on Earth Day, 2008 that I would be at Seattle Tilth's Annual Edible Plant Sale, and I was, and it was wonderful! My shopping list got longer as we walked through rows and rows of edible plants on a cold and rainy day. I really wished I had a rainproof camera that day, just to document how much fun it was to be in Seattle. It was the part of the city I really enjoy and appreciate being a part of. Little kids played in the dirt, while parents and others shopped away among aisles of edible plants. The smell of sweet, vegan Mighty O Donuts frying in the background filled the air. It rained softly, steadily, and the plants actually seemed happy.

As always, a bit of rain did not dampen the spirits of Seattleites -- who are proud of their environment, and take every chance they get to make it better. A lot of people (and I mean a LOT of people!) grow their own food in this city. Many attempt to live sustainably and eat healthy, organic produce. Even so, I still know some who simply don't care, and even some who think global warming is a myth!

[Carruth Sculptures from Daunhauers, Lavender, Birdhouse in our yard]

The biggest step most of us can take toward a sustainable food system is probably to eat more local foods, and that includes growing our own food. Around here we have many P-Patches or community gardens and CSAs or Community Supported Agriculture programs. We also have abundant natural and educational resources for growing our own beautiful food. So why not give it a shot?!

I am reading and hearing only more about how governments allow corporations to market harmful and untested foods -- for the skinny on that, read the book Skinny Bitch ... I am almost through it and will probably blog about it more some day. I am disgusted by how politics has controlled what we eat, trading our health for corporate profit and our future for their short-term gains -- we so need better local and national Farm Bills! At least around here, Farm to School laws and related government action continues to change for the better.

[Mint Julep, Spinach, Garlic Chives, Cilantro]

I know that I cannot honestly avoid every single, disagreeable ingredient if I want to casually, socially eat where I work and play. My husband and I do vote with our dollars by supporting restaurants we know are using local, organic, and otherwise sustainable foods. When we eat home-prepared foods, though, we control what we grow and how, or what we buy and from whom.

[Spearmint, Thai Hot Peppers, Basil, Zucchini]

Gardening really does have a fun side to it, besides. You anticipate the warm summer all the more when you have a garden you are rooting for and a harvest to look forward to. It has already been fun eating our food, with how much effort and love we put into it. As beginning gardeners, we are appreciating and learning more from our local farmers when we visit farmers' markets, too. They have always been happy to answer questions and encourage us along the way :)

[Greek Oregano, English Thyme, Calendula, Edelweiss Lavender]

Our Edible Garden is:

1. Sungold Tomatoes
   
2. Spinach
   
3. Romaine
4. Yellow and Green Summer Squashes, AKA Zucchini
5. Tri-star Strawberries
6. Siegerrebe Grapes
7. Greek Oregano -- see my Orzo Stuffed Zucchini
   
8. English Thyme
9. Garlic Chives
10. Cilantro
11. Spearmint -- see my Chilled Mint Tea
12. Applemint -- see my Applemint Gimlet
    
13. Mint Julep -- see my Mango Power Pop and Fizz
14. Purple Basil
15. Italian Basil
16. Thai Hot Peppers
17. Edelweiss Lavender
18. Calendula
    

Below is a beautiful garden sculpture given to us by one of Brian's grandfathers. From his garden to ours, it is reminding us of one of life's most important lessons -- Celebrate Life! & live it to the fullest :)

Mango Shrikhand

May is my month! I was born in May not too many years ago, and where I was born in India, this is a hot, Summer month. There, May is also the month of mangoes. If I was in India now, I would be eating a mango with every meal and some in between. I am making May the month of mangoes, with many if not all of my posts dedicated to the "King of Fruits." This was also the first batch of the mango season which I found ripe and sweet enough in Seattle, so the first dish I made was Mango Shrikhand.

Shrikhand ("shree-khund") is yogurt drained of all its liquid, then sweetened and spiced with any flavors you like. It is not so much an Indian dessert as it is regional, and very popular in my home state of Gujarat. Yogurt itself is widely eaten all over India, especially in Summer because of its cooling properties.

I loved shrikhand so much as a kid that I would eat it plain, even with no fruit, just cardamom. My school was right next door to a big creamery -- the largest producer of packaged shrikhand in India (it was like going to school next to Breyers). Once each year the school took us on a field trip, a tour of the shrikhand manufacturing and packaging plant; boy! how I waited for that trip!

Usually the shrikhand we ate at home was not packaged, we made it ourselves as we also made our own yogurt. Here in Seattle though, it is harder to get the milk to curdle with our relatively cool, damp climate. We still make yogurt at home, but often turn to the best we can find locally. In Seattle we are fortunate to have many alternatives!

Greek Gods is one locally manufactured yogurt that has been perfect for shrikhand. They are available all over the U.S. -- try their Store Locator. Greek Gods yogurt is a strained yogurt, so it cuts my shrikhand-making work in half. It is so fresh and high quality that it is the closest thing to the home-made shrikhand I grew up eating!

If you can't find Greek Gods, for one alternative you can use regular yogurt, with a little more work. You will need to tie it up and hang it in a cheese cloth overnight, to drain the water. Kefir cheese and any other plain, Mediterranean style, strained yogurt will work the best and you may be able to avoid the draining step. Strained yogurts are also manufactured with a higher pectin content, so they will require less sugar than a regular yogurt you strain at home.

Depending on how fresh the yogurt is and other factors, its tartness will vary. Sugar levels vary widely, and this is one reason it is hard to give precise measurements in recipes for traditional foods. You have to trust your tongue, taste as you go, and learn by doing.

Shrikhand is traditionally eaten with poori or roti, but once you taste it, you'll eat it all by itself! Below is my recipe for Mango Shrikhand ...

I used:
2 cups Greek Gods plain yogurt
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tspn ground cardamom (I've seen people over-do this lately and it kills me! Don't use too much cardamom.)
2-3 tbspn crushed nuts
1 ripe and diced Ataulfo mango (Mango tip for Seattleites: Ballard Town & Country has had a few amazing batches, but you've got to pick them properly! Ataulfo are currently in season and widely available ... please leave some for me ;)

My method:
1. Take the yogurt in a medium bowl and hand-beat with a whisk, till it is nice and smooth. It takes about 3 minutes.
2. Mix in the sugar next. Taste it! If it tastes acidic or "too yogurty," you need more sugar! 1/2 cup is what I needed to turn this yogurt into Shrikhand, you might need more or less.
3. Add the cardamom and mix.
4. Cover and refrigerate. It will solidify slightly, too.
5. Right before serving, top with nuts and mangoes.

Purple Artichokes and Orzo

When I got my hands on these purple baby artichokes, it already felt like Spring in Seattle. We've dipped into dreary temps again, but seeing them while writing this brings a smile back to my face! I found them at Sosio's in Pike Place Market. I'll be honest -- I had attempted cooking regular artichokes before, but was poked and frustrated so much that I never bought them again. As you can see, these were so fascinating I HAD to try them!

The guru at Sosio's told me these baby chokes would be really tender with a nutty flavor. He demonstrated how they did not need trimming like regular artichokes do. You remove only the outer-most, tough leaves. If you find only larger or long-stem chokes though, then you may proceed as outlined here.


I used:
1/4 pound Supreme Orzo from Pappardelle's (it has amazing Saffron, Fire-Roasted Red Pepper and Porcini Mushroom flavors)
some small, purple baby artichokes
some garlic cloves (unpeeled!)
some broccoli heads
2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
half a pinch of saffron (if you feel adventurous, mix some in oil & toss the mixture in the pasta!)


My method:
1. Preheat the over to 350F (175 C).
2 Clean the artichokes. Take only the tough, outside leaves off -- there shouldn't be many if the baby artichokes are fresh! Slice them in half. If you find these tender baby artichokes as seen in my photos, there is absolutely no need to trim off anything else.
3. I tossed all my veggies -- broccoli heads, artichokes, and garlic in oil, salt, and pepper, then placed them on a baking sheet, to bake for about 10 minutes. Make sure nothing burns.
4. Boil the pasta while the vegetables roast.
5. The artichokes might cook first, then broccoli, and then garlic. Be careful not to over-roast artichokes as they will get tough. Depending on your equipment and other ingredients, you might want to start roasting the artichokes last!
6. Once the pasta is finished, season it and toss it in oil (or, saffron-infused oil if you prefer).
7. When the vegetables are finished, combine them with pasta and plate to your liking. The pieces I had cut made for simple, elegant plating on top the orzo, as above.
8. Note, the photo above only shows a few veggies, but in fact we ate 4 times as many with our pasta :) I was only practicing my plating skills.
9. It is a lot of fun to squeeze the roasted garlic out of its peels. Don't forget to eat all the good stuff out of the artichoke leaves, mmm!
10. We really enjoyed this wonderful Purple Artichokes and Orzo meal with a crisp white wine, while looking forward to warmer days ahead :) We toasted to Summer!

Pairing Suggestion:
My husband, Brian is a beverage enthusiast and remembers we had a summery, local pinot gris. He said: "the nuttiness of our artichokes, the saffron and herbs in our pasta, and the garlic call for a dry, assertive white." I remember he idled around our wine stash for a while over what to pair with artichokes!

Be Green Every Day!

When media and marketing campaigns use a phrase like "Go Green!" to sell products or increase their popularity, the effects can be good for awareness but bad for the movement. Some who see a "Go Green!" catch phrase on a product might buy it and think they have done enough.

Catch phrases may raise awareness, but awareness of our climate crisis is high enough. We need to take more everyday action to address climate change. For that, people need specific, practical advice. This is one of the main reasons I create and share recipes as Mango Power Girl. I give you recipes so you can go green every day -- all are healthy and vegetarian, and I focus on local foods from organic producers with sustainable businesses.

My husband and I recently went to the best green festival I've seen -- the Seattle 2008 Green Festival. We listened to Frances Moore Lappé, a pioneer of the green movement and one of the most influential people in the field. She wrote Diet for a Small Planet in the early 1970s, when it was not easy to get the green message across, especially for a woman. Lappé has dedicated her life to making people aware of how we affect our environment and how we can do better. Read more on her Small Planet Institute site. Her daughter, Anna Lappé helps take it to another level. I love Anna's ideas on eating and cooking in a climate-friendly way. See more on her new site and her blog, Getcha Grub On, which you might have also seen in my Power Links :)

The Seattle 2008 Green Festival offered tons of ways we can do better: natural and ethically produced foods, beer, wine, clothes, gadgets, and toys, responsible investing, political advice, and more. Many of the tips were simple, and I have seen them working in my daily life. For example, my office just started composting and buying more biodegradable supplies.

In 1969 at a conference in Seattle, Democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson was on a conservation speaking tour, when he announced the first ever Earth Day. I applaud Earth Day, but I am not going to celebrate just for one day. I am going green more and more in everyday ways. In addition to sharing my foodstyle with you through Mango Power Girl, here are other initiatives I have taken that you might find interesting:

(1) Eat Local Now! -- I am attending the Eat Local Now! dinner in my neighborhood of Seattle. For you Puget Sounders or Cascadians: find out what exactly is in season and when and also what you will find now at farmers' markets. When you eat local and from farmers' markets, you are eliminating "the middle man" and giving yourself a break financially, you are eating from more reliable and healthier sources, and you are helping your local economy, too.

(2) Edible Plant Sale -- Eat more of what you can grow yourself. For my local readers, this links to Seattle Tilth's annual edible plant sale, and elsewhere you should search for something similar. This event is extremely popular around where I live, where people are serious about what they grow and what they eat. Keep it up Seattle! This is something I want to practice more. It is harder if you don't own the place you live in, but through Community Supported Agriculture (local CSAs here), P-Patches (specific to Seattle only), Container Gardening or Veggie Boxes that even students, renters, and city people with no space at home can join in.

(3) Watch "King Corn" -- This is a must-see, independent film, maybe the movie of the year! Especially for Americans, this movie will open up your eyes to what the mainstream diet is really made of!

(4) Go Vegetarian, in more ways than ever -- We already are vegetarians based on what we eat, but there are next steps we can take. I have to give my husband props for this one -- he started buying vegetarian clothing, which means no more leather! He recently bought a pair of ethically made Vegetarian Shoes and belt, and he even gave up his once-cherished leather jacket. He wants to go vegan eventually, which I really admire. There is still more for us to weigh before we take a huge step like that, but the point is: there is always something more you can do.

Challenge yourself not just to "go green," but instead to "go more green." Educate yourself and change your habits, not for one day but for a lifetime. Make every day Earth Day!

Spring Saffron Shortbread

This cookie is my way to welcome Spring and the big Lama to Seattle.

Although the temps are slightly chilly in Seattle, we are fortunate enough to have everything blooming -- from the famous UW cherry blossoms to daffodils and tulips. The seeds of compassion are blooming in Seattle, too, as the Dalai Lama has arrived for a five-day visit; more on that below :)

I've been dying to make cookies using this tulip-shaped cutter we've had in our supplies for a while now. As soon as I saw the first tulip in my yard, I finally did it. Shortbread is one of those cookies that I love to eat, but never thought of baking. Recently I was going through a cookbook I received for my birthday last year and discovered a simple shortbread recipe. These cookies are my adaptation of a recipe from Nancy Silverton's Pastries from the La Brea Bakery.

With this I want to prove you can have beautiful food colors from totally natural ingredients. I will publish more posts in the future with more colors and flavors. Spring Saffron Shortbread deserves its very own alongside the lovely tulips from our yard!

Saffron provides the beautiful yellowish-orange color and gives your food the most amazing aroma. This combination of flavors was very much inspired by the Indian sweets I grew up eating. I added a bit of powdered almonds and pistachios, and the flavor was out of this world. These are soft, buttery, aromatic cookies with a salty bite -- as a good shortbread should have. They are decorated with a saffron cardamom icing.

For the cookies, I used:
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1/4 tspn kosher salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, sifted
a pinch of saffron
a handful of finely ground pistachio and almonds
1 tbspn milk

For the icing, I used:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tbspn water (more or less based on the consistency you feel comfortable to drizzle with)
half a pinch of saffron
a pinch of ground cardamom
1 clean Ziploc® bag (a clear plastic, disposable bag, sandwich sized)



My method:
1. Cream the butter and salt for a couple minutes with a mixer.
2. Add the sugars and cream till the butter is soft and fluffy.
3. Add the sifted flour in a few different parts, mixing on low till all is combined.
4. Take a pinch of saffron in milk, and combine (mortar & pestle works the best here) till no strands are left; you'll have a nice orange liquid -- that is your natural food color! Add it to the cookie mix and mix till the color combines evenly.
5. Flatten the dough into a disc shape, wrap it air-tight in a plastic wrap, and chill for a couple hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) when ready.
7. Take the dough out 5 minutes before you want to roll it out.
8. Roll the dough out into a 1/2" thick sheet on a floured surface, and cut into it whatever shapes you like.
9. Place cut outs onto a baking sheet and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until you see their edges starting to brown.
10. These cookies stay pretty light in color, so once the edges are done, take them out and cool.
11. Make the icing while your cookies cool. Combine sugar, water, cardamom, and saffron in a bowl, or directly in the Ziploc® as you prefer. I crushed the saffron with my hand, but did not melt it this time so I would see little specks of saffron in the icing!
12. Cut a tiny hole at an angle on one of the tips of the icing bag, and make sure there is no air before you close the bag. Once the cookies cool, decorate away, and enjoy!


There is another reason I am featuring saffron. Saffron is the color worn by peaceful Tibetan monks. With the atrocities long going on and now flaring up in Tibet, with all the protests and now more violence, it is sad more is not being done internationally. The world needs to stand up! Even with the on-going turmoil, the Dalai Lama is here in Seattle for a five-day series of discussions, speeches, and more by the organization called Seeds of Compassion. The gathering will be webcasted in 24 different languages at their site, so if you will not be in Seattle for the next five days, be a part of it virtually. With thanks to my friends in the Tibetan community and at work, I will be able to attend parts of the gathering, and for the rest of it I, too will be logging in :)

Free Tibet & Peace to the Monks!

Truffles - Fair and Local!

I have tried numerous chocolate truffle recipes and methods and I keep coming back to the path taken by the master, Wolfgang Puck! I first saw him make them on Food Network a few years ago. Chef Puck stuffed his truffles with raspberries. Following his lead but doing my own thing as ever, I kept mine local and fair-trade, dark with 71% cocoa chocolate and local espresso against sweet, local hazelnuts.

My truffles feature "Organic Very Dark Chocolate" from America's oldest and largest fair-trade company, Equal Exchange. Their philosophy of economic fairness and environmental sustainability deserves more attention and importance in our world. The second office of this worker-owned co-operative is in nearby Hood River, Oregon. I often enjoy the Equal Exchange cafe in my neighborhood of Seattle :)

Equal Exchange extends sustainability from the environment to the economy without national prejudice, ensuring a fair deal for both its partner-farmers and for consumers of organic and high quality products. You will find their coffee, chocolate, and other fairly traded ingredients at your nearest co-op or socially conscious grocer.

I used hazelnuts from Holmquist Orchards, a small, family-run farm that believes in producing the best. When I spoke with one owner recently, I learned that Holmquist grows the Duchilly hazelnut, which is longer, sweeter, and thinner in skin than a regular hazelnut. A regular hazelnut rarely tastes good with it's skin on as the skin is so thick. Duchilly are not grown by most commercial producers because the hazelnut per tree ratio is much smaller than for regular hazelnuts, and of course most commercial producers' have their profits more in mind.

I had already been buying Holmquist hazelnuts for a while because they are delicious, local, and fresh. After the owner explained more to me, I felt even better supporting Holmquist. They are producing the best product for their consumers and working hard around town to get the word out. You can find them at Pike Place Market on the first floor near the high stalls. Holmquist might also rotate through several Seattle neighborhood farmers' markets in Summer 2008.

What better to pair with a dark chocolate hazelnut espresso truffle than a great espresso? Why not a few great espressos! For those Seattleites and visitors who don't already know, you must try Seattle Coffee Works near Pike Place Market (on Pike Street between 1st and 2nd Ave). It is the only place in Seattle - our beloved coffee drinking mecca - where you can taste local, micro-roast espressos side by side by side. At Seattle Coffee Works, a serving of three espressos at one time is called "The Works," shown in the shot below.

Their cafe is a warm, friendly place where staff and the owner, Sebastian will keep you satisfied and informed till the last drop! They work a locally-made Synesso machine with all the skill, pride, and high standards you would expect from the wonkiest espresso cafe in Seattle. Know thy coffee! ;)

This is my latest truffles recipe, invented as a birthday gift for my father-in-law who is of course a huge dark chocolate and espresso lover :)

I used:
4 ounces Equal Exchange "Organic Very Dark Chocolate," 71% cocoa, chopped into small pieces
3 tbspns heavy cream
1 tbsn unsalted butter
2 tbspns strong and fresh espresso (you can add any other flavor you like)
a handful of toasted, unsalted Duchilly hazelnuts from Holmquist orchards, finely chopped

My Method:
1. Create a double boiler with a heatproof bowl on simmering water. Make sure the bowl is not touching the water.
2. Melt butter first, then quickly add chocolate.
3. As soon as the chocolate melts, add the cream.
4. Take it off the heat, and mix in the espresso.
5. Refrigerate until thick enough to spoon, and stir a few times along the way if you need to.
6. Use a melon-baller, dipped in warm water & wiped in between scoops, to scoop out the truffles and dump them in a tray full of hazelnuts. This way, you won't melt too much with your hands.
7. At this point, you have no choice but use your hands to roll the truffles around. Yay! Make sure they are thoroughly covered in nuts.
8. Place them in individual wrappers or on parchment, however you'd like to store and serve.
9. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and then they are ready to eat!
10. Serve them with a great espresso, port, or even a bold red wine.

Pacific Rim Alfredo with Lemon and Thyme

What do you get when you combine these 3 market-fresh ingredients?

A few months ago, I was ecstatic to discover the Pappardelle's Pasta stand at Seattle's Pike Place Market. Pappardelle's Pasta is available all over the U.S. and at The Market, they have bins and bins of the most amazing looking and great smelling pasta you'll find. It is too hard to pick just one kind per trip.

So my last time there, I picked up a few! One of the first Pappardelle's Pastas I cooked was their Pacific Rim Pasta Blend, shown above. I was attracted to its name and its vibrant colors, shapes, and of course the ingredients it is made of. They include lemon, ginger, buckwheat, garlic, cilantro, cayenne, curry, spinach, onions, and leeks to name a few. I had no idea what this would taste like, or even what I was going to make it with, but it was so aromatic that I had to try it.

Then one cold evening, when I was craving rich, winter comfort food without a lot of work, I created my Pacific Rim Alfredo with Lemon and Thyme. I decided to use the freshest ingredients I had, including the fresh lemon (pucker up, baby! ha :) and thyme shown above, which I had also picked up from Pike Place Market. A comforting, creamy alfredo can really sparkle when instead of using plain old fettucini, you use the multi-colored and bold-flavored Pacific Rim Pasta Blend.

I used:
1/2 lb Pappardelle's Pacific Rim Pasta Blend
1 cup heavy cream (if you prefer a lighter version, combine half & half and milk)
2 tbspns butter
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 lemon zested & some of its freshly squeezed juice
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
salt & pepper to taste
a pinch freshly ground nutmeg
a few twigs fresh thyme leaves, plucked
more grated parmesan, to top off before serving

My method:
1. Cook the pasta.
2. In a non-stick sauce pan, heat the butter on medium and throw in the garlic.
3. Let it cook for a few minutes without letting it burn, and add the cream.
4. Keep whisking as it heats -- the key is to not let a skin form.
5. Once the cream heats up a bit, add freshly grated parmesan and keep stirring till it melts. Make sure you leave no lumps.
6. Add salt, freshly ground pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
7. Once the sauce thickens, add the lemon zest, thyme, and a squeeze of lemon juice to the mix.
8. Add the cooked pasta and toss for a minute or two, then take it off the heat.
9. Serve with freshly grated parmesan, pepper, and I suggest you pair with your favorite citrus-strong Riesling!

The fresh lemon and thyme accented the pasta's own herbs and spices perfectly and garlic brought all the flavors together. The red ziti in Pacific Rim Pasta Blend also has a huge kick of cayenne. Pappardelle's people were serious when they had warned there was cayenne in there. Every time I got a bit of the red ziti, I was glad to have a creamy alfredo balancing it off.

Whenever we have an alfredo, we open a different bottle of Riesling, which we find to be the most versatile wine. We especially look for a Riesling with enough citrus to cut through the creaminess and cleanse our palates for the next bite! Pacific Rim with Alfredo was a perfect match for a stand-up, New World Riesling like many we have met from Upstate New York and the Pacific Northwest.

Pappardelle's Pasta in Pike Place Market also shares recipe suggestions with market-goers, and I'll have to suggest they spread the word about my Pacific Rim Alfredo with Lemon and Thyme :)

Go Pollock on Eggless Scones!

When I had finished making my Eggless Scones, and my baking sheets were dripping with dark chocolate sauce made from Theo's Madagascar, I suddenly felt like I was channeling Jackson Pollock, one of my all-time favorite American painters. (Yes, I am hooked on Theo!) I enjoyed learning about Pollock in Fine Art classes, but I truly loved making my food action painting, which was also a great stress buster!

I was thrilled to find and began with an Eggless Scone recipe by Tyler Florence. It looked simple and simple to tweak, too, so I replaced the fruits and glaze, and a few other things :)

I had a customer with high expectations who had said they would not eat the scones if they were too dry. Under pressure and against the reputation of scones everywhere, these Eggless Scones were up to the challenge! The cream especially helped them stay moist throughout baking.

See Tyler’s recipe for details, but for my part I replaced the blueberries with dried strawberries, which I had found at Sosio's in Pike Place Market. I added sliced almonds, and I replaced the regular sugar with brown sugar.

While my scones cooled, I made a chocolate sauce with Madagascar from Theo and heavy cream. I thinned the tempered chocolate with cream (you can use half & half if you like) till I had a smooth and thin enough consistency to drizzle, or paint?! with. When the scones were cooled to almost room temperature, I went crazy with the chocolate! Then I let the scones sit till the chocolate firmed up, and stored the scones in an air tight container.

Bring out your own inner Pollock or release some stress with this cool Flash canvas online! If you make these Eggless Scones, go Pollock on them and have fun – remember you can always lick the chocolate off your canvas ;)

Rally for the Roots - from Farm to School!

Around Seattle and throughout this state and region, there is a brilliant movement underway toward getting our incredible local foods directly into school lunches. For the better health of our children, for its environmental wisdom in reducing many forms of waste, and for the strength of our economy, too it is an all around winning idea, often referred to simply as "Farm to School."

Improving children's nutrition and establishing better health habits are reason enough to support "Farm to School" initiatives. Obesity and many health problems rooted in poor childhood nutrition have had huge amounts of press here in the US. In various ways good childhood nutrition is a critical issue all over the world.

While we all know children must eat well to be well, at the same time we allow vast marketing campaigns to sell the most expensive and least healthy foods in advertising directed at children. Snack and fast food ads are constants in American kids' television, but worse yet: in the US, these unhealthy, corporate foods are often sold in schools. We have raised awareness of our health problems and their roots, but clearly we need to do more to protect and provide for our children.

For one big step in the right direction, we need laws which require and fund better nutrition in schools. Here in Washington State, we have an immediate chance to do just that. On Wednesday, January 23rd, citizens who want kids to have healthier food in school will be lobbying for our own Farm to School law, led by the Washington Environmental Council and People For Puget Sound. I can't take the day off to join them, so I am lobbying here and online to show my support.

I also created a recipe (see below) using ingredients which may soon be available in our schools -- my Winter Roots Tart. Here in the Pacific Northwest region, also called Cascadia, our temperate climate and passionate farmers let local foods be enjoyed year round.

Bringing fresh, local food directly from farms to schools is clearly healthier for kids. It is also environmentally wise, reducing waste throughout the process. Fewer preservatives and additives are needed in foods, less energy is spent in transportation, and less cost disappears into corporate profits. The economics, too are better for both our hard working, family farmers and for our schools' expenses -- for our government's and tax-payers' bottom lines.

The world famous Pike Place Market in Seattle, now 100 years old, was founded on some of the same, solid economic sense -- eliminating corporate profits between producers and consumers is a win on both ends of the deal. When I had committed to a month of eating local in a 100 mile diet, I tested much of the same philosophy. Even Tony Blair and Jamie Oliver have teamed up to get this ball rolling over in GB. Although the Farm to School program proposed in Washington State is breaking some ground in America and is in many ways an innovative concept, it is based on solid and well proven principles. Here is more background on the Seattle school system's lunch economics.

In support of Farm to School laws here and everywhere, I offer my Winter Roots Tart. Right in the middle of January in Seattle, I found root vegetables from Nash's Organic Produce and turned them into a delicious tart. I am proud to note that Nash's is also one of the local producers who want to directly sell to school cafeterias!

I used:
1 roasted and sliced cylinder red beet
1 roasted and sliced orange beet
2 roasted and sliced yellow carrots
2 big boiled and mashed potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
some Herbes de Provence
2 cloves of garlic
1 olive oil and garlic tart crust using my previous recipe, or a plain pastry sheet
a few crumbles of local Tipsy Cow Cheese from River Valley Ranch (note it is made with microbial rennet, that the word microbial implies it is vegetarian rennet, and that it also includes local red wine - yum!)



My method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
2. Saute the boiled mashed potatoes in garlic and olive oil, with a pinch of Herbes de Provence and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Roll your tart crust and bake in the oven for 10-15 min, or until golden brown.
4. Layer a nice thick layer of potatoes in the tart.
5. Crumble some cheese over top and bake for 2 minutes, until the cheese melts into a thin layer.
6. Peel and slice the roasted beets and carrots. I roasted them in foil at 350 F (175 C) for about an hour (less for the carrots), or until you can easily poke a fork through.
7. Layer the beet and carrot slices as you like on the surface of the tart. Be generous and be artistic :) The beets will shrink revealing the potatoes, so put plenty.
8. Drizzle some olive oil on the top, and sprinkle a pinch or two of the Herbes de Provence.

We don't even have kids of our own -- yet! One day we will, and they won't be leaving home without their lunch boxes if we don't change what is available to them at school or outside home in general. When I was growing up in India, there was hardly any junk food available. In school we were served a freshly made, balanced, and vegetarian meal every day for lunch which we were expected to eat. Typically this meant daal, roti, rice, vegetables, lentils, yogurt, and some days a sweet!

It is sad to live in the world's richest country and be a slave to corporate gimmicks like we see in kids' school foods. Meanwhile, small farms in this country work extremely hard to produce and sell the best of what they grow. Why eat the stuff that was over-sprayed, treated with all kinds of unhealthy if edible chemicals, and otherwise over processed, over packaged, and over priced? We do not need to give up all indulgences and we do need some convenience, but we need to get the bulk of our nutrition from better sources. More people need to make healthier choices for themselves, and demand the same for their kids. A slice: to local producers and healthier kids!

One Bread, Two Ways

One of the best things about Seattle neighborhoods are their local bakeries. The Essential Baking Company was one of the first and is still one of the best bakeries I've tried around here. There are a few reasons I love Essential: fresh, local, organic ingredients, their variety, and how very *few* ingredients their breads have, with nothing unnecessary added -- I want my everyday breads sturdy and simple.

I was so happy to find their pugliese at the Ballard Market one recent day. Pugliese is a traditional Italian wheat loaf with a porous, chewy interior and soft crust, dusted in flour. Out of just one loaf, I've made crostinis, sandwiches, and dessert toasts. Today I offer this One Bread, Two Ways.

WAY 1 :: Grilled Veggie Sandwich with Spinach Walnut Pesto

It's like having Summer back!

This one is easy. Grill veggies with your favorite seasonings, olive oil, salt, & pepper. I made a pesto by starting with my Basil Pesto recipe, then replacing basil with baby spinach, and replacing pine nuts with walnuts. I then layered the pesto, the grilled veggies, mozzarella, and grilled the sandwich itself for a delicious lunch!


Here are some more photos of making the sandwich

WAY 2 :: Caramelized Cardamom Banana Toast

Yum, what a brunch!

This took bit of creativity and speed, and below I will share my detailed recipe. I always get a bit impatient working with bubbling sugar, but I also love a quick dish!

The combination came from my fond memories of eating bananas, Indian style, when growing up. They had ghee, sugar, and cardamom, and you ate them with a warm roti :)


I used:

• two slices Pugliese
• 1 sliced banana
• 1 tbspn butter
• two tspns dark brown sugar
• couple of pinches ground cardamom
• a sprinkle of chopped, toasted hazelnuts

My method:

1. Heat butter in a (non-stick preferred) pan, to medium heat.
2. Add sugar as soon as butter melts.
3. As soon as sugar melts, add a pinch of cardamom, and mix.
4. Put down the two slices of bread, and move them around a bit to coat.
5. As soon at the sugar sticks and the bread slices crisp a bit, flip them.
6. Let the other side crisp for another minute, and place it on the serving dish.
7. Leave your pan on the stove -- you should have some sugar remaining, stuck in the pan.
8. Throw the banana slices in there, add another pinch of cardamom, and toss for a minute or two until they loosen *slightly* -- do not overcook them! The bananas will brown slightly in the remaining sugar.
9. Place the bananas on the toast, sprinkle with hazelnuts, and eat right away!

You'll have to work quickly, from as soon as the sugar melts till you're finished. I recommend keeping all the ingredients handy!

If you are in Seattle and you have a chance, do pay a visit to one of the Essential Bakery Cafes as they have an excellent menu, coffee, and atmosphere "in the tradition of the old European coffeehouses and bakeries." My personal favorite is on Madison. The Essential Baking Company also sells their breads and other goods at the Madison Market Co-op, Ballard Market, and in many cafes around town. Check out their site!

small bites: Tofu Stuffed Amorosas

Tomatoes may be out of season in Seattle, but when you are at Pike Place Market and Sosio's Produce (one of the highstalls), you can buy these Sweet Amorosa tomatoes without a worry. I can guarantee they will be good -- raw or cooked!


This was just one of the simple "small bites" I made for our multi-course New Year's Eve dinner. I stuffed sweet amorosas with tofu crisped in Italian herbs and spices. It was a delight! I had never seen Italian style tofu before but we will enjoy it many times again ;)

I used approximately:
8 sweet amorosas, cored and with tops sliced
1/2 cup extra firm tofu, cubed into small pieces
1 tbspn extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
a couple pinches crushed, dried basil


My method:
1. Core tomatoes. Sprinkle a couple grains of salt in each and turn them upside down on a wire rack. This will drain excess water and prevent them from getting soggy and losing their shape.
2. In a small sauté pan, heat the oil and toss in the red pepper flakes.
3. Add tofu, basil, salt, and pepper.
4. Toss and stir till you have some nice, crispy edges on the tofu.
5 a. You can stuff the tomatoes and serve!
5 b. Alternately, you can let the tofu cool if you have other dishes to prepare. Turn your oven to 350 F (175 C). Stuff your tomatoes and bake for 10 minutes before you serve. I did it this way because I was skeptical about my tomatoes being sweet enough -- it tasted amazing! Brian is not a tomato lover and even he ate them :)

The crispiness of the tofu is balanced out by the burst of flavors in the tomato. As soon as you put the whole thing in your mouth and chew, it is like fireworks!

Printen Tiramisu

We have a German Santa on our tree, so why not a German Tiramisu in our bellies? I found German spiced cookies called Kräuter Printen in a Bavarian delicatessan at Pike Place Market, made by Lambertz -- who have been baking gingerbread for more than 300 years in Aachen, Deutschland! After I did some research and talked to a Bavarian co-worker -- who grew up eating these every Christmas season -- I found a good story.

Printen are traditional gingerbread cook