A third of the way there, woo! I feel re-energized...ok, not really, but I am happy with my progress and results, so I'm going to suck it up and stick it out. Today's juice of the day is apple (2), jicama (1 medium), celery (2 stalks), lime (2 small), and mint (2 cups). While I have to say that it's a little heavy on the lime, it's quite tasty (and not nearly as minty as I had feared).
For the record, I'm not starving. I'm not depriving my body of calories (fat is another story), and while I may not be getting 100% of the protein that I "should" be getting every day, 1.) I wasn't eating enough animal protein per day to meet those needs anyways and 2.) not everyone needs a standardized amount of protein in their diet. I don't live my life according to charts and formulas. I've found (before and during this juice fast) that listening to your body is critical. Counting calories will drive you crazy. Eat when you're hungry (or in this case, drink a raw, fresh pressed juice) and stop when you're full. Make sure you get enough exercise/movement for the amount of food that you're ingesting. If you're moving less, then eat less.
I've been catching a lot of criticism for my experiment, everything from joking around to "poor baby" to downright lectures. Well, you can rest assured that I'm not dying or getting sickly, and I'm certainly not a victim here. I find it amusing how people tell me what conventional "experts" consider norms (did you know that the mayo clinic discourages people from drinking juices at all? And if you do drink juice, they suggest you get store bought pasteurized juice...HA), mostly bits and pieces of information without really asking me about the juice fast or researching it on their own. Juicing, in general, is something that most people should at least incorporate into their daily diets, especially given the fact that the majority of us don't get nearly enough fruits/veggies in our diets. In each of my juices, I'm getting at least a daily dose of veggies/fruits. If you are thinking about juicing, just remember to "eat your colors" and juice a wide variety of vegetables and fruits (although, you should probably limit the amount of fruits in your juice...just enough to add a touch of sweetness). Heck, "eat your colors" should be a daily mantra when it comes to fruits & veggies in general.
Cheers,
Dorothy
PS I promise to update my posts with some pictures as soon as I charge my camera.
PPS I am planning on changing the frequency of these journal style entries. Since I've transitioned rather well into drinking just juice, I will be just posting some recipes (with photos) of my juice successes. I'll probably update and summarize at the 15 day mark and then again at the 30 day mark, just for progress sake.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Juicing Day 4
The word of the day today has been "negotiation." Pretty much all day it's been my stomach v. my head in a very child-like back and forth that goes a little something like this:
"I'm hungry"
Have some juice.
"I already had juice. I'm bored of juice. How about Dante's 3 layer fries?" (fries, cheese, bacon, jalapenos, sour cream)
You already know the answer to that is no.
"Fine, what about potstickers, you know, the ones from Lily's Garden...they've got ginger in them, sort of like those juices you keep drinking."
Um, no.
"Alright, what about Doritos. You' haven't eaten Doritos in ages. All that cheesy crunchy goodness...don't you miss crunching?"
No and no.
"Roast beef with potatoes?"
You don't even like beef.
And then my stomach deals a low blow...
"Vietnamese spring rolls? You don't even need to put the noodles on them, just veggies, green apple, herbs, and that delectable peanut sauce???"
Oh crap...
I've been bugging my nutritionist friend for support a LOT today, to the point where I'm sure she's amused and mildly irritated at the same time. She's been a great deal of help with talking me off the ledge over the past 4 days, and she told me that 60 days is a really long time to subsist on juice alone. We talked about my motives and my 2 upcoming races that I should start training for soon...60 days is a heck of a long time to go without chewing and crunching.
So here's the revised deal: 15 days (so my stomach is just going to have to suck it up and stop thinking about food other than fruits and veggies) of pure, unadulterated juice. I'm going on vacation for a long weekend at the end of the 15 days, so I'll be transitioning into eating some solid foods (again, fruits & veggies only, with maybe a little protein in the form of eggs). Then for the remaining 11 days (so 15 more days total), I'll be juicing for breakfast and lunch and eating a nice solid scrumptious salad for dinner. She suggested this would be a great way to transition back into the land of the living (er...eating). A 30 day juice/raw veggies & fruits stint sounds doable.
So for now, back to the juicer I go.
Cheers,
Dorothy
"I'm hungry"
Have some juice.
"I already had juice. I'm bored of juice. How about Dante's 3 layer fries?" (fries, cheese, bacon, jalapenos, sour cream)
You already know the answer to that is no.
"Fine, what about potstickers, you know, the ones from Lily's Garden...they've got ginger in them, sort of like those juices you keep drinking."
Um, no.
"Alright, what about Doritos. You' haven't eaten Doritos in ages. All that cheesy crunchy goodness...don't you miss crunching?"
No and no.
"Roast beef with potatoes?"
You don't even like beef.
And then my stomach deals a low blow...
"Vietnamese spring rolls? You don't even need to put the noodles on them, just veggies, green apple, herbs, and that delectable peanut sauce???"
Oh crap...
I've been bugging my nutritionist friend for support a LOT today, to the point where I'm sure she's amused and mildly irritated at the same time. She's been a great deal of help with talking me off the ledge over the past 4 days, and she told me that 60 days is a really long time to subsist on juice alone. We talked about my motives and my 2 upcoming races that I should start training for soon...60 days is a heck of a long time to go without chewing and crunching.
So here's the revised deal: 15 days (so my stomach is just going to have to suck it up and stop thinking about food other than fruits and veggies) of pure, unadulterated juice. I'm going on vacation for a long weekend at the end of the 15 days, so I'll be transitioning into eating some solid foods (again, fruits & veggies only, with maybe a little protein in the form of eggs). Then for the remaining 11 days (so 15 more days total), I'll be juicing for breakfast and lunch and eating a nice solid scrumptious salad for dinner. She suggested this would be a great way to transition back into the land of the living (er...eating). A 30 day juice/raw veggies & fruits stint sounds doable.
So for now, back to the juicer I go.
Cheers,
Dorothy
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Juicing Day 3
It's only day 3, and I think my stomach is submitting to my will. I woke up today sans headache and/or cravings. I haven't been hungrier than normal, and I really like the taste of the mostly veggie juices that I've been making. Although I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop regarding me feeling so great, but it's yet to happen, so I'm hoping it will not happen. Today's juice of choice was a carrot, watermelon, lemon juice...super tasty and refreshing.
I also met a friend at a French Market to buy more veggies...ended up with great conversation, a bunch of new spices (including a pickling blend, since I've got cucumbers a plenty in my garden), and some dog treats. I did purchase a couple of fat cucumbers and some rhubarb, which will make some tasty juice, for sure.
I hit up Caputo's on my way back from the market and was pleasantly surprised by the variety and prices of their fruits & veggies. I was stoked to find golden beets, so I stocked up on those along with some red beets, jicama, lemons, and ginger root. I will definitely keep them in mind for my juicing needs, especially since there's one just minutes from my house. I also stopped at our local Woodman's to bite the bullet and get a bag or two of $7.99 a pound organic apples (if you juice apples, pretty pretty please buy organic. They are uber sprayed with pesticides that penetrate the skin, so even if you wash them to death and skin the apples, you're still imbibing copious amounts of nasty pesticides). To my surprise and delight, they have granny smith apples on sale for $4.99 for a 3lb bag...I bought 6 bags cause I'm crazy like that. If you've got a Woodman's by you, I highly suggest checking them out for their diverse produce selection, including a decently sized organic produce section (they also have a fairly extensive organic & gluten free area of the store, which is pretty cool for a local chain).
I felt like a kid in a candy store as I unloaded bag after bag of juiceable produce when I got home. As soon as my juicer parts are out of the dishwasher (top shelf, of course), I will be firing it up and making an amazingly delicious (I'm guessing) glass of apple juice, which is something that I've been craving since I saw the documentary, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." As I've briefly mentioned before, our family eats pretty darn clean as it is. We've kicked out the majority of processed foods in our house (with the exception of the occasional bag of whole wheat organic pasta and/or loaf of whole grain sprouted bread), we rarely eat out, and veggies make up the bulk of our dinner plate. This juice fast has been just another way to simplify eating habits and jump start a routine of even better consumption into our daily lives. Suffice it to say, I'm going to be incorporating raw, fresh juices into my diet when this juice fast is completed.
I also met a friend at a French Market to buy more veggies...ended up with great conversation, a bunch of new spices (including a pickling blend, since I've got cucumbers a plenty in my garden), and some dog treats. I did purchase a couple of fat cucumbers and some rhubarb, which will make some tasty juice, for sure.
I hit up Caputo's on my way back from the market and was pleasantly surprised by the variety and prices of their fruits & veggies. I was stoked to find golden beets, so I stocked up on those along with some red beets, jicama, lemons, and ginger root. I will definitely keep them in mind for my juicing needs, especially since there's one just minutes from my house. I also stopped at our local Woodman's to bite the bullet and get a bag or two of $7.99 a pound organic apples (if you juice apples, pretty pretty please buy organic. They are uber sprayed with pesticides that penetrate the skin, so even if you wash them to death and skin the apples, you're still imbibing copious amounts of nasty pesticides). To my surprise and delight, they have granny smith apples on sale for $4.99 for a 3lb bag...I bought 6 bags cause I'm crazy like that. If you've got a Woodman's by you, I highly suggest checking them out for their diverse produce selection, including a decently sized organic produce section (they also have a fairly extensive organic & gluten free area of the store, which is pretty cool for a local chain).
I felt like a kid in a candy store as I unloaded bag after bag of juiceable produce when I got home. As soon as my juicer parts are out of the dishwasher (top shelf, of course), I will be firing it up and making an amazingly delicious (I'm guessing) glass of apple juice, which is something that I've been craving since I saw the documentary, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." As I've briefly mentioned before, our family eats pretty darn clean as it is. We've kicked out the majority of processed foods in our house (with the exception of the occasional bag of whole wheat organic pasta and/or loaf of whole grain sprouted bread), we rarely eat out, and veggies make up the bulk of our dinner plate. This juice fast has been just another way to simplify eating habits and jump start a routine of even better consumption into our daily lives. Suffice it to say, I'm going to be incorporating raw, fresh juices into my diet when this juice fast is completed.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Juicing Day 2
Who knew that juicing on a weekend would be so hard?! I woke up this morning with a dull headache that originated from behind my eyeballs, but since I couldn't just rip my eyeballs out in order to alleviate the pain, I just drank some water and dealt with it. I didn't quite notice it at first, but day 2 left me cranky and craving every kind of solid food known to man. Every time I made a meal for the cousins that I was babysitting, it took every last fiber of my body to refrain from sneaking a few bites of the food. Seriously, who would I be sneaking from other than myself. I felt so ashamed for even thinking about giving up after 24 hours. I've been trying to incorporate more fruits than veggies in my juices, so today's "winner" consisted of 1 wedge of pineapple, 1 cucumber, 4 stalks of celery, half a pint of blueberries, and a boatload of mint. If you need a name for the juice, I'd call it "cool as a blueberry mojito." It was super refreshing and tasty.
As far as the gastro problems that I had anticipated, other than having to pee every 30 minutes or so, I haven't had any other discomfort or pressing issues. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop but hoping that since I eat a relatively clean diet normally that I won't have and number 2 issues (crossing my fingers).
I've noticed that the constant hunger is sort of background noise by the end of the day. I'm used to it and don't feel the need to just drink juice every time my stomach growls. I'm a lot more tired today than I was on day 1, but I'm going to attribute that to 2 very energetic little girls sleeping over last night and wanting to constantly be on the go and entertained today. Taking an afternoon nap helped alleviate the hunger too, which was nice.
I'm starting to run low on produce already, so it looks like tomorrow will be a shopping day again. I've decided that I really like the taste of beets, nectarines, cucumbers, celery, carrots, lemon, strawberries, ginger, mint, kale and pineapple. I've also realized that berries aren't worth the effort and volume that it takes to produce enough juice to taste. Juicing broccoli is a bad idea-yuck. The taste of broccoli overtakes all other flavors in the juice, and unless you really like broccoli, I suggest you skip it.
Despite the constant cravings for pretty much everything other than juice, so far, so good. I do think that I was a wee bit crazy thinking that I could tackle a 60 day juice fast, but we'll see how it goes. For now, on to day 3.
Cheers,
Dorothy
As far as the gastro problems that I had anticipated, other than having to pee every 30 minutes or so, I haven't had any other discomfort or pressing issues. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop but hoping that since I eat a relatively clean diet normally that I won't have and number 2 issues (crossing my fingers).
I've noticed that the constant hunger is sort of background noise by the end of the day. I'm used to it and don't feel the need to just drink juice every time my stomach growls. I'm a lot more tired today than I was on day 1, but I'm going to attribute that to 2 very energetic little girls sleeping over last night and wanting to constantly be on the go and entertained today. Taking an afternoon nap helped alleviate the hunger too, which was nice.
I'm starting to run low on produce already, so it looks like tomorrow will be a shopping day again. I've decided that I really like the taste of beets, nectarines, cucumbers, celery, carrots, lemon, strawberries, ginger, mint, kale and pineapple. I've also realized that berries aren't worth the effort and volume that it takes to produce enough juice to taste. Juicing broccoli is a bad idea-yuck. The taste of broccoli overtakes all other flavors in the juice, and unless you really like broccoli, I suggest you skip it.
Despite the constant cravings for pretty much everything other than juice, so far, so good. I do think that I was a wee bit crazy thinking that I could tackle a 60 day juice fast, but we'll see how it goes. For now, on to day 3.
Cheers,
Dorothy
Friday, July 20, 2012
Juicing Day 1
Breakfast this morning was a carrot/orange/grapefruit/beet/ginger juice, which has been very tasty. It's a little bitter, which I'm guessing is from the 2 white grapefruits that I juiced. Note to self: use ruby red grapefruits next time. They are sweeter. This juice is fantastic, and I haven't really been hungry at all. Ok, I lie, I drank 8 oz of the juice at 8, and I was really hungry around 11. Apparently I'm supposed to be drinking at least 16 oz of juice per sitting...oops. I'm currently sipping the second 8 oz jar that I have & I'm feeling a lot better.
I've also made a juice for later on with strawberries, rhubarb, kale, carrots, and beets, which I'm excited to try. I used an entire stalk of rhubarb and a pint of strawberries, so I'd imagine it's going to be a whole lot like drinking a strawberry rhubarb pie...yum.
I have also noticed that I'm very cold. I'm so cold that I've got goosebumps and everything from my toes to my nose is cold, which usually doesn't happen to me unless it's the dead of winter. I'm not exactly sure why I'm feeling cold, but I suspect that only drinking cold juices has got to lower your body temperature or something. I've been told that people who are transitioning to a raw diet experience similar feelings, so I find comfort in the fact that I'm not an anomaly here.
Other than the constant cold feeling, so far, so good.
Cheers,
Dorothy
PS if you're as out of your mind as I am and are thinking about embarking on a lengthy juice fast (or even just a weekend juice fast), here are a few tips:
* Please juice as organic and local as you can. When you juice fruits and veggies, you're essentially concentrating all the nutrients and pesticides that are in the produce. I recommend printing out (or at least saving in a handy place) the Environmental Working Group's 2012 dirty dozen (& clean 15) list of veggies and fruits that is categorized by pesticide level. It's a great quick guide to help determine what's ok to buy conventional and what you should steer clear of when you're grocery shopping for the juice fast and beyond.
* If you're more of a night owl than a morning person (like me) and are planning on juicing the night before so that you can savor a few more hours of sleep, invest in 8 oz. wide mouth mason jars to store the juice that you've made. Make sure to fill them to the top so as to slow down the oxidation process.
* It is best, of course, to consume your juice right after you make it, but that's not always an option. Juice usually keeps for about 24 hours, so you will have to make more at least once a day.
* Invest in a good quality juicer. This doesn't mean that you have to blow this month's rent on the most expensive one, but look around at reviews and ask friends for suggestions. I've got the Breville Ikon juicer, which I picked up for about $180 (normally $200, but I had a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon), which isn't terrible. I'm told that Breville is a great juicer brand though.
I've also made a juice for later on with strawberries, rhubarb, kale, carrots, and beets, which I'm excited to try. I used an entire stalk of rhubarb and a pint of strawberries, so I'd imagine it's going to be a whole lot like drinking a strawberry rhubarb pie...yum.
I have also noticed that I'm very cold. I'm so cold that I've got goosebumps and everything from my toes to my nose is cold, which usually doesn't happen to me unless it's the dead of winter. I'm not exactly sure why I'm feeling cold, but I suspect that only drinking cold juices has got to lower your body temperature or something. I've been told that people who are transitioning to a raw diet experience similar feelings, so I find comfort in the fact that I'm not an anomaly here.
Other than the constant cold feeling, so far, so good.
Cheers,
Dorothy
PS if you're as out of your mind as I am and are thinking about embarking on a lengthy juice fast (or even just a weekend juice fast), here are a few tips:
* Please juice as organic and local as you can. When you juice fruits and veggies, you're essentially concentrating all the nutrients and pesticides that are in the produce. I recommend printing out (or at least saving in a handy place) the Environmental Working Group's 2012 dirty dozen (& clean 15) list of veggies and fruits that is categorized by pesticide level. It's a great quick guide to help determine what's ok to buy conventional and what you should steer clear of when you're grocery shopping for the juice fast and beyond.
* If you're more of a night owl than a morning person (like me) and are planning on juicing the night before so that you can savor a few more hours of sleep, invest in 8 oz. wide mouth mason jars to store the juice that you've made. Make sure to fill them to the top so as to slow down the oxidation process.
* It is best, of course, to consume your juice right after you make it, but that's not always an option. Juice usually keeps for about 24 hours, so you will have to make more at least once a day.
* Invest in a good quality juicer. This doesn't mean that you have to blow this month's rent on the most expensive one, but look around at reviews and ask friends for suggestions. I've got the Breville Ikon juicer, which I picked up for about $180 (normally $200, but I had a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon), which isn't terrible. I'm told that Breville is a great juicer brand though.
Creating a New Reverence for Food Preface
I have decided to undertake a major challenge and tackle a 60 day juice fast. That's right, 60 days of cozying up to my juicer with a bag of produce, drinking it exclusively, and liking it. So many people take food for granted, they eat junk because it tastes good or because they have decided that they are to busy to prepare and consume healthful food. Others hold food in such high regard that they practically worship artisinal, vegan fed, nitrate free, bacon anything. They are more interested in the culture of food snobbery than the origin and purpose of their food. My aim is to understand the fundamental nature of food, the interplay of flavors of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices as well as the important nutritional role that fruits and vegetables have my body.
Food, in its purest form is nourishment both for the body and soul, and I am hoping that by completing this juice fast, I can gain a better understanding of the food that I grow and consume. All the fruits and vegetables that I am going to be juicing are going to be local and organic whenever I can find it. I will be purchasing the bulk of my ingredients from local farmer markets so that I can have a better understanding of the hard work and passion that goes into the foods that I eat. I will be documenting my progress here in the form of daily updates (well, most days) as well as photos and recipes of my tastiest juices (as well as produce combinations that just don't work for me).
I will be regularly consulting a nutritionist in order to monitor my nutritional intake as well as to talk about the effects of the fast on my body. I will also review the process approximately every two weeks in order to gauge my progress, in case something happens and I can't continue with my journey. I welcome any and all questions that you might have, as well as any funny comments and words of encouragement for me. Here's to a journey of culinary enlightenment.
Cheers,
Dorothy
Food, in its purest form is nourishment both for the body and soul, and I am hoping that by completing this juice fast, I can gain a better understanding of the food that I grow and consume. All the fruits and vegetables that I am going to be juicing are going to be local and organic whenever I can find it. I will be purchasing the bulk of my ingredients from local farmer markets so that I can have a better understanding of the hard work and passion that goes into the foods that I eat. I will be documenting my progress here in the form of daily updates (well, most days) as well as photos and recipes of my tastiest juices (as well as produce combinations that just don't work for me).
I will be regularly consulting a nutritionist in order to monitor my nutritional intake as well as to talk about the effects of the fast on my body. I will also review the process approximately every two weeks in order to gauge my progress, in case something happens and I can't continue with my journey. I welcome any and all questions that you might have, as well as any funny comments and words of encouragement for me. Here's to a journey of culinary enlightenment.
Cheers,
Dorothy
Monday, February 6, 2012
Taco Party!
If you live in a mixed household (aka meat eaters & non), might I suggest always keeping on hand taco fixin's? Tacos are just about the easiest thing in the world to whip up, especially on a weeknight when you don't feel like slaving over a stove/oven for hours on end. My husband has told me on several occasions that there's nothing that can't be stuffed into a taco shell-he's even made turkey leftovers into tacos.
Last night, which just so happened to also be Superbowl Sunday, we had a taco fiesta. I boiled an entire chicken with some herbs and veggies that I had on hand (carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and parsley) for an hour (put the veggies in the pot, place the chicken on top of the veggies, fill the pot with enough water to just cover the chicken, bring to a boil & reduce to a simmer...simmer with the lid cracked slightly to prevent boil over). I then removed the chicken from the water & shredded it. I tossed it with spices and the chicken was good to go.
I grilled up some peppers and onions on my stove-top grill, until they were caramelized and tender as well. And for my black bean tacos, I opened a can of organic black beans, drained them & tossed them with the same spices as the chicken. I then heated them up in the microwave for about 2 mins.
For the fixins, I sliced up an avocado, pulled out the sour cream, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro, tomato salsa, and hot sauce. I also like to keep corn tortillas and 10" flour tortillas on hand (just in case we don't feel like making a creative meal), so I pulled those out and heated them up too.
What's great about taco night is the fact that you can customize your own tacos, filling the shells with only the ingredients you like. My husband and his friend had chicken tacos, and I was satisfied with black bean, avocado & pepper tacos.
Like I said before, don't limit yourself to traditional fillings either. We've done turkey tacos with stuffing & cranberry sauce. Breakfast tacos are in regular rotation for dinner. Sometimes when I'm feeling lazy (or haven't gone grocery shopping in ages), I'll just do cheese tacos with veggies and hot sauce. The sky is really the limit with these.
Last night, which just so happened to also be Superbowl Sunday, we had a taco fiesta. I boiled an entire chicken with some herbs and veggies that I had on hand (carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and parsley) for an hour (put the veggies in the pot, place the chicken on top of the veggies, fill the pot with enough water to just cover the chicken, bring to a boil & reduce to a simmer...simmer with the lid cracked slightly to prevent boil over). I then removed the chicken from the water & shredded it. I tossed it with spices and the chicken was good to go.
I grilled up some peppers and onions on my stove-top grill, until they were caramelized and tender as well. And for my black bean tacos, I opened a can of organic black beans, drained them & tossed them with the same spices as the chicken. I then heated them up in the microwave for about 2 mins.
For the fixins, I sliced up an avocado, pulled out the sour cream, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro, tomato salsa, and hot sauce. I also like to keep corn tortillas and 10" flour tortillas on hand (just in case we don't feel like making a creative meal), so I pulled those out and heated them up too.
What's great about taco night is the fact that you can customize your own tacos, filling the shells with only the ingredients you like. My husband and his friend had chicken tacos, and I was satisfied with black bean, avocado & pepper tacos.
Like I said before, don't limit yourself to traditional fillings either. We've done turkey tacos with stuffing & cranberry sauce. Breakfast tacos are in regular rotation for dinner. Sometimes when I'm feeling lazy (or haven't gone grocery shopping in ages), I'll just do cheese tacos with veggies and hot sauce. The sky is really the limit with these.
 | |
| Avocado, black bean & pepper tacos-ole! |
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Pizza Revisited
So I didn't exactly have this for dinner, but my friend, Donna, gave me this amazing variation on my pizza post from earlier this week. She suggested a breakfast pizza, which I've done before, although savory, not sweet. The pizza is currently sitting on my counter, cooling off before I devour it. Try it for yourself & let me know what you think!
Sweet Breakfast Pizza
1 recipe of pizza dough (or one bag of TJ's ready made pizza dough)
1 small container marscapone cheese
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract (do yourself a favor and get the real stuff, no imitation, please)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (or store bought if you're fresh out of fresh)
1 T ground cinnamon + more for sprinkling
maple syrup
1 1/2 cups grilled fresh pineapple
1 cup walnut pieces (or any other kind of nut)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the center. Roll out the pizza dough to 12-16 inches (depending on how thick you like your crust) and place on a lightly oiled pizza sheet.
In a small bowl, combine marscapone cheese, vanilla, milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg until light and smooth (think cream cheese frosting consistency). Sprinkle a light layer of cinnamon on top of the pizza dough. Dollop the cheese mixture evenly over the pizza dough. Top with grilled pineapple and walnuts. Drizzle the maple syrup sparingly over the top of everything.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Let cool slightly from molten.
Sweet Breakfast Pizza
1 recipe of pizza dough (or one bag of TJ's ready made pizza dough)
1 small container marscapone cheese
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract (do yourself a favor and get the real stuff, no imitation, please)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (or store bought if you're fresh out of fresh)
1 T ground cinnamon + more for sprinkling
maple syrup
1 1/2 cups grilled fresh pineapple
1 cup walnut pieces (or any other kind of nut)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the center. Roll out the pizza dough to 12-16 inches (depending on how thick you like your crust) and place on a lightly oiled pizza sheet.
In a small bowl, combine marscapone cheese, vanilla, milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg until light and smooth (think cream cheese frosting consistency). Sprinkle a light layer of cinnamon on top of the pizza dough. Dollop the cheese mixture evenly over the pizza dough. Top with grilled pineapple and walnuts. Drizzle the maple syrup sparingly over the top of everything.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Let cool slightly from molten.
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| That's a sweet lookin pizza!!! Am I right?! |
Friday, February 3, 2012
Tofu: It's What's for Dinner
Tofu has always baffled me just a little. The texture, the smell, the bland taste, the fact that they take a green soybean & ferment it into this white block-I just don't get it. GMOs are an entirely different issue that we'll steer clear of for now, but let's just say for the record that if I do buy tofu, it's organic, sprouted tofu. Tonight's dinner consisted of the white blocky stuff. This recipe has become a staple in our family because 1) it's super fast (like dinner in less than 15 mins fast) and 2) my major meat eater of a husband can't get enough of this stuff, another of life's facts that I just don't understand. You can serve it with rice or noodles, but we prefer to eat it plain.
For the record, as with most of my recipes, the vegetables that you use will depend on what you like and what you have on hand. I first came across this recipe during a Williams-Sonoma complimentary Sunday cooking class, highly recommended if you've got a store in your area. The original recipe calls for cabbage, spinach & tofu, drizzled in a spicy peanut sauce. Last night's version had white mushrooms added to it because that's what we had in the fridge. It is worth noting that, while you can steam just about any vegetable your heart desires, what will change is the steam time. Woody vegetables (like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc) will take a lot more time than softer vegetables (like peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, etc). It's definitely worth experimenting with.
Steamed Tofu and Vegetables with a Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/2 head of green cabbage, roughly chopped
2 cups baby spinach
1 pkg white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 pkg extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon sriracha (rooster) hot sauce
1/2 cup water
Gently mix the tofu and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Cover and let marinate at least 20 mins.
Fill a medium/large pot with about 1" of water. Place a steamer basket inside the pot, cover the lid and let the water come to a soft boil (you should see steam escaping the lid). Place the cabbage inside the steam basket and steam for 5 mins. Place the spinach and mushrooms on top of the cabbage and continue to steam 3 more mins. Remove the tofu from the marinade, reserving the soy sauce, and place on top of the vegetables. Let steam 5 more minutes, until the tofu is heated.
In the meantime, combine the reserved soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, sriracha and water in a food processor until smooth. Taste the sauce and adjust the spices to your liking.
Plate the tofu & vegetables, drizzling with peanut sauce right before serving.
P.S. If you've got some peanut sauce left over, it makes a really great dipping sauce for other things like the carrot sticks pictured above. Just resist the temptation to eat it straight from the container with a spoon, as it would be poor manners.
For the record, as with most of my recipes, the vegetables that you use will depend on what you like and what you have on hand. I first came across this recipe during a Williams-Sonoma complimentary Sunday cooking class, highly recommended if you've got a store in your area. The original recipe calls for cabbage, spinach & tofu, drizzled in a spicy peanut sauce. Last night's version had white mushrooms added to it because that's what we had in the fridge. It is worth noting that, while you can steam just about any vegetable your heart desires, what will change is the steam time. Woody vegetables (like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc) will take a lot more time than softer vegetables (like peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, etc). It's definitely worth experimenting with.
Steamed Tofu and Vegetables with a Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/2 head of green cabbage, roughly chopped
2 cups baby spinach
1 pkg white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 pkg extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon sriracha (rooster) hot sauce
1/2 cup water
Gently mix the tofu and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Cover and let marinate at least 20 mins.
Fill a medium/large pot with about 1" of water. Place a steamer basket inside the pot, cover the lid and let the water come to a soft boil (you should see steam escaping the lid). Place the cabbage inside the steam basket and steam for 5 mins. Place the spinach and mushrooms on top of the cabbage and continue to steam 3 more mins. Remove the tofu from the marinade, reserving the soy sauce, and place on top of the vegetables. Let steam 5 more minutes, until the tofu is heated.
In the meantime, combine the reserved soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, sriracha and water in a food processor until smooth. Taste the sauce and adjust the spices to your liking.
Plate the tofu & vegetables, drizzling with peanut sauce right before serving.
 | |
| Weekend meal extraordinaire |
P.S. If you've got some peanut sauce left over, it makes a really great dipping sauce for other things like the carrot sticks pictured above. Just resist the temptation to eat it straight from the container with a spoon, as it would be poor manners.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Cheater Veggie Pizza
For dinner on day 1 we made pizza. My husband is a total carnivore (claims he may die without meat), so I did half the pizza with pepperoni instead of olives (he loathes olives; I don't get it). I'm calling it a cheater pizza because I didn't make the dough from scratch, which I normally do. The absolute best recipe for pizza dough that I've found came with my Kitchenaid mixer (recipe below), mostly because it turns out perfect every time I make it and it's super fast to make (as far as bread goes). On occasion, however, I do get lazy and go with my good ol' standby, Trader Joe's ready made pizza dough. What I like about it is that it's a fresh dough that comes in a bag, not in a pop tube like cinnamon rolls. This means that it's got a very short shelf life, but it also means that it doesn't have a ton of preservatives and other junk that I don't want to eat. It's also just over a dollar for enough dough to make a 16" thin crust pizza (or 4 individual kid sized pizzas).
Last night, I went the TJ route and topped it with (TJ) marinara sauce (TJ) Quattro Formaggi cheese blend (TJ), fresh mozzarella balls, fresh spinach, frozen 3 pepper blend, kalamata olives (on half), and pepperoni (on the other half). I highly suggest pre-baking the crust for about 5-7 minutes, though, because we didn't & ended up with under baked dough, especially in the middle of the pizza. If you're making smaller pizzas (dividing the dough in half or in quarters), you probably don't need to pre-bake the dough since the surface area is smaller. You can also bake the pizza at a higher temperature than the 250 that the Trader Joe's directions indicate. I think by baking it at 375 or 400, you wouldn't run the risk of soggy, doughy middle. The pizza had such great flavors from the different components that I didn't miss having meat on it. You can pretty much put any topping you can think of on a pizza (veggie or not); the sky is really the limit. In fact, at Duke's Alehouse in Crystal Lake, they make a seasonal Vietnamese Banh Mi pizza that I'm sort of dying to try.
If you're ready to try your hand at a homemade pizza, here's the dough recipe. This dough is pretty plain, so I've used it to make other things such as bread sticks and monkey bread. Don't limit yourself to just pizza and sell yourself short.
Kitchenaid's Basic Pizza Dough Recipe
Last night, I went the TJ route and topped it with (TJ) marinara sauce (TJ) Quattro Formaggi cheese blend (TJ), fresh mozzarella balls, fresh spinach, frozen 3 pepper blend, kalamata olives (on half), and pepperoni (on the other half). I highly suggest pre-baking the crust for about 5-7 minutes, though, because we didn't & ended up with under baked dough, especially in the middle of the pizza. If you're making smaller pizzas (dividing the dough in half or in quarters), you probably don't need to pre-bake the dough since the surface area is smaller. You can also bake the pizza at a higher temperature than the 250 that the Trader Joe's directions indicate. I think by baking it at 375 or 400, you wouldn't run the risk of soggy, doughy middle. The pizza had such great flavors from the different components that I didn't miss having meat on it. You can pretty much put any topping you can think of on a pizza (veggie or not); the sky is really the limit. In fact, at Duke's Alehouse in Crystal Lake, they make a seasonal Vietnamese Banh Mi pizza that I'm sort of dying to try.
If you're ready to try your hand at a homemade pizza, here's the dough recipe. This dough is pretty plain, so I've used it to make other things such as bread sticks and monkey bread. Don't limit yourself to just pizza and sell yourself short.
Kitchenaid's Basic Pizza Dough Recipe
- 1 (¼ ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (about 120, just warm to the touch. If it's too warm, the yeast won't bloom)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 ½-3 ½ cups all purpose flour
Directions
- Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl.
- Add salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cup flour.
- Attach bowl and dough hook, turn to speed 2 and mix 1 minute.
- Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to dough hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes.
- Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top.
- Cover, let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
- Punch dough down.
- Brush 16 inch pizza pan with oil.
- Press dough across bottom of pan forming collar around edge to hold filling Top with fillings and bake at 450°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
 | |
| It's pizza time! |
Off to a Great Start! (Breakfast Smoothies)
Alright, day one is in the books, not without a few temptations, however. For breakfast, I made a blueberry spinach smoothie. I know that spinach in a smoothie sounds like a bad idea, but actually the flavor of the spinach is pretty delicate, easily masked by the stronger flavors of pretty much any fruit that it's paired with. I try to have either a smoothie or a bowl of whole grain, high fiber hot cereal (with fruit & a little honey) every day. I find that the fiber in both of these helps to get me to lunch without searching the office kitchen for something else to snack on.
My smoothie recipe is really basic & pretty easy to switch fruits in or out, depending on availability and personal taste. The easiest thing to do is just pick up a couple of bags of frozen fruit when you're grocery shopping & just keep them in the freezer. If I use milk, I try to use whole milk that is raw or organic milk that's pasteurized at a low temperature (Kalona Super Natural is the only organic milk brand that I know of that does low temp. pasteurization). Vitamins are fat soluble, so if you use skim milk, there are far less vitamins than whole milk. I know that there are plenty of people who would argue that whole milk is full of fat, but I don't really eat much junk food (if any) on a regular basis, so I justify my whole milk as my "junk food." If you're going to use honey in your smoothies, or at all for that matter, make sure that it's raw, unfiltered and local, like within 100 miles of your home. Honey has some great anti seasonal allergy properties since real local honey contains small amounts of pollen in it, sort of the same concept as a vaccine (if you ingest small amounts of the allergen material, your body builds up an immunity to it). Smoothies take less than 5 mins to make, so they're a great make & go breakfast for days that I'm running late.
Basic Smoothie Recipe
1 cup spinach (or a decent sized handful)
1 cup frozen fruit (if you use strawberries or something with really big chunks, I suggest microwaving them for about 25 seconds to thaw them just a little)
3/4 cup liquid (milk, soy milk, almond milk, fruit juice, just something to get the frozen stuff moving)
1-2 teaspoons raw unfiltered local honey (or more to taste)
1/3 cup almonds (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon or freshly grated ginger (optional, depending on the fruit blend)
Throw all the ingredients into a food processor, blender, or blend with a stick blender until smooth and blended (you shouldn't be able to see big pieces of spinach). Pour into a travel mug & run out the door.
My smoothie recipe is really basic & pretty easy to switch fruits in or out, depending on availability and personal taste. The easiest thing to do is just pick up a couple of bags of frozen fruit when you're grocery shopping & just keep them in the freezer. If I use milk, I try to use whole milk that is raw or organic milk that's pasteurized at a low temperature (Kalona Super Natural is the only organic milk brand that I know of that does low temp. pasteurization). Vitamins are fat soluble, so if you use skim milk, there are far less vitamins than whole milk. I know that there are plenty of people who would argue that whole milk is full of fat, but I don't really eat much junk food (if any) on a regular basis, so I justify my whole milk as my "junk food." If you're going to use honey in your smoothies, or at all for that matter, make sure that it's raw, unfiltered and local, like within 100 miles of your home. Honey has some great anti seasonal allergy properties since real local honey contains small amounts of pollen in it, sort of the same concept as a vaccine (if you ingest small amounts of the allergen material, your body builds up an immunity to it). Smoothies take less than 5 mins to make, so they're a great make & go breakfast for days that I'm running late.
Basic Smoothie Recipe
1 cup spinach (or a decent sized handful)
1 cup frozen fruit (if you use strawberries or something with really big chunks, I suggest microwaving them for about 25 seconds to thaw them just a little)
3/4 cup liquid (milk, soy milk, almond milk, fruit juice, just something to get the frozen stuff moving)
1-2 teaspoons raw unfiltered local honey (or more to taste)
1/3 cup almonds (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon or freshly grated ginger (optional, depending on the fruit blend)
Throw all the ingredients into a food processor, blender, or blend with a stick blender until smooth and blended (you shouldn't be able to see big pieces of spinach). Pour into a travel mug & run out the door.
 |
| Before: Frozen blueberries, spinach, honey & milk |
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| After: Smoothie goodness |
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Vegetarian Februarian
I'm going to start a little challenge for myself. A former vegetarian, I have never really regained a love of meat. Something about the taste and the texture of charred, baked, seared flesh is wholly unappealing to me, but having married someone who can't survive without his daily meat, I've given into meat on the plate. With that said, for the month of February, I'm committed to being meat free. In the spirit of accountability, I'll be posting the recipes that I'm using along with a photo diary of meals to go along with it. I hope you'll be encouraged to join me or at least to try out some tasty recipes to accompany your meat.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Chapati Time
Have you ever noticed that it's the little things in every day life that trigger memories? Well for me sometimes it's the opposite, it's the major things in my life that often remind me of the little memories that I had forgotten. For example, I carry my grandmother with me in my heart. Even though she's been gone for a while, she's right there with me every day, her words of wisdom constantly ringing in my ears. So the other day, I was thinking of her having been a missionary's kid, living in India until she was 21, and then it made me hungry for Indian food, so I decided I wanted to make chapati (yes, this is how my mind works on a regular basis).
Did you know that if you have this:
You can make these in less than 30 mins?!
Here's a recipe for basic Chapati, but feel free to mix in 1/4 t. ground cardamom or curry powder to give it a little flavor. These flat-breads are very plain on their own. My husband says that they're somewhere between a tortilla and a pita with regards to texture and taste. Get creative filling them with whatever you want, from traditional Indian fare to a Caesar salad.
Chapati
2 c Wheat flour (you can use whole wheat flour, white flour or a blend of the two, depending on the texture that you like)
1 t Salt
2 T olive oil
2/3 c liquid, enough to make an elastic dough-this will fluxuate depending on the current humidity. (I've found that about 1/3 c milk and 2/3 c water produces a decently pliable product. You can add yogurt instead of milk, all milk, all water, etc. Again, experiment with the proportions until you get a texture that you like)
Instructions
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl outfitted with a dough hook.
Add the olive oil and enough liquid to create an elastic dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl when you mix it.
Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface & knead a few times. Divide dough into equal balls, depending on the size chapati you desire (smaller if you're dipping them, larger if you're filling them.) 6 balls will yield chapati that is big enough to fill. Let the dough rest about 5-10 mins (not too long or it will dry out).
Roll out the dough as thin as you can get it, think tortilla thin. The dough stretched a bit more as I pulled it off the counter, but with these, the thinner the better.
Heat a griddle to medium and add a little olive oil so that things don't stick. Place dough disk on the griddle & cook for about 30 seconds or until it starts to brown.
Flip & cook for an additional 30 seconds or so, too long & the chapati will get crispy and brittle.
Trust me, these are pretty darn easy to make & so versatile that they'll surely become a staple in your lunch box. I filled mine with a mixture of potatoes, onion, carrots, peas, whole tomatoes and spices...is it lunch time yet? Enjoy.
Did you know that if you have this:
You can make these in less than 30 mins?!
Here's a recipe for basic Chapati, but feel free to mix in 1/4 t. ground cardamom or curry powder to give it a little flavor. These flat-breads are very plain on their own. My husband says that they're somewhere between a tortilla and a pita with regards to texture and taste. Get creative filling them with whatever you want, from traditional Indian fare to a Caesar salad.
Chapati
2 c Wheat flour (you can use whole wheat flour, white flour or a blend of the two, depending on the texture that you like)
1 t Salt
2 T olive oil
2/3 c liquid, enough to make an elastic dough-this will fluxuate depending on the current humidity. (I've found that about 1/3 c milk and 2/3 c water produces a decently pliable product. You can add yogurt instead of milk, all milk, all water, etc. Again, experiment with the proportions until you get a texture that you like)
Instructions
Heat a griddle to medium and add a little olive oil so that things don't stick. Place dough disk on the griddle & cook for about 30 seconds or until it starts to brown.
Trust me, these are pretty darn easy to make & so versatile that they'll surely become a staple in your lunch box. I filled mine with a mixture of potatoes, onion, carrots, peas, whole tomatoes and spices...is it lunch time yet? Enjoy.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
A Little Daily Food For the Soul
I've begun reading the Tao Te Ching (Barnes & Noble Classics edition) which houses the central tenets of Taoism. Legend has it, when Lao Tzu (meaning "Old Master") decided to leave his native territory (on a water buffalo no less), he was stopped by the gate guard and asked to write down his teachings. The result was the Tao Te Ching. There is so much legend swirling around the legendary Tao master, including a story that his mother carried him in her womb until he was 72; he came out an old man, replete with white hair. Taoism, as I've learned from my limited research, is a school of thought which concentrates on the power of inaction, although "power" itself goes against Taoist teachings because it promotes an inferiority in the self. There is no question that this text is beautifully written, if at some times cryptic. I've decided to digest it a few chapters at a time, especially since there's so much mysticism and deeper meanings in each of the chapters. I thought I'd offer you something to think about, maybe to ask that you join me in my journey.
Chapter 1
The Tao the can be followed is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the origin of heaven and earth
While naming is the origin of the myriad things.
Therefore, always desireless, you see the mystery
Ever desiring, you see the manifestations.
These two are the same-
When they appear they are named differently.
This sameness is the mystery,
Mystery within mystery;
The door to all marvels.
Chapter2
All in the world recognize the beautiful as beautiful.
Herein lies ugliness.
All recognize the good as good.
Herein lies evil.
Therfore
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficulty and ease bring about each other.
Long and short delimit each other.
High and low rest on each other.
Sound and voice harmonize each other.
Front and back follow each other.
Therefore the sage abides in the condition of wu-wei
(unattached action).
And carries out the wordless teaching.
Here, the myriad things are made, yet not separated.
Therefore the sage produces without posessing,
Acts without expectations
And accomplishes without abiding in her
accomplishments.
It is precisely because she does not abide in them
That they never leave her.
Any thoughts on this? Chapter 1 is particularly confusing to me, probably because the idea is so foreign to me. What divine entity that we are seeking can never be found or named because whatever our idea of what the divine nature is is so narrowly defined that it can't possibly be what we're seeking. To speak in terms that I'm familiar with, God is so vast, so immense, so all consuming that we, as human beings with limited universal knowledge, can't possibly even begin to paint a picture of what He is. We, because it is in our nature, attempt to draw a picture of what God/the Divine is, giving Him hair, feet, feelings, actions, reactions, all based on what we know, and we convince ourselves that surely this is who God is. Oh how mistaken we are. Does this mean that it is wrong of us to do so? I think that "wrong" is relative. It is in our nature to want to know and define. What the Tao Te Ching is pointing out, however, is that whatever formulations and manifestations that we come up with aren't necessarily wrong, just not the whole picture. It would be like saying that you know the oceans because you've dipped your toes in a creek that feeds to a stream that empties into a river that flows to a gulf that opens to the ocean. We should focus more on taking in and observing all of life's mysteries, accepting that everything around us and beyond is all part of the divine, the higher power.
I love the message of Chapter 2. We are all quick to point out what is beautiful, we all agree, for the most part, on what is beautiful. The problem, the ugliness, in this is that things are so much more deep than being "beautiful" or "good." When we label an object or an abstract, we miss everything else about it, all the subtitles that lie outside our narrowly defined box. Our world is made up of more than just dualities, in fact, as the text illustrates, the dualities that exist in our world rely on each other for existence and validation. The enlightened are able to learn all the subtle details in the world and universe without confining them to a human definition. This is true knowledge.
To me, the concepts held within this text are so simplistic in nature yet their underlying meanings hold so much more knowledge than one can obtain at first glance. The idea of getting away from labeling things and abstracts is such a foreign one, especially since it is within our very nature and habit to do so. But imagine the wealth of knowledge and information that you can open yourself up to if you just do away with the constraints of the labels of things. How wonderful a journey life could be if we could break free from our small, narrowly focused tendencies.
Chapter 1
The Tao the can be followed is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the origin of heaven and earth
While naming is the origin of the myriad things.
Therefore, always desireless, you see the mystery
Ever desiring, you see the manifestations.
These two are the same-
When they appear they are named differently.
This sameness is the mystery,
Mystery within mystery;
The door to all marvels.
Chapter2
All in the world recognize the beautiful as beautiful.
Herein lies ugliness.
All recognize the good as good.
Herein lies evil.
Therfore
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficulty and ease bring about each other.
Long and short delimit each other.
High and low rest on each other.
Sound and voice harmonize each other.
Front and back follow each other.
Therefore the sage abides in the condition of wu-wei
(unattached action).
And carries out the wordless teaching.
Here, the myriad things are made, yet not separated.
Therefore the sage produces without posessing,
Acts without expectations
And accomplishes without abiding in her
accomplishments.
It is precisely because she does not abide in them
That they never leave her.
Any thoughts on this? Chapter 1 is particularly confusing to me, probably because the idea is so foreign to me. What divine entity that we are seeking can never be found or named because whatever our idea of what the divine nature is is so narrowly defined that it can't possibly be what we're seeking. To speak in terms that I'm familiar with, God is so vast, so immense, so all consuming that we, as human beings with limited universal knowledge, can't possibly even begin to paint a picture of what He is. We, because it is in our nature, attempt to draw a picture of what God/the Divine is, giving Him hair, feet, feelings, actions, reactions, all based on what we know, and we convince ourselves that surely this is who God is. Oh how mistaken we are. Does this mean that it is wrong of us to do so? I think that "wrong" is relative. It is in our nature to want to know and define. What the Tao Te Ching is pointing out, however, is that whatever formulations and manifestations that we come up with aren't necessarily wrong, just not the whole picture. It would be like saying that you know the oceans because you've dipped your toes in a creek that feeds to a stream that empties into a river that flows to a gulf that opens to the ocean. We should focus more on taking in and observing all of life's mysteries, accepting that everything around us and beyond is all part of the divine, the higher power.
I love the message of Chapter 2. We are all quick to point out what is beautiful, we all agree, for the most part, on what is beautiful. The problem, the ugliness, in this is that things are so much more deep than being "beautiful" or "good." When we label an object or an abstract, we miss everything else about it, all the subtitles that lie outside our narrowly defined box. Our world is made up of more than just dualities, in fact, as the text illustrates, the dualities that exist in our world rely on each other for existence and validation. The enlightened are able to learn all the subtle details in the world and universe without confining them to a human definition. This is true knowledge.
To me, the concepts held within this text are so simplistic in nature yet their underlying meanings hold so much more knowledge than one can obtain at first glance. The idea of getting away from labeling things and abstracts is such a foreign one, especially since it is within our very nature and habit to do so. But imagine the wealth of knowledge and information that you can open yourself up to if you just do away with the constraints of the labels of things. How wonderful a journey life could be if we could break free from our small, narrowly focused tendencies.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tiramisu Me, Baby, One More Time
I'm not going to lie, people usually devour my tiramisu, leaving no scraps or streaks of the delicious concoction left to be had. They compliment my supreme talents profusely & beg and plead for the recipe (obviously something this good has to be a family secret, right? Yes, a family secret from a German/Scandinavian/Vietnamese family, that's it.) You too can make this mana from Heaven because I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I just follow the recipe on the Bel Gioioso marscapone cheese (8 oz) package. It's super easy, impressive and so tasty that you'll be the hit of any occasion. Do I feel shameful for taking the credit for a readily available recipe that has probably been recreated by thousands of people? Heck no! Of course I put my own little spin on it to make it my own, French pressing the espresso and substituting amaretto for the brandy. Seriously, this is a great basic recipe for quick and delectable tiramisu. Give it a try & you'll never be able to say that you don't have time to whip up a homemade dessert.
Tiramisu
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup espresso or strong coffee, cooled (I put about 1/3 cup of espresso grounds to 1 cup of hot water and brew it in my French press which essentially steeps the coffee, resulting in a stronger flavor)
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 T cognac or brandy (any liqueur will do. I've used amaretto, cointreau, coffee liqueur, chambord, etc)
8 oz. Bel Gioioso marscapone cheese
1 pkg. lady fingers (about 20 cookies, give or take) Note: you could substitute the lady fingers for amaretti cookies if you're using amaretto liqueur and want more almond flavor
natural cocoa for dusting
Mix together the egg yolks, 1T cooled espresso, granulated sugar and liqueur of your choice. Beat 2-3 minutes, until the sugar is incorporated into the liquid, resulting in a smooth mixture. Add the marscapone cheese and beat until smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the wire wisk attachment, combine egg whites and a pinch of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the marscapone mixture, gently folding it to lighten the rich marscapone mixture. Fold in the rest of the egg whites until incorporated. Be careful not to over mix the mixture. You want it to be light and fluffy.
Carefully dip each side of the ladyfinger (or amaretti cookie) into the remaining cooled espresso and make a layer along the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish (I use glass because it makes a good presentation). Spread 1/2 of the marscapone mixture over the cookies and then sprinkle with cocoa. Repeat another time, finishing with the cocoa layer. If your dish isn't big enough for 2 layers, 1 layer is just find. Work with what you've got. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours (overnight is better), allowing time for the flavors to incorporate. Serve chilled.
Tiramisu
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup espresso or strong coffee, cooled (I put about 1/3 cup of espresso grounds to 1 cup of hot water and brew it in my French press which essentially steeps the coffee, resulting in a stronger flavor)
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 T cognac or brandy (any liqueur will do. I've used amaretto, cointreau, coffee liqueur, chambord, etc)
8 oz. Bel Gioioso marscapone cheese
1 pkg. lady fingers (about 20 cookies, give or take) Note: you could substitute the lady fingers for amaretti cookies if you're using amaretto liqueur and want more almond flavor
natural cocoa for dusting
Mix together the egg yolks, 1T cooled espresso, granulated sugar and liqueur of your choice. Beat 2-3 minutes, until the sugar is incorporated into the liquid, resulting in a smooth mixture. Add the marscapone cheese and beat until smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the wire wisk attachment, combine egg whites and a pinch of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the marscapone mixture, gently folding it to lighten the rich marscapone mixture. Fold in the rest of the egg whites until incorporated. Be careful not to over mix the mixture. You want it to be light and fluffy.
Carefully dip each side of the ladyfinger (or amaretti cookie) into the remaining cooled espresso and make a layer along the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish (I use glass because it makes a good presentation). Spread 1/2 of the marscapone mixture over the cookies and then sprinkle with cocoa. Repeat another time, finishing with the cocoa layer. If your dish isn't big enough for 2 layers, 1 layer is just find. Work with what you've got. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours (overnight is better), allowing time for the flavors to incorporate. Serve chilled.
Monday, May 2, 2011
How Many is That in Dog Years?
This year I was feeling particularly geeky & decided to give my dogs a little birthday treat. For the record, Coco (the one on the right) and I share a birthday, which is how I remember every year. Unfortunately Lady (dog on the left) doesn't share a birthday with anyone I know, so I always forget. We end up celebrating both their birthdays on the same day. I couldn't resist sharing their official birthday photo. Enjoy!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Take That, Poached Egg
I remember watching "Julie & Julia," the scene where Julie, the main character, attempts to poach an egg. She, being such a neurotic character anyways, spazzes out about the whole process & after one failed attempt, produces a beautifully sculpted poach egg which she devours despite a lifelong hatred of eggs. In preparation of a Mother's Day brunch that I'm putting together with my sister for the coming weekend, I decided it was time to master the art of egg poaching...how hard could it be?
Well, pretty darn messy sums it up nicely. I, being the geek that I am, researched the heck out of egg poaching. I Googled, I YouTubed, I consulted FoodNetwork.com, MarthaStweart.com, and even Allrecipes.com. I poured over the poaching techniques in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, reading and rereading it to make sure that the steps were burned into my brain. I went out and bought some new, organic eggs because apparently old eggs do not congeal enough to poach. I followed the steps, heated up the water to a simmer but decided to forgo the vinegar part, since it seems like there are two schools of thought regarding the use of white vinegar in poaching an egg-well that & I forgot to pick up the white vinegar when I went grocery shopping.
I carefully cracked the egg and watched it ker-splash into the swirling vat of simmering water (a drop of water even hit me square in the forehead...or was it egg white? I'm not quite sure) & then disaster struck hard. Have you ever ordered egg drop soup from a Chinese restaurant? The egg is thin & wispy, permeating the soup and making a really cool suspended design. That's what I got...actually, the egg yolk shot off in one direction, and the white swirled and dissipated into the simmering water. Well crap. I thought that maybe I didn't let the water simmer enough or that maybe I didn't swirl enough, so I cleaned out the saucepan and went for a take two. This time it was even worse, if that's even possible. The white didn't even attempt to surround the yolk...I think I was a little vigorous in my swirling technique.
When all else fails and all other resources have been exhausted, ask Mom. Even though she doesn't cook nearly as much as she used to, my mother definitely knows her way around a kitchen. I asked my mom if she had ever poached an egg & she looked frankly insulted, like I questioned her ability to tie her shoes or feed herself-I took that as a yes. She is of the vinegar school of thought-note to self, vinegar=good-and she got her saucepan ready with a little water & a dash of vinegar. Let the simmering being. After a few jokes between my dad and me about how the slotted spoon looked like a kitty litter scooper & Lord only knows what's still stuck on it, the water had reached a perfect simmer & it was go time. My mom did the honor of cracking the egg into the water. It immediately sank to the bottom of the pot like my two failed attempts had (Oh great, there goes another egg). Oh and a little noteworthy tip, there was no swirling involved in the making of this poached egg. So the egg sank to the bottom & the whites started to spread. I was instructed to carefully fold the white back over the yolk in order to cover it, like a blanket. Then we simply waited for 4 minutes and retrieved the egg from the water and slid it onto a waiting plate. A little salt & pepper later and the finished product was ready to go. Yum with a capital Y! I hope my husband likes eggs, 'cause I can't wait to try it on my own.
Poached Egg Technique
Bring 2 inches of water and 2 tsp. white vinegar to a simmer (not a boil, it's much to harsh for the egg and will tear it apart, not allowing the white to congeal properly) in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Once it reaches a simmer, crack a fresh egg into the water (a fresh egg white will be gel-like, an old egg white will be watery and will not congeal properly). Immediately fold the egg white over the yolk to envelop it, taking care to keep the yolk intact. Cook for 4 minutes, until the white has set and the yolk remains liquidy. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, allowing the excess water to drip from the egg. Salt and pepper to taste & devour warm. I've been told that you can make these ahead of time and refrigerate them for a few days. When you're ready to serve them, bring a few inches of water to a simmer & heat the eggs in the water for 2-3 minutes.
Note: I've read that you're supposed to put the poached egg in an ice water bath once you've cooked it in order to rinse off any vinegar that remains and to stop the cooking process. However, I did not find the vinegar taste to be overwhelming or adversely affecting the finished product, so I skipped the step. You may or may not find otherwise.
Well, pretty darn messy sums it up nicely. I, being the geek that I am, researched the heck out of egg poaching. I Googled, I YouTubed, I consulted FoodNetwork.com, MarthaStweart.com, and even Allrecipes.com. I poured over the poaching techniques in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, reading and rereading it to make sure that the steps were burned into my brain. I went out and bought some new, organic eggs because apparently old eggs do not congeal enough to poach. I followed the steps, heated up the water to a simmer but decided to forgo the vinegar part, since it seems like there are two schools of thought regarding the use of white vinegar in poaching an egg-well that & I forgot to pick up the white vinegar when I went grocery shopping.
I carefully cracked the egg and watched it ker-splash into the swirling vat of simmering water (a drop of water even hit me square in the forehead...or was it egg white? I'm not quite sure) & then disaster struck hard. Have you ever ordered egg drop soup from a Chinese restaurant? The egg is thin & wispy, permeating the soup and making a really cool suspended design. That's what I got...actually, the egg yolk shot off in one direction, and the white swirled and dissipated into the simmering water. Well crap. I thought that maybe I didn't let the water simmer enough or that maybe I didn't swirl enough, so I cleaned out the saucepan and went for a take two. This time it was even worse, if that's even possible. The white didn't even attempt to surround the yolk...I think I was a little vigorous in my swirling technique.
When all else fails and all other resources have been exhausted, ask Mom. Even though she doesn't cook nearly as much as she used to, my mother definitely knows her way around a kitchen. I asked my mom if she had ever poached an egg & she looked frankly insulted, like I questioned her ability to tie her shoes or feed herself-I took that as a yes. She is of the vinegar school of thought-note to self, vinegar=good-and she got her saucepan ready with a little water & a dash of vinegar. Let the simmering being. After a few jokes between my dad and me about how the slotted spoon looked like a kitty litter scooper & Lord only knows what's still stuck on it, the water had reached a perfect simmer & it was go time. My mom did the honor of cracking the egg into the water. It immediately sank to the bottom of the pot like my two failed attempts had (Oh great, there goes another egg). Oh and a little noteworthy tip, there was no swirling involved in the making of this poached egg. So the egg sank to the bottom & the whites started to spread. I was instructed to carefully fold the white back over the yolk in order to cover it, like a blanket. Then we simply waited for 4 minutes and retrieved the egg from the water and slid it onto a waiting plate. A little salt & pepper later and the finished product was ready to go. Yum with a capital Y! I hope my husband likes eggs, 'cause I can't wait to try it on my own.
Poached Egg Technique
Bring 2 inches of water and 2 tsp. white vinegar to a simmer (not a boil, it's much to harsh for the egg and will tear it apart, not allowing the white to congeal properly) in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Once it reaches a simmer, crack a fresh egg into the water (a fresh egg white will be gel-like, an old egg white will be watery and will not congeal properly). Immediately fold the egg white over the yolk to envelop it, taking care to keep the yolk intact. Cook for 4 minutes, until the white has set and the yolk remains liquidy. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, allowing the excess water to drip from the egg. Salt and pepper to taste & devour warm. I've been told that you can make these ahead of time and refrigerate them for a few days. When you're ready to serve them, bring a few inches of water to a simmer & heat the eggs in the water for 2-3 minutes.
Note: I've read that you're supposed to put the poached egg in an ice water bath once you've cooked it in order to rinse off any vinegar that remains and to stop the cooking process. However, I did not find the vinegar taste to be overwhelming or adversely affecting the finished product, so I skipped the step. You may or may not find otherwise.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Stop the Ride, I Want to Get Off
I am at my wit's end. I've been involved in a seemingly never ending battle between the forces of food and physicality (ie trainers v. nutritionists). All these conflicting viewpoints from nutritionists, so-called experts, talking heads, gym trainers, magazines, books, etc. telling me that I need to eat X amount of calories in a day, 100 g of protein a day-yikes-, 5 meals a day, three moderate meals a day, cardio with strength training, cardio before strength training, cardio after strength training, alternate cardio with strength training, 4 times a week, 5 times a week, 6 times a week at the gym, more veggies with less protein, veggies first before protein, protein powder is the key to success, protein powder is essentially the devil, work out in the morning, work out in the evening, don't eat after 7, stop eating 3 hours before bed, get 7 hours of sleep, the more sleep the better, weigh yourself once a week, weigh yourself once a month, don't weigh yourself but instead go by the fit of your clothes, take a multivitamin, don't take a multivitamin cause you should get nutrition from foods, go ahead and have a cheat day, change your lifestyle so you don't need cheat days, jog on the treadmill, don't use the treadmill because it's torture on your joints, zone 2, zone 3, zone 4..I'm drowning in health information & my head's about to explode.
I don't want to be a runway model (I'm perfectly grounded in reality); I just want to be healthy. My mom, the most unassuming, nonconforming to the normal type who falls victim to these types of diseases, was diagnosed with type2 diabetes in 2005 and breast cancer in 2008 & ever since then, I've been trying to change my lifestyle so that I don't follow her down the same path. I watched watch someone who I never thought I was that close to struggle to keep her life from slipping through her fingers, and I've come to realize that there are more important things than being fashionable and rail thin. The business of being healthy is enough to make an average person keel over from a stress induced stroke though. All the conflicting viewpoints and misinformation has created a smoke and mirrors environment that not even Scooby Doo would be able to decipher. I'm tired of all the one size fits all answers that I get from personal trainers & I'm tired of feeling like I'm failing at every turn. I simply want to live the best life that I can. Is that really too much to ask?
I don't want to be a runway model (I'm perfectly grounded in reality); I just want to be healthy. My mom, the most unassuming, nonconforming to the normal type who falls victim to these types of diseases, was diagnosed with type2 diabetes in 2005 and breast cancer in 2008 & ever since then, I've been trying to change my lifestyle so that I don't follow her down the same path. I watched watch someone who I never thought I was that close to struggle to keep her life from slipping through her fingers, and I've come to realize that there are more important things than being fashionable and rail thin. The business of being healthy is enough to make an average person keel over from a stress induced stroke though. All the conflicting viewpoints and misinformation has created a smoke and mirrors environment that not even Scooby Doo would be able to decipher. I'm tired of all the one size fits all answers that I get from personal trainers & I'm tired of feeling like I'm failing at every turn. I simply want to live the best life that I can. Is that really too much to ask?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Flan-tastic!
I've avoided making flan for the longest time because, for some reason, I've always thought that it was really complicated and time consuming to make, so I left it to the professionals (and the occasional "mom made" flan that was so overcooked that it was crunchy). I recently decided to throw caution to the wind and make it myself, mostly because my parents were coming over to our new house & I wanted to impress them with my dad's favorite dessert.
I decided to attempt it a couple of days in advance, for practice & then to make it perfectly for the weekend, sure to impress my biggest food critic, my father. I scoured the internet for the perfect flan recipe, one that had detailed instructions so that I couldn't screw it up. Well, I screwed it up the first time...big time. I barely got out of the gate before I hit the wall of catastrophic failure. The first recipe that I tried called for sugar and water being melted in a medium saucepan. That sounded easy enough. Of course I, being terrible at following instructions, decided that I could improve upon the recipe, so I added a tablespoon of vanilla extract to the sugar/water mixture. Big mistake! The water evaporated and liquefied the sugar into this grainy slurry that smelled wonderfully of vanilla, but then the sugar coagulated into this hard, solid mass at the bottom of the saucepan...wtf?! No caramel, a brick of vanilla sugar & a seemingly ruined saucepan later, I gave up.
The next day, I found a foolproof recipe for flan. I was a little hesitant at first because the recipe didn't call for water to be added to the sugar for caramelization. I read it over and over again...how, in the name of Julia, do you make sugar melt without adding a liquid to it?! I just couldn't wrap my head around it. It sounded so preposterous that I thought it just might work, so I gave it a shot. I also resolved not to tweak the recipe until after I made it exactly as written, at least once. Needless to say, the flan turned out perfectly!
I was so excited about my accomplishment that I Google searched "flan pans" because I was a master of the flan & I needed the correct accouterments in order to continue to make delicious flan. I stumbled across a blog post comment from a woman who talked about her amazing Pyrex brand glass flan pans from France (say what?!)...needless to say, I just had to have these! Unfortunately they are no longer in production (bummer), so thank goodness for eBay. I confidently put a generous bid in on not one, but two listings for glass flan pans. One of them was for two Pyrex brand glass flan pans & the other was for another brand. I figured that these precious tools were a hot commodity and that I wouldn't get them, so I watched them like a hawk. As the end times drew near, no one had put a counter-bid on either of them & I started to panic. Had I gotten myself in too deep? What the heck was I going to do with three flan pans?! Well, I won all of the flan pans (oops)...they're so pretty though & I figure I can give one to my mom (and maybe give her a refresher on how to make flan so that hers aren't so crunchy).
Although my flan journey has been long and a little bumpy, I am so happy to discover that anyone can make flan with just a few ingredients & a pie pan (if you don't have a glass flan pan). I've even passed on the technique to my 17 year old niece who loves the stuff almost as much as I do. In the interest of sharing the love, here's the super easy recipe that I use to make the most flantastic caramely custardy dessert treat on the face of the planet. Enjoy!
Flan
Caramel Sauce-
2 c. white sugar (some people swear by pure cane sugar only, but I haven't had any problems with just granulated sugar, a combination of beet sugar and cane sugar)
Place the sugar in a large saucepan over medium high heat. The sugar will start to turn brown and clumpy, when this happens, give it a shake/swirl...don't use a spoon (it makes a sticky mess). Once the browning process starts, do not walk away because the caramelization process happens quickly & you'll end up with a burned mess. Continue to ocassionally swirl the pan as the sugar liquefies and turns golden & then amber. When the caramel has reached a dark amber color, remove from heat. Pour about 1 cup (half of the sugar) into a flan pan/glass pie pan & swirl to coat the bottom and sides (you have to do this quickly because the caramel will harden as it cools). Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of milk to the remaining caramel to make a sauce to pour over the flan if people want extra sauce. Set the pan aside.
Flan Custard
3 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1T vanilla extract (or any kind of flavoring you like)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly beat eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla in a large, non-reactive bowl. Mix in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Pour mixture over the cooled caramel-coated pan. Place the glass pan into another pan filled with at least an inch of water (to prevent the flan from boiling and over-cooking)...the water should come 2/3 of the way up the flan pan. Bake 40-50 minutes or until the flan giggles in unison (instead of rippling in the middle). Don't stick a knife into it because it ruins the way that it looks & doesn't actually tell you if the flan is cooked. Actually, if a knife is inserted and comes out clean, then chances are the flan is already over-cooked. Remember that there will be some carryover heat that will continue to cook the flan as it's cooling. Cool completely (preferably overnight) in the refrigerator. To unmold the flan, run a sharp knife around the edges and invert the dish onto a large serving plate. If this doesn't work, try running a little hot water over the bottom of the pan to loosen things a little & then invert onto a serving plate. Serve with the extra caramel sauce & maybe a little coffee or porto.
For Your Viewing Pleasure:
I decided to attempt it a couple of days in advance, for practice & then to make it perfectly for the weekend, sure to impress my biggest food critic, my father. I scoured the internet for the perfect flan recipe, one that had detailed instructions so that I couldn't screw it up. Well, I screwed it up the first time...big time. I barely got out of the gate before I hit the wall of catastrophic failure. The first recipe that I tried called for sugar and water being melted in a medium saucepan. That sounded easy enough. Of course I, being terrible at following instructions, decided that I could improve upon the recipe, so I added a tablespoon of vanilla extract to the sugar/water mixture. Big mistake! The water evaporated and liquefied the sugar into this grainy slurry that smelled wonderfully of vanilla, but then the sugar coagulated into this hard, solid mass at the bottom of the saucepan...wtf?! No caramel, a brick of vanilla sugar & a seemingly ruined saucepan later, I gave up.
The next day, I found a foolproof recipe for flan. I was a little hesitant at first because the recipe didn't call for water to be added to the sugar for caramelization. I read it over and over again...how, in the name of Julia, do you make sugar melt without adding a liquid to it?! I just couldn't wrap my head around it. It sounded so preposterous that I thought it just might work, so I gave it a shot. I also resolved not to tweak the recipe until after I made it exactly as written, at least once. Needless to say, the flan turned out perfectly!
I was so excited about my accomplishment that I Google searched "flan pans" because I was a master of the flan & I needed the correct accouterments in order to continue to make delicious flan. I stumbled across a blog post comment from a woman who talked about her amazing Pyrex brand glass flan pans from France (say what?!)...needless to say, I just had to have these! Unfortunately they are no longer in production (bummer), so thank goodness for eBay. I confidently put a generous bid in on not one, but two listings for glass flan pans. One of them was for two Pyrex brand glass flan pans & the other was for another brand. I figured that these precious tools were a hot commodity and that I wouldn't get them, so I watched them like a hawk. As the end times drew near, no one had put a counter-bid on either of them & I started to panic. Had I gotten myself in too deep? What the heck was I going to do with three flan pans?! Well, I won all of the flan pans (oops)...they're so pretty though & I figure I can give one to my mom (and maybe give her a refresher on how to make flan so that hers aren't so crunchy).
Although my flan journey has been long and a little bumpy, I am so happy to discover that anyone can make flan with just a few ingredients & a pie pan (if you don't have a glass flan pan). I've even passed on the technique to my 17 year old niece who loves the stuff almost as much as I do. In the interest of sharing the love, here's the super easy recipe that I use to make the most flantastic caramely custardy dessert treat on the face of the planet. Enjoy!
Flan
Caramel Sauce-
2 c. white sugar (some people swear by pure cane sugar only, but I haven't had any problems with just granulated sugar, a combination of beet sugar and cane sugar)
Place the sugar in a large saucepan over medium high heat. The sugar will start to turn brown and clumpy, when this happens, give it a shake/swirl...don't use a spoon (it makes a sticky mess). Once the browning process starts, do not walk away because the caramelization process happens quickly & you'll end up with a burned mess. Continue to ocassionally swirl the pan as the sugar liquefies and turns golden & then amber. When the caramel has reached a dark amber color, remove from heat. Pour about 1 cup (half of the sugar) into a flan pan/glass pie pan & swirl to coat the bottom and sides (you have to do this quickly because the caramel will harden as it cools). Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of milk to the remaining caramel to make a sauce to pour over the flan if people want extra sauce. Set the pan aside.
Flan Custard
3 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1T vanilla extract (or any kind of flavoring you like)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly beat eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla in a large, non-reactive bowl. Mix in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Pour mixture over the cooled caramel-coated pan. Place the glass pan into another pan filled with at least an inch of water (to prevent the flan from boiling and over-cooking)...the water should come 2/3 of the way up the flan pan. Bake 40-50 minutes or until the flan giggles in unison (instead of rippling in the middle). Don't stick a knife into it because it ruins the way that it looks & doesn't actually tell you if the flan is cooked. Actually, if a knife is inserted and comes out clean, then chances are the flan is already over-cooked. Remember that there will be some carryover heat that will continue to cook the flan as it's cooling. Cool completely (preferably overnight) in the refrigerator. To unmold the flan, run a sharp knife around the edges and invert the dish onto a large serving plate. If this doesn't work, try running a little hot water over the bottom of the pan to loosen things a little & then invert onto a serving plate. Serve with the extra caramel sauce & maybe a little coffee or porto.
For Your Viewing Pleasure:
As the sugar starts to melt, it will clump and form lightly colored "petals"
The "petals" will slowly liquify and darken in color.
Ocassionally swirling the pot will ensure that all the sugar melts evenly. Keep an eye on the caramelizing sugar! It can quickly turn from dark amber goodness to burned charcoal mess in seconds.
Coat the bottom and sides of your flan pan, or ramekins in this case. The sugar will harden as it cools, creating a delicious candy shell to house your flan liquid.
Delicious drops of liquid caramel are a sweet bonus treat! Crunchy & caramel-y...yum.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Lightbulb Moment
It's not about Howard Roark or Peter Keating. It's not about architecture or New York City. It's not the socialites manipulating each other at the Banner. It's her. It's all about her. When I first started reading The Fountainhead, I couldn't quite figure out why the book was partitioned into neat little subheadings with the main characters' names (Peter Keating, Elsworth M. Toohey, Gail Waynad, Howard Roark), and it's taken me 3/4 of the book to figure out that it's her. Each of the four parts of the book takes a look at how Dominique Francon transforms these men and how, despite her supposed inability to feel and relate, these men have a profound effect on her, how she sees the world, how she sees herself. I'm not even finished with this book, and I want to read it again. She is the fountainhead. Everything that Dominique Francon stands for, everything the so vehemently opposes somehow manipulates and illuminates everyone around her. And yet she is equally changed by the people around her, even though she is good at hiding it. She's taken from this exuberant nude statuesque figure, an ideal of what human beings can potentially be, and she's softened, roughed up by the very people that she despises, even more-so by the ones that she respects and loves. In a world where people are so incredibly caught up in the perceptions of everyone else, Dominique Francon views the world so purely, so selfishly, the way that it should be viewed. The Fountainhead is a testament to the ideals that we should hold as a society, and yet the perfect protagonist fails to do so because she is thrown into the thick of the selfish, dirty society in which we all live. What a raw social commentary.
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