Indian Bliss

Post-cleanse Indian feast!

Have you ever gone on a cleanse or a fast? It's a controversial topic...to cleanse or not to cleanse? I had experimented with several versions alone or with a spouse over the years, but never with a group of people who were new to me...until recently. Our city is blessed with an amazing woman known as The Kitchen Goddess. One of the lovely services she provides is facilitation of group cleanses. I had been wanting to experience this type of cleanse for a while and finally joined a group of very interesting cleansers. One was a powerhouse mamma who took the cleanse like a high energy athlete complete with daily, bust-ass workouts. One was a deeply nurturing, naturalist mamma who kept up her gourmet baking for her family's outstanding farm-to-table restaurant and balanced loads of extended family visiting during the cleanse. And one was a mamma originally from India who was just completing her dissertation, caring for an elderly in-law, maintaining a beautiful balance of Indian and American culture for her two young children, and rocking a full-time career. Did I mention the husbands? They also had husbands to both receive support from and to appease during the cleanse process, which lasted about a week. 

The cleanse itself was the best I've ever experienced, because it was deeply fulfilling with plenty of easy-to-prepare vegan smoothies and soups. These blended wonders tasted good and provided tons of energy. Also, the support and fun companionship among the group was very motivating. But my favorite part by far was a shared Indian cooking fest and feast after the cleanse was over! We had the idea that our member from India, who is quite practiced at preparing traditional Indian cuisine, might host us in her kitchen to learn from her and celebrate our rewarding cleanse experience. She graciously agreed! As a result, I spent almost 5 hours sipping wine in an exotic kitchen with interesting women, a few children under our feet, and the most sensual foods I have ever experienced! This was MY kind of evening. I will share what I discovered...

The following discoveries endeared me (for life!) to Indian food culture:

• Indian food culture is RICH with tradition, pride, nutrition, sensuality, regionally/family-defined flavors and techniques.
• Combinations unique to Indian dishes are designed to improve digestion and health.
• Real Indian food preparation and consumption is extremely hands-on. Cooking and eating both involve lots of touching (of the food, not each other).
• Indian cooking, at least as I observed that evening, is all about intuition and getting the feel of it through communal practice instead of following recipes. My kind of kitchen culture, friends.

These next take-action discoveries were easy to incorporate into my own kitchen:

Sofrito, Indian Style!

• The Indian version of Sofrito seems to be ginger, garlic, onion, and chile. Read my previous piece entitled Sofrito, My Friend! to discover how to use this information for keeping an amazing jar of easy "starter" flavor for all your meals. It comes out looking like a yellow relish. Now I keep this blend in a mason jar in the fridge, ready to fry up by the spoonful in ghee (clarified butter), and added to soups, beans, gravies, and meats.

Ghee in my grease pot.

• Ghee is super easy to make and tastes like the heaven of butter..times ten! Bring unsalted butter to a boil in saucepan, turn to medium heat and simmer for about ten minutes, pour through strainer into jar thereby separating and discarding the bits of lactose, store ghee in jar next to stove for spooning into everything (skillet for sautéing veggies or frying eggs; mixture for lean ground meats that need more fat; baking breads or sweets wherever butter is used; frying crepes and pancakes; spreading onto breads). I found an old-timey "grease" pot at a junk shop and use it for my ghee. It makes me feel like Ma Kettle!

Mesmerizing, right?

• Whole, plain yogurt can be added to the skillet and cooked in sizzly heat with the sofrito mixture mentioned above and other spices like garam masala, dried read chile (I watched my Indian hostess rip open a chile, tap out the seeds into the skillet, and drop the two halves into the skillet after their seeds, and I was mesmerized!), and cumin seeds to result in a richer, creamier gravy.

• Lentils are not dumb and boring, as was my prior assumption, no no no...they are SEXY! Just start them up boiling with a dash of turmeric and salt, let them roll (simmer) on medium while you are sautéing your roots and spices (the sofrito, garam masala, cumin, dried chile, yogurt) with the ghee into a deep brown color, then add this rich paste of fatty, veggie, spicy flavor to the simmering lentils and let them cook until you like the consistency. Lentils treated this way are called Daal, which is a much sexier name, and are fantastic with basmati rice eaten with your fingers. Finger licking is encouraged!

• And here's the gem...a truly exotic thing that will raise your status in the Indian grocery by leaps and bounds when you ask for it with confidence. It's called Hing. It's sold as a powder in what looks like a medicine bottle, but it is a resin ground for use as a spice that has almost a sulfur-like oniony smell. It has excellent digestive aid properties and will bring a dish to life. It's the secret spice that makes an Indian restaurant smell so good. But, it must be used sparingly...just a dash...in hot ghee...in the skillet...with the roots and spices mentioned above, and truly your kitchen will smell amazing. First, when my Indian host showed me the powder and warned me of the smell I was skeptical, then when she dashed a spot of Hing into the skillet I almost fainted with pleasure. The next evening, I stopped into an Indian market and asked for Hing. The gorgeous woman wearing an intricate sari looked at me with wide eyes for the first time, and I felt I had arrived. She became very excited to show me to the aisle I needed for Hing and chat with me about Indian dishes along the way. It was like the first moment you are invited into a special club. Thank you, INDIA!

And this is the export version! I really must travel to India.

And lastly, the following discoveries are interesting but are on hold, because they intimidated the hell out of me:

1. The pressure cooker...YIKES.
2. Naan - this Indian bread that is so delicious and perfect for sopping up the wet Indian dishes - is a fermented (hello, a sourdough connection), flat bread cooked traditionally in a tandoor oven. Because I could possibly use my sourdough starter, Claudia, this idea seems very appealing, but a special kind of fire pit oven for a certain kind of bread? Not so appealing.

These two are over my head at this time and so will be avoided for now. I encourage you to also avoid kitchen experiences that make getting into the kitchen feel like a chore or a research project. For instance, if you like some of these ideas but the thought of making or using ghee has you cringing, then go forth with an alternative that you like...butter, olive oil, coconut oil...your kitchen, your choice! Ease and pleasure in the kitchen is totally achievable by experimenting with intriguing ideas and ingredients...and keeping a relaxed attitude about the results. Enjoy!

Helping you improve your health with ease and pleasure in the kitchen...next up: Not Your Mamma's Cookie Jar.

Staples, Gravy & Almond Milk: Then & Now

What would my Big Mamma have thought of almond milk?

My Great Grandmother was kind and sweet and soft. Her name was Minnie Lee, but we only knew her as Big Mamma. She always smelled clean and said nice things. The only time she ever became noticeably frustrated was when a housefly was faster than she was with her fly swatter. The only evidence of her frustration was that she would say "I'll git that darned ole' fly." Oh, and she would sometimes seem mildly perturbed at my Nanny (Big Mamma's daughter) if Nanny fussed at Big Mamma about staying on her feet too long in the kitchen and doing the dishes. She seemed happy about everything else, especially watching her "stories" (soap operas), letting my brother "muss" her hair, making pictures (coloring), doing word find puzzles, eating sweets, doing the dishes and cooking.

My Nanny Negotiating Snack Time

The things I remember Big Mamma cooking the most were chicken with dumplings and biscuits with gravy. Since I was only a little girl watching this kitchen magic, I didn't quite learn the process. But I did pick up on some things that I've been able to capitalize on as the "Big Mamma" of my own kitchen, two of which I am going to share with you: staples and gravy, with a bonus bit on almond milk!

So, you can imagine that when the women of my family mentioned needing "staples" from the grocery store, it was a bit confusing. I knew what staples were at school (dangerous when shot across the room by irritating little boys), and I knew what kinds of things were found in the grocery store; I could not quite figure out how the two intersected. What I did know was that it was a dreaded misfortune to run out of "staples" in one's kitchen! I eventually realized that staples for my family included flour, sugar, table salt, milk, cereal, eggs, jumbo iced tea bags, coffee, sandwich bread, cheese slices, peanut butter, jelly, crackers and cans of tomatoes, green beans, tomato soup, chicken noodle soup and creamed corn. And for reasons beyond my comprehension, Little Debbie Cakes weren't allowed to run low in our house either. In retrospect, I believe that you can tell a lot about the identity and era of a family by the staples on their grocery list. In fact, just remembering our basic list brings up all kinds of stories and emotions associated with our kitchen and mealtimes growing up. I love remembering, for example, the time my annoying little brother got caught sneaking Little Debbie Cakes from the canister set (that I still own and keep my various nuts and grains in)  during early morning cartoons before anyone woke up and hiding the wrappers under his bed. Heehee...big trouble, Freakazoid!

Baby Bro in Cartoon-watching Position

I could launch into an unflattering memoryfest, but instead I want to encourage you to know your staples and make small improvements for a healthier kitchen and body, when you feel like it. What goes on that list also goes into your body almost every day, so it really defines what you are made of and how you feel. And because I have an abnormal fascination with people and their relationship with food, I would enjoy a party game where everyone anonymously adds their staple grocery list to a hat then everyone draws one and tries to guess who it belongs to. Here's what mine would look like these days:

• local eggs, whole plain yogurt, unsalted butter (for making ghee), olive oil
• raw almonds (for making almond milk and flour), salted cashews/peanuts/walnuts
• whole grain bread flour, lentils, basmati rice
• sea salt, cumin, turmeric, white & black pepper, dried red peppers, umeboshi plum vinegar
• ginger, garlic, onions, lemons, frozen berries, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, carrots, celery, romaine lettuce and leafy greens (cabbage, kale, chard, spinach) that are in season
• dark chocolate, maple syrup, honey, jam, blackstrap molasses
• herbal and green tea, fair trade coffee, lemon juice

Now the thing is that I enjoy creative cooking, and I rarely have a plan before I enter the kitchen, so I keep a lot of staples to work with. Even though I run a pretty conscientious kitchen, there is always something to improve. For example, I have just taken a look at my staple list and realized that I could learn to make my own honey mustard dressing with very few simply ingredients instead of buying the bottled version that is expensive and has unnecessary preservatives. I notice that I could upgrade my basmati white rice by buying brown rice instead for an excellent fiber source. I could even re-try an alternative grain that is produced more sustainably with great health benefits like quinoa or millet. If I really want to go big on a new version of an old staple, I could learn to put up my own jam after each season's U-pick fruit adventures.

My most recent staple improvements included adding lentils for more vegetarian Indian food, learning to sprout beans and seeds for yummy stacks and toppings, and making my own almond milk instead of buying it full of shelf-life preservatives. A great side effect of making milk is the almond pulp that's left over. I discovered that this pulp (almond meal/flour) makes an EXCELLENT version of my Big Mamma's red-eye gravy.

Big Mamma: Absorbed in her Creation

Big Mamma, and subsequently all the women in my family, can make biscuits and gravy with bacon and scrambled eggs that draws even the brooding teenagers out of bed early in the morning. To make the gravy, she would fry bacon and then leave the hot grease in the skillet. She would bring it to a sizzling high heat then sprinkle flour in, while smashing it and stirring it with a fork until there was a burning paste. Then she would make a big SWOOSH sound by quickly pouring in a little cold water and canned crushed tomatoes...continuing to stir until there were no flour lumps and the liquid began to boil. She would then turn it down to a simmer and add lots of salt and black pepper to taste. This is AMAZING over fresh biscuits.

Since I became a grown up, my version has gone through many experiments such as using coconut oil instead of bacon grease, using milk and white pepper instead of tomatoes and black pepper, adding onions and garlic and other fresh vegetables just to see what would happen, and finally using various types of flours to create richer gravies. As it turns out, the byproduct of making my own almond milk (the leftover pulp) makes for the the best gravy I've had yet! Here's a two-for-one:

Almond Milk:

1. Soak one cup of almonds over night and drain the next morning.
2. Put almonds in blender with 4 cups of fresh water and blend high until frothy white.
3. Pour the liquid through a small strainer into a big mason jar or jug for your milk to be stored in the fridge.
4. Scrape the almond pulp from the strainer into a bowl or jar for later use (gravy, cookies, pancakes, nutbutter balls, etc.)

Milk Notes: Shake then pour almond milk ANYwhere you might otherwise use other milks. It's perfect in my coffee, over granola, in my cooking, etc. It truly tastes better than the cartons you buy from the store and is SO much cheaper and healthier. The only catch is that it only has about a four day fridge life, so make it in these small batches. No worries about keeping track of time, your nose with know if the milk has gone south.

Gravy:

1. Heat a high-heat oil or fat of your choice in a skillet until it just starts smoking.
2. Sprinkle in the almond pulp and stir/smash with fork until it's a mildly burnt paste.
3. Pour in cold liquid of your choice (crushed tomatoes, water, milk of any kind) and stir until no lumps are noticeable and until the liquid begins to boil.
4. Turn down to simmer and season, taste, stir...until the gravy is the consistency and flavor you like.
5. Pour over breads, meats, beans, peas, or rice (grains) and say "Thanks, Big!" in your most southern accent.

Gravy Tips:

• If your gravy never seems to thicken, add more flour (almond pulp, in this case).
• If you gravy is too thick, add more liquid.
• Don't get distracted because gravy happens fast, demands undivided attention, requires almost constant stirring, and should be made last and served immediately.
• White pepper is yummy in milky gravies and black pepper is yummy in brown gravies.
• Bacon grease ROCKS for a gravy base, no matter what era you are living in!

Now, I just have one more thing to say... my Nanny's biscuits and red-eye gravy (named for the tomatoes) always turned out the better than anyone else's. My Big Mamma's chicken and dumplings always turned out the best, and my Mom's tea cakes always turn out the best. I hope I'm around long enough to have grands and to nurture them with good memories around lovingly prepared foods. I also hope to get sweeter and sweeter throughout life so that eventually I'm as sweet as my Big Mamma was (without having to eat Little Debbie Cakes)!

Next up... an Indian kitchen adventure the blew my mind and expanded my world!

Meat & Bones: A crockpot marathon!

It's been bone broth mania lately! What's all the fuss? Whatever the trend is based on, I've been keeping a mason jar of goopy stuff (concentrated stock) from all of my meat meals ever since I gave up my 18 year identity as a vegetarian. So there! I was bone-brothing when bone-brothing wasn't cool! The idea makes all kinds of sense, and I have an easy way of doing it. It involves an appliance that I once thought was a complete waste of counter space. Things change!

My goop is getting low, but my bag is filling up!

If she hasn't been plugged in for months, dust off your crockpot and let's run with it!

My family goes about once year to a farm two hours away to pick up our order of fresh organic meats in bulk. It's MUCH cheaper and tastier. Plus, it's very gratifying to take the farm tour and understand exactly how our meat lives and dies. I am especially proud of exposing my daughter to this process so that she is connected not only physically with her food, but also mentally. This year we got airline chicken breasts, bone-in porch chops, and ground beef. Two out of three of those provide us with extra bones, fat, and skin to make use of! One of the easiest ways to prepare the chicken and chops is to rinse them and drop them into the crockpot on low all day, with or without seasonings and sauces. Of course, I have to check on it after about 4-6 hours to make sure it isn't cooking too long and losing all it's flavor and texture. But, even when I've been at work and only gotten back to it 9 hours later, I can still get big flavor and nutrients from it by making stock. The only thing wasted is the fiber of the meat itself.

So whether you are making use of meat after leaving it in the crockpot too long or you have bones (and icky stuff) leftover after your meals, you can treat your crockpot like a marathoner and just keep it running for another 24 hours or so!

Here's how...

Keep meat scraps (bones and such) in a freezer bag at all times. When it gets full, or when you are wanting to use the meat scraps that are currently still hot in your crockpot, dump the frozen scraps into the crockpot and cover with water. Now, you can find all sorts of advice about adding a splash of vinegar to bring out the nutrients, spices, onions, celery, carrots, herbs, etc. Feel free to experiment if it tickles you, but I tend to add no additional flavor than whatever seasoned the meat I ate when I originally cooked it. This way, I can use the versatile stock to make all kinds of dishes. And if I make a soup broth from it, I can easily season it at that time to my taste. 

Once you are satisfied with the contents of your crockpot for making stock, cover it and turn it on high for about an hour, then low until the bones are soft (depending on the type of bones this could be 4 hours or 24 hours!). Just make sure to keep enough water to cover the solids in the crockpot if it's a long marathon! When your bones are soft (or you are simply ready to call it done) you can turn off your crockpot and let her rest! Strain out all the solid bits and bones, then pour it in mason jars and keep them in the fridge until the next time your are cooking something savory and want to add nutrients with a rich, meaty flavor (ex. rice, pasta, soup). Here's my current straining and storing method you can steal: I put a large stainless steal bowl in my sink. I put a slightly smaller colander inside the bowl. I carefully pour the still very warm contents of my crockpot into the colander. I stir and mash the solids in the colander with a large spoon until I'm satisfied that the juice is fully separated into the bowl. I dump the used solids from the colander into a bag to tie up and dispose of. I pour the stock into my mason jars, let cool, lid up, and place in the fridge. Be aware that it make be very thick or even solid when cold. That's fine. It just means it's very concentrated. The consistency will depend on how much water you used and how long you let it simmer.

Clearly, my version of bone-brothing is a product of experimentation rather than a standard of the current trend. And this is the point I want to make...you are the BOSS of your kitchen and you are plenty capable enough to manage food according to your senses, intuition, and a bit of common sense. If you feel you are lacking in these, keep reading my blog and your kitchen prowess will eventually awaken. Meanwhile, don't let notions of complicated cooking procedures steal your chance at pleasure and ease in the kitchen. Preparing the stuff we put inside our bodies is primal. Make use of those bones!

Next up...staple foods...that's what Big Mamma called them.

Sofrito, My Friend!

High School Friends

Many moons ago, when I was a high school cheerleader, a large Puerto Rican family lived in my small town. They were a military family with sibling clusters of different ages, cousins, aunts that seemed like cousins, a gorgeous and strong matriarch, a suave and hunky patriarch, and little freckle-faced me visiting them all the time. The reason I knew them and was welcome in their home was that I was on the squad with the two middle sisters. I loved them both and was besties with each of them alternately, but never at the same time. Being a guest in their home was the most exotic experience a girl like me could ask for with the music, the laughter, the angry yelling in Spanish that could turn to laughter and hugs on a dime, the shared bedrooms, the subtle cultural differences in behavioral expectations, AND THE FOOD! Though I could sit on the couch getting my ego fed while they pet me and exclaimed over my pale skin and straight, reddish hair all day long...(ah good memories) it was really mealtime that fed me the most. I can't say exactly, almost 30 years later, what it was about the food...only that it was rich and colorful and tasted like celebration with a naughty edge.

Older High School Friends :-)

Luckily, I've remained close with one of those sisters all these years. Though different in so many ways, she is sisterly to me and I love her. About four years ago when she was sending her first born away to college, she shared with me the directive to her daughter about how to feed herself. My friend was concerned about her daughter eating her vegetables (classic) so she taught her to make and use sofrito. Now you can imagine how and why I tuned into every detail! I too would benefit from this motherly culinary wisdom! And now, so will you.

The basic idea is that you blend (can be mildly chunky or smooth) raw fresh garlic, onion, peppers, and a leafy green herb with olive oil and spices to taste then keep it in a mason jar in the fridge. You then add a spoonful (or five) to pretty much any dish you are making to add major flavor and nutrition. The classic example is to put a few spoonfuls of sofrito in a hot skillet for a few minutes then add crushed tomatoes and simmer. Then add meat, such as ground beef or chicken breast, and serve with rice or potatoes. I am currently avoiding nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, and goji berries) so I simply skip the peppers and tomatoes. In fact, the idea has gotten SO loose for me that I recently had too much bok choy to use fast, so I blended bok choy, a grated frozen lemon, olive oil, onion, and garlic for a very unique jar of sofrito that is flavoring my soups especially well!

Getting low!

In my experience, keeping a jar of sofrito in the fridge all the time means that every dish easily has vegetables and exotic flavor added, and it lasts a really long time. Only once in many years did I open the jar and realize I hadn't used it fast enough (don't worry, you can tell for sure - otherwise, cook it and eat it).

Base Ingredients (amounts depend on your taste preference):

• garlic (I use a about 6 cloves.)
• onion (I use one whole onion of any kind.)
• bell pepper ( I don't currently use these, but when I did, I liked to use one red.)
• cilantro (I use one whole bunch - stems and all.)
• spices (cumin, turmeric, oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc.)
• olive oil (Use enough to blend, about 1/2 a cup, and add more oil or a little water if the blender needs more moisture to fully process the vegetables.)

Other Ingredient Ideas to Substitute or Include:

• lemon/lime
• parsley
• basil
• spinach
• bok choy
• kale
• chard
• hot peppers
• ginger root
• turmeric root
• garam masala
• white pepper

Just remember to keep it neutral enough for your tastes to be able to use in many dishes. Also remember the core four of the basic sofrito from her Puerto Rican family is the garlic, onion, pepper, and cilantro. That helps me make modifications without loosing the foundation altogether.

Next up...Meat and A Crockpot Marathon!