Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Unity

No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers. ~ Laurie Colwin

Unity
Humans learned the value of unity early on. It kept us safe from predators, helped us find and grow food, and learn from each other. Yet even today in the modern world, we still need unity. There have been studies done in which babies deprived of attention have not matured physically or mentally as fast as their counterparts with strong nurturing family units. Even as adults a strong support system or united front helps us cope with loss, celebrate benchmarks, or just get through the day. 

Some of the most unifying dishes are those that our families have passed down through generations. We may not have known our great grandmothers, but we know what her food tasted like. Or more basically, food unifies a group of people. After traveling abroad and eating exotic food for an extended period of time, there's nothing like a juicy hamburger. And when I was sick as a child, my grandma's mashed potatoes ans gravy hit the spot. 

These days the unity meal at our house is made by my husband. His family came from Italy between the World Wars with his father being the only child born stateside. They were very proud Americans with all five boys fighting in WWII. But they kept their ties to each other and the homeland with special meatballs from their hometown in Italy. Though my husband has three siblings and they can't always get together for the holidays, no matter where they are the meatballs are part of Christmas Eve dinner.
Foods of Interest
Among Pacific Islanders coconuts are believed to increase diversity and open people up to positive influences ie bringing groups together. Both green vegetable (especially green peas) and lychee are Chinese symbols of unity and family ties. While sticky rice--a special rice which can be rolled into balls and eaten with the hands is also a symbol of unity. Lemon verbena and sage are also known for their unity properties. For added effect add some white roses to a special meal to amplify unity.

Recipe
Mike's Meatballs photo by Erika Celeste
Mike’s Meatballs

2 lbs ground pork
1 T minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
4 T finely diced onion
1 T Italian seasoning (preferably Graziano’s Brothers from Des Moines, Iowa)
1 T finely chopped sage
1 T finely chopped rose petals (make sure they're free of pesticides organic is best)
1 C fresh bread crumbs from day old Vienna bread
1 tube of Ritz crackers (to be more unifying try substituting rice crackers)
2 eggs lightly beaten
½ C marinara sauce

Mix all ingredients except meat together. When they are all combined add meat last for more tender meatballs. Form into small meatballs (size of quarters) for Pasta Achiena or large half dollar size for spaghetti and meatballs. Fry meatballs in olive oil in batches until lightly browned. Turn to cook evenly. Drain on paper towels or wire wrack.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Intelligence


When engaged in eating, the brain should be the servant of the stomach. ~ Agatha Christie


I've traveled all over the world from Peru to Hong Kong and zillions of points in between. I've interviewed famous movie stars, politicians, a man on death row, a shaman, homeless people, teachers, artists, farmers and many others. If there's one thing I've learned it's that there are many kinds of intelligence. Some people now how to make millions, others how to heal, while still others can entertain, invent, or teach. There's book learning, street smarts, and emotional intelligence. No matter what kind of intelligence you're striving for the fact that you're aware of it, means you're on the right path. The following foods are known for boosting intelligence.

Foods of Interest
Shellfish at the Main Market in Hong Kong. Photo E. Celeste
The Greek God, Apollo chewed banana leaves to gain insight. Eating blueberries not only removes free radicals from your body which can slow you down mentally and physically, they are said to embody the esoteric principal of peace so that you can think more clearly! Shellfish are known to boost brain activity. Romans burned cloves for clarity of mind. The Mayans and Aztecs believed cocoa was the key to mental acuity-something many people associate today with coffee and caffeine! Curry can also have similar properties. Fennel was sacred to the Greeks because it was thought to increase mental agility. Lentils are another intelligence food as are onions. And who could forget paprika? It's made from mild chili which is thought to ramp up creative energies.

French Onion Soup
Onion Soup photo by Erika Celeste
4 C chicken broth
4 C beef broth
1 C red wine (I prefer a cabernet or merlot)
6 large yellow onions
½ stick butter
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Day old bread
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices provolone

Directions: Slice onions into thin rings and separate.  Slice butter into several pieces and add to a heavy cooking pot on medium heat. Add onions. As the onions cook down and caramelize, add half the wine. Avoid most cooking wines. Wine you cook with should be good enough to drink, if it isn’t, it isn’t worth cooking with. Please avoid it. Some simple inexpensive wines that work nicely would be Barefoot or Yellow Tail. Cook down for about a half hour.

Add the broths, rest of the wine, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for another half hour. This gives the flavors time to marry each other and enhances the flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turn oven on broil. Discard bay leaf. Ladle soup into six over safe soup bowls. Top soup with cubed pieces of day old bread. Place a slice of Swiss and a slice of provolone over the pieces of bread. Slide into broiler. For at least 5 minutes. Remove when cheese is browned and bubbling.

Lentil soup photo by Erika Celeste

Lentil Soup
1 lb lentils (or 12-16 oz bag)
1 medium sweet onion
1 lb salt pork
1 t paprika
1 t curry
1 bay leaf
1 quart beef broth
1 quart water

Directions:
Wash and sort lentils. I usually do mine in a Crockpot, but you could do it on the stove on low as well. Pour cleaned lentils into the pot. Add beef broth, water, onion, and bay leaf. Cook on high (in Crockpot) for 2 hours.
Cut rind off salt pork. Cube the rest. Add all of it to the soup. Also add the paprika and curry.  Cook for at least another hour.

When you are ready to eat remove the rind and bay leaf. Please make sure to taste the soup before adding any salt as the pork and beef broth are quite enough. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed. This gets better the longer it cooks. Makes 6-8 servings.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Growth


One of my favorite things about dining outdoors in a warmer season is that it frees hands and bares skin. ... When we don't need to wear or carry heavy clothing, our bodies feel lighter and our hands are freed for other things. Like carrying bottles of rosé; bags of stone fruit, fish, and clams; and a simple kettle and a tiny grill for a quiet, all-day beach excursion. Then we can eat well. ~ Kirstin Jackson

Reinhold Niebuhr has a prayer that many readers may be familiar with called the Serenity Prayer (God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change...). But I see it as a testament to growth. In order to survive and thrive we must all grow. Sometimes those experiences are out of this world. We learn to ride a bike, win an award, or accomplish something we never knew we were capable of. Other times they're pretty lousy like not passing a test, not getting a job we want, or losing a long term relationship. It may sound cliche, but remember even those growing pains can lead to great things because they teach what to or not to do in the future or put us on a path to a better life that we may never have considered if we weren't pushed out by something else. For example, I would have never left Mississippi and I job I really didn't like if I hadn't been laid off. Now I do exactly what I love, found a wonderful husband, and have a great home.

Don't get me wrong that period of growth hurt like hell, but it got me to a much better place. Though I don't wish what I went through on anyone, take heart that growth is essential and will take you to new heights as long as you're open to seeing the positives in even the darkest situations.

Foods of Interest
Corn husking at Plimoth Plantation. Photo by Erika Celeste.
Artichokes are known for encouraging personal growth. They also protect eaters against negative energies.  Hina, the Polynesian Moon Goddess favors bamboo shoots as a growth food specifically where fertility issues are concerned. Corn is also symbolizes growth and eternal life. Specifically Hopi use blue corn to symbolize fertility and red corn to help with birth. What bigger kinds of growth could there be? Melons, especially cantaloupe were thought to encourage spiritual growth in the Middle Ages. So much so that they were originally developed by special monasteries for the Pope. Garlic is often used in homeopathic remedies not only for its antibacterial properties but also because it stimulates growth of the immune and circulatory systems.

 
Artichoke Bamboo Dip photo by Erika Celeste
Artichoke Bamboo Dip
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts (they’re usually about 6-8 oz)
½ C bamboo shoots (some Asian Markets carry this fresh, but most grocery stores will commonly carry 8 oz cans)
1 C mayonnaise
½ C sour cream
1 C Parmesan Reggiano
pinch of lemon balm or lemon verbena
1 T garlic powder
cooking spray

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, garlic powder, lemon balm/verbena in a bowl. Drain artichokes and bamboo shoots.  Separate artichoke heart layers. Chop bamboo shoots into small cubes. Toss vegetables with the mayonnaise mixture and stir well.

Spread the mixture in a small baking dish (no more than 9X9). Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. 

This is typically served with crackers or toasted bread rounds, however for an extra growth spurt why not try it with tortilla chips?