hollygee Goes West

Mostly about food

First of all, I need to update you on my first web design job. My friend Denise has been a part of my life since our senior year in high school. We lost touch for almost 20 years while she was getting married and having babies and I was not. But she found me on Whidbey and we have been talking hard to fill in that 20 years plus the 20 we've been reconnected and, hopefully, 20 more. She has finally become the writer that she was meant to become and I got to showcase it in a website.

I'm going to be showing you more of what I've been working on soon. It's getting really exciting around here.

Now onto food:
I've been making a lot of changes in the past three weeks. The exercise is ongoing, although reined in a bit because I did end up taking it a bit too fast. I was surprised that the injury (mild) happened, because I am usually overly cautious about taking on something new too strenuously. I am very happy with how the mild exercise for 10-20 minutes an hour after I eat has been lowering my glucose readings two hours after a meal. And I've gotten great information here (this is a very deep and well researched site) and here (worth looking at because of the blog banner heading it all -- oh, and for the content).

I was surprised the most by the realization that we weren't eating enough vegetables. We eat a lot of vegetables, but not 10-12 1/2-cup servings daily.* So. How to get in more vegetables? I started at breakfast. We eat a lot of eggs, 2 each 3-4 mornings a week. I have begun making frittata (this one with spinach, zucchini, and peppers. I do use cheese, but use a small amount of sharp cheese -- goat feta and sheep romano here -- for flavor rather than lots of easily melting, gooey, milder cheese for the orgasm of cheesieness).

Another breakfast option is a version of piperade. I saute a lot of onions, red and green peppers, garlic, and tomatoes with a lot of herbs and hot chilies and serve it on top of over-easy eggs.

Another change I've made is that rather than make the stir-fries of a small amount of meat and a large number of vegetables and serve it over rice or pasta, I now serve it over vegetable. For instance, I had a saute of chicken (one thigh between the two of us), peppers, onions, broccoli, and mushrooms and served it over grilled portobellos. And a large green salad besides.

And lastly, I'm learning that fruit for afters is very satisfying. OMG! WHO'D A THOUGHT IT! Yes, it turns out that They were right all along. I do have my medicinal chocolate now and again, but right now as the berries and soft fruits are coming into season -- and I'm trying to keep my fruits and vegetable consumption seasonal -- is a great time to ease into this habit.

*Paleolithic diet contained about 10-12 portions of produce per day, with a portion being around a half cup.

Valentine's Day

Our friend, Diane, gave us a pie plate for Christmas (a matching loaf pan, too, but that is not the subject of today's post). I gave it a test drive today. Here is the pie before baking:

This is a blackberry rhubarb pie with hothouse rhubarb that has little tartness and the good blackberries from last summer. I've been waiting for a good chance to use them, but knew that I didn't have enough for a pie. Stephen's sister, Esther, suggested the rhubarb.
Here is the baked pie in the pretty pie plate still with flour all over it:

And the baked pie from the top:

For any of the family who may be reading and were tasters of my unfortunate pies this Thanksgiving, I promise that I can and will serve very good pies next year.

The little bits

Several nights ago, I saw a local skunk. I haven't seen them up until then -- it was dusk but still quite light. Stephen saw a couple of little ones on the deck the other night, he sees them more frequently than I do. When he came home that evening, I told him about it and told him how they remind me of short little old ladies with big bums hobbling up the trail.
He told me that there was an old, ratty, mean skunk that had been around. Steve avoided this guy at all costs. I asked if he ever called animal control. I should have known. Stephen and a telephone are not a miscible combination. He said that if he had ever seen animal control in the area, he might have mentioned that there was a scary old skunk around, but make the effort to call?

We've learned that we can't spoil Diego. He doesn't like treats -- neither the commercial kind, nor bits of our dinner that we feed Chips. Chips, whose hearing is going, I think, can still hear us use a knife on a plate -- his signal to come and beg at our feet. He is getting very fussy, though; he doesn't like meats that are heavily sauced or spiced. A little plain chicken or ham, steak is appreciated, shrimp is quite nice, thank you. Diego turns away or tries to bury the treat. This makes us a little sad. We like spoiling cats.
Diego may never be a lap cat, but when I wake up in the middle of the night and go downstairs for the bathroom and a drink of water, he comes down with me for a drink himself -- cats always know that bathroom time is captive attention time. When I start to climb the stairs again, he races up around me so he can stand at the top as my head clears the floor and we can head butt and he purrs his tiny purr.
Sometimes he doesn't come down with me, but he jumps down from the chair he has been sleeping in to greet me and bump when I return.
I think he is the sweetest cat I've ever had.
Diego and Chips will stretch out and sleep on either side of me or Steve for an afternoon nap, but neither will sleep with us at night. Chips sleeps on a stack of pillows above my head. Diego sleeps on a chair, in a box, or on a stack of fabric on a platform over the stair.

While I am dealing with a singular lack of courage in my creative project, I realize that I am courageous in my gluten free life. Courage to attempt making things one would never have thought to try if it weren't for the fact the product doesn't exist in manufactured gluten free food.This week I made, with the help of a website, gluten free phyllo for some spanokopita. I did not get it rolled as thinly as it should have been, but I am looking forward do doing it again. Then I can make some baklava and galataboureko and tiropetes and…
The dough for these was very much like the dough I remember using for the gluten Chinese dumplings, so I will be trying it the next time I make those. It might very well be appropriate for Chinese scallion pancakes. Oh, my mouth waters. I may be making those soon. With some hot and sour soup, I think.

Sheet update. I mended our poor sheet two more times, but when the sheet was in shreds around the new mends that I had done the day before, I called it quits. Esther came through with a set jersey sheets. We weren't sure they would work -- we thought they would bind when Steve whirled. But the bottom sheet has been great, it stays on the corners and actually looks neater than any other sheet we've had on it. And the cats like it. They'd like me not to put the covers up over it. Diego looks great against it -- the sheet is a coral pink. Chips, not so much.

Zucchini Bread recipe and a tablecloth

Like you needed another one, right?

It looks flat, doesn't it. With my gluten-free flours, I often have trouble with dense baked goods not baking thoroughly in the center; so rather than bake one 5 x 8 x 4 loaf, I bake in two 4 x 6 x 2 pyrex pans. I got this recipe from Recipe Source; I will give you the recipe as I got it and show my gluten free substitutions and my what-the-hey substitutions in parenthesis. Most zucchini bread recipes have a cup of oil in them and I have always found them terrible greasy. I prefer this.

(Those are my fall plants of lettuce, cilantro and basil -- and I had better plant them this afternoon).

I am assuming that this recipe is from the TV chef Emeril.

Zuchini Bread Emeril
1 1/2 c  flour (1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup gf four blend, 1/2 cup millet or amaranth flour)
       1/2 teaspoon baking soda
       1/4 teaspoon baking powder
      (1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)
       1/4 teaspoon salt
         1 teaspoon cinnamon
       (1/2 teaspoon cardomom)
       1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
         1 cup  sugar
         1 cup  grated zucchini
         1    egg
       1/4 cup  vegetable oil
       zest of one small lemon
       (3 tablespoons poppy seeds)
       1/2 cup  chopped walnuts

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 by 4 by
   2-inch loaf pan. In a mixing bowl combine flour,
   baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
   In another bowl combine sugar, zucchini, egg, oil and
   lemon zest and mix well. Add flour mixture and stir
   until just combined. Stir in walnuts. Pour batter into
   prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool for 10
   minutes and remove from pan. For best results, wrap
   and store overnight before cutting.

   Yield: 1 Loaf

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I didn't want to post any of the pictures of the tablecloth and napkins that I made a gift recently until the wedding had taken place. After a rough start, I am quite pleased with it and want to start immediately on a new one.

First draft:

The magenta triangle is and orientation mark to show the changes.
I thought that this was way too busy/spotty/confusing and decided that I needed to take the color out. That was way fun. I used Rit Color Remover, only one packet (I wish that I had done two) and was extremely pleased with the results. [I apologize for the leaf shadows].

Next I added a border and used the same border on some purchased napkins.

And finally, I made some napkin rings with velcro closures to complete the ensemble.

Detail of the napkins and holder:

Walking around the block

It was a lovely afternoon. I had some library books to return and a letter to mail. I got to enjoy the sights:

That cornbread recipe that was in the article about me (Me, Me, Me!)? I was out of corn meal the other day and thought, "Oat flour has much the same texture, how would that work?"

It works great! If you don't have oat flour (I buy it from a gluten-free supplier) you can run rolled oats in a blender or food processor to make the flour. I use a little more sugar and throw in a handful of rolled oats, too.
Oat Pan Bread
Heat a 6" cast iron pan (if you use an 8", double the recipe) in a 400˚F oven.
Mix dry ingredients:
1/2 cup oat flour
2 Tablespoons brown rice flour
2 Tablespoons sweet rice flour*
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and drop in:
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Use a whisk and combine with a few strokes.
Pull the hot skillet out of the oven, put in 1 Tablespoon of butter (or 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil) to melt, pour onto batter. Use a rubber spatula to fold in with a minimum of strokes, pour batter into hot pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.

*If you are not gluten intolerant, use 1/4 cup all purpose flour for the two rice flours.

Soup for lunch

Vegetable beef soup (why, yes, that is zucchini!) with spaetzle.
We had a pot roast the other night. In my efforts to use smaller amounts of meat to the amount of vegetables, I've gotten six meals* for two out of it. I made it with lots of broth and haven't used much of that so added some canned tomatoes and the zucchini, peas, and corn for soup. I wanted spaetzle, but wasn't sure what they would be like.

I do love the internet (have I mentioned that before?). I found Nana's site. Maybe someday I will order the spaetzle board but I made a pastry bag from parchment paper and squeezed it into simmering water. Because of the egg, these noodles are holding up in the broth so much better than my usual brown rice noodles by Tinkyada, and they have a much firmer bite.

Spaetzle from Cooking with Nana
(I made a third of this quantity for my one pot of soup)
3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup sweet rice flour
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Scant 1/2 cup water

Beat all ingredients together. Force through the holes of a colander (or put in a pastry bag and squirt) into barely simmering water. When the noodles rise to the surface, skim off and drain in a strainer.

To serve as a side dish, saute a finely chopped onion in butter or olive oil until golden, add spaetzle and toss until lightly coated with butter and onions.

*First -- sliced and served over spiral noodles, served with vegetable and a LARGE salad.
Second -- shredded and tossed with a saute of zucchini, peppers, and onions and some of my ground marinated sun-dried tomatoes. Served with a LARGE green salad.
Third -- similar saute as second, different vegetables. Ditto.
Fourth and fifth -- the beef vegetable soup with spaetzle.
Sixth -- beef hash with potatoes onions and peppers.

Quail, King Chips, and IndoMexoAmerican leftovers

Last week I was out the door to do the laundry, but was stopped cold on the stairs, because the sentry was on duty.
His covey were feasting on the blackberries.
Here is one that was taken with my camera on AutoFocus so it thought I was shooting the leaves instead of the bird behind the branch.
I so love these little guys. I love all their barks and calls and twitters.
There are others who love them, too. The other day a Northern Harrier perched on the banister behind the house in hopes of seeing some supper on the ground. He was way too flighty, so I didn't have a chance to grab my glasses, let alone my camera. Also for two evenings this week, we have been whooooed to by a Northern Pygmy Owl -- I really wish that I could see him, but it has been after dark both times.
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We have all been adjusting to our single cat household. Chips doesn't awaken me at 5, nor pull me away from Very Important Computer Stuff to give him attention. I switched his feeding times to coincide with our breakfast and supper to try to counteract the bad habit we had formed of feeding him off our plates when he begged. The new habit is working somewhat. We are weak.

Here he is on his day throne:

And this:

His night throne is Stephen's computer chair that had a part fall off it a couple of weeks ago, so now it always tilts back into lazyboy ease. We pile all those blankets on it and Chips moves across the room to his bed throne.

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The night before last I made a vegetable (zucchini!!!)* biryani for supper. It turned out quite well. There was some left for lunch today, but it needed a little more. Searching in the refrigerator, I found the turkey mole that I made at the beginning of the week. You know, these two were not bad together -- although the mole rather overshadowed the subtle spicing of the biryani. I'll be making the biryani again and post the recipe.
*There isn't too much question right now of what vegetable we are having with supper. Thank god we like zucchini.

Is that a zucchini in your pocket?

I apologize for the blur -- not enough light and owner-error set the camera on landscape instead of automatic. You would think that the owner would check that out if she wants pictures.

Just when you think you are going to run out [sautèed zucchini, stuffed zucchini (cornbread, meat, onions, peppers, cheese), sweet zucchini relish, dill zucchini relish, more sautèed zucchini, zucchini lasagne, zucchini soup*, more stuffed zucchini (risotto, meat, cheese, onions, peppers), colache (zucchini, onions, peppers, corn] you find more waiting on the vine.

Our first tomato harvest:
Yes, they are supposed to be that sized. These are the currant tomatoes and here is the plant:

And the two black tomatoes, the one in the back that you can't really see is the Brandywine (digression: which I now know is soooooooo unsuited for the cool Pacific coast climate. I doubt that we will be planting this again -- but I will wait to see its production before I cut it from the list) and the one in front I think is a Cherokee black.

And then, for extremely cute, dumb pictures of cats in sinks, please enjoy this link (courtesey of the Smart Bitches).

• …oops. Almost forgot the zucchini soup, which I may or may not have already given you. Steam zucchini until just tender. Blend with the cooking liquid. Add salt and pepper. Good.

Tofu scramble, hmmmmm

Or maybe ho-hum.

This is what I did. Sautèed a half of an onion, chopped, in a tablespoon of olive oil with a teaspoon of cumin seeds and red chili flakes. Crumbled a package of firm-style tofu into the pan and added at least a quarter of a cup of salsa. I served it over brown basmati rice.

No pictures as it is not a photogenic dish.

Should I have marinated the tofu? Everything had lots of flavor until we reached the bland, soft tofu curds. Next time I'm adding more vegetables (zucchini!) and chilies.

I'm looking for more no-meat and no-or-at-least-fewer-egg breakfasts, and tofu scramble fits the bill, but not unless I can get it to taste good. Right now my other no-meat/no-egg meals are:

breakfast fruit cobbler
breakfast fruit crisp
brown rice with sautèed fruit and nuts
oatmeal with/without fruit and or nuts

These are okay, but I would like something with a heftier protein presence for days when Stephen is going to do a lot of labor.

We aren't giving up sausage/ham/bacon and eggs, we just want to have them less frequently than we do now. We will not be using manufactured substitutes for the breakfast meats (ie. turkey or soy) as they frequently have gluten and THEY DON'T TASTE GOOD. I am making my own legume/nut meat replacements for tacos and such dishes where the flavor of the meat is hidden by the spices and condiments.

Any ideas, my internets?

Visiting Vaishali

On Thursday afternoon I took the ferry from Corte Madera into San Francisco [excellent view of San Quentin as well as a pretty good one of Alcatraz] to go to the Cherry Dinner [Long explanation: Jenny Crusie, author of Welcome to Temptation -- which has a single cherry on the cover -- is The Cherry. We who are on her Yahoo Group are the Cherries. We try to have a dinner during Romance Writers of America annual convention. This year RWA National is in San Francisco.] I'm not particularly comfortable driving over hill and dale and dodging deer/skunks/raccoons in the dark, so I invited myself to spend the night with Vaishali -- also a Cherry and who lives in Sunnyvale [San Jose area -- probably about the same distance south that I am north, but suburban not rural].

Ours is one of those wonderful 'we met on the internet' friendships. Months ago we had talked about getting together, shopping at an Indian grocery and spending a day cooking an Indian vegetarian meal. As Vaishali was taking Friday off, this plan could be put in action. And I was more excited about the day of cooking/eating than about the dinner the night before.

The dinner was fun. Loud. Forty women (and the husband of one) in a subterranean dining room at Buca di Beppo. Lots of laughter, shouting, hugging, toasts. Fun. Tiring. Glad I went, glad it is over. Was really happy to go to bed when we got back to Vaishali's house.

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Vaishali's family comes from Northwest India, Maharastra. Marathi foods are not as spicy as the dishes of Southern India, although she gets plenty of those, too, as her husband's family is Southwest Indian. Vaishali toned down the spice even more as she wasn't sure how hot I could take it. Next time we are going to dial it up a notch -- not crazy, but warmer. She chose to make three cooked dishes and one salad-y dish that would have different spicings and cooking styles -- there was going to be a fourth, a Korma made with soy crumbles, but the crumbles have wheat gluten in them.

Black-eyed pea dal
Peppers with paneer
Broccoli baaji
Cucumbers with crushed peanuts
rice
naan (for them, not me)

We (she) did some prep work before we went to the Indian grocery: pressure cook the black-eyed peas. Vaishali has a number of different sized pressure cookers. I've not used pressure cookers much, but when I saw that she was able to cook the peas in two minutes, I could certainly see the benefit.

Off to the store -- I could have too much fun there -- we came home with some ingredients and snacks (we really were only going to pick up paneer and chapati, but…). We got some hard, crunchy rice spirals (the label says Chakri (Muruku)) flavored with chilies and carroway. A packaged snack called Khatta Meetna -- puffed rice, chick pea crunchy things, nuts, fruits, chillies, spices, yum. And Khaman Dhokla, a steamed cake of chickpea flour with green chilies, cilantro and coconut.

Did I write down the recipes as Vaishali cooked? No. The next day, when I tried to do some dishes in the style of the ones she prepared, could I remember which ones had the ginger-garlic paste and which ones had what spices and which ones had the sauted onions and tomatoes? No. But it was still good and I learned a lot.

I think this was the most important thing I picked up -- look, a spice palette:
These are the spices that Vaishali uses most. Starting at twelve o'clock, she has turmeric, urud dal, mustard seed, chilies, hing (asafoetida), cumin seed and salt in the center. I think I have those right. I can see having one set of these for Indian and one for European cooking -- let's see, I would have thyme, bay leaf, fennel, paprika, dill, red chili flakes, pepper. Or go all out and have one for each cuisine: Chinese, Mexican, Middle eastern, Italian, etc. Of corse, I have to get realistic and remember that I'm all of a step away from my spice shelf.

 Here is the meal on the table -- this was a casual, and rather rushed, lunch as I had to leave soon -- but it was soooooo good. I have since looked up recipes for gluten free naan bread and will try those next time so I can have an organic spoon to eat with, too.