Happy New Year from Lost Arts Kitchen!
However you celebrate, I hope you and yours enjoyed a wondrous Season of Light and also found time to rest, reflect and rejuvenate. A lengthy bout of illness delayed this month's newsletter, but I'm glad to get a small collection of news, recipes, kitchen tips, and class updates out to you now. Dig around amongst the Roots & Tubers and you'll even find a story about my brush with Presidential Greatness...
Stocks, Soups, and Stews Class Rescheduled
In the last month everyone in my family was hit by a nasty bug. The kids got it first, just before Christmas, then Mike and I succumbed after the New Year. I developed bronchitis and felt worse than I have in years. With the Stocks, Soups, and Stews class just days away and my husband and I still battling fevers and coughs, I decided it would be best to postpone the class until we regained our health. If you are interested in learning how to prepare delicious, mineral-rich stock at home and new ways to use it, the class will now be held on Saturday, January 24th at 10am. Thanks again to those of you already signed up who were so gracious about the schedule change.
Share the Love with Chocolate
Join me at Friendly Haven Rise Farm on Saturday, February 7th at 6pm, as we make a trio of chocolate delights in preparation for Valentine's Day. We'll start with a Chocolate Pavé, or flourless cake, made with chocolate sourced from small farms in Ecuador by Oregon chocolate maker Dagoba, local eggs and butter, and topped with rosewater cream for a special treat for that special someone. Then we'll make our own chocolate and flavor it as we wish, for amazing cocoa or just eating with a spoon. Finally, we'll make bite-size vegan chocolate fruit & nut balls, perfect for snacking or sharing the love at your next potluck. To enroll, email or call Friendly Haven Rise Farm (360)687-8384.
Dark Days Challenge: Eating Local in Winter
Eating from our regional foodshed during the dark days of winter can challenge the heartiest locavore, but we're fortunate to have a variety of fresh foods available in Portland even now. When using foods in season, try simple preparations that highlight natural flavors. Get to know overlooked veggies by cooking them without complicated sauces or hiding them amongst a dozen other ingredients; you will save yourself time and effort in the kitchen while coming to appreciate why people have cultivated them for millennia. Read more...
Banner Week for a Real Food Foodie: Michael Pollan AND Mark Bittman
So, while I was still recovering from bronchitis and super busy preparing for my first official class, I put everything aside to see two of my favorite food writers last week. Michael Pollan spoke at a sold out Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall as part of the Portland Arts & Lectures Series on Tuesday evening and Matt Bittman spoke to an SRO crowd at Powell's on Thursday. Both writers had lots to say about what's wrong with how most Americans are eating today and suggestions about changes we could make that would benefit our health, our communities, our planet, and palates. Read more...
Survey Says...
If you haven't already done so, please take a couple minutes to fill out this survey so I can schedule the classes you are most interested in taking. I appreciate your input.
Sign Up Now for Winter Classes or Arrange a Class with Friends
As I mentioned previously, the Stocks, Soups, and Stews class has been rescheduled to January 24th. Due to popular request, I added the Baking Basics class on February 7th. In March, I am offering Dairy Magic, Baking Basics, Italian Family Favorites (Abbondanza! This one's going to be fun!), and So Long Supermarket, Hello Pantry. Visit the Lost Arts Kitchen web site to learn more about class offerings and to register. Also, if you are interested in taking a class that's not currently scheduled, please don't hesitate to ask about it. Arrange to take a class with a group of six and everyone gets a 20% discount--we can schedule a date and time that works for your group and I will come to your kitchen if you prefer.
Thanks to all of you who have been so amazingly supportive of my new business, who have signed up for classes, bought gift certificates, told your friends and co-workers about Lost Arts Kitchen, mentioned it on your blogs, or asked me to teach at your schools, shops, and farms. I am truly humbled and honored.
Wishing You Peace and Abundance,
Chris
Slow Food Traditions for Modern Life
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Banner Week for a Real Food Foodie: Pollan and Bittman Come to Portland
So, while I was still recovering from bronchitis and super busy preparing for my first official class, I put everything aside to see two of my favorite food writers last week. Michael Pollan spoke at a sold out Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall as part of the Portland Arts & Lectures Series on Tuesday evening and Matt Bittman spoke to an SRO crowd at Powell's on Thursday. Both writers had lots to say about what's wrong with how most Americans are eating today and suggestions about changes we could make that would benefit our health, our communities, our planet, and palates.
Pollan started off by explaining the concept of nutritionism. He argues that because people in the United States have become so disconnected from the sources of their food, they no longer heed their natural instincts or cultural precepts that previously guided our decisions about what, when, where, why, and how to eat. Instead, we have come to rely on nutritionism, an ideology that assumes that it is the scientifically identified nutrients in foods that determine their value in the diet. Pollan identified the following premises of nutritionism:
So, what's the solution? Can we get off the Western diet without abandoning Western civilization? If we can’t count on scientists to tell us what to eat, who can we count on? Pollan reminds us that there are other systems of knowledge besides science, culture being one. If we apply cultural rules to eating, rather than nutritional ones, perhaps we can find ways to eat that not only improve our health, but bring us pleasure and connection with others. Here are some of the cultural rules for eating that Pollan suggested:
People are calling Mark Bittman's new book, Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating With More Than 75 Recipes, "applied Pollan." Like Pollan, Bittman has some rules about eating that can help us improve our health, though, being The Minimalist, his rules are even simpler: "Eat less of certain foods, specifically animal products, refined carbs, and junk food; and more of others, specifically plants, in close to their natural state."
In his talk, Bittman related his personal reasons for following such a prescription. A few years ago, with knee-surgery looming, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and 50 pounds overweight, his doctor advised him to "go vegan." While Bittman couldn't bring himself to making such a radical change to his diet, he struck upon a simple rule that helped him lose weight and improve his overall health. He became, "vegan before six," eschewing all animal products before dinner (except, he admitted later, cream in his morning coffee). One tip he shared for sticking to a vegetarian regiment at restaurants is asking if there are any side vegetables leftover from the previous evening's dinner menu.
One statistic that I found most striking is that of the approximately three pounds of food the average American eats per day, a half-pound is meat and another one-and-a-half pounds are other animal products. The other pound? That's plant foods, primarily in the form of potatoes, corn, and wheat. Bittman doesn't argue that we need to become vegetarians, but "less-meatarians" and that our current meat-centric diet is not only bad for our health, but unsustainable, especially as more and more people around the world emulate the American diet.
Cooking Up a Story interviewed Bittman during his visit, so if you missed him at Powell's, you can hear what he has to say here and here.
Having read Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food and spent much of my life studying the intersection of farming, the environment, health and culture, there wasn't much new to me in either Pollan's or Bittman's talks. Nevertheless, I found them both inspiring and enjoyed seeing so many other people who care deeply about food.
Pollan started off by explaining the concept of nutritionism. He argues that because people in the United States have become so disconnected from the sources of their food, they no longer heed their natural instincts or cultural precepts that previously guided our decisions about what, when, where, why, and how to eat. Instead, we have come to rely on nutritionism, an ideology that assumes that it is the scientifically identified nutrients in foods that determine their value in the diet. Pollan identified the following premises of nutritionism:
- Food is primarily a conveyance for nutrients.
- We need experts to help us understand nutrients, for they are impossible for us to see and understand.
- We eat for health, not for enjoyment, companionship, etc.
- There are good nutrients and bad nutrients, though the definition of which is what is constantly shifting.
So, what's the solution? Can we get off the Western diet without abandoning Western civilization? If we can’t count on scientists to tell us what to eat, who can we count on? Pollan reminds us that there are other systems of knowledge besides science, culture being one. If we apply cultural rules to eating, rather than nutritional ones, perhaps we can find ways to eat that not only improve our health, but bring us pleasure and connection with others. Here are some of the cultural rules for eating that Pollan suggested:
- Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
- It’s not food if it has ingredients you don’t recognize or have in your own pantry.
- Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Foods that spoil are kept in those easy to access areas.
- Don’t eat food that won’t eventually rot. If microbes won't eat it, neither should you.
- Use small plates, don’t snack, don’t eat in your car or buy fuel for your body at the same place you buy fuel for your car.
- Don’t eat alone or in front of the TV. Eat at tables.
- Food you cook is better than food that’s cooked for you (you don’t add HFCS to food you cook).
- Eat all the junk food you want, as long as you make it yourself.
People are calling Mark Bittman's new book, Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating With More Than 75 Recipes, "applied Pollan." Like Pollan, Bittman has some rules about eating that can help us improve our health, though, being The Minimalist, his rules are even simpler: "Eat less of certain foods, specifically animal products, refined carbs, and junk food; and more of others, specifically plants, in close to their natural state."
In his talk, Bittman related his personal reasons for following such a prescription. A few years ago, with knee-surgery looming, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and 50 pounds overweight, his doctor advised him to "go vegan." While Bittman couldn't bring himself to making such a radical change to his diet, he struck upon a simple rule that helped him lose weight and improve his overall health. He became, "vegan before six," eschewing all animal products before dinner (except, he admitted later, cream in his morning coffee). One tip he shared for sticking to a vegetarian regiment at restaurants is asking if there are any side vegetables leftover from the previous evening's dinner menu.
One statistic that I found most striking is that of the approximately three pounds of food the average American eats per day, a half-pound is meat and another one-and-a-half pounds are other animal products. The other pound? That's plant foods, primarily in the form of potatoes, corn, and wheat. Bittman doesn't argue that we need to become vegetarians, but "less-meatarians" and that our current meat-centric diet is not only bad for our health, but unsustainable, especially as more and more people around the world emulate the American diet.
Cooking Up a Story interviewed Bittman during his visit, so if you missed him at Powell's, you can hear what he has to say here and here.
Having read Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food and spent much of my life studying the intersection of farming, the environment, health and culture, there wasn't much new to me in either Pollan's or Bittman's talks. Nevertheless, I found them both inspiring and enjoyed seeing so many other people who care deeply about food.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Dark Days Challenge: Eat Local This Winter
Eating from our regional foodshed during the dark days of winter can challenge the heartiest locavore, but we're fortunate to have a variety of fresh foods available in Portland even now. When using foods in season, try simple preparations that highlight natural flavors. Get to know overlooked veggies by cooking them without complicated sauces or hiding them amongst a dozen other ingredients; you'll saving yourself time and effort in the kitchen while coming to appreciate why people have cultivated them for millennia.
Greens
I didn’t grow up eating greens. In fact, I don’t think kale, mustard, turnip, beet or collard greens had ever passed my lips until seven years ago when a co-worker offered me a bowl of her homemade beef, barley and kale soup. Now, I use greens all winter long in soups, pastas, twice-baked potatoes, and egg dishes. You can roast greens, steam greens, boil greens, and saute greens. Here's a preparation my family calls Eintopf Essen, which means "one pot meal" in German. Put quartered Yukon gold potatoes in a pan with enough garlic-infused beef broth to cover, place greens on top of the potatoes and fully cooked sausages, such as weisswurst, knackwurst, bockwurst, or weiners on top of the greens. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the potatoes and greens are thoroughly cooked; the sausages will be heated through as well.
Roots & Tubers
Get to know your roots and tubers. Beets, carrots, celeriac, fennel bulb, parsnips, potatoes, rutabaga, sunchokes and turnips are all readily available this time of year. If you're not used to cooking with them, consider adopting a new root or tuber this year and trying out a few recipes. One of the simplest ways to enjoy their earthy goodness is to peel them (or not), cut into bite-size pieces, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast at 350-400°F until golden.
Our Christmas Eve feast was made unforgettable this year with the combination of fennel bulb, arugula, oranges, and Dungeness crab. I've experimented with similar combinations in the past, but this time, I have to say I really got it right. My not-quite-three-year-old son surprised me with his passion for this salad--he became quite miffed when I told him the salad was all gone after his second serving. I modified it for my five-year-old daughter, putting everything but the arugula in a purple cabbage leaf bowl for her. She quietly "ummmmed" her way through her big salad and declared it a "great dinner," high complements from my pickiest critic! Though I particularly like the crabs with fennel, crabs are a little out of our budget for everyday, so I tried this with leftover roast chicken earlier this week, using Napa cabbage with the arugula for some added crunch. Fantastic yet again...a definite keeper. For the dressing, combine the juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup olive oil.
Another tasty root joined us for dinner Christmas Eve: celeriac. Also known as celery root, it's a relative of the plant that makes celery stalks and has a similar flavor. I have made pureed celeriac and potato soup in the past, but we really liked the apple in this recipe. I skipped the buttermilk and topped ours with cream rather than olive oil.
Cabbage
I waxed poetic about this versatile veg last month. Besides my beloved lacto-fermented sauerkraut, I really enjoy an Asian-inspired coleslaw for salad during winter. I shred cabbage, grate carrots and celeriac if I have some one hand, chop an apple, and toss with sesame seeds and a vinaigrette of rice vinegar (2 tbsp), sesame seed oil (2 tbsp), white miso (1 tsp), tamari (1/2 tsp), and freshly ground white pepper.
Leeks
My favorite way with leeks is simplicity itself. Cut off the roots and all but the bottom inch of green, slice the leek in half lengthwise and wash if necessary (fan out the upper layers of leek and run under cold water briefly). Lay them cut-side up in a small baking dish, spray or drizzle a little olive oil on the leeks, and sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper. Roast at 350°F until the ends begin to brown. These come out buttery soft in the middle and crispy on the ends, with a delicate allium flavor.
As we celebrate today's historic inauguration, I would like to share with you a story about another president, leeks, and me. In 1995, I was a manager at Borders Books & Music in Rockville, Maryland. As our store prepared for the arrival of former President Jimmy Carter, who was coming to sign a book of his poetry, we were asked to provide him a light supper before his book signing. His publicist suggested that we pick up a sandwich for him from a deli. I simply could not abide by the idea of this great man sitting in our stock room eating a cold sandwich and offered to make the President soup and salad instead. I prepared Potato-Leek Soup and a Gorgonzola and Apple Salad, served on another manager's fine china in one of the store's back offices. President Carter and I talked about food and cooking while I served him soup. Later, he had seconds!
Legumes
Now is a good time to use those beans, lentils, and dried peas in your pantry. Soak dried pulses water overnight or even longer, with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to help break down the enzymes that inhibit digestion. Here’s a lovely recipe for White Bean and Kale Pasta with Smokey Bacon from one of my favorite bloggers, Kimi at Nourishing Gourmet. I made this dish with black-eyed peas instead of white beans and we all enjoyed it tremendously.
Citrus
While lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, mandarins, etc., are not grown commercially here in Oregon, citrus fruits are naturally in season this time of year and now is a good time to enjoy the extra boost of vitamin C. My two favorites are page tangerines and blood oranges. Here's a lovely recipe for buttermilk scones that features citrus, from one of my favorite cookbooks, Julia Child's Baking with Julia. I intentionally underbake some of these (utilizing my oven's handy Uneven Baking feature) and freeze them. When I want a warm scone, I just pop one into the toaster oven for a few minutes. Try substituting some or all of the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe with whole wheat pastry flour or using Rapadura instead of white sugar.
Kiwifruit
Many people think of kiwi as a tropical fruit, but in fact, it grows right here in Portland. We have been enjoying some from a farm in Hillsboro. Fuzzy kiwi are harvested in the fall, but store well and you can still find locally grown fruit in the winter. We enjoy fruit salad with kiwis, oranges, pears, and apples, topped with a bit of honey and shaved coconut (which I toast while slicing up the fruits), sometimes over homemade yogurt, sometimes not. In fact, that's exactly what I'm craving right now.
Apples and Pears
Both of these popular fruits are grown in Oregon and Washington. While they are also harvested in the fall, they store quite well and are worth buying in bulk. Some varieties will even improve with age. The Fujis we bought in November became sweeter and more fragrant over the weeks we had them, for example. I buy 20 pound boxes of them at a time and store them on my front stoop, where I can keep a close eye on them and remove any “bad apples” (when temperatures dip below freezing, I bring them in and keep them in the basement). For the most part, though, I find the grade A, blemish-free fruit I buy rarely goes bad in the month or so it takes us to eat. We've had some for almost three months now and while they are a bit wrinkled, the kids still enjoy them. When I do find a fruit with a soft spot, I use the good part in coleslaw or gather a few handfuls and make a small batch of apple-pear sauce.
For even more ideas about eating local year 'round, sign up for Eating Local: Meal Planning for All Seasons on February 28th.
Greens
I didn’t grow up eating greens. In fact, I don’t think kale, mustard, turnip, beet or collard greens had ever passed my lips until seven years ago when a co-worker offered me a bowl of her homemade beef, barley and kale soup. Now, I use greens all winter long in soups, pastas, twice-baked potatoes, and egg dishes. You can roast greens, steam greens, boil greens, and saute greens. Here's a preparation my family calls Eintopf Essen, which means "one pot meal" in German. Put quartered Yukon gold potatoes in a pan with enough garlic-infused beef broth to cover, place greens on top of the potatoes and fully cooked sausages, such as weisswurst, knackwurst, bockwurst, or weiners on top of the greens. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the potatoes and greens are thoroughly cooked; the sausages will be heated through as well.
Roots & Tubers
Get to know your roots and tubers. Beets, carrots, celeriac, fennel bulb, parsnips, potatoes, rutabaga, sunchokes and turnips are all readily available this time of year. If you're not used to cooking with them, consider adopting a new root or tuber this year and trying out a few recipes. One of the simplest ways to enjoy their earthy goodness is to peel them (or not), cut into bite-size pieces, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast at 350-400°F until golden.
Our Christmas Eve feast was made unforgettable this year with the combination of fennel bulb, arugula, oranges, and Dungeness crab. I've experimented with similar combinations in the past, but this time, I have to say I really got it right. My not-quite-three-year-old son surprised me with his passion for this salad--he became quite miffed when I told him the salad was all gone after his second serving. I modified it for my five-year-old daughter, putting everything but the arugula in a purple cabbage leaf bowl for her. She quietly "ummmmed" her way through her big salad and declared it a "great dinner," high complements from my pickiest critic! Though I particularly like the crabs with fennel, crabs are a little out of our budget for everyday, so I tried this with leftover roast chicken earlier this week, using Napa cabbage with the arugula for some added crunch. Fantastic yet again...a definite keeper. For the dressing, combine the juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup olive oil.
Another tasty root joined us for dinner Christmas Eve: celeriac. Also known as celery root, it's a relative of the plant that makes celery stalks and has a similar flavor. I have made pureed celeriac and potato soup in the past, but we really liked the apple in this recipe. I skipped the buttermilk and topped ours with cream rather than olive oil.
Cabbage
I waxed poetic about this versatile veg last month. Besides my beloved lacto-fermented sauerkraut, I really enjoy an Asian-inspired coleslaw for salad during winter. I shred cabbage, grate carrots and celeriac if I have some one hand, chop an apple, and toss with sesame seeds and a vinaigrette of rice vinegar (2 tbsp), sesame seed oil (2 tbsp), white miso (1 tsp), tamari (1/2 tsp), and freshly ground white pepper.
Leeks
My favorite way with leeks is simplicity itself. Cut off the roots and all but the bottom inch of green, slice the leek in half lengthwise and wash if necessary (fan out the upper layers of leek and run under cold water briefly). Lay them cut-side up in a small baking dish, spray or drizzle a little olive oil on the leeks, and sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper. Roast at 350°F until the ends begin to brown. These come out buttery soft in the middle and crispy on the ends, with a delicate allium flavor.
As we celebrate today's historic inauguration, I would like to share with you a story about another president, leeks, and me. In 1995, I was a manager at Borders Books & Music in Rockville, Maryland. As our store prepared for the arrival of former President Jimmy Carter, who was coming to sign a book of his poetry, we were asked to provide him a light supper before his book signing. His publicist suggested that we pick up a sandwich for him from a deli. I simply could not abide by the idea of this great man sitting in our stock room eating a cold sandwich and offered to make the President soup and salad instead. I prepared Potato-Leek Soup and a Gorgonzola and Apple Salad, served on another manager's fine china in one of the store's back offices. President Carter and I talked about food and cooking while I served him soup. Later, he had seconds!
Legumes
Now is a good time to use those beans, lentils, and dried peas in your pantry. Soak dried pulses water overnight or even longer, with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to help break down the enzymes that inhibit digestion. Here’s a lovely recipe for White Bean and Kale Pasta with Smokey Bacon from one of my favorite bloggers, Kimi at Nourishing Gourmet. I made this dish with black-eyed peas instead of white beans and we all enjoyed it tremendously.
Citrus
While lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, mandarins, etc., are not grown commercially here in Oregon, citrus fruits are naturally in season this time of year and now is a good time to enjoy the extra boost of vitamin C. My two favorites are page tangerines and blood oranges. Here's a lovely recipe for buttermilk scones that features citrus, from one of my favorite cookbooks, Julia Child's Baking with Julia. I intentionally underbake some of these (utilizing my oven's handy Uneven Baking feature) and freeze them. When I want a warm scone, I just pop one into the toaster oven for a few minutes. Try substituting some or all of the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe with whole wheat pastry flour or using Rapadura instead of white sugar.
Kiwifruit
Many people think of kiwi as a tropical fruit, but in fact, it grows right here in Portland. We have been enjoying some from a farm in Hillsboro. Fuzzy kiwi are harvested in the fall, but store well and you can still find locally grown fruit in the winter. We enjoy fruit salad with kiwis, oranges, pears, and apples, topped with a bit of honey and shaved coconut (which I toast while slicing up the fruits), sometimes over homemade yogurt, sometimes not. In fact, that's exactly what I'm craving right now.
Apples and Pears
Both of these popular fruits are grown in Oregon and Washington. While they are also harvested in the fall, they store quite well and are worth buying in bulk. Some varieties will even improve with age. The Fujis we bought in November became sweeter and more fragrant over the weeks we had them, for example. I buy 20 pound boxes of them at a time and store them on my front stoop, where I can keep a close eye on them and remove any “bad apples” (when temperatures dip below freezing, I bring them in and keep them in the basement). For the most part, though, I find the grade A, blemish-free fruit I buy rarely goes bad in the month or so it takes us to eat. We've had some for almost three months now and while they are a bit wrinkled, the kids still enjoy them. When I do find a fruit with a soft spot, I use the good part in coleslaw or gather a few handfuls and make a small batch of apple-pear sauce.
For even more ideas about eating local year 'round, sign up for Eating Local: Meal Planning for All Seasons on February 28th.
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