May 2008

Blog | Jun 2008 | Apr 2008

Green Tea Shortbread

May/29/2008 14:06

We do love green tea. Hot or iced, in cakes, ice cream, custard, cookies — it’s all good. We drink almost all teas — green or black — without sugar; more by habit than for health. With sweets, though, we both agree that the best part of the earthy, herbaceous flavor of green tea is that hint of bitterness that comes through just before the sweet awakens the taste buds. Lovely.

With the advent of medical studies touting the anti-oxidant benefits of green tea, it’s been wonderful to see the spread of green tea consumption and green tea flavored goodies on menus and supermarket shelves. I see that a wave of Matcha Cookies hit the blogosphere last year and went right around the world! I first came across an entry for a green tea flavored cookie in Obachan’s Kitchen, one which she had made a few years earlier, but had noted that she was not satisfied with the recipe. I went back to the standard shortbread recipe we usually use (confession: I last made these in 2001) and decided to substitute part of the flour with ground green tea powder and see what happened. Besides, I got to use one of my favorite kitchen gadgets, too.

For this recipe I did not use matcha, I used ground green tea leaves. Matcha is a specific grade of green tea that has been ground to powder for use in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, and is prized for its astringent quality. I used home-grade green tea leaves and ground them at home in a ceramic grater. A local Japanese department store (Shirokiya) sells this grater for home tea brewing, especially for cold brewing. I received one as a present a couple of years ago, and I love it. It’s nice to be able to add green tea powder as a condiment and flavoring agent to many different foods, like these cookies. Otherwise, you can purchase “matcha powder for cooking” (which I suspect is the same grade of green tea we used here), and actual matcha in gourmet shops, tea shops and on-line.

In adapting our shortbread recipe, I heeded Obachan’s note that more than 2 teaspoons of matcha per 100g of flour would be too bitter, and so only used 2 teaspoons in this batch. The resulting shortbread had the wonderful color and pleasing flavor of green tea, but was a tad too sweet for my taste, even without the extra sugar topping. One of the reasons I make shortbread so rarely is that you really can’t cut down on the ratio of sugar to butter without sacrificing shortbread’s melt-in-your-mouth quality; whereas with other cookies, I often cut down the amount of sugar in the recipe by 1/4 to 1/3. I think most people would find the balance between green tea and sugar in the recipe below just right, especially if served with a pot of ocha (Japanese green tea). Since I’m using green tea powder instead of real matcha, next time I would risk replacing another teaspoon of flour with green tea. It’s not something I would advise other bakers to do unless they are looking for a bitter edge in their shortbread.

GREEN TEA SHORTBREAD
Makes about 24 cookies
**1/2 cup (or U.S. 1 stick) (110g) unsalted butter (no substitutes)
4-1/2 TBL. (55g) fine granulated sugar (aka caster, not powdered)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 cup (100g) all purpose flour
2 tsp. green tea powder
1/3 cup (55g) mochiko (glutinous rice four) or semolina

extra sugar for crunchy topping (optional)

**Update (01/06/09): With thanks to Nat for pointing out that the butter equivalencies originally were not correct -- the metric was correct, but the U.S. equivalent was off by half. My apologies to anyone who followed the U.S. measure and whose shortbread was too dry.

Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat together on low until the sugar is just incorporated (will still feel grainy).
Combine flour, green tea powder, salt and mochiko together. Add to butter mixture and stir well by hand to make a smooth paste, do not overwork the dough or your shortbread will come out like a brick.

Either roll into a log 1.5 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and chill (to make button cookies, as shown here); or flatten into a disc between two sheets of plastic wrap to a thickness of 1/2 inch and chill (to cut our shapes). Chill for 20 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 325F/170C.

To make buttons, slice log into 1/2-inch pieces.

Or use your favorite small cookie cutter to stamp out shapes. Gently re-roll, flatten and chill before stamping out more.

(Optional garnish) Place 2-3 TBL. of sugar on a small plate. Gently press one side of the cookie in sugar, and lay sugar side up on an ungreased baking sheet.

If cookies start to look shiny, place sheet in fridge for 5 minutes before baking. Bake in pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes. To check for doneness, look for opaqueness and a sandy quality in the cookies (see photo, right, for raw and cooked cookie comparison), and you will smell butter and green tea. They will still feel a little soft when hot, but will harden a bit on cooling. Do not over-bake or they will transform into miniature papaerweights. Because of the high ratio of sugar to butterfat, these cookies will keep their tender crumb.

Cool completely on wire rack. Store in air-tight container at room temperature for up to one week.

matcha_close

Tags: Desserts, Gifts

Taro Crepe w/Fried Saba Bananas & Tsubushi-An

May/27/2008 13:10

This angular squat banana is known as the saba banana (Musa paradisiaca) — a varietal that must be cooked before eating. I prefer it when it's still firm-ripe, as in this photo, if we're using it for grilling or pan-frying, but many people will say it should already have black spots and be much softer before cooking. I'm guessing there are many folks who have tasted saba bananas and maybe not realized it. It's often used in Filipino sweets — either rolled in sugar, wrapped as a lumpia and deep-fried (turon), or found with sweet potatoes and pillow-light mochi balls in the soupy, coconutty dessert ginataan. Honestly, I like them best pan-fried with a little butter, either with other sweet things like french toast or pancakes, or with savory foods like eggs, rice and sausage, or a stew. Whichever way it's eaten, I think of saba bananas as part of my Filipino heritage, though I'm sure many other Southeast Asian cuisines utilize them as well. A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to do something a little different for a lazy weekend breakfast. A check of pantry and fridge turned up sweetened drained yogurt that was on its way to becoming an Indian dessert (shrikand) but instead was hijacked for this recipe, some homemade sweet azukii bean filling (tsubushi-an), and some instant taro pancake mix that needed to be used. The result? Pan-Pacific melding at its sweet best: taro crepes filled with buttery pan-fried saba (the bananas, not the mackerel), pandan-flavored sweet beans, and a dollop of thick sweetened yogurt.

Since this came together more by chance than by design, we were surprised just how good the combination was! With or without the pandan essence, the nutty flavor of the beans and their firm bite were a great contrast to the soft, apple-citrus essence and caramelized flavor of the cooked banana. Japanese-style sweetened azuki bean paste comes in 2 styles: smooth (called koshi an, short for anko) or coarsely mashed, with pieces of whole bean (called tsubushi an). I always prefer textures that have a bite to them (chunky vs. smooth peanut butter, or smashed vs whipped potatoes, etc.), and I think the nutty quality that comes through with the pieces of whole beans in the tsubushi are key here.

As for the crepe, taro/poi adds a pleasing chewiness and elasticity to the crepe, as well as its tell-tale violet hue, but not really a distinct flavor. It made for a very forgiving medium with which to practice my "pour-swish-flip" crepe-making technique. Normally I lose every third or fourth crepe to tears or rips as I try to flip them, but this time every single one was a winner. The yogurt was truly an after-thought — I was wishing we had creme fraiche or heavy whipping cream to top off the crepe, and used the drained plain yogurt, hastily sweetened, as a stand-in. I ended up loving the way the yogurt's tangy underbite contrasted with the different sweet flavors of the fruit and beans, and its heavier texture retained its creaminess when creme or cream would have long dissolved into sweet dairy puddles.

TARO CREPES WITH FRIED SABA BANANAS & TSUBUSHI-AN
(makes 5-6 crepes total)
For the crepes:
1 cup Taro Brand taro pancake mix
2 cups cold water
oil for pan

Combine pancake mix and water. Stir well to eliminate all lumps. Batter should be a very thin pouring consistency, add more water as necessary.

Lightly oil a seasoned 10-inch skillet or crepe pan with an oiled paper towel. Heat well over medium heat. Pour 1/2 cup batter into pan and immediately swirl batter to cover bottom of pan in a thin film. Cook until batter is set and dry to the touch. Carefully flip over and cook for another 5 seconds. Remove to plate, and while warm, roll pancake (jelly-roll style) and allow to cool while rest of the batter is used up. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Rolling the crepes while warm will prevent splitting when they are filled later. Use within an hour of making.
bananas_saba_ckg

For the bananas:
5 saba bananas, washed
unsalted butter

To peel, cut off the top and tail of the banana, then make a cut lengthwise through the peel. Remove peel. Slice lengthwise.

Pre-heat a small skillet or cast-iron pan over medium heat. When heated well, add a teaspoon or more of butter (depends on how decadent you are) to pan, then the sliced bananas, cut-side down. Cook for 6-7 minutes, or just until the banana caramelizes, then turn over for another 2-3 minutes or until the fruit takes on a translucent quality. Remove to plate to cool. Slice again lengthwise into quarters.

To Assemble:
1 cup of prepared tsubushi an (recipe minus pandan essence on Recipezaar) or store-bought
(add 1 drop [a little goes a long way] of pandan essence to 1 cup of prepared anko if you want to experiment with this version)
1/2 cup drained plain full-fat yogurt sweetened with 1 tsp. sugar, or creme fraiche

Unroll finished crepe. Fill with 1-2 TBL. anko. Place 3-4 banana slices on anko, then fold over one end of the crepe to hold in fillings. Finish by rolling crepe to close. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt or creme fraiche and mint, or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Serve with Portuguese sausage for a real multi-cultural breakfast feast.

Tags: Fruits, Hawaii

Sariwa! (Filipino Fresh Lumpia)

May/20/2008 22:03

I stand corrected!
Thank you to reader Ezra Antonio for his comments regarding the correct spelling of this dish (see his comments below). I've edited this to reflect this spelling with an "R" instead of how our family mispronounces it with an "L" — some of us are still working on the "P" and "F" thing, too! I love it when there's a dialogue about something you see around here — thanks to everyone who de-lurks! ; )

saliwa_close

No doubt many readers are familiar with the Chinese eggroll, the Vietnamese fried springroll, or (if you're really lucky) the Filipino lumpia. They are all deep-fried packets of vegetables and/or meat beloved the world over as tasty, easy-to-eat parcels of exotica. Fewer readers may also be familiar with the Vietnamese fresh springroll — a noodle, herb and cooked shrimp filling wrapped in translucent rice paper. Definitely saves on calories (no frying) with no sacrifice of flavor. Now raise your hand if you're also familiar with the Filipino fresh lumpia called Lumpia Sariwa, or Saliwa. Anyone? Anyone??

I think it's a tragedy that this wonderful Filipino dish is not better known, so let's change that. Sariwa is full of healthy ingredients, fun to assemble, and oh-so-onolicious. The vegetable and meat filling is spooned into lettuce and a lumpia wrapper, rolled, and eaten with a sweet vinegar sauce and fresh garlic. How can it get better than that? And each diner assembles her own wrap at the table, so everyone can adjust the garlic and sauce to their taste. Have you ever had mu shu pork/vegetables, or fajitas — it's just like that.

Perhaps the single defining feature of sariwa is the raw garlic garnish. Finely minced raw garlic is added to each mouthful, along with a spoonful of vinegar sauce. It packs a powerful punch, but pulls together the flavorful filling and the bland wrapper and lettuce beautifully. If you prefer to assemble the rolls ahead of time for your family or guests, wrap the assembled rolls in plastic wrap, individually or in 2s and 3s, to keep the delicate flour wrappers from drying out and splitting.

Maybe the trickiest part of making sariwa at home is finding the lumpia wrappers if you don't have a grocer that stocks Filipino products. While you can substitute other types of eggroll/springroll wrappers when deep-frying, the thicker yellowish square wrappers labelled for Chinese eggrolls won't work in this recipe because I don't think you can eat those wrappers raw. The ultra-thin crepe-like wrappers necessary for sariwa are made with flour, water and salt only. There is a locally (Hawaii) made brand, and a couple imported from the P.I. All brands are available frozen (Don Quijote on Oahu carries a couple of types; but the Philippine grocery, Pacific Supermarket in Waipahu, has the most variety). Remove the frozen wrappers from the plastic, and wrap in a barely damp clean kitchen towel to thaw about 30 minutes. Before placing at the table, carefully separate the wrappers (they're fragile and will stick together a bit) before stacking again in a damp towel to keep them from drying out.

Sariwa is usually part of a larger meal, but we often will have just this and a bowl of rice as a full meal. It's perfect hot weather food, and a nice change of pace from a main-course salad.
The title of this post is a tribute to my dear husband who always speaks in exclamation points whenever he mentions this dish...

LUMPIA SARIWA (FILIPINO FRESH LUMPIA)
Serves 4 as a main course
For the Sauce:
3/4 cup (180ml) apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (120ml) water
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar or 2/3 cup (130g) raw sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3 tsp. (10g) cornstarch, dissolved in 3 TBL. water to make a runny paste

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Stir vigorously to dissolve salt and sugar. Bring to boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to simmer. While stirring constantly or whisking, pour in cornstarch slurry and combine. Cook over low heat, stirring, until starch is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and loses all opaqueness. Pour into small serving bowls (one for each diner) and allow to cool.

For the Filling:
1/4 lb. (110g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 whole chicken breast or 3 chicken thighs, deboned and skinned
1/4 lb. pork shoulder
1 onion, finely diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. fish sauce (patis)
oil

Cut shrimp and meats into thin slivers, no more than 1" long. Heat oil in wok over medium heat, then add onions, cover and allow to cook until onions are translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Increase heat to medium-high and add chicken and pork. Season with pepper and patis, and cook for 5 minutes. Add shrimp, stir through, and lower heat back down to medium, and cook for another minute. Immediately pour out all contents of the pan, including any liquids, into a bowl and keep aside. Do not wash wok and return to stove.

1 small head of cabbage, green or Napa (about 1.5 lb/600g), shredded
1 large or 2 medium carrots, julienned in 2" pieces or shredded
1/4 lb. green beans, cleaned and julienned or sliced on a sharp diagonal
1 medium potato, peeled and julienned in 2" pieces
1 small can of water chestnuts, julienned (optional)
1/2 cup of julienned bamboo shoots
3 pieces of Chinese black fungus (mok yee), rehydrated and sliced thin (optional)
ground black pepper
2-3 tsp. patis
1/4 cup chicken broth or water

In same pan that the meats were cooked, heat 2 TBL. oil over medium high heat, and add all the vegetables. Stir through, add pan juices from cooked meats and chicken broth or water. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Add pepper and patis, and stir through again. Continue cooking until all vegetables are just cooked through, then raise heat to medium-high and add back the cooked meats. Stir well to combine all ingredients, and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes to evaporate most of the liquid in the pan. Taste and correct seasoning.
Remove filling from pan, leaving behind as much remaining liquid as possible. Allow to cool completely before serving.

To Assemble:
1 packet of lumpia wrappers, thawed and separated, and kept under a damp kitchen towel
2 heads of Romaine lettuce, or 3-4 heads of leaf lettuce, washed, dried and separated into leaves
1-2 heads of garlic, peeled and finely minced in a serving bowl

saliwa_label2

Lay one wrapper on a plate and a Romaine or other leaf lettuce on top of the wrapper, with one end of the leaf just over the left or right edge of the wrapper (so it will peek out the top when it's rolled). Put 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of the leaf, fold the leaf around filling. Holding the leaf in place, fold the long end of the wrapper (nearest you) around the leaf & filling. Now bring the bottom of the wrapper over the leaf to close up tha end. Start rolling away from you until you reach the end of the plate. Use plain water to wet the edge of the wrapper to seal.

To eat, just pick it up burrito-style, garnish with garlic and sauce, and enjoy! ("Pass the mints, please")
saliwa_whole

Tags: Filipino

Indian Spiced Cauliflower, Daikon & Carrot Pickle

May/19/2008 20:54

While we're waiting on the Preserved Lemons to finish curing, here's a pickle that is addictive to eat as it is easy to make. This carrot, radish and cauliflower pickle is tangy sweet with a mild bite of mustard from the mustard oil and brown mustard seeds in the brine. Similar to a chow-chow or mustard piccallili, or even an Italian giardinera, this flavorful veggie combo can serve as a side dish accent to a main meal or as a condiment or ingredient in other dishes. We crave it with almost every Indian meal, but also serve with grilled or roasted meats, and chop it up and stir into tuna, pasta and grain salads. For pasta, rice or grain salads, I've also used the unctuous spicy brine as a shortcut to making a dressing for the salad. In the photo below, chopped vegetable pickles and the brine were added to sweet potatoes, peas, pineapple and couscous to make a filling for stuffed artichokes. This is a pantry staple for us now, too — it's versatility seems to know no bounds!

CAULIFLOWER, DAIKON & CARROT PICKLE
(from Flavors of India by Madhur Jaffrey)
1 cup (240ml) mustard oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small coin of ginger, peeled and julienned
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium cauliflower, washed and divided into florets
1 small daikon (1 lb/450g), peeled and cut into 1-in/2.5cm cubes
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-in/2.5cm cubes
2 tsp. garam masala
1-2 TBL cayenne pepper powder
4 tsp. ground cumin
2 TBL. brown mustard seeds, gently crushed
1 TBL. kosher or sea salt
2/3 cup (130g) raw sugar
1/2 cup (120ml) white vinegar

Heat mustard oil in wok or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, reduce heat to medium and cook until onions lightly brown. Add ginger and garlic, and stir fry 1 minute.
Add cauliflower, daikon and carrots and fry together 1 minute. Add garam masala, pepper, cumin, mustard seeds and salt, and stir through. Mix sugar into vinegar, then add to pan. Stir through and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.

Sterilize a large quart jar, and transfer pickle to jar. Cover with cheesecloth or paper towel secured with a rubber band to allow excess moisture to evaporate.. Keep jar in a dry, sunny spot for 2 days. Occasionally shake the jars to distribute spices. On the third day, remove the cheesecloth and seal with a tight-fitting lid. Leave on countertop in a warm, sunny spot for another 4-7 days. Once pickle has soured a little, it is ready and can be kept in the refrigerator after use.

Serve as part of an Indian meal, or with roasted or grilled chicken. Add to couscous, rice or other grains, along with vegetables of your choice to make a quick salad or stuffing for cooked and de-choked artichokes.
artichokes_indiandressing

Tags: 5-A-Day, Indian

Acupuncture, Part II: The Clinic Visit

May/16/2008 12:39

After receiving quite a few comments and emails about the difficulty some readers have with the pictures with needles, a needle-free version with the disturbing photos removed is provided here. The text and links are all the same, you will just be spared the sight of any needles!

Although non-TCM physicians and licensed clinicians also offer acupuncture, I can only speak to the experience of receiving acupuncture in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) setting.

Our experience began with T seeking relief for recurring knee pain, the result of abuse on the racquetball court and from jogging. Not having yet read Dr. Kidson’s book with her helpful advice on finding an acupuncturist (see the Overview), our major criteria at the time were that the practitioner was licensed, spoke English and could provide a receipt we could submit for reimbursements. Not very enlightened, I know, but we lucked out anyway.

When you first enter Dr. Clara Wong’s (D.Ac.) well-lit and air-cooled clinic on Smith Street, you are met with the familiar sight of the Chinese herbal pharmacy — a massive dark cabinet with its dozens of labelled herb- and spice-filled square drawers for the herbologists, and shelves of boxed patent medicines for over-the-counter sales. Colorful diagrams outlining acupuncture meridian points cover the passage from the front waiting area to the treatment rooms.

Dr. Wong is trained in both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with a specialty in acupuncture, but her practice in Hawaii is limited to acupuncture and Oriental medicine, including herbology. Each visit begins with a meeting with the doctor in her small office. The most important part of the entire visit actually takes place here, not the treatment rooms. As was mentioned in the earlier post, diagnosis in TCM has many facets: listening to the patient; gauging appearance, smell, and demeanor; examining the tongue; and taking the pulses. Yes, pulses, plural! In TCM, the physician listens for six distinct pulses in the same radial artery with which a Western-trained nurse will count your pulse. But even before the doctor gestures for you to place your wrist on her desk to check your pulses, she has probably already noted many things about the color and condition of your skin, hair, eyes and face, and your demeanor that has escaped most people’s attention, including yours!

Questioning usually begins on a general level, how do you feel? Is there anything bothering you today? Follow-up questions have often surprised us both by how pointed and specific they can be, and how they often touch on areas we haven’t mentioned at all. If this is your first visit, it is appropriate to ask how long the full course of treatment is expected to take (for me, it is about 4-6 months with twice-monthly visits; for T, as long as 9 months). Prognoses will also be affected by how often you can come in for treatment, and how well you follow up your clinic visit with appropriate steps at home. The interview will often end with the doctor asking you to stick out your tongue — the color (pale, pink, gray, red, etc.), condition (dry, flaccid, wet, etc.), and coating (its thickness, color, spread) are important diagnostic indicators to her trained eye. Usually this last step serves to confirm a diagnosis the doctor has already reached.

Before you proceed to the treatment room, you may be advised about steps you should take at home to assist your recovery, and asked whether you are willing to make and take medicinal herbs to supplement your treatment. This will require you to boil a jumble of assorted roots, twigs, seeds and leaves according to very specific guidelines. Then you have to strain and drink it. More on this in the next post, Brewing Teas at Home.

Each of the three treatment rooms has a massage table and curtain for privacy. You don’t have to disrobe as long as you can expose the limb or body part that will require treatment (we usually just wear loose-fitting shirts and pants). Using disposable, stainless steel needles, Dr. Wong quickly and painlessly inserts each implement in place. I hate needles, and I can't watch the doctor perform this procedure (I usually have my eyes closed, and take deep breaths).

What you might feel is a small sting, akin to an insect bite, as the needle is inserted, then maybe a tingle. Tingling sensations are good, but sometimes a kind of ache settles in at the insertion point instead — this will usually require manual stimulation of the needle or re-insertion at a different angle. If you’re not familiar with meridians, it may be surprising to find needles at far distances from the organ or body part that you thought was being treated. In my case, for the stomach and digestive tract, I have needles in my arms and legs!

After the doctor has inserted all the needles necessary for your treatment, one of her aides will connect small electrodes to each needle. This was the biggest surprise for T on his first visit because the first acupuncturist he had visited (a year earlier) had used only manual stimulation of the needles. I asked Dr. Wong about the voltage and she explained that the small electrical current provides consistent stimulation at the meridian points for the set time, which is more comfortable for the patient. (I have to admit that I usually fall asleep during the 40-minute treatments.)
trodes

Each area of the body will have a separate meter that controls the intensity of the current. The aide will ask you to let her know when you begin to feel the current, then will slowly increase the flow until it is comfortable but still tingly. Feedback between patient and aide is very important here — tingling sensations are good, aches or sharp pain mean adjustments are necessary. I often have needles in my hands and on or near my feet (my needle placements are usually symmetrical but not always), and often a hand or foot on one side but not the other (it’s always my right side), will twitch or “jump” (see photos below). Dr. Wong identified these as areas with blockage of Chi — the twitching is caused by the current pushing its way through the blockage (imagine water accumulating behind a blockage and a small amount finally pushing its way through; it comes out in a forceful gush on the other side). For me, it’s a source of amazement how the theoretical meridians become concrete when you can see a physical manifestation of your condition jumping so vividly!
twitch

Once you’re comfortably stimulated, lights are lowered and a heat lamp is turned on if you feel a chill, then you are left in quiet peace for 30-40 minutes. At some point you may be roused and asked whether you are still comfortable ("I was asleep!") and whether you still feel a tingle in each area. If tingling has subsided, the current may be increased.

At the end of the session, the meters are turned off and disconnected by an aide, but the doctor will return to remove and dispose of each needle herself. If she hasn’t already discussed how to follow up treatments at home, Dr. Wong will often take this time to advise on appropriate home care. In addition to taking herbal brews, this may include foods to limit or increase in your diet, and appropriate types of exercise. The difference between these recommendations and those in Western practices is that they, like the diagnoses, are discussed in terms of Chi. For instance, a person with a strong Fire element and an excess of Yang may be told to limit red meat, and spicy foods and herbs, and to swim in the ocean (Water) or take walks in the woods (Earth) to calm the strong Fire.

Both T and I usually feel very relaxed after a session, and "lightened" as if a heaviness has been lifted from somewhere. I sometimes feel an ache in my right arm at the site of one of the needle insertions. The ache will come and go depending on how active that arm is (am I using it for writing, typing, or stirring pots), and whether it is exposed to a draft or cold; it tends to dissipate after tai chi exercises, Reiki, and drinking my prescription "tea." According to the doctor, these are long-standing blockages in the affected meridian and active meditative practices such as tai chi or Qi Gong do help to clear these blocks.

As you return to the front room, if you’ve agreed to take an herbal “tea” you will find small paper bags which an herbologist has carefully weighed and assembled containing the assortment the doctor has prescribed for you. Each bag will brew 1-3 doses, and each prescription will have specific instructions on how to boil the mixture. If this is your first visit, take a moment to read the directions and ask the herbologist any questions you may have.

Now you’re ready to continue your journey to better health at home. See you by the teapot in the next part of the series...

Dr. Clara Wong, D.Ac., is at Acupuncture & Herbs from China at 1112 Smith Street, between Hotel and Pauahi Sts., in Honolulu. Telephone for appointments only: (808) 524-8837 (phone consultations not available).

See also:
Acupuncture, Part I: An Overview
Acupuncture, Part III: Brewing Teas at Home

Tags: Healing

Four Allii Tart: An Onion Pie Fit for a King

May/15/2008 12:02

Washington has its Walla-Walla, and Georgia has the Vidalia, but did you know that Hawaii also has its own sweet onion — the Ewa Sweet. More petite than its Mainland cousins, the Ewa (EH-vah) Sweet can be used in any way that you would use a Vidalia or Walla-Walla. Low-acid and natural sweetness make it an ideal salad and pickling onion. In season now until June, this sweet treat should be savored during its short season.

One of our rare favorite treats is a caramelized onion and chevre tart. The contrast between the sweetness in the long-cooked onions and the tangy goat cheese is wonderful, especially when chased with a crisp sauvignon blanc. We have this treat so rarely because cooked in the traditional way, the onions take up to 3 hours to fully caramelize. I wondered if we could achieve a similar sweetness with the sweet onions in a shorter cooking time. I wouldn't want to actually caramelize sweet onions because I'm afraid their innate sweetness would become cloying and unpalatable except in very small doses (as in a jam). We wanted to cook them just enough to heighten their flavor. Local leeks, garlic chives and flat chives were added to lend some complexity. The dough for the pastry shell is a classic German Mürbteig — this water-less dough is easy to make and extremely forgiving, and bakes up to a crisp shell that can support a heavy filing like this one.

In the end, I'd say this tart was a winner. I especially liked the addition of the leeks. The flavor of the garlic chives was not discernible, but the flat chives lent some pleasing astringency to the mix. I think T would still prefer the caramelized version since he loves the sweet & burnt effect on any vegetable, but I prefer the flavors in this combination. Too bad the sweet onion season is so short!

The name of this tart is a play on the Hawaiian word for the ruling class, Ali'i (with one 'L'). Onions, leeks and chives all belong to the plant genus Allium, Latin plural Allii. In future we'll make the classic caramelized version and the Pfälzer Zwiebelkuchen, a custard leek tart, for comparison and contrast for Alliophiles everywhere.

THE 4 ALLII TART
(For a 12-inch tart tin)
For the Shell:
1-1/4 cup (125g) regular flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
5-1/2 TBL. (70g) unsalted butter, cut into small dice then chilled
1 extra-large (64g) egg, beaten

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add butter pieces and blend well using your fingers or a pastry blender (or if you're a glutton for punishment, two knives). If you live in a particularly warm or humid climate, you may want to return the dough to refrigerator for 10-15 minutes after this workout. To continue, add egg and knead well to moisten all the dough until you have a smooth pastry. Cover with wax paper or plastic wrap, and let dough rest for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 425F/215-220C)
Roll out dough to a 14-inch circle (for a 12-inch tin, or at least 2 inches larger than the diameter of your tin). Fit dough into tin, gently pressing sides and bottom to fit. Trim excess dough by rolling pin over the edges of the tin. Prick bottom with fork, cover with parchment or doubled-wax paper and fill with a single layer of rice, beans or pie weights. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then remove paper and weights, and bake an additional 2-3 minutes, or until pale tan in color. Remove tart tin to rack to cool.

4 Ewa Sweet onions (about 1 lb./225g), or equivalent weight of a Mainland variety
2 large leeks (about 1lb./225g)
small handful of flat chives, about 40 stems
20 garlic chives
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt
1 tsp. caraway seeds (optional)

Prepare a solution of 1/4 cup vinegar in a half-gallon of clean water in a non-reactive container You are going to use this to wash all the onions/chives. (Why use vinegar to clean vegetables? Read more in the preserving lemons post)

First, wash both chives in this solution and rinse them with cool running water. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Save flowering heads of the garlic chives as a garnish. (I saved them but forgot to put them in the picture!)

Rinse whole leeks in clean water to remove surface dirt, then wash them through the vinegar-water. Pat dry and slice cross-wise, at a slight diagonal, through the white and light green parts. Fill a separate container with another hlaf-gallon of clean water, and place the sliced leeks in the bowl. Gently swish through and then leave for a 5-10 minutes. Lift the leeks out of the water into a colander to drain. DO NOT dump out the water and leeks into the colander! You will put back all the loose grit and dirt that has settled to the bottom of the bowl! (Save the dark green parts of the leeks in the freezer for your next soup stock.)

Last, wash the onions in the vinegar-water. (Why wash onions if you're going to peel them anyway? Consider where they've been in their long journey to your kitchen. Putting an unwashed onion — or any vegetable or fruit — on your cutting board is contaminating your hands and board before you even start.) Pat dry and thinly slice.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet onions and leeks, stir to coat with oil, then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 35-40 minutes, or until onions have become translucent (see photo). Add both chives, sea salt and caraway seeds, if using, and continue cooking for 10 minutes (when adding salt, consider that the goat cheese contains a fair amount of salt and adjust your salt here). Using a slotted spoon, remove onions from pan, leaving all juices behind. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before assembling tart.
4zwiebel_koch

To assemble:
1 log (60g) chevre, sliced into 8 pieces
ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400F/200C.

Place bed of drained onions on pre-baked tart shell. Season well with pepper and dot with goat cheese. Bake tart for 15 minutes, or just until onions and cheese start to take on color.

Garnish with reserved chive flowers and fresh pepper. Serve slightly warm or cold. Serves 8 as first course, or 3-4 as a meal along with a crisp green salad and baguette.

Tags: Appetizers, Local produce

Pan-Fried Opakapaka with Warm Spiced Cabbage Salad

May/13/2008 16:03

opaka_cabbsalad02

This entire meal came together in under an hour, including the time to defrost and marinate the fish. The ingredients for the warm salad may seem exotic, but dals and brown mustard seeds can often be found in the bulk section of well-stocked health food stores so you may not have to look too far afield to find what you need for this salad. It may seem an unusual way to use lentils and beans — to dry fry them instead of boiling them — but once you get a taste for the nutty crunch and spice they lend to foods you, too, will find reasons to serve them again! The combination of cabbage and coconut is one we fell in love with when we first tried Brussel Sprouts with Coconut last fall, so this was an easy sell even if it weren't so quick to assemble and cook.

WARM SPICED CABBAGE SALAD
3 TBL. mustard oil, or olive oil (not EVOO)
2 tsp. channa dal
2 tsp. urad dal
1 tsp. brown mustard seeds
20 fresh curry leaves (optional)
1-4 serrano chiles, seeded and sliced
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 carrot, julienned or grated
sea salt
1/2 cup grated coconut

Heat oil in wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add dals and mustard seeds, and fry until mustard seeds start to pop (about 10 seconds). Add curry leaves, if using, and stir through. Add chiles
and stir through, then cabbage, carrots and sea salt. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook until cabbage just wilts, about 8-10 minutes. Add coconut, and stir to heat through. Turn off heat and leave covered until ready to serve.

opaka_froz

Crimson red snapper, known locally as opakapaka, is found in Hawaiian waters but is one of several species that are still under a fishing ban in the main Islands. The local fisheries council instituted the ban in 2006 to allow the opakapaka population to recover from over-fishing. The only opakapaka available here now arrives flash-frozen from Asia and the northern Hawaiian Islands. Of course, most "fresh" fish in supermarkets and fishmongers arrives frozen, and what we are buying is actually thawed fish. As long as frozen fish is protected from freezer burn, as with these shrink-wrapped individual fillets, you can always have "fresh" fish in your freezer and available at a moment's notice. In these photos, the frozen fillets were thawed in 15 minutes in a cool salt bath, towel-dried and produced the fillets on the right. I use about 1/3 cup coarse sea salt to 1.5 qt/L. of cold water, stirred vigorously to dissolve the salt. Frozen fillets are added to the water and left for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. The trick is not to leave the fillets in longer than this or they can become water-logged. Pat dry the fish, and use immediately.

CORIANDER-MUSTARD OPAKAPAKA
2 fillets opakapaka, or other snapper, fillets (with skin on)
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground yellow mustard powder (e.g., Coleman's)
4 tsp. fresh lime or lemon juice
fine sea salt
oil for cooking

Combine coriander and mustard powders. Sprinkle spices onto skinless side of fish, and gently massage. Drizzle 2 tsp. of lemon juice on each fillet. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Pre-heat skillet large enough to hold both fillets over medium-high heat. Add oil to skillet. Season fillets with sea salt, and place skinless side down on skillet. Cook for 1 minute and turn heat down to medium. Cook another 2-3 minutes, or until browned crust forms and releases from pan. Turn fish over and cook another 2-3 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. It will flake easily when cooked.

To assemble, mound cabbage onto plate and place fish on top. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Tags: 5-A-Day, Fish, Indian

Acupuncture, Part I: An Overview

May/12/2008 23:12

I know I’ve talked about this series on acupuncture with several readers and friends. It was first postponed because we went off-line for one week, and now is further delayed because last week I remembered to bring the medical releases to the clinic, but...forgot the camera. *smacking forehead* My next opportunity to take photos of the test subject is next week. Yes, I should ask the acupuncturist whether forgetfulness can be treated with needles, too.

So begging your indulgence for this dense post, I’m going to go ahead with a quick overview of acupuncture. The next post will cover the clinic experience — what to expect and what it feels like. A third post will look at the homework you can anticipate when you’re back from the clinic (yes, there’s homework).

moore

CHI

When you think of acupuncture, you probably think of needles. Lots of them. And while this is certainly a defining aspect of acupuncture — versus say, acupressure or massage — it really isn’t the heart of it. Instead, to understand how acupuncture works, we have to re-visit the concept of Chi (chee), also spelled Qi, or Ki (kee) in Japanese (as in Rei-ki).

“Chi” is probably one of the most difficult concepts for the Western mind to wrap itself around. It is defined here by a physician trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), identified only as Dr. Fang, in Dr. David Eisenberg’s (MD) seminal book on TCM, Encounters with Qi (W.W. Norton & Co., 1985):

‘Qi means that which differentiates life from death, animate from inanimate. To live is to have Qi in every part of your body. To die is to be a body without Qi. For health to be maintained, there must be a balance of Qi, neither too much nor too little.’ (page 43)

In English, it is most often translated as "universal life force," or "vital essence." TCM understands Chi as existing not only within the body, but also in the environment — we take in nutritional Chi by the foods we eat, and breathe in air Chi by respiration.

TCM envisions the body’s Chi as existing in and running through channels, or meridians, that are interconnected and that affect each other in different relationships. Each meridian is linked to a major organ in the body, and is often named after the organ with which it is associated (e.g., the Lung Meridian). Through the meridians, Chi circulates through the healthy body in a defined pattern, delivering needed nutrition to organs and removing wastes and toxins. When there is an imbalance in one meridian, it can cause a domino effect in the other meridians, both behind and forward of the unbalanced or blocked channel. If left untreated, the body’s Chi becomes weak and leaves the body susceptible to both internal and external factors that can precipitate disease and illness.

It is the role of the TCM physician not to diagnosis the disease or condition (pneumonia, migraine, back pain, etc.), but rather the underlying root of the imbalance in the body’s Chi. The condition is merely a symptom of a deeper issue — the physician is interested in Why the pneumonia, migraine, etc., has been able to overcome the body’s protective Chi. In every case the answer will be different because each patient will have different circumstances that bring on their health crisis. Therefore, two people who enter a TCM physician’s office with the same complaint (e.g., migraines) are likely to have completely different treatment regimes.

For we who are accustomed to the treatment model, “You have this condition, take this pill” this takes a moment to sink in. It is the meaning of “Holistic” — that individuals require treatments tailored for their individual circumstance. Wow, what a concept. And that is the feel-good side of holistic practices: you’re not just a condition, you’re an individual. The flip-side of holistic practices (acupuncture included) is that these treatments are not magic bullets, and they often don’t provide immediate relief of the symptoms that bring us to the TCM physician’s clinic. Sometimes symptoms will even get worse for awhile, before they get better.

The thing to keep in mind is this: the series of circumstances that finally brings on physical symptoms in the form of disease or illness are often the result of years, even decades, of accumulated poor practices (lousy diet, poor sleep habits, lack of exercise) and environmental influences (stress, weather, trauma). It won’t be undone in a day, a week, or even a month. As for worsening symptoms, this is also something recognized in Western medicine. My father suffers with large tophi (uric acid crystallizations) that leave his hands and knees deformed and painful. His internist warned him that the low-purine diet he was prescribed should slowly dissolve the acid crystals, but that as the crystals dissolved they would re-enter the blood stream before being eliminated through the kidneys. The sudden influx of uric acid in the blood could trigger a painful gout attack, in which case his medication dosages would be adjusted. Eventually the tophi should be eliminated; and if he maintains a sensible diet, the gout attacks also minimized.

DIAGNOSIS

In TCM, diagnoses are made in terms of Chi: Is there enough Chi? Is it active (Yang) or stagnant (Yin)? What channels/meridians are affected? What internal and external factors are affecting the meridians?

To reach a diagnosis, the physician will use carefully defined techniques, some of which have been chronicled, practiced, and adapted for 2000 years. These include pulse-taking, examining the tongue, specific questioning, and observation of the patient's speech, smell, color and appearance. We will touch on those more in the next part in the series, The Clinic Visit.

ACUPUNCTURE

So how does acupuncture work? The theory behind TCM is simple enough: restore balance to the body’s Chi and the body can begin to heal itself. A primary use for acupuncture is the stimulation of points along affected meridians to allow Chi to travel as it should on its appointed route.

TCM teaches that there are 12 meridian pairs running symmetrically along the left and right sides of the body, 2 non-paired meridians that run along the midline of the torso and head, and collateral meridians which are points that connect meridians to one another. Each meridian has a defined number of points; some have as few 9, others over 60; for a total of over 300 points.

In acupuncture, meridian points are influenced with the insertion of long, thin needles, which may also be used to conduct a mild electric current. The needles can release accumulated Chi in a blocked meridian (in much the same way accumulated water is released when a pipe is cleaned), or stimulate slow-moving or stagnant Chi to circulate more freely (imagine fresh water coming in to a tidepool), or divert Chi from one meridian to another. In each case, the goal is to restore the open circulation of Chi.

Another use for acupuncture is pain management and anesthesia. Even non-TCM physicians can use acupuncture to manage pain in chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia or diabetes. In these cases, needles are inserted at meridian points which are thought to release endorphins into the body to lessen pain. This can be used in conjunction with meridian points that also support body functions that contribute to the patient’s comfort and well-being in managing his overall condition (e.g., blood cell production, elimination of toxins by the liver and kidneys, etc.). Acupuncture has also been used in lieu of or with local anesthetics to control pain during surgery or painful treatments.

FINDING A PRACTITIONER

Finally, if you're considering acupuncture for yourself, Dr. Kidson offers some practical advice about choosing a practitioner and what to expect. First, she cautions that most governing bodies of complementary medicine do not allow their registered members to advertise (Yellow pages listing or "Accepting new patients" notices in newspapers are allowed), so be wary of flyers that promote acupuncture for specific illnesses; in fact, your best bet may be to seek personal recommendations. Second, consider whether you are interested in pain management only or a more holistic approach, then check whether the acupuncturist you are interested in has earned a degree (a longer more comprehensive program with an holistic approach) or taken course work in treating symptomatic pain. During your first appointment, describe your condition and ask whether the practitioner can treat it, what the limitations of treatment are, and how long you might expect treatment to continue; the practitioner should be willing to recommend other treatment options if you don't show improvement over time. To these I would add, familiarize yourself with the licensing requirements in your jurisdiction; every country — and in the U.S., every state — has different requirements and allows different titles to be used. You can read Hawaii's regulations regarding acupuncture in full: H.R.S. §436E: Acupuncture Practice (I could no longer find these readable on-line, this link will download a PDF file to your computer).

I didn't pick up Dr. Kidson's book until after my second treatment, so it was sheer good fortune that we found the TCM practitioner we did. Although she limits her practice in Hawaii to acupuncture and herbology, she also trained as a medical doctor specializing in acupuncture in her home country. Her training allows us to talk to her about our medical conditions, and she has advised us when to seek further Western medical diagnoses too. In the next part of this series, you'll meet the charming Dr. Wong, D.Ac., in her clinic.

Acupuncture, Part II: The Clinic Visit
Acupuncture, Part III: Brewing Teas at Home

Tags: Healing

No Bacon Butty? Try a Ham on Poi Muffin

May/08/2008 14:09

Over at the Golden Arches, there are often featured items that cater to local tastes, like the occasional Taro or Haupia Pies in Hawaii. If I were the man with the curly red wig, this is what I would have on the breakfast menu over there. A breakfast sandwich with char-siu ham, furikake-dressed egg cooked medium-soft in a butter-kissed poi english muffin. No need cheese, it's too tasty already.

This is going out to Sandy in San Antonio, who asked in December what a Bacon Butty was (at first we thought it was "bacon buddy" — it was referenced on a British sitcom). I've had no luck finding any back bacon on Oahu, and regular or Canadian bacon really isn't the same. With Hawaii's historical ties to England, you'd think you could find more British products around here (bangers, yes; back bacon, no). I know my little creation bears absolutely no resemblance to a Bacon Butty, but hey, it hits the spot for grease and whimsy. Have you had better luck making a Bacon Butty? (Read a BBC report on the scientific method to the perfect bacon butty)

Tags: Hawaii

Crispy Nori-Wrapped Walu & Shrimp with Papaya Coulis

May/05/2008 10:11

The three times we've gone out to dinner for our anniversary here in Hawaii have all been disappointments. So this year I decided to make something at home instead. Armed with a new cookbook from local chef Elmer Guzman (recommended by Laurie in Alaska!), I borrowed ideas from 2-3 different dishes to create this: a nori-wrapped walu and shrimp lumpia and a citrusy papaya coulis.

Walu is sold here as "Hawaiian butterfish" but is properly known as Escolar — a very white, flaky and oily fish that is actually banned in Japan and Italy because it can cause intestinal upset if not prepared properly (grill or pan-fry to release the oils that cause upset) or if consumed in too great a quantity (no more than 6 oz. per person). But I'm not scared! I love the unusual firm but most texture and mid flavor, and especially enjoyed this preparation. However, any firm flaky fish, such as tilapia, cod, halibut, snapper or even catfish would do well as a substitute here.

I love the flavor of nori in this, and I think it makes for a nice presentation, but if it would dissuade you from trying this, then feel free to leave it out. For the coulis, I paired the papaya with lime juice — a winning local flavor combination — and added a splash of wine vinegar for acidity to cut through the oiliness of both the walu itself, and the deep-fired shell. If you can find nigella, also called onion seeds, at a health food store (in the bulk spice section) or an Indian grocer, the peppery black seeds make a wonderful counterpoint to the flavors in the coulis and fish; otherwise, black sesame seeds or even crushed papaya seeds can be used for presentation.

It was a great marriage of contrasts and balance — crispy yet meltingly soft fish, and sweet but tart fruit sauce.
Kind of like a couple I know. . .

CRISPY NORI-WRAPPED WALU & SHRIMP W/PAPAYA COULIS
(inspired by The Shoreline Chef, by Elmer Guzman)
For the Papaya Coulis:
1 ripe papaya, peeled, halved and seeded
sea salt
1/2 tsp. raw sugar
2 tsp. white wine vinegar, or 3 tsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. fresh lime juice

Place all ingredients except lime juice in a small saucepan. Using a hand or stick blender, puree papaya until smooth. Cook over medium heat until it just starts to bubble, about 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to low and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice. Taste and correct seasoning — you shouldn't "taste" vinegar or salt at all, only the papaya and lime.

For the Shrimp Filling:
6 oz. shrimp, peeled and coarsely diced
1 large piece of dried Chinese black fungus (tree ear, or mok yee), rehydrated and cut in slivers
sea salt
ground white pepper
2 tsp. sake or Chinese rice wine
1 stalk of Chinese flowering chives, or flat garlic chives
1/2 tsp. corn starch

Combine all ingredients, and leave to marinate at least 20 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours in fridge.

3-4oz. of walu, tilapia, cod, halibut or other firm flaky fish, filet cut into 4 equal pieces
(This step is only necessary if you are using Walu. For other types of fish, I would skip this.) Pan-fry each filet piece in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat. Brown all sides. Lay on paper towels to cool completely.

To assemble:
4 sheets of lumpia or egg-roll wrappers (covered with a lightly dampened cloth while working)
2 sheets of nori for sushi, each cut in half
water, to seal rolls

To Finish:
Nigella, or onion seeds
Flowering chives

Preheat oil in wok or other deep-fryer to 375F.
Lay lumpia wrapper on clean dry surface. Place nori in center of wrapper (you may have to trim nori so it doesn't cover the top end of the wrapper, or you won't be able to seal it).
Place fish on nori near the bottom edge, and a few spoonfuls of shrimp on fish (see photo at left).
Bring bottom end to cover fish/shrimp, then fold sides to center around filling (middle photo).
Keeping gentle pressure on the filling as you roll (to keep it tight), roll to the top. Wet top edge of wrapper with water (photo at right), before last roll to seal.
Repeat 3 more times.
walu_lumpia_rollstart

Fry 2 at time so they don't crowd the wok. Cook for about 5 minutes total, turning lumpia over after 3 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining lumpia. If using flowering chives, make certain they are completely dry (or it will splatter and you will burn yourself), and hold one end of chives and briefly dip flowering end into hot oil. Drain.

To serve, slice each roll in half on a sharp diagonal. I originally wanted to serve this on a bed of chewy soba noodles, but in the end I was really craving rice so that's what we had this time. Buckwheat soba noodles would also go well with both the fish and the coulis. Place fish on and around rice or noodles, drizzle coulis around edge of plate and sprinkle with nigella. Garnish with chives.

Tags: Fish, Local produce

Pears, Blue Cheese & Walnuts w/Baby Greens

May/04/2008 11:19

salad_bleupoire_fan

We don't have green salads very often, but our hands-down favorite is this pear, blue cheese & toasted walnuts on a bed of baby greens. Now pears, nuts and cheeses can also serve as a or pre-dessert or dessert course, and I actually prefer this salad after the entree. The acriditiy in the walnuts and mustardy, nutty vinaigrette is the perfect foil for the play between the sweet pears and salty, musky cheese. This is another one of those dishes where the synergy in the whole surpasses the sum of the individual parts.

Of course, the star here is the blue cheese so use the best quality you can find, Maytag and Amish blues are our favorites in the US; Roquefort (Papillon brand, if available) in the Continent. The pears, too are important; search out ones with a creamy texture when ripe such as Bartletts/Williams or Packhams. Oriental/nashi pears are delicious, but the synergy is not present when we tried this combination. And don't forget the walnuts. I don't like walnuts — in any recipe where I can substitute another nut or omit them completely, I will do it in a New Your minute! But there's something about the tannins in the skins and the slightly sweet taste brought on by the toasting that makes the walnuts a crucial part of the synergy. The salad seems "flat" without them — see, we did try to leave them out once!

PEAR, BLUE CHEESE & WALNUTS WITH BABY GREENS AND HAZELNUT VINAIGRETTE
For 2 people
Place salad plates in refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.

1/2 cup walnuts
Preheat small counter top oven to 400F/200C. Position oven rack to the highest tier. Chop nuts coarsely and place them on a tray. When oven is fully pre-heated, place nuts in top rack and roast for one minute, then turn off heat and lave oven door closed until pan completely cools. Meanwhile, prepare vinaigrette and salad.

For the Hazelnut Vinaigrette:
1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
1/4 tsp. sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. raw sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. white or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup hazelnut oil (or walnut oil)

In a small bowl, put mustard, salt, pepper, sugar and lemon juice and whisk well to dissolve salt and sugar. Add vinegar and whisk again until incorporated. Add all of the oil, and whisk vigorously to emulsify. Set aside.

2 firm-ripe Bartlett, or other creamy type, pears
4 cups of baby greens, or mache
2 oz. chunk of Maytag or other quality blue cheese

Peel pears, then quarter lengthwise and remove core. Slice each quarter lengthwise into 3-4 pieces.
Place 2 cups of greens on each chilled plate. and lay 2 quarters (1/2 pear) over greens.
With a fork, separate small chunks of cheese and scatter over salad. Add cooled walnuts.
Drizzle Vinaigrette over all and serve immediately with or without sliced baguettes on the side.

Tags: 5-A-Day, Fruits

Stuffed Chicken Roll-up

May/03/2008 12:23

We actually dined on this in March, shortly after my dad returned to Guam and we found we still had ground chicken in the freezer. We don't usually buy ground chicken, but it was the best meat alternative for his gout maintenance diet. I wanted to make something a little different than the meatloaf or meatball alternatives running through my head. We also had some beautiful asparagus and a large quantity of caponata newly made. Instead of adding it all into a loaf, what if we rolled it into the center of a meat casing. How would they go together?

Pretty well, actually. Although the roll did not hold its shape as well as it might have with ground beef or pork, the flavors melded well. The lightly seasoned chicken and fresh asparagus absorbed the salty play of flavors in the eggplant relish. Served over a bed of polenta-style grits with oyster mushrooms, it was a colorful and satisfying meal. I used a lot more caponata than I would have liked (less for me to snack on), but I didn't begrudge the loss of my favorite appetizer (too much).

STUFFED CHICKEN ROLL-UP WITH ASPARAGUS & CAPONATA
For the ground meat mixture:
1.5 lb ground chicken (or beef, pork)
sea salt to taste
ground black pepper
1/2 medium onion, diced fine
1 medium egg (optional -- if I made this with ground chicken again, I would omit the egg so the roll might keep its shape better)

Combine all ingredients well. Chill until needed.

To Finish:
4-6 spears of asparagus (depending on width of spears)
1-1/2 cups prepared Caponata (recipe)

On a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap (about 16" long), form meat mixture into a rectangle, about 12" long and 6" wide.
chxroll_close

Add layer of caponata to within 1/2-inch of the long side closest to you and 2" from the far end. Lay asparagus spears side-by-side over caponata.

Using the paper/plastic wrap as a guide, begin to roll the meat over the filling, jelly roll or sushi style. When completely enclosed, twist ends of plastic/wax closed and tuck under. Place roll on cookie sheet and leave in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 400F/200C.

Lightly oil a baking sheet, and place chilled meat roll on sheet. Drizzle olive oil over loaf, if using chicken. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn heat down to 350F/180C and continue baking for 20 more minutes. Allow to cool on the sheet for 15 minutes. Using a wide fish slice/spatula, remove roll to cutting board and slice on the diagonal.

Serve with mashed potatoes, polenta or pasta.

Tags: Chicken

Passing the torch

May/03/2008 10:20

E-badge_lrg

Well, we’ve enjoyed having the “E for Excellent” badge all to ourselves for 2 weeks, and now it’s time to pass it on. Nicisme, baking, clicking and blogging in the UK via Cherrapeno awarded ThreeTastes with this badge. And now we’d like to award it to five sites that define Excellence for us:

1. The Tasty Island: Pomai is for me the arbiter of Hawaiian culinaria. He not only covers the best and the tastiest of restaurants and drive-inns, but also explores the minutiae of Hawaiian classics: ramens vs. saimins, Spam and its look-alikes, loco-mocos, you name it. I read and often think, "I did NOT know that!" and then have to fix myself some kind of snack. Also check out his great how-to guides on local favorites like kalua pork, ashtibitchi, and Portuguese bean soup, to name a few.

2. Rubber Slippers in Italy: Kauai-expat Rowena lives, eats, gardens and travels in and around the Lecco province of northern Italy, near Milan, with her Westie, Maddie, and husband, MotH, and shares her adventures with us with wit, whimsy, and often thought-provoking comment. She's a local girl living my dream life in Italia: searching out festas and sagras, local delicacies, and allowing us a peek behind the curtain at the marvel that is Italy. *sigh*

3. Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska: when you first read the title of this weblog, it’s understandable if you do a double-take. Mediterranean cooking. In Alaska?? But Laurie will make a believer out of you. A “recovering attorney” (I can say this, as someone with the same affliction) and part-time resident of Greece, Laurie’s attention to detail and sprinkling of helpful tips belie her former profession and her love for her topic. On her site, also check out her book, “Tastes Like Home,” a collection of recipes from members of her Greek Orthodox church — the proceeds of the book go directly to building their new church.

4. Lavaterra: lavaterra pens her eponymous weblog from her corner of Munich to share her inventive baking, cooking, and Wandern (hiking) in and around her hometown. I love her posts because she shows such fearlessness when it comes to trying new foods, techniques, and spices. She writes mostly in German, and hers is one of several German sites I visit to keep my reading skills semi-current. Thankfully, she accepts comments in English since she is a Canada-phile and fluent in English.

5. Obachan’s Kitchen & Balcony Garden: Obachan is the Japanese familiar, “Auntie,” and also the pen-name for this wry and insightful Japanese gourmand living in the rural village of Kochi, Japan. Obachan shares her kitchen experiments and glimpses of life in her community in sometimes poetic, always delicious prose. Reading her posts, I always marvel to think that she is writing in a second language (English)!

Thank you, All! (Mahalo, Grazie mille, , Vielen Dank, Domo arigato gozaimasu) I hope you enjoy your Award. When you're ready, you can pass this badge on to your favorite five sites too.

Preserving the Perfume of Lemons

May/02/2008 12:16

So how do we take beautiful but tough-skinned lemons like these and turn them into the succulent, translucent beauties known as Preserved Lemons? All you need are 1-2 sterilized jars and lids, 10 lemons, one cup of coarse sea salt, and after 5 days, some olive oil. Plus 4-6 weeks of patience.

Our efforts, however, will be rewarded with nothing short of liquid gold. Yes, you can use the rinds in tagines like Chicken with Preserved Lemons & Olives, but the briny lemony curing liquid is also a quick flavor boost for dressings, marinades, and drinks; and even the oil sealing in the lemons can add a touch of clean citrus flavor when used to pan-fry meats or fish, or saute vegetables.

The end result will look like the next 2 photos. Admittedly, not pretty perhaps. But here is a jar filled with a perfumed elixir redolent of sunshine and citrus, ready to bring the light and lightness of summer to any dish, savory or sweet. In the depths of winter, it's a real joy to have one of these jars gleaming at the back of the fridge, promising that summer will return, and boosting our spirits until it does. (I did have 8 winters in Germany and Boston before we moved to Hawaii . . . I remember the feeling!)
The last of the presrved lemons

The Jars

You can use a single 1 quart/liter jar for 6 lemons, or 2 half-liters with 3 lemons each. The advantage of using 2 jars is two-fold. I find they're easier to store in the fridge; and opening the second jar for the first time in the middle of winter is a special kind of present for the chef. (In the photos below you see one half-liter bottle with 3 lemons.) Sterilize your jars and lids as you would for canning.

The Lemons

If you have access to particularly flavorful lemon varieties such as Meyers or Sorrentos, by all means use those, but regular lemons will work just as well (I've only ever used regular lemons, but will cheerfully accept donations of Meyers or Sorrentos if someone wants me to experiment with those!). If you can find organic ones, even better. No matter what variety, look for lemons that are unblemished and with a firm skin.

Wash the lemons well. I used to lightly scrub the surface with a soft vegetable brush (not a potato brush, the bristles are too hard and will release the precious lemon oils into the wash water). A couple of years ago, however, I started looking for alternatives to remove pesticides and dirt from all produce and found many sites recommending soaking or washing with white vinegar, so we adopted this method with great success. Then last fall, National Public Radio ran a story ("What does it take to clean fresh food,") about the importance of removing pesticides and dirt from all produce before using, and recommended using white vinegar. The magazine Cook's Illustrated has also tested white vinegar against a commercial vegetable cleaner for 2 purposes: 1) removing wax from vegetables (they tested cucumbers, but apples, lemons and other citrus are also waxed, see April 2007 edition), and 2) killing bacteria (March 2007). In both cases, they recommended plain white vinegar over the purchased product. (The NPR story link is accessible to anyone, but the CI articles are available to members only on the Web, but check your library for back issues.)

Now I soak the lemons in a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/2 gallon of water for about a minute, then rinse in cool water. Dry each lemon with a clean paper towel. (If you lightly rub the surface of a lemon with your thumb before and after this brief soak, you will appreciate just how much wax, if nothing else, is removed by this simple step.) And since the prized part of preserving lemons is the rind, it's really a step worth doing.

Cut 6 of the lemons into 6-8 pieces, depending on the size of each. Remove straggler seeds that can be reached without having to dig too hard into each piece. Cut remaining 4 lemons in half crosswise and juice well with a lemon reamer or juicer. Keep juice aside. (If you're feeling really motivated, zest the lemons before cutting in half, and keep zest either in the freezer for future use; or add to 4 cups of sugar in an air-tight container and keep for 2 weeks, after which you will have a wonderful lemon sugar to use in baking or iced tea.)

The Salt

I prefer coarse sea salt, but kosher salt will work too — what you're looking for is a salt that is minimally processed, and is not Iodized. Iodized salt will cloud and add a strange off-taste to your finished product. Measure out about a cup of salt for every 6 lemons you intend to preserve. Put 2 tablespoons or so of salt into the bottom of your sterilized jar, and place first layer of lemon pieces atop salt. Cover with 2-3 more spoonfuls of salt, then next layer of lemons. Continue layering salt and lemons, ending with salt. If you're doing 2 separate half-liter jars, you will probably need 1-2 more tablespoons of salt for each jar.

Using a sterilized spoon, press on the lemons to pack them well, then add reserved lemon juice. Cover and leave in a warm dark place.
Days One thru Five of preserving lemons

Day Two. The lemons will begin to soften, use a sterilized spoon to press them below the juice line as much as possible, and shake gently to re-distribute the salt.

Day Three - Five. Repeat process of pressing down lemons and shaking bottle.

On Day Five, after pressing lemons, gently tap bottom of the jar against the counter several times to ensure all air bubbles have been released. Top mixture with olive oil to seal: place the back (rounded side) of a spoon about and inch above the juice line, and touching the inside of the jar, and slowly pour oil over the spoon — this will allow the oil to just sit over the juice and lemons with splattering. Add about an inch of oil. Cover and place in a dark cool corner of the pantry.

And now we wait. Today is the end of the Week One. Only 3-5 more weeks to go. The end time is determined by the weather, the types of lemons, quantity being preserved, etc. The rinds on these particular lemons looked a bit thick, so I'm guessing these will take another 4 weeks (for a total of 5) before they're done. If you find a thinner-rinded lemon, like the Meyers, yours might be ready in 4 weeks total. You can follow the transformation of this batch at the Lemon Vigil, which will be in the sidebar for the next 2 months. I'll put up a photo each Friday with notes about any special care the lemons needed. When the lemons are ready, we'll have more recipes to try, too.

See also: Preserved Lemon & Almond Polenta Torta

Tags: Pantry

Chicken with Preserved Lemons & Olives

May/01/2008 13:18

This may look like a simple bottle of salt covered lemons, but in fact it's a statement — an acceptance of the fact that we won't be moving as soon as we had thought we would. Why? Because these preserved lemons won't be ready for another 4 to 6 weeks, so . . . here we will be for the near future. So while I will continue to use up most of our pantry stock, I will also have to re-stock some of our most frequently used and beloved items, such as preserved lemons.

But what is a preserved lemon and why would anyone want them in their pantry? Because they are one of the most concentrated and divine lemon-delivery systems yet devised. And one of the easiest to make at home. All you need are lemons, salt, a bit of olive oil (to seal the jar), and time. There are different types of preserved lemons, some cured only in salt (no juice), others which are spiced with cinnamon and other flavors. Our favorite style is preserved in salt and lemon juice only. Our first taste of this exotica was a jar of juice-and-salt preserved lemons purchased 10 years ago in a Turkish dry goods shop in Germany. It was such a revelation and so versatile an ingredient, our pantry has been stocked with it ever since (between moves anyway). But that first jar was also our last purchased jar, because once I learned how easy they were to make it seemed a shame to to buy them. But before we go through the making of the lemons, let's talk about one of the most popular uses for them.

These 2 photos were taken last year, though I used the last of that jar earlier this year to make our favorite Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives. You will find many versions of this dish all over the Internet, and with good reason. It's easy on the cook, slightly exotic but with familiar flavors, and elegant enough to serve to company. In fact, if you find yourself entertaining a mixed group of palates — some willing to try the exotic, some more sedate — this dish will often satisfy both. (Sometimes I leave out the word "Preserved" when offering this to some of the shy-er palates because they can find the descriptive off-putting, although they are also usually the ones most taken with the intense lemon flavor.)

Once cured, the lemon becomes nearly translucent (photo at right) and very soft. Cookbooks and recipes will usually advise you to separate the rind from the pulp, and discard the pulp. If I were using the lemons for a cake or a drink, I would use only the rind; but for this casserole style dish, I do include the separated pulp in the cooking medium for the added flavor, but it is not eaten.

We've tried different variations of this Middle Eastern classic, and this recipe is devised from many of those so I'm not sure I can say it is Turkish or Middle Eastern. I can tell you it's delicious, and is our current favorite recipe though we're still open to taste-testing other versions. Even keeping the spice combination the same, the most striking flavor difference can be wrought by changing the type of olives used. You can certainly mix green and black varieties, or go with your favorite one. The absolute best version we've made with this particular recipe used grande Spanish green olives (with pits), so if you have those around, do try them here. We prefer to keep the pits in almost all our cooking with olives, even pizza, but you can pit your olives before adding them to the dish. If you opt to leave the pits in, be sure to tell your guests to prevent a cracked tooth!

We used the last of our stash to make this chicken dish for my dad when he was visiting earlier this year. With all the lemons and spices, I thought it would be okay for him on his low-purine diet (without the chicken skin, of course). He really liked it, so I'm including it in the GDC round-up in case he's moved to try it at home sometime.

Make a hole through the olive oil seal to remove your lemon quarters, and reseal with additional oil if necessary. I've found the lemons will keep for up to a year in the fridge this way.

CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMONS & OLIVES
Please note that there is no salt specified in this recipe. That is because we use both the pulp and juice from the preserved lemons, which contain a lot of salt.

1 3-4 lb. (1.5-2kg) chicken, cut into serving size, or an equal weight of chicken thighs
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Combine cumin, coriander, paprika and pepper. Rub spice mixture into chicken, especially under the skin and between the bone and breast meat, if using whole chicken. Set aside for at least 30 mi

Three Tastes

Tao in the Kitchen