The Art of Seasoning

'Ancient Cumin' Almond quinoa pilaf

When you visit an Indian grocery store you may notice that there  are two types of cumin; Regular cumin and black cumin. Unless the recipe specifically calls for black cumin, do not substitute black cumin for regular cumin. Black cumin has a strong aroma and needs getting used to. If you have never tasted black cumin before, then go very easy when you are cooking with it  for the first time. 

The deep intense flavor of roasted cumin compliments Almonds and cranberries. Here I have added this aromatic mix to Quinoa, but feel free to add it to rice if you prefer. Quinoa is great substitute for rice and is loaded with nutrients It is called as a mother grain of grains as it has all the 8 amino acids. Quinoa is available in health stores

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups water boiling
½ cup cranberries
¼ cup chopped almonds
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves
¼ cup almonds, roasted and chopped
¼ cup cranberries
½ teaspoon salt

Bring water to a boil and keep aside
Rinse quinoa in water and drain. 
In a thick bottom pan add water and quinoa and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Lower the heat and cover the pan for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, but keep the cover on and let the steam finish the process of cooking. Keep aside

Heat a small pan, add oil and add cumin seeds.

Wait for it to sizzle.
Add cilantro and fry for 5-7 minutes till it is crisp,
throw in chopped almonds and cranberries
Roast it for 1-2 minutes and remove from heat.
Add salt and mix it with cooked quinoa.

Hema’s Hints:
You may substitute quinoa with cooked rice or couscous

'Ancient Cumin' Dietician's Delight salad

Cumin is one of ancient spices used by mankind and has been around for 5000 years. It is a native of the Nile Valley.
Cuimin seeds have a very distinct aroma and flavor and featured in nearly every cuisine around the world. There is a folklore stressing the importance of cumin from middle ages. ‘It was believed that a happy life awaited the bride and groom who carried the cumin seed throughout the wedding ceremony’

Two years ago, My childhood friend, Jayashri Chari  visited me from India. Once for lunch we had the rice and bean salad at a local Mexican restaurant. We enjoyed the salad but felt that, the plain white rice, could be replaced by a tomato flavored rice, which we enjoyed in India. Another change I decided to make was to use brown rice instead of white rice
So here is refreshing take on the Mexican rice and bean salad

Dietician’s delight Salad                                                            Serves 8
This salad has all the ingredients that a dietician ordered you to eatThis recipe may seem lengthy, while the rice and beans are being cooked, the vegetables can be chopped simultaneously. The Leftover salad can be packed for lunch the next day

Tomato flavored Rice:
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 inch ginger, minced
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup brown rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups water

Savory beans
1 can black beans (15 oz)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 inch ginger

Vegetables for salad
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
2-3 green chilies (optional)
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Salad dressing
3 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup oil
2 Tablespoon limejuice
1 teaspoon salt (or as per taste)

Garnish
¼ cup feta cheese
5-6 tortilla chips

Add two and half cups of water in a pot and bring it to a boil

Wash brown rice in water and drain.
Heat a thick bottom pan and add oil. Add cumin seeds and wait for it to sizzle. Throw in ginger paste and stir for a minute. Add tomato paste and stir for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the brown rice and 1 teaspoon salt, stir for 4-5 minutes.  Add the hot water and cook on high heat for 5 minutes, without a lid. Lower heat and cover with a tight fitting lid, and cook for 30 minutes. Keep aside

Savory beans
Drain beans from can and wash it thrice under running to remove as much sodium as possible. In a pot of boiling water add beans, ginger and cumin. Boil vigorously for 5 minutes and drain . Keep aside

Salad dressing
Heat a small frypan and add cumin and black pepper. Roast it till the cumin changes to a darker brown shade and roasted aroma is released. Cool and grind it coarsely in  mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, which is used only for spices. In a small bowl combine lime juice, oil and spice blend. Whisk it well

In a giant salad bowl add rice, chopped vegetables, beans and salad dressing. Mix it well. Finally add the garnish of feta cheese and tortilla chips. Mix gently and serve immediately

Hema’s Hints:
Mix the vegetable, rice and bean mix ahead of time.
Add salad dressing just before you eat to the required amount of salad
You may substitute white rice for brown rice
And kidney beans for black beans
For a creamy version of salad dressing, add ¼ cup of sour cream

 

Spicy Beginnings 'Spice it Up! ~Vegetarian cooking with attitude'

I was surfing the net the other day and I came across a very interesting article.
‘The real weapon of mass destruction is the excess salt, sugar and fat in our diet.’ http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/janet-street-porter/editoratlarge-sugar-salt-and-fat--the-real-weapons-of-mass-destruction-577802.html
I chuckled as I read it and could not ignore the strong message  that came through.
These three ingredients  make any food tasty but sadly, fosters a multitude of health problems too.

A very simple way to make any food tasty is to add either extra oil/butter, extra sugar, extra salt or the right blend of spices. Luckily spices add loads of flavor, benefit your health and have zero calories and zero fat. Eureka... so the only solution for making food healthy and tasty, is to add  the right blend of spices and herbs. A theme for a new show was born.

After an overwhelming response for 'Indian Vegetarian Gourmet' I decided to produce a new cooking show ‘Spice It Up’ to share my knowledge of spices and spice techniques.

 I am a rebel in the kitchen I love to mix spices with ingredients from different cuisine.  Like adding garlic infused oil to the quiche, or mixing in green chilies and cilantro to  scrambled eggs or  adding a dollop of chili sauce with Italian pasta

Spices have been used in every cuisine around the world, but the way spices are used in Indian cuisine is a highly skilled art. The art of spicing is not which spice you use, but how you use it.  The same spice can give a variety of flavors, depending on how it is used.

Each episode on 'Spice it up' will feature one spice as it’s star.
I will share spicy tips and terchniques, eclectic tasting recipes that can be made with minimum fuss but have  maximum flavor.

Take what you like from my recipes and create your own variations.
There is fun in breaking rules in the kitchen

 Let my recipes be the starting point of your spicy adventures
Happy Cooking!

Heartier Choices

Every year since 1963 the American Heart Association designates February as American Heart Month, because heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women.

A very simple equation to make any food tasty is to add extra salt or sugar or saturated fat. The three exact ingredients that your cardiologist and dietician will ask you to cut down on, for a healthier heart. Then does it mean that if you cut down on the fat, salt or sugar, your taste buds take a vacation and you land up eating dull bland food?

Fortunately spices and herbs are excellent for taste enhancement and are heart friendly too.

The inspiration for many of my recipes, are from some special foods that I enjoyed when I was traveling abroad. I have given it a healthy twist, with the spice techniques that I learnt when I was growing up in India. After all, the soul of Indian cooking lies within the delicate art of using spices. It is not, which spices you use, but how you use them that makes a huge difference.

Aromatic Bean Stew a la Jamaican style

Last year I visited Jamaica and loved the spicy bold adventurous foods. I asked the chef for the recipe., The recipe called for 1 can of coconut milk. Since we all know that the high saturated fat in coconut is unhealthy. I decided to see if I can make this recipe without any coconut milk. Well the taste of this bean stew just turned out to be average. Nothing to be very happy about!
I experimented with the quantity of coconut milk and used the low fat version.  The recipe serves 8 and the quantity of coconut milk used is 1/3 can, which literally translates to about 1.5 teaspoon of lit coconut milk in every serving.
Bingo  I had great tasting Jamaican stew which was healthy too.

1 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon coriander seeds (whole)
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 can tomato , diced and peeled ( 15 oz)
1 can garbanzo beans, low sodium (15 oz)
1 can kidney beans, low sodium (15 oz)
10-12 baby carrots
1/3 can lite coconut milk (15 oz)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 medium sized sweet potatoes or yams
1/2 cup water

Grate ginger and garlic and keep aside. Crush coriander seeds in a mortar pestle. Peel and Chop sweet potato into 2 inch cubes.
Remove  Garbanzo beans, kidney beans and baby carrots  from the cans and rinse in cold water, thrice. ( rinsing the canned beans three times at least removes the excess sodium, that is used in canning process)
Heat a thick bottom pan. Add oil and throw in the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute. Add crushed coriander seeds and chili flakes
Mix well and throw in the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Adjust salt and chili flakes as per taste.
Serve piping hot with brown rice or couscous

Hema’s Hints:
1. Mix and match different beans for variety.
2. Replace sweet potato with pumpkin or red potato

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Going Bananas

A bowl of diced banana with half cup of milk, sweetened with a teaspoon sugar awaited us everyday after school. After school snack was very simple when I was growing.
“Did you not get bored eating that everyday”, my daughter gasped!

“Not really” I smiled, “Sometimes I would sneak in an extra spoon of sugar or two, when my mother was not looking”. I never dared to complain about having the same snack everyday, because I knew what my mother would have said, “Stay hungry till dinner then”

Hygienically packed in its thick soft skin, full of nutrition, easy to digest, Bananas are one of nature's ideal snacks. It is perhaps the cheapest and the most extensively eaten fruit. Rich and poor, young and old alike relish the humble banana.

This humble fruit is a powerhouse of nutrition and good health. Cooked or ripe bananas are very well digested and the nutrients are absorbed well. This fruit is a fair source of B vitamins and calcium. It contains appreciable amounts of many trace minerals as well as fiber. Apart from this, the fruit has many important acids, enzymes and physiologically important chemical compounds.Banana is a good source of potassium, which is a vital mineral for muscle and nerve function. Potassium also helps to regulate blood pressure. They also contain a high level of natural sugar in both their fresh and dried form, which they release quickly into the blood stream. This explains why many athletes especially tennis players often eat banana before and in between competition.

Bananas should be stored at room temperature for ripening purpose. Do not keep it in the fridge as it prevents ripening of the fruit.

My late father would say that the banana flavor is at its peak, when it develops small black dots on them But once the banana has ripened, it cannot be kept for long as it spoils easily. Very often I land up with a couple of very ripe bananas, which is not enjoyed by any of my family members. I have found various ways to enjoy very ripe bananas. They taste great in banana milk shakes, or  fruit smoothies. But by far the best way to enjoy over ripe banana is banana bread.

My friend Sarita Chugh bakes the most divine Banana-Date cake with  cocoa. It is super moist from the bananas, with mellow sweetness from dates, and the perfect crunch on top of the cake with chocolate chips and nuts. By far this is the best tasting cake I have ever eaten and is loaded with nutritious ingredients too.

I recommend this cake as the perfect Valentine dessert. This year instead of buying roses or chocolates for your significant other, why not make this heavenly dessert?

Simply Divine Cake

1      cup dates, finely chopped
1 ½  cups water, boiling
1      teaspoon baking soda
½     cup unsalted butter
1      cup sugar
1      cup ripe banana pulp
2      eggs, lightly beaten
1      teaspoon vanilla
1 ½  cup all purpose flour
1      tablespoon cocoa powder
1      teaspoon salt
6      ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
½     cup walnuts or almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour 9 inch square pan. Keep aside.Mix dates and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool, then stir in soda.

In mixing bowl, cream together butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and blend until smooth. Mix flour, cocoa, and salt.
Add flour mixture and dates to creamed mixture and beat together until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, chocolate chips and walnuts. Sprinkle over top of cake.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until cake tests done.

Cheery Comfort Foods

Last week I was down with a bad case of flu. I instantly reached for my edible security blanket. The special food, which makes me feel cozy, calms me down and convinces my insides that everything is going to be all right. This edible security blanket is simply Comfort food. Food that slips down your alimentary canal with a relaxed, ‘‘Aaahhh.’’ The same sound that your feet make, (if only you could hear them), when you kick off the stilettos for your bathroom slippers, and feel at home again.

There is an universal connection to comfort food eaten all around the world. It’s all to do with food that slips down the throat easily, that doesn’t require much cutting or chewing.  Hot, nourishing, something you can slurp.  The immediate answer to a runny nose and a bout of homesickness. For an American it would be macaroni and cheese, for a Scottish it would be oatmeal and clotted cream, and for an Indian it would be Rice and bean porridge Kitchadi
When the world -- or the weather -- seems harsh and cruel, here are some of my favorite comfort food recipes to cuddle up with and help bring a smile back to you, your friends, and family.

Kitchadi
 This special food transports me to another time, another me, and brings back emotions of warmth and caring. Every time anyone in our family came down with cold or cough my grandma would make this rice and bean porridge. She would carefully grind the spices and make this humble dish, which had unique healing powers. The yellow split bean are very easy to digest and quick cooking.
Here is my grandma’s version of the humble Kitchadi
1 cup rice
¾ cup split yellow moong beans
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon whole black pepper
1 garlic clove (chopped)
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar or jaggery
5 cups boiling water
Salt to taste
Wash the rice and bean mix and drain in a colander.
Make a coarse mix of cumin, black pepper in a spice grinder (or Coffee grinder used only for spices) In a thick bottomed pot add all ingredients except lime juice.
Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, without any lid. Add lime juice and lower heat. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat but do not remove lid for next 10 minutes. The steam will finish the process of cooking.Garnish with chopped carrots and Serve with a dollop of ghee
Hema's HInts:
For variety add 1 cup frozen peas.

Creamy Tomato Soup
Comfort food is basically a taste memory of childhood. When I was growing up in India, I loved to read books written by Enid Blyton. She was as popular as J K Rowling is now. Enid Blyton wrote adventure and mystery series.  Some of my favorite books written by Enid Blyton were Famous Five, Secret Seven, and Malory towers. The most charming part of these series was the kids would solve mysteries and have fun adventures with a lot of the wonderful food. I would be mesmerized by the treacle pudding, trifle puddings, scones, marble cakes these adventurers would eat. My mother, being a strict vegetarian would never cook these foods at home, as all these recipes called for eggs.
Once I was very sick and I refused to eat Kitchadi that she had made for me. I insisted on having creamy tomato soup and croutons just like the kids in Enid Blyton series. I felt like royalty getting soup in bed. ( One of the rare occasions when my mother gave into my tantrum) Here is my mother’s version of creamy tomato soup without any cream. (My mother was not very fond of cream)
1 16 oz chopped tomato can
1 tablespoon peanuts
1 tablespoon coconut
1 inch ginger
1 green chili
Salt and pepper to taste
Make a paste of peanuts, coconut, ginger and chili with ¼ cup water.
Add chopped tomatoes to make a smooth puree
Add the tomato mix with 2 cups of water and boil for 3-5 minutes.
Add salt and pepper and serve piping hot with crouton
Hema's Hints:
For protein rich soup add a can of lentil soup to this mix

Sheera
There are some days, so bad, so stressful, and so overwhelming, that there is not a friend on this Earth, not a backrub on the planet that could unknot your neck muscles. It is on days like these I turn to food for comfort. I vividly remember when I was in seventh grade, my friend, Jayashri and I, had been, unfairly singled out in our class as troublemakers. We had to run an extra mile at lunch break. That evening I went to my friend’s house and we moaned and groaned about how unfair life was. Her older sister who was had just come back from college, got tired of hearing us whine. She made this aromatic cream of wheat pudding to help heal our bruised ego. It is no wonder that when the going gets tough, we turn to foods that remind us of happy times in our youth! So whether you're nursing a bruised ego, a broken heart or a common cold, it's comfort food that comes to the rescue. This special pudding always calms me down and helps me put things in perspective. 
1 cup cream of wheat
1/3 cup ghee or unsalted butter
4-5 cloves
1 cup sugar
½ cup almond powder
8-10 cardamom pods
¼ teaspoon saffron thread
2 cups milk
Heat ghee or butter in a pan. Add cloves and wait untill it puffs up. Add cream of wheat and roast for 10 minutes on low heat. Keep aside.
 In a pot add milk and saffron and bring it to a boil. Add the roasted cream of wheat and stir vigorously to remove any lumps. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Add sugar and mix well. Cover the lid again and let the steam finish the process of cooking. Discard the peel of cardamom and make a coarse mix of the seeds. Finally, add almond powder and cardamom powder and mix well.
Garnish with dried cranberries and serve piping hot.
Hema's HInts:
Add 2 cups chopped pineapple instead of saffron to this recipe for a refreshing flavor

What a nut- Walnut

As a child growing up in Pune, India,  Every summer I looked forward to two frail women, who would come in our neighborhood with a gigantic cloth bags on their backs. They would sell fresh walnuts from the valley of Kashmir. An old bed sheet would hold all the walnuts and all four corners were pulled together to make a bag that was hauled on their backs. Cheerfully they would tell about how good the harvest was that year and how they picked the best of walnuts for us. “You will never find such tasty walnuts anywhere in the world ”, they claimed. Those illiterate women had mastered the art of selling without attending any top management schools.

My mother would buy the years supply of in shell-walnuts and stored it carefully. My mother insisted that eating a couple of walnuts before an exam was very lucky. My siblings and I were given the ‘lucky walnuts’ during exam days. The luck factor about the walnuts was very convincing for us to gobble it down before rushing to exams. She knew that if she gave a lecture, about how good the walnuts were for our health or the perfect brain food, it would be a wasted effort.

Walnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Nuts in general are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 fatty acids - the good fats) that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. Walnuts, in particular, have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids as compared to other nuts. More than a decade of scientific evidence shows that incorporating walnuts in a healthy diet reduces the risk of heart disease by improving blood vessel elasticity and plaque accumulation. Walnuts have also been shown to aid in the lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and the C-Reactive Protein (CRP). CRP was recently recognized as an independent marker and predictor of heart disease.

Nuts in general are high in calories, so moderation is the key. The best approach is to reap the health benefits of eating walnuts but not add excessive calories to your daily intake. Therefore, instead of just adding walnuts to your current diet, eat them in replacement of foods that are high in saturated fats (such as cheese and meat) and limit your intake of these tasty treats to about 8-10 walnut halves.

Here are three of my favorite walnut recipes.
 Perfect Protein Relish
This is a perfect high protein spread for vegetarian sandwiches.
Frozen Edamame beans are available in the frozen section of any grocery store.
 Edamame beans are tender soy beans, which very high in protein too.
1 cup walnuts
1 cup Edamame beans, thawed
 3-4 green chilies
½ cup cilantro
¼ cup plain yogurt
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

 In a blender add all the ingredients and make a smooth paste.
It stays fresh for 3 days.

Hema’s Hints: 1. You may replace Edamame beans for Lima beans in this recipe.
2. Add this spread to a tortilla or lavash , with some fresh veggies to make a tasty veggie roll for quick lunch.

Massala Walnuts
2 cups walnut halves
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon chili powder
 ¼ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
 1 teaspoon lime juice
½ teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a big pan.
Add chili powder, cumin powder, black pepper, sugar and
salt and stir quickly. Add lime juice (Keep your face averted as oil will splatter).
Add Walnut halves and toss it well. Pour the contents on a
baking tray and bake for 7-8 minutes.
Cool completely and store.

Hema Hints: 1. Instead of baking it in the oven, slow roast
the walnuts on low heat in pan for 8-10 minutes
2. For variation add ½ teaspoon Chaat masala
(available in Indian grocery stores) instead of black pepper.

 Waldorf salad
 My gourmet friend Karen Kim serves this elegant Waldorf salad in Belgian Endives for her annual Christmas party. I find it an interesting way to enjoy a salad

2 granny smith apples, diced
½ cup walnuts chopped
2 celery sticks, diced
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
2-3 fresh basil leaves, minced
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon chili powder
3 Belgian endives heads
Make ¼ inch cubes of apples and celery. Place it in a bowl.
Add chopped walnuts, mayonnaise, black pepper, basil leaves
salt and pepper. Mix it well and keep aside.
Wash Belgian endives and trim 1/8 inch off the stem end
 of the endive and separate the leaves. Discard any leaves
that are brown and rinse the remaining leaves under cold water.
 Lay them on a paper towel to dry.
In the hollow of each endive leaf, place a spoonful of
apple-walnut salad Repeat with rest.
 Finally sprinkle Chili powder on the stuffed endives
Arrange in a fancy platter and serve as an appetizer

 Hema’s Hints:
You may replace mayonnaise with non-fat cream cheese in this recipe.

Fancy that

Jan 18 to 20, I thought I was in heaven.
I attended the Winter Fancy Food Show in Moscone Center in San Francisco.
Attending the Fancy Food Show was one of the most amazing and memorable experiences of my life! I love food and I love sampling food from around the globe. I ate my way through, Japan, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, and Australia till I could not fit another morsel in my mouth.

Each January specialty food retailers, gift store buyers, food writers pilgrimage to San Francisco in search of the newest products with which to tempt consumers. The Winter Fancy Food Show is the “smaller” of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, NASFT’s* two main food shows: “only” 80,000 products and 50 long rows at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

The Fancy Food Show is the testing lab for the mainstream supermarkets and warehouse clubs. The products that are exhibited here, if they pass the test of the discriminating food buyers can wind up setting the trends; but all too often it can take two even three years from the time we see and taste a product at this show until it’s on every supermarket shelf in every city.

The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT.org) is the professional association for specialty food producers. Its 2,390 members produce nearly 180,000 specialty food products.

The “miles of aisles” were lined mostly with entrepreneurs who have risked everything to bring their recipes and great ideas to market, with the hope that gourmet food buyers from across the globe will stop, taste and choose their products to adorn the shelves of their stores. It was a pleasure to talk with some of the vendors and find out the background on their food products and their stories behind creating the recipes.  Some were retired old folks who decided to venture into marketing a family favorite recipe, others were high Tech engineers, who were laid off from work and decided to switch careers.

Over the span of three days, I may have eaten at least 50 pounds of Biscotti, Chocolate, cheese, chips, salsa, cookies, crackers, pasta sauces, gourmet mustards, salts from different part of the world, popcorn, Olive oil, and honey. Luckily there was an assortment of teas, coffees, and healthy drinks, probiotic drinks to interlace the sampling spree.

I wish I could have stretched my stomach capacity to sample all the foods displayed, but from thousands of samples that I tasted, here are some that stuck in my memory.  I will be on the look out for these ‘Fancy foods’ on my grocery shelves.

Nonii’s Biscotti are as good as baking them in your own kitchen. http://www.nonnis.com/

Original OJC Hawaiian chocolates. The flower shaped chocolates are a delight for your eyes as well as taste buds. http://www.originalhawaiianchocolatefactory.com

 Carazonas Chips make a hefty health claims to lower your cholesterol, but the irony is that it tastes delicious too. The combination of healthy and tasty is rare. http://www.corazonas.com 

Teatulia came up with Neem nectar Tea, which makes the healthy but bitter ‘Neem’ palatable.
http://www.teatulia.com
 
San Angel’s Mole sauce, for meat or beans, which had the unique blend of spices, chocolate and bananas, was simply divine. http://www.sanangelmole.com/cgi-bin/sanangelmole/index.html

Hot dog and Burger sauce had a nice zing and traveled all the way from Three Threes company in Australia. I am sure they will rename it as ketchup instead of sauce http://www.threethrees.com.au/index.html

Artisian salt, you need to taste it to understand what good salt is. A good salt makes a big difference in the final taste with the added bonus that a little goes a long way.
http://www.artisansalt.com/products.html

Ooba Hibiscus drink, normally I would pass on even trying anything with hibiscus but I was thirsty and somewhat curious. Hibiscus is really high in tannins and antioxidants, but I don’t like the way it tastes.  The folks at Ooba have found of way of making a hibiscus extract - using the whole flower that actually tastes good. http://www.oobabeverage.com/aboutus.html

I recommend to all who love to eat and sample new foods, to mark your calendar for the next Fancy Food show in San Francisco from 17 to 20 Jan 2010. For more information, please visit  http://www.specialtyfood.com/do/Home

Here are my suggestions before you embark on this tasty adventure
 
➢    Do remember to skip breakfast before you head for the event, or maybe just grab a banana, as that will be the only normal food you will eat in the entire day
➢    Do wear super comfortable shoes, you will be walking nonstop from the moment the show opens until the moment it closes,
➢    Do not waste your valuable stomach space with products that you are familiar with.
➢    Do aim for quality not quantity, you do not have to accept all the crackers, cookies that are offered on fancy trays with smiling faces
➢     Do not take children under 18, as they are not allowed at the event
➢    Some of the products will be odd, others unfortunate, but many that will be just plain good.







 

Quinoa- The ultimate grain with a funny name

“I have cooked a very healthy dinner for you today… it is Quinoa Pilaf and tomato soup”
Quipped Gauri, my niece, as my family trudged in from a fun but tiring sightseeing trip to the Highlands five years ago. As a graduate student in Edinburgh, Gauri had found ways to eat healthy on a budget. The pilaf was the most unusual food that I had tasted. It was small beige grain with a nutty but earthy flavor with a weird sounding name Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah). I eyed the plate with a little apprehension, but to my surprise the pilaf was very tasty.

Ancient in its origins, Quinoa has been a staple food of millions for almost 5,000 years, and is known with great respect as the “Mother Grain.” Although new to North Americans, it has been cultivated in the South American Andes, since at least 3,000 B.C. The ancient Incas called it “the mother grain” and revered it as sacred. Quinoa is billed as a grain, but it’s actually a high-protein, gluten-free, super-nutritious seed that is as tasty and versatile as it is healthy.

The Quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. One researcher has said, “While no single food can supply all of the essential life-sustaining nutrients, Quinoa comes as close as any other in the vegetable or animal kingdoms.”

Quinoa is a small seed that in size, shape, and color looks like a cross between sesame seed and millet. It is disk shaped with a flattened band around its periphery. It is usually a pale yellow color but some species may vary from pale yellow through pink, orange, or red to purple and black. In its uncooked state, it takes the form of small off-white disks. It swells when it’s cooked and has a lightly nutty, slightly earthy flavor - very mild but distinct, and much more interesting than rice or couscous.

As soon as I returned from Scotland, I ventured into a health store and discovered this grain in the health store and made the Quinoa pilaf in my kitchen. But to my surprise the pilaf was very bitter and inedible. I decided that Quinoa is not for me and threw the box of Quinoa in the garbage

Five years rolled by. Recently I was reintroduced to Quinoa at a food sampling in a health store. It was delicious. I decided to give it another try. I picked up a box of Quinoa and followed the instructions very carefully this time. The Quinoa pilaf was not bitter this time.

I discovered that the key factor in making good quinoa is to wash it several times in water. Quinoa seeds are covered with saponin, a resin-like substance that is extremely bitter and forms a soapy solution in water to make the seed edible; the saponin must be removed, traditionally done by hand-scrubbing and adequate rinsing.

Quinoa is usually pale yellow. The disk shaped seed has a band about its periphery. As the grain cooks, this band partially separates from the seed but retains its curved shape. In appearance cooked quinoa looks liked cooked couscous sprinkled with little spirals or crescent moons.

Quinoa is as easy to cook as rice. In fact, it’s cooked exactly like rice, though it needs to be rinsed first. Just throw it in a fine sieve/colander and run it under some cold water, or swish it around in a bowl of water and then drain it. To cook it, use two parts liquid to one part quinoa. The grain itself seems to melt in your mouth. But the tiny bands offer just enough tooth resistance to create a minute crunch, affording a varied and pleasant sensation.

Quinoa has a very light, fluffy texture and a mild taste that easily takes on other flavors. If you’ve never had Quinoa before, then I recommend starting simple. The next time you are cooking  rice, try subsituting half the rice with  Quinoa instead. There is a whole world of Quinoa to explore out there. Add it salad, or stew or soup. It’s healthy, it’s yummy and it’s fun to say.

Massala Quinoa
My childhood friend Jayashri Chari made  Upma, a savory and delicious cream of wheat entree,  for me when she was visiting me. I substituted Quinoa for cream of wheat that she used.

1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon oil
1-2 green chilies
1 cup cabbage (finely shredded )
½ teaspoon sambhar powder (optional)
2 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon lime juice
¾ teaspoon salt (as per taste)
¼ cup cilantro
¼ cup almonds (chopped)

Wash Quinoa in water and drain of the water. Repeat 3 times.
Heat a pan, add the washed Quinoa and roast for 3-4 minutes

Heat a pot with teaspoon oil.  Add chilies and sauté for a minute.
Add shredded cabbage and sauté for 2 minutes. Add water, sambhar powder salt and sugar. Bring it to a boil. Throw in the toasted quinoa and stir. Lower heat, cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 15 minutes.  Finally add lime juice, cilantro and almonds. Mix it gently and fluff the grains
Serve piping hot with a bowl of plain yogurt

Hema’s Hints:
1. Enjoy the leftover cold pilaf for an excellent lunch.

Quinoa Pudding
 A pudding that tastes great and does wonders for your health too.

½ cup Quinoa
2 cups milk
pinch of salt
2 cups carrot (shredded)
 1 cup boiling water
½ cup sugar ( as per taste)
5-6 almonds, chopped
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Wash and rinse Quinoa three times. Drain and keep aside
Heat milk in microwave and keep aside. In a pan add washed
quinoa and  dry roast for a minute. Add a cup of hot milk, pinch of salt,
cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Keep aside.

Place shredded carrots in a bowl.
Add water to carrots and cover for five minutes.
Drain the carrots. In a blender make a smooth
 puree of 1 cup of milk and carrots.
Add the pureed carrots to cooked quinoa.
Mix in sugar, almond and cook for 5 more
minutes finally add orange extract and remove from heat.
Serve piping hot or chilled.

Hema's Hints:
1. For variation, Add cranberries and raisins while cooking quinao

Beyond Sushi and Tempura

Every 5 years, an adult delegation from Cupertino visits Toyokawa, Japan for a week, as part of their sister city program. Cupertino and Toyokawa have been sister cities for nearly thirty years and have an ongoing student exchange program each year. My husband and I were fortunate to be part of the Cupertino delegation to visit Toyokawa in Nov 2008 All delegation members stay with local host families and experience the real taste of life in Japan.

We stayed with our host family. Masaru and Kimiko Shirai and their son Yuzuru for a week. Armed with our ‘Japanese to English’ dictionary and a small vocabulary of Hai (yes) and Nei (No) we were apprehensive as to how we would communicate with Masaru and Kimiko . Luckily they could talk basic English with some help from the dictionary. We soon realized that one does not have to be fluent in the language to have lot of fun; we all could laugh without an accent.  After all hand gestures are a very effective tool of conversation too.

The efficient city staff of Toyokawa City Hall planned the daily activities for all the delegates. It varied from meeting with the mayor, visiting the council, attending the tea ceremony, to the touring of the Toyota factory. The evenings and weekend was to spend time with the host family.

Masaru and Kimiko opened their home and heart for us and made us a part of the family. Every evening we all cooked together. Kimiko is an excellent cook and I watched her whip up a wonderful breakfast and dinner every day. We were keen to eat the local foods and requested Kimiko to make traditional dishes. The challenge that I gave Kimiko was to make the meal vegetarian! Homemade Japanese food is very refreshing, tasty and healthy There is definitely more to Japanese cuisine than Sushi, tempura and teriyaki chicken.  A couple of nights I took upon the challenge of cooking an Indian meal for them with the spices and ingredients that were available in their kitchen! I managed to spice the meal with ginger, garlic and black pepper.

 Often we tagged along with the Shirais to the grocery stores and farmers market. The Japanese green market reminded me of the vegetable market in India. Fresh organic seasonal produce, vibrant in color, flavor and were picture perfect.  I was surprised to see the Japanese radish was that was gigantic in size and deep purple in color, very different from the one we see in India or American markets.

The first day I was apprehensive to eat rice and Miso soup for breakfast. With the first spoonful of Miso soup and I fell in love with it. The next day I could not wait to slurp on the Miso soup for breakfast. Miso soup is the soul food of Japanese cuisine. It is basically a brothy soup with miso paste  and tofu cubes. The base of the soup is made from Dashi (a mix of kelp (sea weed) and bonito (small fish) Kimiko made a different miso soup everyday. she varied the ingredients in the soup with Shitake mushrooms, green onions vegetable greens, fried tofu or silken tofu

Toshiharu and Uriko Okajima, a good friend of Shirai  invited us for a luncheon on the weekend in their mountain top house. The view from the house was breath taking and special food that we all cooked together was very traditional food called as Goya Mochi. The rice was cooked in a rice cooker and while hot, it is pounded with a four inch diameter wooden rod for 10 minutes till it becomes a gelatinous pulp. It is then molded into Popsicle shape with a wet towel, and stuck on a skewer.  This rice Popsicle is then barbequed for 5 minutes. Just before serving a special sauce of dark miso paste and walnut powder is then applied to the rice stick.  I insisted that an addition of a spoonful of chili paste to the barbeque sauce would give it a unique taste. At first they were hesitant, but after tasting it they were fascinated with the chili-miso combination. It was a fine blend of Japanese cuisine and Indian chili.

Masaru took us to a world festival, which is similar to the wine festival here. It was an outdoor event and it was very cold and raining. The delicious hot food served at the festival compensated for the cold weather and rain. A warm sweet rice soup, Amazake  is very similar to the Indian kheer, but the spice added was ginger slices instead of cardamom.
There were the popular rice ball sticks, Dango, which had generous coating of miso sauce.  The rice flour is cooked in water and steamed; the dough is then made into small marble shaped balls and skewered together on a stick, and finally roasted on a grill for 5 minutes. A special miso sauce is applied to the rice ball before eating.

It was a culinary feast when we ate at the Shirai’s favorite restaurant Kokisan, which Kimiko affectionately called as her ‘other kitchen’. The chef Mr. Kurachi and his mother have a vegetable patch next to the restaurant where they grow the seasonal vegetables. Vegetables are picked from the yard before cooking.  Mr Kurachi cooks it right in front of you on giant sizzling hot griddle, which is embedded into the countertop. . We all sit around it and enjoy the fresh food cooked on it. He made a scrumptious veggie-egg pancake, Okonomeyaki , an egg and green onion crepe, Tamagomaki. Mr Kurachi served a very interesting dessert, Yalciimo,  Sweet potato was peeled and sliced into one-inch diameter discs. It was then placed on the iron griddle for 4 minutes on each side. It was served with a drizzle of honey and pinch of salt sprinkled on top.

The meals I enjoyed in Toyokawa have been etched in my memory forever. The weeklong stay gave me a glimpse of the rich and varied cuisine of Japan. Thanks to the sister city program of Cupertino and Toyokawa. I have a twin sister, Kimiko in Japan. We both have same personality, height and built. 

The trip to Toyokawa was enlightening, enriching and rewarding experience and a realization that there are more similarities than differences between cultures of the world.

Vegetarian Miso Soup
To make the soup vegetarian I have omitted dashi mix, and replaced it with an extra spoonful of miso paste and tomato chili sauce

5 cups water
3 tablespoon miso paste
1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
1  cup  spinach or bok choy, sliced
½ cup green onions, sliced
½ cup silken tofu, cubed
1 teaspoon tomato-chili sauce

Bring the  water to a boil and add mushrooms, spinach, and tofu cubes.
Boil for 3-4 minutes.
Remove from heat and keep aside.
 Add miso paste to a ½ cup of water and make a smooth puree. Add this puree with tomato chili sauce to the vegetable broth. Stir well and serve piping hot with green onion sprinkled on top

Hema’s Hints
1. Do not boil the soup after adding miso paste.

Kimiko’s special
One night Kimiko decide to create a special seaweed snack for us.
I think it is wonderful alternative to chips

4 seaweeds, cut into 2 inch pieces
½ teapoon oil
½ teaspoon chili flakes
In a pan add oil and add seaweeds and remove it within a 30 seconds.
The seaweed becomes crisp . Place it on a plate and sprinkle chili flakes on it.
Enjoy

Stirfry Kimiko style
I loved   Kimiko’s  simple style  of cooking greens.

½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 bunch of mustard green or spinach, washed
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted , and slightly crushed
In a wok heat oil and add greens. Stir fry on high heat for two minutes.
Add soy sauce and sugar and place it on the bowl. Finally garnish sesame seeds over .

Hema’s Hints:
1.This vegetable was served for breakfast with miso soup and sticky rice.

Sweet Potato Surprise

2 sweet potatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon honey
6-8 walnuts, toasted and chopped

Chop sweet potatoes into two inch cubes. Place it in the baking pan and bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes. Drizzle honey over the roasted sweet potatoes and sprinkle walnuts on top.