GLOW

Diced Korean radish sauteed in coconut oil with cultured burdock root, seaweed, flax meal and a splash of Coconut Aminos. I used the Shiso leaves, purchased at a local Korean market, as wraps for the mix. This was definitely a favorite lunch this week.

Well, friends, it was to your advantage (and honestly, my dismay) that I only had 5 entries into my very first giveaway! The winners of my humble little contest are sisters Jennifer and Jaclyn of Sketch-Free Vegan Eating, (which is, by the way, one of my new favorite food blogs) who said, "The quinoa burgers look awesome! I would definitely use the salt with that :)", and Shannon, who said, "I would definitely use the salt to make the salmon cakes :)". Since the quinoa burgers use the Mexican Smoked Sea Salt, and the salmon cakes use the Applewood Smoked Sea  Salt, I will send the salts according to your selections. I can't wait to hear about their meals, and to see what else they cook up with these salts! Be sure to keep an eye out on my blog for future giveaways of harder to find ingredients. Thanks everyone!

This has kind of been an exciting week for me in terms of food adventures. I'm trying not to go too deep into the water, just inching a little bit further out on the diving board (on my bum, though, mind you), and relishing the view. I believe that it is thanks to the tips I'm getting from reading The Body Ecology Diet, and my bravely plugging through the varying symptom flare-ups I get upon (slowly) introducing  cultured vegetables into my daily routine. (See previous post.) My digestive system seems to be getting stronger, and being able to enjoy a mug of this beautiful soup seems to be a result. On Friday, my husband and our friends were able to reap the benefits as well, as I quickly brainstormed and cooked this soup up for us to enjoy for dinner. (Butternut squash is not typically something that my body can handle.) Can you tell by the blurry picture how excited I was to sit down and eat it? Our dinner was completed by some salad greens and my salmon cakes topped with homemade mint & basil avocado mayo. Both recipes utilize the smoked sea salt that I am currently having a giveaway for. Go here now, as there is only one more day to enter!

4 CUPS PEELED, CUBED AND ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

3 CUPS WATER

JUICE OF 1/2- 1 LIME (according to your taste)

2 TBS COCONUT OIL

1 1/2 TSP CUMIN

3/4 TSP CORIANDER

1/2 TSP MEXICAN SMOKED SEA SALT

1/4 TSP CARDAMOM

1/4 TSP ALLSPICE

1/8 TSP ASAFOETIDA POWDER

FRESH CILANTRO TO TASTE

PUT ROASTED SQUASH AND WATER INTO A BLENDER AND PUREE. POUR INTO A SOUP POT AND HEAT ON STOVE, ADDING LIME AND SPICES FIRST, AND THEN COCONUT OIL. COOK UNTIL HEATED AND COCONUT OIL IS FULLY MIXED AND MELTED. ADD CILANTRO RIGHT BEFORE SERVING.

I've been making my way through The Body Ecology Diet book, trying to fill in the gaps in my diet and lifestyle changes in order to better facilitate my healing. If you are unfamiliar with the title, it is one of the most referenced texts on internal bacterial overgrowth, it's effects on health, and the necessary dietary changes to heal and keep it in check. Much of the information in the book I have already read in my various internet haunts over the past couple of years, but it is giving me some important information that I haven't previously considered, such as proper food combining and the importance of consuming fermented vegetables. If you have been following my blog closely, you may recall that fermented foods of any kind have been on my Absolutely Avoid list, because every time I have tried to introduce them into my diet, I immediately get a fits of brain fog, light-headedness, and often increased inflammation in my body. Sooo...I quickly abandoned said attempts and opted for playing it safe. The new year, however, has brought a persistent impatience with stasis into my life, and I feel that I've made enough headway in my healing that I can afford to take some risks. Maybe. I hope. Eh...we'll see.

So, here I am on week two of ingesting a wee bit of fermented something or other almost every day, in addition to the super probiotics that I've been taking 2-3 times a day for the past year. While I do feel a bit of the brain fog and fatigue, as well as a mild but persisting nausea, I'm hoping that this will improve in time and is simply a bit of the Herxheimer effect. Why do I feel hopeful this time around? I've made a few other exceptions in my diet in the past week that normally would throw me pretty off, but seemed to have little effect on me. Por exemplo: On Friday, I made some cashew-based custards, and included 6 wee blueberries in mine. Taken with stride. Later in the day I made a homemade butternut squash soup (recipe soon!), and ate a fair amount of the leftovers the following day. Pushing it, for sure, but I seemed to be okay. It does seem equally possible that because I feel off from the fermented veggies, the reactions my body is having from these exceptions aren't feeling as acute, but for now, I'm trying not to analyze it too much. My trial shall continue, and dear friends, you will benefit.

The two jars that I cultured this month turned out to be absolutely delicious, and I have utilized the vegetables, herbs and juices in a variety of ways that I am excited to share with you in installments.  (Wraps, marinades, dressings, and chips!) Both of them are uniquely flavored, but both have an intoxicating smoky flavor thanks to the applewood smoked sea salt that I used. (Only two more days to enter to win some here!) I will absolutely be making these again. Be sure, also, to check out Kim's selection of fermented cuisine here. I used her tutorials as guides.

2 SMALL PARSNIPS

1/2 CUP WARM WATER

1 1/2 TSP OF FENNEL SEED

2/3 TSP MEYER LEMON ZEST (or combo of orange and lemon zest)

2 LARGE STEMS OF TARRAGON

1 SMALL SPRIG OF ROSEMARY 

CLEAN THE PARSNIPS, AND USE A VEGETABLE PEELER TO SHAVE RIBBONS OF PARSNIP OFF UNTIL YOU CAN'T PEEL ANY MORE. IN A CLEAN, STERILIZED JAR, LAYER FIRST THE SEEDS, THEN ALTERNATE TARRAGON AND PARSNIPS, AND TOP WITH THE ROSEMARY. PACK ALL INGREDIENTS VERY TIGHTLY. IN A SMALL BOWL OR CUP, MIX WATER, SALT AND ZEST. MIX UNTIL SALT FAIRLY DISSOLVED AND THE ZEST IS HYDRATED (IF DRIED). POUR INTO THE JAR, AND DO YOUR BEST TO SUBMERGE ALL HERBS AND VEGETABLES. SCREW ON THE TOP OF THE JAR VERY TIGHTLY. PLACE IN A WARM AREA AND ALLOW TO SIT, 3-7 DAYS DEPENDING ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ROOM AND HOW STRONGLY FERMENTED YOU WANT IT TO BE. (I KEPT MINE ON A SHELF ATOP THE RADIATOR.) REFRIGERATE WHEN DONE.

1 CUP WARM WATER

1 SKINNY BURDOCK ROOT

1 SMALL LOTUS ROOT

1 LEMONGRASS STALK

3-4 STALKS OF BASIL LEAVES

2 TBS PERILLA/SHISO SEEDS

1 1/2 TBS CORIANDER SEEDS

1/2 TBS APPLEWOOD SMOKED SEA SALT

1/2 TBS PLAIN SEA SALT

CLEAN THE ROOTS AND SHAVE THEIR SKINS OFF WITH A VEGETABLE PEELER. RINSE PEELER AND THEN PEEL THE FLESH OF THE BURDOCK ROOT WITH IT UNTIL YOU CAN'T PEEL ANY MORE. THINLY SLICE THE LOTUS ROOT INTO DISCS. SLICE THE LEMONGRASS, HOWEVER SUITS YOUR FANCY. I DID BOTH VERTICAL CUTS AND SMALL CIRCLES. IN A CLEAN, STERILIZED JAR, LAYER FIRST THE SEEDS, THEN THE BASIL, THEN BURDOCK, LEMONGRASS ACCORDING TO HOW IT WAS CUT/WILL FIT, THEN STACK THE LOTUS ROOT ABOVE. PACK CONTENTS IN TIGHTLY. IN A SMALL BOWL OR CUP, MIX THE WARM WATER AND SALT, AND THEN POUR INTO THE JAR. TAKE CARE TO KEEP CONTENTS SUBMERGED. SCREW ON JAR TOP VERY TIGHTLY. PLACE IN A WARM AREA AND ALLOW TO SIT, 3-7 DAYS DEPENDING ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ROOM AND HOW STRONGLY FERMENTED YOU WANT IT TO BE. (I KEPT MINE ON A SHELF ATOP THE RADIATOR.) REFRIGERATE WHEN DONE.

Collard greens & broccoli sauteed in coconut oil with fresh basil, roasted spaghetti squash with a vanilla stevia sweetened coconut oil spread with chopped fresh mint, and creamy brown rice cooked with meyer lemon zest & a touch of vanilla stevia and coconut oil. (Rice for my husband, not I, unfortunately!)

Since so much mainstream American food is off of my shopping list for health reasons, it becomes necessary to soothe my creativity (and ensure my sanity) by finding that new spice, exotic vegetable or ingredient that will help me to feel excited about cooking again. I recognize, though, that as a reader it can be difficult to keep up with all of the unique and sometimes hard-to-find ingredients that make their way into my and many others' recipes. It's such a tease when you start drooling over a meal that someone created, only to find that you have to hunt online or all around town in order to recreate it in your own kitchen. The last thing that I want to do is to intimidate you!

And so, for that reason, I have procured two of my favorite ingredients from two of my favorite local markets* so that you can perfectly recreate some of my recipes. I'm happy to offer a bottle of Applewood Smoked Sea Salt, and Mexican Smoked Sea Salt, two flavors that make their way into a great deal of my recipes. I adore these salts, especially in vegetarian dishes, as they add a full smokey flavor without the nasty ingredients of most bottled liquid smoke. Here are just a few of the recipes that you could try:

I will randomly select two winners, each winning one bottle of salt, on Wednesday, March 30th via Random.org. In order to enter, leave a comment on this entry by midnight on Tuesday the 29th, telling me what recipe you're most excited to try them with. (Doesn't have to be mine.) If you would like, feel free to mention the giveaway on your various online haunts (even an e-mail to a friend will do!), and leave an additional comment letting me know in order to increase your odds. If you officially follow my blog for the first time, or link to it on your site, you may also comment again. Sadly, because I am unfamiliar with most customs restrictions abroad, this will only be offered to readers in the United States. (I'm sorry!)

Best of luck to you, friends.

*Applewood Smoked Sea Salt is sold in the bulk section of Harvest Co-op in Central Square, Cambridge. Mexican Smoked Sea Salt can be found at Christina's Spice & Specialty Foods in Inman Square, Cambridge.

I was grateful to Alison for posting a link to an article in the Wall Street Journal about gluten sensitivity the other day. I am one of the many who went through blood work and an endoscopy to test for Celiac disease, and was shocked to get negative results. My system becomes nearly crippled when I eat wheat or gluten, how could I not have it? Luckily, one of the many GI doctors I met with discussed with me gluten intolerance/sensitivity vs. Celiac disease, and even suggested an online testing option if I wanted to get a somewhat definitive answer. I haven't sought out the online test, as I know now unequivocally that I don't tolerate it, simply from listening and observing my body and it's needs. Not everyone has that support, though, or the awareness that gluten sensitivity could be causing their unexplained symptoms in the first place. Hopefully awareness will continue to increase, and more people will be assured that they are not crazy.

Sometimes the simplest meals are the most satisfying: Cabbage and blue potatoes sauteed in coconut oil. 

(I'm typically quite sensitive to potatoes, but seem to tolerate the more rare varieties in small amounts.)

For some reason, while I was tossing in bed this morning, batting away our cats' frisky advances, this smoothie started to formulate in my mind. I purchased a bag of this frozen Tinda, or Indian Baby Pumpkin, at one of our local Indian markets a few months ago, and wasn't really blown away by it on the first try. My groggy mind started to remember the sweet hints of cucumber and melon, though, and quickly, the other ingredients made themselves known, and I resolved to try it out when the sun and I rose. If you ignore the fact that it's still in the 40's outside, and that drinking a frozen treat when already shivering isn't usually the best idea, this smoothie is perfect. It ended up fooling my tongue into thinking that I was indulging in honeydew melon, which is a most lovely trick. I really can't wait to try this again on a hot summer day. Grab a bag of this gourd from your local Indian market and give it a try. (Only 99 cents!)

1 1/2 CUPS UNSWEETENED HEMPMILK (OR MILK PRODUCT OF YOUR CHOICE)

1 CUP FROZEN TINDA/INDIAN BABY PUMPKIN

1/2 OF AN AVOCADO

4 GREEN CABBAGE LEAVES (YOU WON'T TASTE IT, TRUST ME)

1/2 TSP CARDAMOM

1/2 TSP LEMON FLAVOR

STEVIA POWDER TO TASTE (I USED 4 MINI SCOOPS OR PINCHES OF THE TRADER JOE'S BRAND)

PINCH OF SEA SALT

COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS IN A BLENDER, AND BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH.

As promised, a second edition this week to compensate for my silence last week. I made these delicious grilled turkey patties last night with fennel, cardamom, lemon zest, dill and parsley. They were absolutely delicious! I'm having one for breakfast now with some pea shoots and avocado.

My husband and I took the train to visit our dear friends, Derek and Artie, in Portland this past weekend. We had such a lovely time staying in their beautiful apartment enjoying their company, eating delicious food, and cuddling with their wonderful cat. D & A are incredible cooks, and I loved watching them at work in the kitchen. (Oh, what a kitchen! Cabinets! Counter space!) On Friday, they made a homemade sun-dried tomato pesto that they topped some toasted baguette slices with to share at a friend's birthday party. On Saturday, prior to their concert that my husband was joining them for, they made a Mexican feast of beans, rice, veggies and toasted corn tortillas. Sunday morning I swooned as they made a homemade fritatta with asparagus and various veggies in their cast iron skillet, home fries, and bagels and banana bread from local bakeries. Oh my.

Obviously, I was not able to partake in any of these amazing meals, but this was no fresh torture for me. I packed a bag of supplies with me, and supplemented with some fresh vegetables and nuts at the grocery store in Portland. In my bag was some chickpea flour, a container of toasted and ground sunflower seed meal (to mix with vegetables for breakfast), a container of vegan & gluten-free baked macaroni & cheese, my pills, my herbs and my tea ball. The mac & cheese is a recipe that I've been brainstorming up, and I used Andean Dream brand noodles which only contain white rice flour & quinoa flour. (Most gluten-free noodles contain either brown rice or corn, which I don't tolerate.) 

With my candida flare-ups, though, this meal was a bad idea. I became pretty ill and uncomfortable, so much so that 24 hours later, I was in such rough shape that I had to miss their concert. Light-headed, tingling nerves, terribly upset stomach, and pain and tenderness all over my body. Wonderful. I was grateful that I brought my herbs, at least, and nursed myself with sheep sorrel, skullcap, pau d'arco and rose hips, and did my best to not feel too sorry for myself. I was somewhat irresponsible and made myself a chickpea breakfast scramble (with thyme, tarragon and collard greens!) the next morning, but my resolve to better cater to my body's needs has strengthened since returning home.

SOURCE: New Yorker Magazine, January 3, 2011

Within the same week, I happened upon an article in January's New Yorker about the revolutionary restaurant El Bulli, and listened to an interview on NPR's Fresh Air with the creator of Alinea restaurant in Chicago. Both restaurants create mind-bending plates with the most creative palates and textures you will ever hear of. I adore what they are doing to help evolve the way that we approach our relationships with food. My dearest wish is for incredibly talented and intelligent cooks like them to key into the needs of those with food allergies and intolerances, and to help create more options for those of us who find ourselves with limited ones. Or, I wish that I didn't have any limitations, physically or financially, and that I could fly to Chicago or Italy and eat everything that they put in front of me. Sigh...

Chickpea crisps with a hazelnut, basil & spring green pesto, roasted vegetables and salad greens. My mind is transitioning into Spring fare...

I've been craving this dish for seven years. That's right. I remember a misty day in Maryland when my dad and I drove to a small town on the coast, and stopped to have lunch in a little cafe nestled in the first floor of a white Victorian home. The town felt deserted, perhaps it was the off-season, or just a rainy weekday, but I can picture us sitting on the enclosed porch overlooking the quaint main street, and I can see myself perusing the menu and selecting for the first time in my life, "Crab cakes please." This was probably one of my first experiences with out-of-the-ordinary, phenomenal food.  (I'd never lived in a coastal area with abundant fresh seafood, so crab cakes were new to me.) The flavor was perfect...savory, melt-in-your-mouth perfect. I never ate another seafood cake half as good...until last week. I purchased a container of pre-cooked Wild Alaskan Salmon from Trader Joe's last week (so cheap!) that tasted a bit too much like the plastic container it came in. Yuck. I decided that instead of wasting it, I needed to come up with a recipe that would camouflage that unpleasant flavor without masking the tasty flavor of the fish. Thus, the Salmon Cake was born. (Does anyone else cringe at that phrase? Why can I say "Crab Cake" without blinking, but immediately think of sweet pink confections flavored with fish when I say "Salmon Cake"?) This is definitely one of the best things I've ever made, and it's such a simple formula. Really quick to prepare and cook, and full of all kinds of healthy protein and omega fatty acids to keep my nervous system happy. I'm already looking forward to cooking more of these up tomorrow with tonight's leftover salmon.

1 CUP PRE-COOKED SALMON

1/2 CUP LOOSELY PACKED FRESH BASIL

1/2 CUP ROASTED PISTACHIOS

1/2 CUP PUMPKIN SEEDS

1/4 CUP CHICKPEA FLOUR

1/2 TBS FLAXMEAL

1/2 TSP APPLEWOOD SMOKED SEA SALT (any smoked sea salt would surely suffice)

JUICE OF 1/2 A LEMON

1/4 CUP WATER

GRAPESEED OIL FOR FRYING

PUT NUTS, SEEDS, FLOUR, FLAXMEAL AND SALT IN FOOD PROCESSOR AND GRIND TO A MEAL. (MINE WAS A MIXTURE OF FINE AND SEMI-COARSE.) SHRED THE SALMON IF NOT ALREADY AND MIX WITH THE DRY INGREDIENTS ALONG WITH THE BASIL. ADD WATER AND LEMON, AND SHAPE INTO PATTIES.  HEAT A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF GRAPESEED OIL IN A PAN ON MEDIUM TO MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT. WHEN OIL IS HOT, PLACE THE PATTIES IN THE PAN AND FRY UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN ON EACH SIDE.