Honey for Dinner

Easing back into the blogosphere! An updated "Dirty Dozen v. Clean Fifteen" - organic v. non-organic produce

2011-06-08T22:36:00.000-07:00

Wow - very long time since our last blog post!!! We'll make our way back into the blogging world slowly and start off with an updated "dirty dozen, clean fifteen" list.

A few years ago, The Environmental Working Group put out a list of produce more likely (dirty dozen) and less likely (clean fifteen) to retain pesticides and chemicals in traditional produce. Their handy list was meant to serve as a recommendation for produce shoppers choosing between organic and non-organic.

We blogged about this awhile back. The take home message was that some produce items are less susceptible to harmful pesticides so you don't always have to buy organic!

They've updated their list, tweaking the rankings based on updated research. No major changes as far as I can tell! Here it is:

The EWG's intro page has a balanced discussion of organic produce:

"Pesticides are detected in 7 of every 10 fruit and vegetable samples tested"
"Buying organic sends a message that you support environmentally friendly farming practices that minimize soil erosion, safeguard water quality and protect wildlife"

However:

"The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure"
"... recommend eating fruits and vegetables, even conventionally grown, instead of processed foods and other less healthy alternatives"

But you may as well avoid pesticides and chemicals when you can! So if you want the best produce, but also live in the real world where organic isn't always available or affordable, use this short list to help you make buying decisions.

- Erin and Ken

Best 'O Pesto: Wanlut Pesto

2010-09-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

A friend recently told me that she prefers to make the taste of walnut
pesto to the more traditional (and expensive) version made with
pine nuts. We had some walnuts in the fridge and basil from our farm
box. I had to supplement with some store-bought basil, since I doubled
the recipe, but it all came together easily. I used Ken's trusty hand
blender. I can't say enough good things about having a hand blender in
the kitchen!

One note, I used soaked walnuts. We blogged that recipe earlier, you
can find it here: soak your nuts. It is an extra step, but doesn't take much
actual hands on time. It's worth it, in my opinion, since soaking
eliminates bitterness, the resulting texture is nice and crunchy, and
apparently, though I have no scientific proof, they are more
digestible.

You can find a good recipe here: kiss my spatula. Turns out it's an
adaptation of a Four Swallows recipe. Four Swallows is a restaurant on
Bainbridge Island, my hometown, which sources lots of local
ingredients (such as salad greens from Rebecca at Persephone Farms).
It's a place where my family has shared many nice meals.

Enjoy! - Erin

Kombucha Celebrity!

2010-08-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Look who's on the official GT Synergy Kombucha website: none other than Ms. Erin Hoppin! We submitted this photo awhile back (before all of the hoopla about kombucha bottle labeling for alcohol content).

You can see it for yourself at www.synergydrinks.com . Erin's picture is in the slideshow of the homepage (a good 30 seconds into the slideshow)... for those less patient here is a screenshot:

The picture was taken on the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island (you can see the Seattle skyline in the background).

Erin is enjoying her 15 minutes of fame and as a reward for her kombucha modeling, GT Dave and Synergy Drinks sent her a T-Shirt and kombucha coupons!

GT's Kombucha Shirt - One of our photos got picked up by the Synergy website (Erin drinking a kombucha) we got a free GT Synergy shirt and coupons!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

"One Free Kombucha" x 12 !! - One of our photos got picked up by the Synergy website (Erin drinking a kombucha) we got a free GT Synergy shirt and coupons!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Synergy Booocha - One of our photos got picked up by the Synergy website (Erin drinking a kombucha) we got a free GT Synergy shirt and coupons!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Honorable mention to me for taking the photo! Cheers! - Ken

Get Thee To A Slow Cookery - Slooow Cooked Veal Bottom and Veggies

2010-08-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Long time no post ;) But we're back in action now!

Slow Cooked Veal Bottom and Veggies, originally uploaded by bingolio.

One of my favorite tricks in the kitchen is to use the slow cooker! When I'm short on time I like to mix together veggies (from our Eatwell Farm CSA box) and meat in our freezer (from Marin Sun Farms) in the slow cooker! By improvising and not using a recipe, it makes things a little faster and convenient since I can throw in ingredients that are available to me in the kitchen. Extra potatoes and onions? Check. Tomatoes that may go bad in a few days? Check. It's also convenient with meats that I don't have experience cooking - what to do with veal in the freezer? Slow cooker! The big caveat is that improvisation also means that results are variable ;)

A recent successful slow cook dish was Veal Bottom with Veggies.

1 pound and a half of veal bottom cut it into thick cubes.
2 sliced onions
5 cloves of garlic
2 tomatoes
summer squash sliced
diced potatoes
red bell pepper sliced
2 poblano peppers sliced (without seeds)
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper

Slow Cooked Veal Bottom and Veggies, originally uploaded by bingolio.

I let this cook for 14 hours on the "low setting". The result was amazing! The meat was tender and the combination of veggies worked really well.

Slow Cooked Veal Bottom and Veggies, originally uploaded by bingolio.

The secret weapon was the poblano peppers; they added a subtle spiciness to every bite. I served this over rice (a mix of white and wild rice). Thank you slow cooker! - Ken

Where has the kombucha gone?

2010-06-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Kombucha lovers everywhere are searching the shelves for "Booch" - it's been a few weeks since Whole Foods and several kombucha suppliers agreed to voluntarily remove product from shelves. The main issue appears to be alcohol levels in kombucha and proper labeling of the product. If you've ever tried store-bought kombucha, you know it can pack a slight punch and sometimes the label says "may contain less than 0.5% alcohol" due to fermentation.

Here are some sad shots of empty shelves where bottles of kombucha once stood :(

Fear not kombucha lovers, it sounds as if the problem should be solved within weeks, not months (fingers crossed)! Here is a great interview with GT Dave of Synergy Drinks where he talks about the situation. Good to know that it's not a food safety issue, but a voluntary removal of product until the labeling can be set straight. Also good to know that it wasn't due to Lindsay Lohan getting drunk on kombucha and violating her probation! Wow.

Until then, if you're having serious kombucha withdrawal symptoms, you might be able to find some local stores that haven't returned their kombucha stock (hint for SF'rs: found some at the corner store on Haight and Scott). Good luck fellow kombucha lovers! - Ken and Erin (FYI: Bob's Big Boy is protecting our last 2 bottles):

A Peck of Pickles

2010-06-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

Pickles delivered to your door by bicycle! Have you dreamed of this but never thought it could become a reality? Well, it can. I heard of Boozleys via the Tablehopper's May 25th "The Health Nut" update and I knew that I had to give them a try.

(photo from boosely's website)

It was so exciting to meet such a charming guy, with a bike and a bag full of preserved local vegetables. He said his biggest customer is Zeitgeist bar. They use his pickled green beans in their award-winning bloody mary's. Here's a picture of Brad that I snapped as he made the delivery:

I commented on this "first time" experience of receiving pickles at my door, and he said "Yes, sometimes I feel like a drug dealer." I selected the $12 green beans. It's a generous helping, but pricey. I added them to a special black bean quinoa salad for a picnic last weekend. It turned out amazing! Thanks, Brad! This man has some serious pickle pride. -Erin

Strawberry Picking Season

2010-05-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday in San Francisco today promised debauchery, creative costumes and portable beer kegs as part of Bay To Breakers festivities. But we decided to get away from it all and have a relaxing day in Dixon, CA at Eatwell Farm's Strawberry pick.

We get our farm box from Eatwell, so it was nice to see where our produce comes from and pick fresh strawberries from the fields.

Juicy Strawberries :) Eatwell Farm U-Pick, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Strawberries by the pound - Eatwell Farm U-Pick, originally uploaded by bingolio.
A great relaxing day on the farm - and we avoided the craziness that was B2B 2010 ;) Erin and Ken

10 youtube channels for cooks!

2010-05-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Ah, YOUTUBE - turns out it's not just for "keyboard cat", mentos-diet coke experiments, or parodies and spoofs.

Here is a great top ten list of cooking shows on Youtube (article discovered via mashable). Lots of excellent how-to's and recipes from people posting videos from their kitchens.

Some highlights:

Everyday Dish - (Mmm... edamame guacamole)

Maangchi's Korean Cooking Show (Korean pancakes)

Show Me the Curry (savory tea time snack)

Great stuff - here's the link again to the story! Next time you're surfing around on Youtube, make sure you check out some of these cooking shows!! - Ken and Erin

Easy does it - slow cooked pork

2010-04-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

I've been trying out the newest addition to our kitchen - the slow cooker. I've had some great luck with leg of lamb, pork ribs and pork leg!

One recent highlight was a slow cooked pork leg from marin sun farms - this was a 2.5lb boneless/tied pork leg.

pork leg, originally uploaded by bingolio.

The recipe was fairly simple: I made a dry rub of equal parts tumeric and curry powder and covered the pork leg with the mixture along with a generous amount of salt (sale alle erbe salt) and pepper. The freshly rubbed pork leg rested in the fridge for an hour.

Slow cooked pulled pork - ingredients, originally uploaded by bingolio.

In the meantime, I chopped up 2 onions, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 large carrots and 1 bell pepper. I also made ready 1 jar of bbq sauce.

bbq sauce and crock pot, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Next, I laid down some of the onions into the slow cooker and rested the pork leg on top. I added the rest of the vegetables around the pork leg and covered everything with the bbq sauce! The slow cooker was set to low for 7 hours.

Filling up the slow cooker 2, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Voila!! Beautifully soft and tender pork with great flavor. The veggies also turned out well, retaining a lot of the juices and goodness of the pork.

Voila - slow cooked pork leg, originally uploaded by bingolio.

More recently, I've tried a version of this without bbq sauce, instead relying on the dry rub, balsamic vinegar and olive oil for flavor - it also turned out excellent!

We're looking forward to more tasty recipes from the slow cooker! It's a whole new world of cooking! -Ken

Cheesemonger: A life on the wedge

2010-04-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

We saw Gordon Edgar give a talk on cheese over the weekend at "Goat Fest" at the SF Ferry Building. Gordon is the super cool cheese guy at Rainbow Grocery in SF. He read a few passages from his book: "Cheesemonger: A Life On The Wedge".

Gordon Edgar - Rainbow Grocery's cheesemonger - new book!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Cheesemonger - life on the wedge, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Gordon's book sounds like a good read for cheese lovers. He talks about his visits to dairy farms and experience working at a worker owned food cooperative, Rainbow Grocery. Check out his book :)

- Ken and Erin

Snack Taxi!!

2010-04-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Whew! We've been settling in back home after a great trip to the Northeast - NYC, Brooklyn, Maine and Boston were filled with good friends and adventures - what a relaxing time :)

One of the neat things we brought back with us from Maine is the Snack Taxi! What IS a snack taxi?? Is it like Cash Cab, but with snacks and food as the prize? Nope, even better...

Snack Taxi closeup, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Snack Taxis are reusable/washable bags perfect for sandwiches and treats. They come in a few different sizes. They're made of 100% cotton on the outside and a washable nylon interior free of phthalates and other plastic toxins.

Snack Taxi - ziplock alternative, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Lot's of cool designs for kids and adults too. They were created by a mother of 3 kids who wanted an alternative to ziplock bags after packing hundreds of school lunches over the years.

Snack Taxi, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Checkout their website for more info and to see a list of stores where they're sold - you can also order online! Special thanks to Sarah for introducing the snack taxi to us!

- Ken and Erin

Honey For Dinner: East Coast Vacation This Week

2010-03-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

We are on a trip through NYC, Maine, and Boston this week! We're taking a break from cooking in the kitchen to enjoy some of the food out here in the Northeast: Gray's Papaya, Dunkin Donuts and White Castle ;) Mmmmm...

Top of the Rock, originally uploaded by bingolio.

We've already had some great NYC pizza, a nice dinner at A Voce, cupcakes and flourless brownies at Magnolia Bakery, brunch at Community Food and Juice and stopped by Murray's Cheese Shop today. Last night we saw the Upright Citizens Brigade improv group with Horatio Saenz (from SNL)! More excitement to come as we make our way up through Maine for a few days and then down to Boston.

Slice of pizza pie, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Magnolia Bakery, originally uploaded by bingolio.

NYC: Gray's Papaya, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Stay tuned for our regular cooking posts after our trip!! - Erin and Ken

White Bean and Kale Soup

2010-03-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Check it out! Another awesome recipe from the Whole Foods "Whole Deal" newsletter. Our last recipe from the "Whole Deal" was such great success (winter greens with brown rice and feta cheese), we wanted to try another one! This time we tried the White Bean and Kale Soup recipe. It turned out delicious!

Whole Foods White Bean and Chicken Sausage: Done!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

From "The Whole Deal":

Ingredients

2 (32-ounce) boxes low sodium chicken broth, divided
1 (12-ounce) package The Original Brat Hans Chicken Sausage, such as Roasted Artichokes and Olives or Spinach & Feta, sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
7 cups cooked white beans (cannellini, navy or great northern), divided
1 bunch organic kale, stems and tough ribs removed, leaves roughly chopped

Whole Foods White Bean and Chicken Sausage Recipe: White Beans, Onion, Rosemary and Kombu, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Method

Heat 1/4 cup broth in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and sausage is just browned, about 10 minutes. Add onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes more. (Add a generous splash of broth to the pot if onions begin to stick.)

Whole Foods White Bean and Chicken Sausage Recipe 3, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Meanwhile, put 3 cups beans and 2 cups broth into a blender and purée until smooth; set aside. Add remaining broth to sausage mixture in pot and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add kale, reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until wilted and softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add remaining 4 cups beans, bean puree, salt and pepper and simmer until hot throughout, about 5 minutes more.

Whole Foods White Bean and Chicken Sausage: Done! 3, originally uploaded by bingolio.

For an added twist, you can add a strip of kombu to the beans that you are cooking to give it more richness and flavor. Serve with parsley or cilantro on top. Enjoy! - Ken and Erin

G-L-O-P !!!

2010-03-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Main Entry: glop
Pronunciation: \ˈgläp\
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: circa 1944
1 : a thick semiliquid substance (as food) that is usually unattractive in appearance
2 : tasteless or worthless material

G - L - O - P 2 !!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

My dad invented this quick and inexpensive dish, which he refers to as "Glop." It's a family classic, and a total comfort food! In his own words: "I thought of it as a delicious, easy, and affordable meal, that made a nice sound as it was dished on the plate, and could even be re-heated for the rest of the week, on the radiator or in an electric frying pan kept in the refrigerator. A tasty creation allowing for many variations by the busy chef!"
My Dad's an excellent improviser in the kitchen, throwing in a splash of this sauce, a pinch of various spices and herbs. He must have picked up the cooking bug from my Cordon Bleu-trained, Julia Child-esque grandmother, who used to whip up gourmet French meals (complete with lots of butter). Here's a rough idea of the recipe, but feel free to make your own additions. I've substituted his usual cream of mushroom soup concentrate with some sauteed mushrooms and a roux (French thickening base for many sauces).

Rous for GLOP, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Glop ingredients, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Recipe:
1 package wheat pasta or brown rice pasta, linguine style
salt
4 T flour (or Pamela's Wheat-Free Baking and Pancake Mix)
4 T butter
salt and pepper
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 lb. brown mushrooms, sliced
1/4 C. pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1/4-1/2 C. white wine
pinch of fines herbes, basil, oregano, or dill
1 T curry powder
1 can tuna in water, drained
Your favorite cheese, grated

Procedure:
Heat your pasta water on the stove while you wash and chop your veggies. Make sure to salt your pasta water! Cook pasta as directed.
In another pan, add some butter and/or olive oil and saute onions and peppers for several minutes, until they begin to soften. Add mushrooms, a dash of salt and pepper, and stir until mushrooms shrink up and other veggies begin to brown slightly. Add white wine to deglaze your pan (get the tasty caramelized bits back into the sauce), add tuna, olives, herbs, curry powder, and simmer while you make the roux.
Place the equal parts butter and flour in a pan over medium heat, and stir until the butter is melted and combined with the flour, and the thickened mixture has heated through and even browned a bit. You want to make sure to heat it long enough that the flour is cooked (otherwise it will taste like raw flour in your dish!). Add a pich of salt and pepper to the roux and stir. Add your roux to the vegetable mixture and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Grate cheese over the top, and serve with a salad. (Mayo or no mayo, your call.)

G - L - O - P !!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Here's some serving notes from Dad: "Glop is best served with rice or noodles, with a side salad, possibly tomatoes with feta and an oil and vinegar dressing.....yummmmmm! I used to enhance with a dab of mayo, but this is not recommended in today's world." You heard it straight from the inventor himself! Enjoy! - Erin

Winter Greens with Carrots, Feta Cheese and Brown Rice

2010-03-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

We've been trying out some cool recipes from the "Whole Deal", Whole Foods buying guide full of recipes and lots of coupons. I thought you could only get these in-store, but the online version is exactly the same, along with a link for the coupons.

Winter greens with carrots, feta cheese and brown rice - such a delicious and quick recipe! We've made this twice so far, the first time with brown rice and more recently with quinoa.

From the Whole Foods Whole Deal Recipe:

Ingredients

2 carrots, shredded
2 bunches dark leafy greens (kale, collard greens or Swiss chard), tough stems removed, leaves very thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 (20-ounce) package 365 Everyday Value frozen Organic Whole Grain Brown Rice, prepared according to package directions

Whole Foods Dark Winter Greens and Feta Salad: ingredients, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Method

Put carrots, greens, onions, 1/4 cup water, salt and pepper into a large, deep skillet and toss well. Cover and cook over medium heat, tossing once or twice, until greens are wilted and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss with feta cheese and spoon over brown rice.

Whole Foods Dark Winter Greens and Feta Salad: Chopped and Cooked! 3, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Really simple and delicious! This was a great lunch meal during the work/school week. I also loved it because it was so quick and easy to make.

Whole Foods Dark Winter Greens and Feta Salad over Quinoa, originally uploaded by bingolio.

P.S.: If you like feta cheese, you may want to add a little extra ;) - Ken

Food for thought - Jonathan Safran Foer on being a vegetarian

2010-02-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

I recently came across this New York Times piece by writer Jonathan Safran Foer. He shares the journey of his relationship with food, specifically meat. I appreciate his honesty and humor (his early bouts of vegetarianism as "an occasion to get closer to the breasts of activist women"), but also the heart-warming parts. Highlights include: wanting to make himself "better" upon the "new beginning" of his marriage. His friend who writes a letter to him after his first son is born, saying simply: "Everything is possible again.” On feeding his children: "Feeding my children is not like feeding myself: it matters more. It matters because food matters (their physical health matters, the pleasure they take in eating matters), and because the stories that are served with food matter." He just came out with a book on the topic, entitled Eating Animals.

Natalie Portman wrote a piece giving credit to the book for helping her decide to take the leap from vegetarian to vegan. This sounds like an interesting read, especially for people thinking about becoming vegetarian or vegan and for those of us with friends/family who don't eat meat.

-Erin

Homemade Hot Pockets (microwave not included)

2010-02-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

I discovered this awesome recipe towards the end of 2009 - it was on a favorite food blog of mine... shutterbean!! Not only is she a great cook, Tracy from shutterbean is also an awesome photographer! I've been salivating over her food photography for awhile now on flickr (which is how I found the shutterbean blog); check her pics out here

Homemade Hot Pockets!! Actually, it's a recipe for "Savory Chicken Pot Pies" coming from the book, Mad Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn (The Executive Food Director for Martha Stewart Living).

savory chicken pot pie pockets 2, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Overview

The filling is a simple mixture of shredded chicken breast, celery, carrots, onions, chicken stock and flour. Shutterbean added peas and chopped dill to the recipe. The dough is a cream cheese pastry: this was definitely the most intimidating part of the recipe as I've never made a dough from scratch and I'm not much of a baker. But it turns out this dough recipe is totally do-able even for a newbie like me.

Ingredients for the filling:
1 heaping cup of shredded chicken
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 large egg, for egg wash

Ingredients for the cream cheese pastry:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, extra flour for rolling
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Procedure:
Salt and pepper 2 chicken breasts and cook in a frying pan (or george foreman grill), brown on each side. Let cool and shred by hand.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and add carrots, peas, celery and onions. Stir on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and add salt, dill and flour. Add chicken broth and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add shredded chicken and parmesan cheese. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool in refrigerator.

chicken pot pie mix, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Time to make the cream cheese pastry dough!! You can use a food processor or blender to mix the ingredients, or just do it by hand which is what I did :) Mix together the butter, cream cheese and whipping cream. Start adding the salt and flour. Continue to mix until everything combines smoothly together into a ball. Separate into two balls, wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge.

ready to rollllll..., originally uploaded by bingolio.

At this point, you can stop and chill everything overnight, which is what I decided to do to split up the workload.

Next (or on Day #2, if you're chilling overnight) prepare a clean and flat surface for rolling out the dough. Flour the surface and rolling pin. Take out the chilled dough balls and let them rest and come up to room temperature. Work each dough ball one at a time. Start rolling, working the dough from the center outwards. Use flour liberally to keep the dough from sticking!! Roll into a large circle (~12 inches). It should be pretty thin, but not transparent or fragile. Use a bowl or dish with ~5 inch diameter to cut your hot pocket pastry circles. As you make the circles, ball up the scrap dough and roll out again to make new circles; continue until there isn't anymore dough left! Repeat the rolling and circle making with dough ball #2. At the end of it, you should have 7-10 pastry circles, depending on how thinly you rolled the dough. Remember to flour the circles you cut to keep them from sticking.

rolling the dough, originally uploaded by bingolio.

making circles, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Preheat oven to 375F. Butter a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Fill each pastry circle with a spoonful of chicken filling mix. Use water or the moisture from the chicken mix to wet the edges of the dough. Fold the dough over and form a half circle. Crimp the edges neatly with a fork (or not so neatly with your fingers) and poke a few holes on top to let steam out. Line up your filled hot pockets and place them on your baking sheet. Beat an egg with a tablespoon of water and brush this onto your hot pocket pies... shove them into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown (mine took more like 35 minutes). Allow to cool before serving.

filling the hot pockets, originally uploaded by bingolio.

chicken pot pie pockets go into oven, originally uploaded by bingolio.

savory chicken pot pie pockets, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Voila!! Homemade hot pockets, minus the microwave and weird cardboard sleeve ;) These tasted really good and were easy to take to work/school for lunch! - Ken

Erin's 2010 Foodie Wishlist

2010-02-21T10:54:00.000-08:00

Restaurant visits to add to my foodie wish list for 2010 (this comes straight from an interview with Melissa Perello, chef and owner of the new Frances restaurant). Maybe some of these dishes will serve to inspire our own creations at home!

1. La Ciccia, their spaghetti with bottarga
2. Gialina, the bacon-and-egg pizza (Never been! Ken loves pizza and I love eggs!)
3. Hog Island Oyster Company, the grilled cheese (I worked in the Ferry Building for about a year and never tried it!)
4. Zuni Cafe’s chicken (I've had it once and reeeeeaaaaallly want it again.)

-Erin

Erin's Quick Cooking Tips

2010-02-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

Here are two good tips that I want to share with our readers:

#1. Un, Deux, Trois: My culinar-ily gifted friend Virgina sent me a delicious recipe for steamed broccoli. The gist is, steam the broccoli until tender, but not too soft. Drizzle with equal parts balsamic vinegar, toasted sesame oil or walnut oil, and tamari or soy sauce.

steamed brocolli with tamari sauce, originally uploaded by bingolio.

You can add some toasted crushed nuts, too. Yum. This is a delicious way to get your daily intake of green veggies. I've tried it on steamed carrots, greens, and even grains like quinoa. It works, because it has that sweet/tart/salt balance.

Give it a try!

#2. Throw a cinnamon stick into your pot of beans while they cook. Not many people cook their own beans, since it requires overnight soaking (and therefore planning). But I think they taste much better than canned. I interned in the Greens kitchen here in SF several years ago, and they always threw a cinnamon stick in when they cooked their pinto beans. I later learned that cinnamon can improve digestibility.

More tips coming soon! - Erin

Won't you be... my Neighbor?

2010-02-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

I roasted a lamb noisette recently and it was delicious!! The 1.5 lb cut was filled with herbs and garlic and roasted to perfection.

Unfortunately, our kitchen lacks proper ventilation, so I occasionally open all of the windows in our apartment along with the front door. Well, one of our neighbors didn't appreciate this and left a note on our door the next day:
An unfriendly note - but he/she does have a point, I realize. We'll be asking our landlord for a hooded vent above our stove to solve this problem. A reminder that it can be hard to cook up a storm while living in an urban apartment building! - Ken

Korean Soup For You - "Dduk Guk" (떡국)!!

2010-02-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite Korean dishes - "Dduk Guk" (떡국). It's made with a beef or seaweed based broth and features radish and slices of rice cake. It's the traditional New Year's Day meal.

Korean Soup "Dduk Guk" 떡국- ingredients, originally uploaded by bingolio.

My brother sent me a link to a recipe for a vegetarian version of Dduk Guk, and I gave it a shot - Thanks Peter!

You can find the rice cake slices at any Korean market and the other ingredients are widely available in most markets. If you have trouble finding kombu, try Rainbow Grocery in SF or your local Asian market.

Korean Soup "Dduk Guk" 떡국- ingredients 2, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Korean Soup "Dduk Guk" 떡국- ingredients 3, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Recipe from apartment therapy's kitchn:

Vegetarian Dduk Gook (Korean Rice Cake Soup)
Serves 4

For broth
6 cups water
1/4 pound Korean radish or daikon, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
6-inch strip kombu

For soup
1 pound dduk (oval rice cakes), soaked in water overnight or at least 2 hours
3 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 sheets roasted seaweed
Black pepper

To make broth
Combine broth ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain.

To make soup
Bring broth to a simmer. Add dduk and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine scallions and egg. Add to the pot and stir until distributed.

Tear and crumble seaweed into the pot and stir until combined.

Serve hot. Garnish with black pepper to taste.

Ken's additions to the recipe:
Additionally, I added salt, garlic and some ginger to the broth. I also added thin slices of radish to the soup and allowed them to get very soft prior to adding the rice cakes.

Korean Soup "Dduk Guk" 떡국- 3, originally uploaded by bingolio.

If you have leftovers , I'd recommend storing the soup and rice cakes separately - this will keep the rice cakes from getting too soggy. Just add them together when you're ready to eat! - Ken

How Much Do Americans Spend on Food?

2010-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

An interesting article on Huffington Post citing a study done by GOOD magazine and Whole Foods.

In 1949, Americans spent 22% of their income on food, whereas in 2009 they spent 10%

Saving money is great, but the article talks about "cheap food" coming at a price - namely poor health and unsustainable environmental practices.

Check out the youtube video:

- Ken and Erin

Vietnamese Sandwich

2010-02-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

Another fantastic recipe via epicurious - it originally comes from Bon Appetit: Vietnamese Pork Meatball Sandwiches (Banh Mi).

Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich 3, originally uploaded by bingolio.

This recipe was fun to make and it was great for taking to work/school for lunch. The traditional bread is a baguette or roll, but Ken had it with flat sourdough bread. Erin had it mixed with salad and extra cabbage slaw.

A very tasty dish indeed!! - Ken and Erin

Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich 4, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi
Hot Chili Mayo:
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)*

Meatballs:
1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)*
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Sandwiches:
2 cups coarsely grated carrots
2 cups coarsely grated peeled daikon (Japanese white radish)**
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
4 10-inch-long individual baguettes or four 10-inch-long pieces French-bread baguette (cut from 2 baguettes)
Thinly sliced jalapeño chiles
16 large fresh cilantro sprigs

Hot Chili Mayo:
Stir all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt. do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Meatballs:
Line rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Sandwiches:
Toss first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to another rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs.

Cut each baguette or baguette piece horizontally in half. Pull out enough bread from each bread half to leave 1/2-inch-thick shell. Spread hot chili mayo over each bread shell. Arrange jalapeños, then cilantro, in bottom halves. Fill each with 1/4 of meatballs. Drain pickled vegetables; place atop meatballs. Press on baguette tops.

*Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

**Available at some supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Bon Appétit
January 2010
by Jeanne Thiel Kelley
2009-12-09 11:56:54.0

Digestion and Fermented Foods: Update

2010-01-31T09:00:00.001-08:00

What a great talk about digestion and fermented foods! I've attached the handout which has information about soaking nuts, beans and grains.

There were two very interesting tips that Marisol and Daniela mentioned:
1. Prior to cooking, drain soaked grains/nuts/beans and add fresh water (you can measure what drains and add that amount of fresh water back)
2. Soaking rice and millet isn't necessary because of their low acid content.

We posted the handout to our fridge for easy access; you can too! - Erin

Rib-Eye Tacos with Onion Jam and Horseradish Crème Fraîche

2010-01-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

A most excellent recipe via epicurious: Rib-Eye Tacos served with Onion Jam and Horseradish Crème Fraîche!! UN-believable!! The recipe is originally from Bon Apetit, 2004. This is a great lunch idea because you can prepare many of the fillings ahead of time and use them when you're ready!

Rib-Eye Tacos with Onion Jam and Horseradish Crème Fraîche - the onion jam is craaazy good!!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Preparing this meal was a team effort :) Ken cooked the rib-eye steaks, and Erin worked the onion jam and horseradish.

Ingredients:

Horseradish crème fraîche

1 cup finely grated peeled fresh horseradish root (about 4 ounces)
1 8-ounce container crème fraîche or sour cream
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
Coarse kosher salt

Onion jam

1 1/2 pounds red onions, very thinly sliced
2 cups dry red wine
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Tacos

10 7- to 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas, each cut into 5-inch square

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 9- to 10-ounce boneless rib-eye steaks, excess fat trimmed
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Preparation:

For horseradish crème fraîche:
Mix first 3 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Season to taste with kosher salt. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For onion jam:
Combine onions, wine, honey, and thyme in large skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until wine is almost absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 55 minutes. Mix in red wine vinegar. Simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors, adding water by tablespoonfuls to moisten if jam is dry and stirring often (onions will still be slightly crunchy). Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before using, rewarm over medium heat until just warm, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if jam is dry.)

For tacos:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap tortillas in foil, enclosing completely. Place in oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in each of 2 heavy large skillets over high heat. Add 2 steaks to each skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to cutting board. Thinly slice steaks crosswise. Divide steak slices among warm tortillas. Top with onion jam, then spoonful of horseradish crème fraîche. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Market tip: Fresh horseradish root looks like a knottier cousin of the parsnip. Use a vegetable peeler to peel away the skin, then a box grater, food processor, or Microplane for grating. If the fresh root is unavailable, substitute 1/4 cup of prepared horseradish in this recipe.

Rib-Eye Tacos with Onion Jam and Horseradish Crème Fraîche, originally uploaded by bingolio.

This recipe was straightforward and fairly easy to make. The onion jam and horseradish can be made ahead of time; they also keep very well for a few days. Fresh horseradish gives a real kick to these tacos - think wasabi heat level!! - Ken and Erin

SF Bay Area Bakesale for Haiti: Update

2010-01-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

The bakesale in the Bay Area this past weekend for Haiti relief was a success - more than $22K raised for Partners In Health!!

PS: Thanks to Tova for bringing us some extra cupcakes!! - Erin and Ken

Bakesales for Haiti Relief - Stand with Haiti

2010-01-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

Bakesales in the Bay Area for Haiti Relief: 10am-2pm this Saturday, Jan. 23rd. Proceeds go to Partners in Health (PIH).

3 locations: Bi-Rite Grocery (SF), Pizzaiolo (OAK), Gioia Pizzeria (BERKELEY)

Ruth Reichl's "Perfect Pasta" 2

2010-01-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

Ruth Reichl's "Perfect Pasta"

(1/23/10 Update: Preparation notes added!)
I made this as a quick lunch, and we had leftovers for dinner. It's perfect becuase it's delicious, but also easy to prepare and inexpensive. I got the idea for cracking an egg into the cooked pasta from listening to Ruth Reichl talk about a weeknight pasta meal that she used to make for her husband and son. Her recipe includes bacon, which would be a delicious addition to this recipe! The egg coats each pieces of pasta, creating a rich, creamy sauce.

Ruth Reichl's "Perfect Pasta" 2, originally uploaded by bingolio.

1 pound pasta (Spirals work well for this dish, but any shape will do. I like Tinkyada pastas, they seem lighter to me than wheat pastas)
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch spinach, washed thoroughly and spun in salad spinner, if you have one
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)
2 eggs
parmesano reggiano, freshly grated to taste

In a large pot, cook pasta as directed. (I like to salt the pasta water heavily, as the Italians do! The final product tastes better.) While the pasta is cooking...
In a large sautee pan, sautee garlic and shallot in olive oil until soft and beginning to turn golden. Add the washed spinach and saute until wilted. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper. When the pasta is cooked, drain in a collander and immediately pour into the pan. Toss with the spinach mixture and crack the eggs into the hot pasta. Stir to coat the pasta. Add grated parmesano reggiano and serve.

Yum! Enjoy - Erin

Digestion and Fermented Foods

2010-01-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

This upcoming free talk on digestion and fermented foods sounds interesting. I'll attend, then post what I learn here on our blog! It's in SF on Sunday, 1/24/10 - details below.

Cheers,
Erin

Daniela Freda, L.Ac. and nutritionist Marisol Kim will be giving a free talk on "Optimal Digestion: The Key to Overall Health and Well-being" sponsored by Rainbow Grocery.
Please join us as we discuss traditional methods of food preparation (soaking/fermenting) as well as foods/herbs/supplements that enhance digestion. We will also have a sauerkraut tasting!

Sunday January 24th 2-3:30
Chez Spencer
82 14th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Call Daniela at 415-335-0238 for more information.

Brownie Points: flourless black bean brownies!!

2010-01-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Black Bean Brownies: a brownie with fewer* consequences (flour-free, wheat-free, can be made low-sugar)

Black Bean Brownies: flourless, wheat-free - Delicious!! *stars*2, originally uploaded by bingolio.

This recipe might sound strange at first, but it is delicious! TRY THESE IF YOU LIKE BROWNIES--TRUST ME!!! It comes to us from Heidi at 101cookbooks.com :)

Kitchen smells like chocolate!!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Ken and I shared these brownies with our friends Jason and Thea... and their son Eli, who happens to be a very honest 2.5-yr-old with a discerning taste in music (he's really into The Smiths right now)! They all thoroughly enjoyed these and couldn't believe they were made with black beans instead of flour! Beans in a dessert, you ask? Well, many Asian desserts incorporate beans, why not the dense, rich chocolate brownie? (Do you like food history? I do! History of the brownie)

Black Bean Brownies: flourless, wheat-free - Delicious!!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Erin's modifications:
For this recipe, I reduced the amount of agave from 1&1/2 cups to 1/3 of a cup. I added roughly 1-2 heaping teaspoons (oops, didn't measure it) of stevia powder--and voila! Delicious, low-sugar, wheat free, very rich and delicious brownies.

I also included Stevia as a sweetner. The leaves of the stevia plant have 30 to 45 times the sweetness of table sugar. You can find lots of white stevia powder in the grocery store, but only a few places carry the green powder. It's green because it's just ground-up stevia leaves. Two more interesting facts: 1. Stevia has been used to treat osteoporosis. 2. The Japanese use stevia to sweeten their Coke!

I used Dandy Blend in place of the instant coffee, same amount as called for in the recipe.

You'll need a fork to enjoy these right out of the oven. Overnight refrigeration firmed them up a bit. Delicious served with milk or coffee, best served a la mode. We tried them with blackberry and sweet cream ice creams from Tara's in Berkeley. You could also go with the much-loved, expensive, and agave-laden Coconut Bliss. Or some unsweetened whipped cream would work. Mmm.

Someone recently asked me for some healthy dessert ideas. Desserts are sweet--that's why we all love them! The unfortunate news--and I'm still partly in denial about this--is that sugar is never healthy. There are lots of "alternative sweeteners" out there on the market: maple syrup, maple crystals, honey, and those cane sugars in various shades of brown. When we see brown food, we tend to think: healthy. Well, that's true when it comes to rice, but not when it comes to sugar! (or eggs, for that matter...) This recipe calls for agave nectar. The main form of sugar in agave is fructose. Some say agave is better for you because it doesn't raise blood sugar levels as dramatically as other sweeteners. Skeptics point out that fructose raises triglycerides. High levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream have been linked to atherosclerosis and, by extension, the risk of heart disease and stroke. Most people agree that whole (unprocessed, unrefined) foods are our best bet when it comes to eating for health and disease prevention, and agave is most certainly not a whole food.

But let's face it, we all deserve a rich and sweet piece of brownie every once in awhile ;) Live it up! - Erin and Ken

Too many cooks in the kitchen?

2010-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Ken and I were both in our kitchen at the SAME TIME last night. I was cooking, and he was doing dishes. This might not sound extraordinary until I tell you that our kitchen is the size of a closet! Check out this handy dandy diagram of our kitchen, it's a rough sketch (custom drawing courtesy of floorplanner.com):

Two of our favorite foodies also have small kitchens. Check out the last photo on this blog, L.A. chef Evan Kleiman hosts Good Food on KCRW, and she baked a pie a day all summer and blogged about it. It turns out that she bakes in a toaster oven!!!!! The New York Times' Mark Bittman has a small kitchen, too. My favorite quote from this November '08 interview: "I think part of me likes the inadequacy of it. There’s some pride involved." I agree, Mark!

Another local SF food blogger, Joel, documents cooking in his "6x10" kitchen. Wow!!

Send us a photo of your tiny kitchen!: honeyfordinner@gmail.com - Erin

Happy New Year!! 2009 --> 2010!!

2009-12-31T11:50:00.000-08:00

~~ Happy New Year! ~~

We hope you had a nice holiday season and are celebrating New Year's Eve in style!!

We'll be coming back in 2010 with new stories and many fantastic recipes!

Here are 2 recipes we plan on trying early in the New Year:

Kabocha Squash Soup (by Mark Bittman of the New York Times)

Savory Chicken Pot Pie ("Mad Hungry" by Lucinda Scala Quinn - found on the shutterbean blog)

- Erin and Ken

Meaty Goodness!!

2009-12-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

Meat, meat, and more meat (you might want to skip this if you're a vegetarian) -

We are enjoying our pastured meat! We joined Marin Sun Farms' meat CSA recently. We were happy to find a local source of quality meat produced sustainably and humanely. We pickup our order the 1st Wednesday of every month from a nearby neighbor's house (they volunteer as a CSA pickup spot). The meat is frozen and on dry ice when we arrive. We chose package #4: 4 lbs roast/braise and 5 lbs ground. They have a variety of packages and offer extras too (sausages, steaks, eggs)... and you can omit 1 type of meat from your order if there's one you especially don't want (beef, lamb, goat, chicken, pork).

Our first order included goat stew meat, even though we checked the "no goat, please" box on our application. Oh, well! Tristen at Marin Sun Farms made it up to us though ;) I felt sort of guilty for ruling it out in the first place, without ever having tried to cook it myself. So this clerical mistake will turn out to be an opportunity! I have yet to find a good goat recipe, but I got some leads via Facebook for recipes from both coasts: Machias, Maine and Bolinas, CA. I'll share results with you after I hunt those recipes down and do an East Coast-West Coast goat cook-off.

In other CSA meat news, I recently made hamburgers a la Alice Waters: just some salt, pepper, and minced garlic mixed in with the meat, plus a good cooking tip: make a small indentation in the middle of your raw patties to allow for the swelling that occurs during heating. (See The Art of Simple Food, Clarkson Potter, 2007). I also made some impromptu pasta sauce with garlic onions, and peppers sauteed in butter, plus some salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. We added jarred pasta sauce at the end of cooking, and voila! Much-improved, yet still quick, pasta sauce! Ken discovered a good brand: Eden Organic.

Ken made a delicious chicken dish without a recipe (see his recent posting)! We still have oxtail in the freezer, and I plan to make oxtail soup using Sally Fallon's recipe. Here's a great source for information on the health benefits of pastured meat and dairy. You can search the site to find pastured products in your area!

According to studies, grass-fed beef is better for human health than grain-fed beef in ten different ways. The 2009 study was a joint effort between the USDA and researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina.

Compared with grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef was:

Lower in total fat
Higher in beta-carotene
Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
Higher in total omega-3s
A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter
Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)
Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease

Journal article referenced: S.K. Duckett et al, Journal of Animal Science, (published online) June 2009, “Effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on: III. Tissue proximate, fatty acid, vitamin and cholesterol content.”

One of the other topics covered in the "health benefits" section that I found particularly interesting: Have some red wine or some spinach with your hamburger! Apparently cooking ground beef above medium rare (I wish I liked it the French way!) oxidized much of the fat in the meat. Antioxidant-rich foods and beverages consumed along with the oxidized fats might counteract any associated health risks. The French had it right all along... :)

We're loving our meat CSA with Marin Sun Farms and would highly recommend it. Next up: we'll have an update on our produce CSA experience with Eatwell Farm - Erin

Yosemi-turkey 2009 - Recap

2009-12-13T20:29:00.000-08:00

File this one under better late than never - our recap of Thanksgiving in Yosemite!! We had a great Thanksgiving at "The Bug" and enjoyed our hikes and trips through Yosemite :)

We stayed at the Yosemite Bug - an official Hosteling International Inn. The staff was very friendly and we were pleasantly surprised by how many other folks decided to spend Thanksgiving at Yosemite too! There were families, other couples and a bus-load of international students from UCSB! "The Bug" has dormitory style sleeping quarters, private cabins with shared baths (we chose this option) and private cabins with private baths. The lodge has a wonderful fireplace and many communal tables - perfect for eating and playing board games. There's also a great spa with a hot tub and sauna!!

We loved the Thanksgiving dinner served at "The Bug Cafe" - I had the Turkey with mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Erin had the Salmon dish which was also delicious. I didn't get any good shots of the food, but take our word for it - it was great!!

We also cooked our own meals in the shared kitchen. This was interesting on certain nights when the kitchen was packed with other hungry guests cooking after a long day's hike. With all of the international students from UCSB, there was an exciting mixture of meals being prepared - Italians were making giant pots of pasta, Korean students were making kimchi jigae and others were making pots of hot chili! Erin made a fantastic sweet potato hash brown dish with lamb patties from three stone hearth topped yogurt!

Other meals we prepared included hot dogs from "Let's be Frank" and tortillas filled with goat cheese. Mmmm... hiking fuel!!

We were well fed and had a great time at "The Bug" and enjoyed our visit to Yosemite National Park! - Ken

Gobble Gobble, Yosemite style

2009-11-24T18:32:00.000-08:00

We'll be spending Thanksgiving in Yosemite at the Yosemite Bug!! They are known to have fantastic holiday meal spreads courtesy of their chefs - check out this menu!

So we'll have some pics of our Thanksgiving adventure in Yosemite and of course details of the meals we have there :) Happy Turkey-day everyone!! - Erin and Ken

Ants on a log

2009-11-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a great quick snack that is a lot of fun :)

Ants on a log - celery, peanut/almond butter, raisins, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Ants on a log - celery, topped with peanut butter (or for a delicious twist, almond butter) and raisins! Relive your childhood ;) - Ken

Heidi Swanson: like us, she's a Lower Haight food blogger. But, unlike us, she's famous!

2009-11-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

101 Cookbooks is a well-loved blog, and for good reason - Heidi Swanson is a fantastic food blogger! She details a variety of great recipes and she's an excellent food photographer. I'm slowly making my way through her recipes. I made Heidi Swanson's recipe for Double Broccoli Quinoa this week.

Double Brocolli Quinoa - from www.101cookbooks.com, originally uploaded by bingolio.

The dish was good, but I have a feeling that it will be better the next time that I make it. I forgot to add the basil. I used pinenuts instead of almonds, a good choice, I think. The only cheese I added was grated parmesano reggiano. I'd like to add additional cheese(s) next time. When she says to cook the broccoli for 1 minute, she means don't overcook it. But you might want to cook it just a tad longer than 1 minute. Mine turned out a lot like crudité in both texture and flavor. It could have used 2 minutes in the pot instead of 1. Also go easy on the raw garlic is you're sensitive to it. Or at least make sure that your significant other eats some, too!

Yes, it's official, Heidi Swanson is a super awesome food blogger. Her recipes are excellent, pictures fantastic and her blog is put together tastefully - check it out! www.101cookbooks.com

P.S. If you love tapioca like me, you'll love her tapioca dessert recipe! I used coconut milk, Claravale milk and pastured eggs, and I swear they made it even more delicious! It's delicious, warm, and comforting on these chilly, dark nights. - Erin

Will Blog For Food

2009-11-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

Wow, blogging takes some serious effort! We started this blog in July 2009 - it was easy in the beginning, but we realize now that it takes effort to maintain and update the blog with fresh posts. Where do we find the time to find blog topics and recipes and take/process food photos?

With this in mind, I was inspired by a link I recently saw to Clay Shirky's fascinating talk (thanks to my friend for suggesting this link)! He discusses the differences between "vegging out" in front of the TV and doing something more interactive and creative on the computer... like blogging! It inspired me to sit down and write about our recent adventures in the kitchen, which is fun, but easy to put off. ;) Stay tuned for new posts! - Erin

Legs and Thighs, Oh My!!

2009-11-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

Honeyfordinner has been out of blogging action for awhile - we have a good excuse though!!

After "20% coupon days" at Rainbow Grocery ended, we brainstormed and examined other grocery shopping choices. We really liked the idea of joining a CSA (community supported agriculture) and decided that it worked well for us (budget, time, etc). So at the end of October, we joined eatwell farm produce CSA ...and for the carnivore in us Marin Sun Farms meat CSA!! Very exciting, and a big change! We are settling into our new grocery shopping system, and are ready to share some of the meals we've made lately. We'll have an in-depth-honest-no-holds-barred post about our experience with our new CSA's soon... stay tuned!

But first, here's a chicken dinner prepared this week using legs and thighs from our first Marin Sun Farms CSA box.

Marin Sun Farms - Chicken Leg and Thigh, originally uploaded by bingolio.

This was pretty darn basic:
1. Sautee minced garlic in butter on the stovetop and add 2 chicken thighs and 2 chicken legs on medium heat; add salt and pepper

2. Leave on 1 side for 10 minutes to brown and then flip over.
3. Add 2 sliced carrots, 2 sliced celery sticks and half a sliced onion. Leave chicken to brown on this side for another 10 minutes.
4. Next, put skillet into the oven (pre-heated to 400 degrees F) for 20-30 minutes.

And voila it's finished!! Nice & tasty "pastured chicken legs and thighs" with carrots, celery and onion! We had this with the double brocolli quinoa recipe (soon to be posted)! Enjoy - Ken

Marin Sun Farms - Chicken finished!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Here fishy fishy!

2009-10-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Choosing fish and seafood to cook can sometimes be confusing - wild fish? farmed fish? aren't we over-fishing the ocean? what about mercury? It's probably for this reason that some of us don't cook fish at home often.

Well, the Monterey Bay Aquarium sheds some light on eating seafood at restaurants and at home. They present a discussion about the ecological and health factors of different types of seafood. Environmental pollutants such as mercury, PCBs, dioxins and pesticides are a real concern when choosing seafood. When it comes to farmed fish, antibiotics are a concern as factory fish are often treated with high levels which are passed onto our dinner plate. Farmed fish can also have an effect on the surrounding ecology as they sometimes escape fisheries and pass on new strains of disease to wild fish. This has mainly been a problem in the U.S. with Farmed Salmon, which is why Wild Alaskan Salmon is considered to be a better choice for our health and the environment.
But when you're out to dinner or at the market choosing seafood, it can be hard to remember all of the facts and figures. To make things easier, The Monterey Bay Aquarium provides a pocket seafood guide for every region of the U.S. - print yours out today!

Want more seafood saftey info? The NRDC's sustainable seafood guide is another good resource. They go into more detail about basic things to remember: eat lower on the food chain (pollutants bio-accumulate in larger animals like Swordfish or Sharks), buy American (U.S. fishing standards are higher than other countries), wild caught fish tend to be safer, eat locally.

In the Bay Area, many restaurants are giving patrons more options and information about seafood on the menu. People are more knowledgeable and conscious of seafood safety. A recent story on sfgate talks about Rainbow Trout, which has become a very popular item lately as it gets a thumbs up from the Monterey Bay Aquarium (unlike farmed Salmon, farmed Trout do not have the same antibiotic requirements and are not known to invade wild ecosystems). Trout is becoming a favorite alternative to Salmon because of its ecological and economic advantages (Wild Alaskan Salmon, which also gets a thumbs up, can be up to 3X as expensive as Trout)!

So go ahead and order the fish! Knowing the facts, now you can be confident and enjoy your meal! - Ken

Soups Up! Alice Waters' Minestrone Soup

2009-10-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Alice Waters' Minestrone Soup, originally uploaded by bingolio.

I love this minestrone soup recipe from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food because it is both delicious a seasonal. In fact, Waters includes variations for Fall, Winter, and Spring in her book. I cooked her Fall version a few days ago. The sage gives this soup an earthy flavor, while the carrots, onion, and squash make it sweet. It is time-consuming to chop all of the veggies and herbs. I ended up soaking the beans and prepping the veggies one night and then cooking the beans and the soup the next night. It is so nice to have everything chopped and measured ahead of time. I felt like I had my own cooking show!

Minestrone, 8 servings
Prepare:
1 cup dried borlotti or cranberry beans (or cannellini beans)
This will yield 2.5 to 3 cups of cooked beans. Reserve the cooking liquid.
Heat in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat:
1/4 cup olive oil
Add:
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
Cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Add:
4 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped sage
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
1 bunch kale, stemmed, washed and chopped
1 small can of tomatoes, drained and chopped
Cook for 5 minutes longer. Add, then bring to a boil:
3 cups water (or stock)
When boiling, add:
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes (about 2 cups)
Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust as necessary.
Add the cooked beans, along with:
1 cup bean cooking liquid
Cook for 5 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add more bean cooking liquid. Remove the bay leaf.
Serve in bowls, each one garnished with:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon or more grated Parmesan cheese

Alice Waters' Minestrone Soup - with parmasean, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Alice's tips:
*Be sure to cut all of the veggies into bite-size pieces to that each spoonful will have a variety of tastes and textures.
*Pesto is an excellent garnish for this soup.

Erin's tips:
*I couldn't find Borlotti beans at Rainbow Grocery. Let us know if you find them and how they taste!
*I doubled this recipe and it fed the two of us for a whole week.
*We used local Rancho Gordo heirloom cranberry beans this time! They were delicious and they must have been really fresh, because they cooked more quickly than most dried beans. Check out their website! Who knew that beans could be hip and sexy?!
*This time, I used 3 cups homemade beef broth instead of the 3 cups water. Beef or chicken broth makes this soup more rich, but if you're short on time or vegetarian, water will make a tasty soup, too!
*If you chop ahead of time, you can combine the following ingredients in 4 groups/containers, based on their order in the recipe:
1: onions, carrot and celery in one container
2: garlic and herbs and salt in a small dish
3: kale placed into plastic bag lined with a dry paper towel
4: butternut squash in a container
*what to do with the other half of the squash? either double the recipe, or make a...
Squash Puree (Sally Fallon's recipe in Nourishing Traditions)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut squash in half. (You've probably already done this step!)
Remove seeds.
Place cut side down in a buttered glass baking dish with about 1/2 inch of water.
Bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 hour.
Scoop out squash, combine with butter, salt, and maple syrup (or honey) to taste.
Puree with a handy hand blender, an old-fashioned potato masher, or a fancy food processor.
Excellent as a side dish! We took it for lunch this week with kale and french lentils.

I'll be sure to post the other variations as the seasons change. Buon appetito! - Erin

I'll have the meatloaf, please.

2009-10-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

Who can resist meatloaf? Deeee-licious!! I tested out this recipe for turkey meatloaf from bon appetit through a search on epicurious. It's called, "turkey meatloaf with herbs" - very simple and tastes pretty good :) I used a nice loaf Acme Bread for the cubes of bread.

Recipe from bon appetit:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
2 cups 1/3-inch cubes crustless day-old pain rustique
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
8 ounces sliced button mushrooms
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey (15% fat)
1 pound ground turkey breast

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/3-inch loaf pan with olive oil.
Toss bread with broth in large bowl. Let stand until bread absorbs broth and softens, about 10 minutes. Mix in mushrooms, eggs, shallots, parsley, thyme, coarse salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons oil.
Add turkey; mix just until blended. Transfer to pan, mounding in center. Bake until thermometer inserted into center registers 170°F, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Meatloaf - outta the oven!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

I topped it off with ketchup one night, and also tried it with salsa! Turkey meatloaf is a winner! - Ken

Brown Bag Lunches Gone Wild

2009-09-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

It's back to school season!! New textbooks, quizzes, class schedules and study sessions are sure to work up a hunger!! A good lunch is a key ingredient to add energy and sanity to Erin's school day :) We still make meals like pasta, lamb curry, etc. for lunch, but we've been searching for other meals that can be made quickly. Sandwiches are an easy choice - we've been getting tomatoes, lettuce and lunch meat along with european sourdough rye bread and whole grain bread from grindstone bakery.

Lunchtime Sandwhich, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Another idea is to substitute bread for a tortilla wrap - we like spelt or brown rice tortillas. These have all been great ways to make quick lunches that are good.

For added variety, we've also made tacos for lunch. Tacos are great because we can make the fillings ahead of time and assemble our lunch before we leave for work/school. A simple combination of fillings can include black beans, lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, and salsa.

Taco Making 101, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Yo Quiero Taco con Salsa, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Also, look for tortillas that can add something to the meal - I really like the Jalapeno Tortillas from Primavera!

If you don't have access to a refrigerator, it can be tricky taking food with you to school or work. A lot of the meals we make have to be kept cool.... luckily there are all kinds of insulated lunch bags out there. We found this one at REI - Erin can load it up with leftovers, pasta, sandwiches, and keep it cool with some blue ice packs! Enjoy your lunch ;) - Ken

Minced Chicken Salad Wraps

2009-09-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

We found this great recipe from a story on "The Splendid Table", American Public Media - Minced Chicken Lettuce Wraps. It was pretty easy to make and we enjoyed it in lettuce wrap form, as well as mixing it up in a green salad. I decided to make it without the hoisin and plum sauce - it was still very good :) - Ken

Minced Chicken Salad Wraps, originally uploaded by bingolio.

From "The Splendid Table, American Public Media"

2 to 3 heads butter lettuce
2 tablespoons oil
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 by 1/4-inch thick pieces
1 cup finely sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup finely sliced green onions
1 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (Chinese sweet-spicy sauce)
2 tablespoons plum sauce (Chinese duck sauce)
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1. Clean and separate the lettuce leaves. Pick through the leaves, using those that will hold a generous 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling. Place the leaves on a serving platter.

2. Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add the oil in a circular motion starting 3 inches up from the bottom of the wok. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, garlic, and green onions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the water chestnuts, hoisin sauce, plum sauce, and vinegar and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the pine nuts and the cilantro. Stir to incorporate. Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to a bowl.

3. Place 2 generous tablespoons of filling in each lettuce leaf, and roll up to eat.

Chicken or the Egg?

2009-09-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

We're big fans of TLC Ranch Eggs. TLC is a farm in Aromas, CA (southeast of Watsonville, CA) specializing in pasture raised meats and eggs. The laying hens that produce these eggs have access to the outdoors and roam a total of 20 acres of certified organic pasture, 1.5 acres at a time (they're moved around in mobile chicken coops) - they have fresh vegetation, organic feed and bugs on the ground to eat!

TLC Ranch Eggs - Pastured, Free Range, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Lately we've noticed that these eggs are selling out fast at Rainbow Grocery - what's going on?! It turns out that egg production decreases in the Fall when laying hens go through molting. Erin got this interesting fact in an email (see below) from Three Stone Hearth:

A Good Egg is Hard to Find... Especially During Molting Season
- Pastured egg production experiences a seasonal dip during autumn while the laying hens are molting. This natural process of growing new feathers is triggered by longer nights and shorter days.
- Industrial egg producers manipulate the natural cycle by keeping chickens indoors in artificially lit spaces, and often engage in forced molting, which involves stressing out the chickens by denying them food--usually during the spring when egg prices are lowest.
- Pastured egg growers avoid this inhumane practice, but do experience a reduction in production at this time of year. Expect eggs to be a bit scarce until the chickens are done molting, and look forward to an abundance of pastured eggs in Spring!

Wow - forced molting totally sucks :(

The next time you plan on making a frittata, omlette or other egg delight, think about giving pastured eggs a try :) - Ken

Homemade Almond Milk: It Does A Body Good

2009-09-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

We love regular whole cow-milk; a nice cold glass of milk is so good!! We also love it for cereal, smoothies, desserts, etc. But sometimes it's nice to have a non-dairy choice for a change (especially for our lactose intolerant friends). Well there's soy milk of course, and rice milk... but what about almond milk?!

Yes!! Almond milk is yet another non-dairy choice for people who want something different or need to stay away from dairy. Almonds are rich in vitamin E, magnesium and calcium (mayo clinic: 10 great foods...).

The kind of almond milk that we buy is fantastic ("almond breeze"), but it can get expensive and it does have preservatives. So when I have time, I like to make homemade almond milk!

Taste Test - Delicious!!, originally uploaded by bingolio.

It's really not difficult, if you invest in a "nut milk bag". Yes, it's actually called a nut milk bag ;). Ours is nylon, but they come in natural fibers, too. (I think hemp?) It's also important to have a blender of some sort. I love using Ken's kitchen-aid hand blender for this.

Water plus Almonds, originally uploaded by bingolio. Blend together the Almonds and Water, originally uploaded by bingolio.

This recipe is the non-fermented version of the "Almond Drink" included in - surprise!- Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions cookbook.

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds, raw or steam-pasteurized (a new reality here in CA)
filtered water
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups filtered water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/8-1/4 cup raw honey, palm sugar, agave, or maple syrup

Recipe:

Soak 2 cups of almonds in enough water to cover and 1 teaspoon sea
salt for 7 hours of over night
Drain almonds, add 4 cups filtered water

Raw Almonds, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Blend until all of the little almond chunks have disappeared. Now it already looks like milk, doesn't it?!
Almond/Water Mixture, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Place your nut milk bag inside of a large container. (I like to use a large glass jar.) Make sure that the top of the bag is held tightly or tied so that it stays snug around the lip of the jar.

Next, pour your almond mixture into the bag. Enlist a friend or loved one to help you secure the bag while you pour!

Strain it in the "Nut-Bag", originally uploaded by bingolio.

The milk will drain through the bag and the almond pulp will be left behind.

Making almond milk is fun and fast! Add vanilla and almond extract to your milk, and a choice of sweetener if you prefer a sweeter taste. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy within a week.

Bottoms up! - Erin

Time to add some flavor - Almond extract, Vanilla, Honey, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Adding the Honey, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Taking tupperware to a whole new level

2009-09-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

With all the food we've been cooking up, we're finding ourselves with a bounty of leftovers! We store a lot of our culinary creations in the mason jars we love so much, but sometimes jars just don't cut it. For instance, jars of food or broth in the freezer have a tendency to break (trust us on this one). We're also not big fans of using plastic tupperware to take lunch to work (microwaving food in plastic can be harmful as chemicals may leach into your food).

So we've found a few cool options!

Glass versions of tupperware are excellent! "Glasslock" is a great brand of tempered glass, safe for the freezer and microwave - they have airtight lids (plastic) which you can take off while nuking. Here's a great post about them from a fellow blogger lunchinabox.net. You can find them at Costco for a decent price.

GlassLock by Wellbeing, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Pyrex also makes a great version of this, but the lids don't lock as tight. Still, a great option.

Pyrex, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Another cool option is stainless steel. "To-go Ware" makes great multi-layer lunch boxes inspired by Indian lunch systems and Japanese bento boxes. You obviously can't nuke your food in these, but it's perfect for cold foods that don't need microwaving.

To-goware, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Mason jars and plastic are great, but it's nice to have a variety of portable food storage items! - Ken

(잡채) Korean Strudels? No... It's Korean Noodles!

2009-08-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ay-Goo-Mah-Shee-Suh :) - ...translation: "Oh this is delicious"!!

This is a great recipe for traditional Korean noodles (just like my Mom/Aunts/Grandma used to make). An excellent side dish or a main meal if you're so inclined. The recipe comes from the Seattle Times (via Erin's Mom, thanks for sending)! It's called "Japchae" (잡채) - and it's a dish featuring sweet potato starch noodles, a vegetable medley and often times beef. Japchae can be served hot or cold. It's a fun dish because the noodles have a unique "snappy" texture - very al dente!

korean chapchae, originally uploaded by bingolio.

You can find the sweet potato based noodles, "Dangmyun", at your local Korean/Asian market. The dried noodles are long, wavy and come in big bags. I've done the recipe with and without beef and both are quite good (I double-up on mushrooms when beef isn't used). I also like to make a thin omelet with 2 eggs and add small squares of egg to the noodles.

Ingredients and Procedures from the Seattle Times story:

6 ounces (or half a 12- to 16-ounce package) dangmyeon (sweet-potato-starch noodles)
½ bunch spinach (about 4 ounces), rinsed and trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
6 ounces beef rib-eye, cut into ¼- to ½-inch-thick strips
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, divided
¼ medium onion, sliced
3 to 4 shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced
1 carrot, shredded or cut into thin strips
3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

1. Cook the sweet-potato noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to the package directions, 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Be sure not to overcook the noodles, or they will lose their chewy texture. If you like, cut the noodles with scissors into 6- to 7-inch lengths for easier eating.

2. Blanch the spinach in boiling water. Rinse immediately under cold water, squeeze the water from the leaves and form into a ball, then cut the ball in half. Combine the spinach, half the garlic, ½ teaspoon of the sesame oil, and the salt in a small bowl. Set aside to let the flavors soak in.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Stir-fry until the beef is cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic and transfer to a plate.

4. Heat the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the onion, mushrooms and carrots and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the green onions and stir-fry for another minute. Remove from the heat.

5. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the noodles, beef mixture, spinach, vegetables, remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil and the sugar. Serve warm, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

korean chapchae, originally uploaded by bingolio.

An excellent Korean meal :) Gahm-sa-hahm-nee-dah (thank you)! - Ken

Red Flannel Hash-ish!!

2009-08-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe while surfing the interwebs recently - chow.com is an awesome site full of recipes, stories and restaurant reviews.

chow - red flannel hash, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Traditionally, red flannel hash is made with bacon or corned beef, but this version happens to be meat-free. Where did the name come from? Well, the red beets soak into the diced potatoes and onions - the result is red tones of varying intensity, much like your favorite red flannel shirt! There's also an old New England tale of how the recipe got its name; whoa, thanks for the knowledge Wikipedia.

The recipe is straightforward and cooking in the oven gives you time to do other things (surf the web, take a shower, watch baseball, etc). The recipe is finished off by cooking 4 eggs in each quadrant of the hash - genius!

CHOW red flannel hash recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 medium red potatoes, medium dice (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 4 small red beets, peeled and medium dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 medium white onion, peeled and medium dice
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
- 4 large eggs

Procedure:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Use a cast iron skillet or any deep skillet that is oven safe.
- Combine potatoes, beets, onion, and garlic in a large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer in the hot skillet and roast in the oven until starting to get crispy, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir, and then return to the oven to roast until beets and potatoes are fully cooked and browned, about 25 minutes more.
- Remove the pan from the oven and stir in parsley. Create four indentations in the hash and crack one egg into each indentation. Season eggs with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Return the pan to the oven and cook eggs to desired doneness.

red flannel hash - close up, originally uploaded by bingolio.
On my first try, I used whole pieces of parsley (pictured) - but I've done it again with chopped parsley and would recommend chopping! Enjoy your red flannel hash-ish! - Ken

Cooking matters--a lot!

2009-08-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

Michael Pollan wrote a fascinating article New York Times Magazine, August 2nd 2009.

Here's an excerpt: A 2003 study by a group of Harvard economists led by David Cutler found that the rise of food preparation outside the home could explain most of the increase in obesity in America. Mass production has driven down the cost of many foods, not only in terms of price but also in the amount of time required to obtain them. The French fry did not become the most popular “vegetable” in America until industry relieved us of the considerable effort needed to prepare French fries ourselves. Similarly, the mass production of cream-filled cakes, fried chicken wings and taquitos, exotically flavored chips or cheesy puffs of refined flour, has transformed all these hard-to-make-at-home foods into the sort of everyday fare you can pick up at the gas station on a whim and for less than a dollar. The fact that we no longer have to plan or even wait to enjoy these items, as we would if we were making them ourselves, makes us that much more likely to indulge impulsively.

Cutler and his colleagues demonstrate that as the “time cost” of food preparation has fallen, calorie consumption has gone up, particularly consumption of the sort of snack and convenience foods that are typically cooked outside the home. They found that when we don’t have to cook meals, we eat more of them: as the amount of time Americans spend cooking has dropped by about half, the number of meals Americans eat in a day has climbed; since 1977, we’ve added approximately half a meal to our daily intake.

Cutler and his colleagues also surveyed cooking patterns across several cultures and found that obesity rates are inversely correlated with the amount of time spent on food preparation. The more time a nation devotes to food preparation at home, the lower its rate of obesity. In fact, the amount of time spent cooking predicts obesity rates more reliably than female participation in the labor force or income. Other research supports the idea that cooking is a better predictor of a healthful diet than social class: a 1992 study in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that poor women who routinely cooked were more likely to eat a more healthful diet than well-to-do women who did not.

- Erin

I Croon for Macaroons

2009-08-11T22:01:00.001-07:00

This is a delicious cookie that happens to be free of wheat (some people are sensitive) and refined sugar! They are chewy and rich. "A meal in itself!" says an awesome farmer in Mendocino. "Kind of similar to a marshmallow in flavor," says Ken.

macaroons, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Vanilla Maple Macaroons

Adapted from Sally Fallon's "Macaroons" recipe in Nourishing Traditions cookbook (New Trends Publishing, Inc., 2001)

Makes about 2 dozen, or 1 dozen cookie sandwiches

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
pinch of sea salt (we like RealSalt, which is less expensive than the fancy sel gris and the granules are nice and fine)
2 tablespoons arrowroot (you can find it at Rainbow and similar places, often in bulk)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (fancy adaptation: use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and the seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean pod. cut bean in half once width-wise. reserve half for another recipe. carefully cut 1/2 bean in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape out seeds with a butter knife. your cookies will have those nice black vanilla specks and an especially wonderful vanilla taste!)
2 cups commercial dried unsweetened coconut meat, finely cut (a.k.a. "shredded coconut")

Procedure:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (If you butter the paper, your cookies will peel off more easily, but I forgot to butter mine and they came off just fine once they cooled.) Beat egg whites with salt in a clean bowl until they form stiff peaks. Beat in the arrowroot and slowly beat in syrup and vanilla (extract or extract and seeds). Fold in coconut. Drop by spoonfuls on parchment paper. Bake at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake another hour or so. I left mine a little bit chewy but you can leave them in the oven until they are completely dry and crisp. Let cool completely before removing from parchment. If your cookies are nice and sticky on the bottom like mine were, you can actually marry two cookies together into a decadent macaroon sandwich, sticky sides kissing! A "smackaroon" or "smoocharoon"! Store at room temperature in an airtight container, or in the fridge if you like a cold, chewy cookie.

This photo shows a batch of macaroon cookies with the addition of chopped almonds. You can fold them in with the coconut if you wish. Tasty! - Erin

Whole Foods CEO: anti-union, anti-public health care option?

2009-08-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Interesting Daily-Kos post - comments made by Whole Foods' CEO John Mackey about worker unions: "The union is like having herpes. It doesn't kill you, but it's unpleasant and inconvenient, and it stops a lot of people from becoming your lover. "

And on a public health care plan: "it's a trojan horse".

The post goes on to discuss the disconnect between Mackey's political views and the politics of "progressive" shoppers that are attracted to the Whole Foods brand. - Ken

Sometimes Non-Organic Produce is (gulp)... A-OK!

2009-08-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Like many people we know, we've made eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables a priority. First of all, they're delicious. Secondly, if your produce is fresh, you can get away with very little (or no) preparation and it will taste great. The quality of your ingredients is so important when it comes to cooking! A good diet is also preventative medicine. Then our food budget doesn't seem so steep! Foods grown with fewer or no pesticides are better for the workers who grow and harvest the food that we buy, for the environment, and for our bodies. But it gets expen$$$ive!

The lists below indicate the produce that tends to contain the highest and lowest levels of pesticide residue. Using this information, you can prioritize what fruits and vegetables you want to purchase in all their organic glory, and the rest (avocados, for instance!) you can choose to buy conventionally grown. Of course, in an ideal world we would buy and eat 100% organic. Sometimes, however, we have to make a few compromises for le budget.

If you provide your name, email, and zipcode here, you can get a handy cut-out shopping guide!
And here's one from the Organic Consumer's Association
Become a "locavore"! Remember that the process of becoming organically certified is costly and time-consuming. This process favors larger farms. Sometimes you can find locally-grown "no-spray" produce. I'd much rather buy a bunch of locally-grown no-spray grapes than go to Whole Foods and buy some Certified Organic grapes from Chile! Yikes! Supporting local and small farms is important, and you'll find yourself eating with the seasons more of the time. It's helpful to think outside the box when it comes to eating healthfully on a budget. Happy shopping! - Erin

Coconut Lamb Curry - Better than a McFlurry!

2009-07-23T21:05:00.001-07:00

This has become one of my "go to" recipes: easy, quick, and tastes good! You can find the original recipe here: food and wine-coconut lamb curry I've hacked it a bit (italicized), but that's another great thing; it's a pretty flexible recipe!

Coconut Lamb Curry ingredients, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds lean ground lamb
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
2 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut
One 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk, stirred
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Directions:
Heat coconut oil in a large pot. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook until barely softened, about 4 minutes. Add the lamb and cook over moderately high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the curry powder and sweet potato and cook for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and stock and season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and simmer over moderate heat until the sweet potato is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the peas and cook until heated through. Stir in the cilantro and serve with hot sauce (or sans hot sauce).

Shown in picture served with red quinoa. We find that the coconut oil gives it that extra coconutty flavor! Tastes great as leftovers. Enjoy! - Ken

coconut lamb curry, originally uploaded by bingolio.

A shout-out to mason jars

2009-07-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

Three Stone Hearth in the East Bay is a wonderful organization. I have ordered from them and volunteered there on several occasions. They use Mason jars to store much of their food. It inspired me to start using them in place of plastic tupperware. The idea of putting hot leftovers into plastic is not appealing, given that plastic contains so many weird chemicals. It gives the kitchen a sweet old timey feel. My dad bought us a little funnel that we use all the time. I recommend investing in one if you decide to go the mason jar route. - Erin
Link: mason jars

Grocery shopping in the Bay Area: Expen$ive! - SFGate story

2009-07-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

An average American family spends $288.75/month on groceries and $222.33/month on takeout/prepared food?! Hmmm.... Great discussion by Lisa Schmeiser about food shopping budgets around the U.S. and the more Expen$ive Bay Area. - Ken
Link: sfgate.com story

Soak your Nuts

2009-07-17T22:31:00.001-07:00

So why take the time to soak and then slowly roast nuts? It might sound like a totally nutty, time-consuming idea. And it is. But let me assure you, once you taste them you will understand. They are delicious. Walnuts metamorphosize from bitter things into buttery, crispy goodness. Apparently preparing nuts in this way also makes them more digestible. Once you get the hang of it, it's really not a big deal. It's not much hands-on time at all, just a few minutes here and there. And if you're not comfortable leaving the oven on its lowest setting while you're out of the house (we don't condone this, but we admit that we've done it a couple of times), you can roast them overnight. We have a strong pilot light in our gas oven that heats things even when the oven isn't turned on. (Sorry to brag.)

almonds, walnuts soaking, originally uploaded by bingolio.

Here's the procedure:
1. Soak 1-4 cups nuts (raw, preferably organic) in a bowl of water with about 1-3 teaspoons of sea salt for 6-8 hours. (The more nuts, the more salt.)
2. Drain them and spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet.
3. Put your oven on the lowest possible setting. Depends on the oven. No more than 150 degrees is recommended by Sally Fallon (Nourishing Traditions, yes, she is my idol).
4. Bake for about 12 hours or overnight. Test one to see if it is crunchy. They are kind of gross if they are not completely dehydrated. I made that mistake early on. They really need the full 12 hours. You'll become a nut connoisseur before you know it!
5. Store in a jar in the fridge and grab them whenever you need them!

Once they're done, how do you use them? In salads, on yogurt, in place of pinenuts in pesto recipes, in grain salads...or by the handful. - Erin