Vegan?

I have been out of the blogosphere for a few months. I haven't felt like writing. My cooking became very banal and un-noteworthy. I gave in to hot dogs, sliced apples, tiny apple sauce containers, canned olives, and canned oranges for my kid. She went from an adventurous eater to a bland eater (as kids do), and I just gave in.

For myself and my husband, I stopped cooking almost altogether. The weather here has had a huge impact on my attitude. Making food is a chore, and in the spring & summer I want to devote myself to more fun pursuits (like laying around).

We were in Oregon for his family reunion the week before last. We were treated to a very special anniversary party for Ted & Harriet, a couple that has been a cornerstone for many area families. They ran an adoption agency for most of their adult life, and themselves adopted countless kids, who now have kids of their own. Their 50th wedding anniversary was especially sweet and touching because they both have a different form of cancer. And, the party was in a barn.

It was catered by vegan caterers (though not all the food was vegan), and naturally, talk turned to eating styles. It's very interesting listening to people talk about this topic. It's a more passion-filled discussion than talking about politics or raising children. I love it. It's like, when a person makes a decision to conform to a diet that isn't the norm, people feel compelled to question it. And they even act like it's some freaky thing. Like vegans are freaks.

So I questioned myself: What is it about the vegan diet that turns me off? Is it:

1) That vegans seem so righteous
2) No cheese
3) Way too much tofu and tempeh
4) Too difficult to make food taste good without the aid of animal fat?

Well, I decided I had to find out. So I have been to the library, and have vegan cookbooks. I am going to look into this. I want to expand my diet, not limit it. There is no way I'm giving up cheese as a matter of principal, nor for health. No way.

Please stay tuned.

What's The Opposite of Green?

Have you heard about these families that decide to "go green" for a year or so? They stop driving their cars, attempt to not use any kind of fuel for anything, grow their own veg, and maybe, I don't know, wear dirty clothes every day? Anyway, I have been thinking. Instead of "going green" for a year, I might just try going the opposite of green for a month. Like a vacation from giving a shit about the planet. This would take a lot of pressure off of me, I think. Here's what I plan to do:

Use paper for everything: paper plates, plastic forks, everything disposable. Lots of trash, no dishes to wash or put away.

My daughter and I would wear just a few outfits that will get washed all the time.

Showers twice a day.

Cleaning the house with the most powerful, harshest chemicals I can find (I'll need help on this one -- I don't know anything about the products that will actually work on soap scum, pit stains, and odor. Except Rachel told me that Fabreeze actually works!)

After a long, long, cold winter, using a lot of Miracle Gro on whatever I plant. Yes, I will still plant flowers and vegetables. And I will buy a lot of them too.

Dinner: hot dogs, instant meals, microwave popcorn.

Actually, this is sounding like a really bad idea.

Don't Be Scared

Midwestern food can be challenging for an east coast/west coast foodie. I understand those challenges, but please, open your mind.

There's a little cafe in Longfellow that serves basic food to people who eat basic food. Meat, potatoes, and gravy for lunch. The one time I was there, the clientele was senior citizens who go there to have lunch and converse with friends. It was very midwestern, and if you don't get it, well, you are missing out on seeing the beauty of that.

I ordered a barbecued pulled pork sandwich, and it came with blue cheese cole slaw. I just HAD to try the cole slaw.

"I'm sorry. We're out of the ingredients to make cole slaw today. I can give you a substitute," said the waitron. Oh, no! Oh, well. That's okay.

Then, a few minutes later, "It turns out, we DO have the ingredients to make the cole slaw, if you still want it."

"Oh, yes. Yes, please! I want to try the cole slaw!" I kid you not, this is how I act in a restaurant.

I was there with my daughter, my mom, and my dad. Now, my mom and I eat this cole slaw often. Maybe it's our Danish roots (blue cheese, anyone?), maybe it's our Minnesota roots (milkfat, please).


BLUE CHEESE COLE SLAW: Sliced/chopped cabbage, blue cheese, mayonnaise, salt & pepper.

Soup IS Good Food!*

Soup. I just love the word. Soup. My acupuncturist once told me that the Chinese view of the stomach is that it is like a big pot of soup. She was advising me against cold drinks. "You wouldn't put ice cubes in a big pot of warm soup, would you?" That's logical.

I'm thinking about becoming a soup specialist. But I don't find that many good recipes. I mostly stick to the standards: fresh tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, and vichyssoise. At this point in my life, I can hardly stand canned soup.

Please tell me about your favorite soup. I want to know.


*A note to the Campbell's Soup Company: Please don't sue me for using your slogan. Thank you.

Fish Soup

This soup is delightful, and easy to make. Serves 2-3 people.

Ingredients:

4 T butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
thyme
water
3 c. milk (or cream)
2-3 fillets of white fish

Procedure:

Melt butter in soup pot. Saute chopped onions until transparent.
Add diced potatoes. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add fresh or dried thyme.* Stir.
Add water to cover, enough to completely cook the potatoes. Boil lightly for about 10 minutes.
Gently stir in milk, a little at a time, and simmer until hot enough to cook fish.
Add 2-inch pieces of fish, and cook about 3 minutes.

If you use cream this dish will be decidedly richer, and probably better as a side dish than a complete meal. (Great for an appetizer to impress dinner guests!) Otherwise, dilute soup with milk to reach the consistency that appeals to you.

Serve with toast.

*When using fresh thyme in soups, bundle twigs and tie together, then remove when the soup is ready to serve. Dried thyme can more accurately be measured in pinches, to please your palate.

I'm a big herb freak, so I use a lot of dried thyme in this delicious soup.

Why Chinese New Year?

It has replaced Halloween as my favorite holiday of the year. It has been my favorite since I decided to adopt a daughter from China. Here are the reasons that I love Chinese New Year, and why I think you should celebrate it too.

Chinese New Year (CNY), also known as the Lunar New Year, and Spring Festival, is celebrated just the right amount of time after the Christmas holidays. I've had enough time to chill out, relax, and plan for the next fun event. It doesn't require presents, just red clothes and a haircut. The decorations and rituals are simple and simply beautiful: fresh flowers, red banners, red lanterns, and oranges. It brightens a late January/early February like Christmas lights do December, except better, because at Christmas, it really is the darkest time of the year, and right now we are better able to anticipate spring.

The food is unbelievably good (see previous post), and easy to make. I downloaded traditional Chinese music and spent Sunday morning in my kitchen, in meditation as I made preparations. I felt calm, loving, and hungry when my feast was ready to serve (this is not always the case when preparing a special meal for extended family, am I right?). We finished most of the food, because it was just the right amount, and when we wanted more dumplings, daughter and grandmother headed to the kitchen to make more. That act alone made my day. I swell with pride and love knowing my daughter likes to create in the kitchen with her grandparents. Just that makes me think that everything will be all right, forever.

Also, the crafts are fun. Dragons and animals. This year we made dragon masks and bunny ears (year of the rabbit) at preschool. See our bunny ears in photo above. They can do double-duty at Easter.

The pressure is too much for me on January 1st. By the end of January, I'm ready to move forward in the new year and take seriously some spiritual renewal. Maybe the lunar calendar is more suited to the rhythm of my life.

Happy Chinese New Year!

MENU:

Appetizers -- fresh cut vegetables with peanut sauce. My mother ("Laolao") will be providing the dip, because her's is SO GOOD.

Dumplings -- everyone in the family participates in making the dumplings. In past postings, I have deprecated myself and my dumplings, but I'll tell you now, they are damn good! Reference "Joy of Cooking" for a recipe.

Noodles -- signifying long life. In China some people celebrate individual birthdays during the year, and some don't. On Chinese New Year, it's everyone's birthday. This year's noodles will be pan-fried or oven-roasted vegetarian lo mein noodles.

Mr. Chang's Chicken -- this recipe was gathered by Ruth Reichl the first time she visited China. The chicken is boiled in a broth of soy sauce, sugar, star anise, ginger, licorice root, and mandarin orange peel.

Bok Choy -- a nutritious vegetable symbolizing the coming of spring. Simmered in ginger broth, and served with oyster sauce.

Tea Eggs -- hard-boiled eggs soaked in tea, star anise, and soy sauce. Symbolizing rebirth and new things to come, tea eggs are eaten first in the feast. These always seem weird to the uninitiated, but everybody likes them. You should try them. Here is the recipe:

TEA EGGS -- A specialty for Chinese New Year

12 eggs, hard boiled
1 cup soy sauce
4 t salt
12 star anise pods
12 black tea bags

Gently crack the shells of the eggs all over by tapping them with the back of a spoon but do not remove the shells. Put them in a large nonreactive saucepan with the soy sauce, salt, star anise, and enough water to just cover the eggs, about 8 cups. Tie the tea bags together and place them in the pan with the eggs.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered, about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside. Let cool to room temperature, covered. Refrigerate the eggs overnight in their cooking mixture before serving.

From: Modern Asian Flavors, A Taste of Shanghai, by Richard Wong, 2005.

Dessert? Well, those close to me know that I don't do dessert. But I will be serving the most fantastic dessert ever invented, in my opinion. I discovered it at CostCo.

I could live on noodles and sorbet.

Energy Shortage -- Learning to Cut Back

When fuel prices soar, we find ways to save money, such as wearing long underwear in the house, driving less, and spending less $ on food. It's the logical process of dealing with the economic downturn.

When our bodies are low on energy, the body economizes by getting sick. A bad cold this month has taught me, or rather reminded me, to slow down and conserve energy. January is a tough month in the Midwest. We just came off the whirlwind of holidays -- shopping, overeating, and celebrating. We feel we must keep going. We must get stuff done! For some reason, perhaps it is our American life, we find it disconcerting to be still, even when there is ANOTHER snow storm, and ANOTHER cold snap of zero degree weather. In our culture, it is hard for us to STOP.

As cliche as this sounds, listen to the body. Yes, I know, the body & mind & spirit together all are experiencing cabin fever. There are remedies for that. But if you can't go to Mexico this year, you'll have to use cheaper remedies. Here are some suggestions...

1) Put some really pumping music in your car... do car chair dancing and singing at the top of your lungs while driving.

2) Dance in the house -- arms overhead! Really go for it! With abandon!

3) Play outside even though it is really, really cold.

For obtaining seasonal balance, I suggest...

1) Read books that you can actually devour. That means entertaining books, not intellectual stuff that makes you smarter.

2) Be crafty. Do a tedious craft you would never want to do in the summer. Something using hot glue. Or perhaps drawing straight lines until you can actually draw a straight line. Repetition is key.

3) If you really need something that is creative, productive, and can be done while seated, write letters to your friends. Write letters to your congress members. Become an armchair activist.

It's all about balance.


FRENCH ONION SOUP
Saute 2-3 large sweet onions in butter & olive oil. Add beef stock.
Serve with grated gruyere cheese on top, and crusty french bread.


HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!
YEAR OF THE RABBIT BEGINS FEBRUARY 3
Shopkeepers in China hang lettuce upside-down at their entrances. When the lion dancers parade down the streets, or hutongs, they climb up to grab the lettuce, ensuring an abundant spring.

Community Cooks

Will I start making easy speed-scratch meals? As my child grows, and our lives get even more busy & complicated, will I start making the meals advertised by Swanson on television?

A university, any university -- how about the U of M -- should have students making a study about 40-something adoptive parents. The study should include how they feed their children. After years of making super-conscious meal decisions, with time to cook and appreciate food (plus cleaning up, while drinking wine), how now, do us 40-something parents feed their families? Perhaps you don't care, but it is interesting to me.

A few years ago, my peers were indignant of food establishment Boston Market. It's a liberal thing: isn't it so terrible that women are picking up pre-made meals instead of cooking the full meal at home... this is the destruction of American society... women who don't cook homemade food are immoral... how dare Boston Market try to capitalize on busy families... etc. etc. Oh, wait, is that liberals or conservatives? I get them confused sometimes.

When I think about homes in other cultures/countries, I see a lot of meals prepared outside the home, and what's wrong with that? It's part of what makes a community. We ought to rely on community folks who cook great meals at great prices, for us, to ease our burden. I wish my neighborhood had more take-out restaurants that I could trust and afford. HOLY LAND is one great place to get a pre-cooked meal, and their chickens are cage-free. It is more economical for us to get a rotisserie chicken from them than for me to cook one myself. THAT's what I'm talkin' about.

Why aren't there more places like that in Minneapolis, Minnesota? My answer is: it's just too cold. It might not make sense to you, but that is the reason we don't have great take-out. It's just too cold.

I propose a new movement by Minneapolitans who want to make a good buck: follow Holy Land's model. Make us some good, wholesome, reasonably-priced take-out food. And before you send me a message that I should do it, I'll tell you right now that I love cooking too much to do it every day, for money. It's just not for me.

The problem with Boston Market is that it was a chain, and therefore associated with capitalism ('cause capitalism is a bad thing... ???). I get it. I want my take-out to have at least the feel of home-made food, like Holy Land. Holy Land is now very successful and national, with a wonderful place in the Midtown Global Market. I don't know how they do it; I don't know how they get all those free-range chickens and abuse-free meats. I'm not an investigator; I simply trust them. They are fast becoming part of a large capitalist market that I'm sure liberals won't like. So, someone has to step up and offer us some of the same, with the local trust we have come to love so much.

If that is you, please offer duck and pheasant. Thank you.