Archive | grain RSS feed for this section

A Quick Glimpse of Roma

29 Jul

Roma. Rome. Italy. I saw pretty much all of the touristy sites of Rome in just about 12 hours. 12 hours of non-stop walking, photo-snapping, historical site-seeing Italian craziness.

Ok so I was in Roma for more than 12 hours. I was there for about a day and a half, which really is not much. The first night I did a quick walking tour where I saw the Spanish steps, the Fontana di Trevi, the Pantheon, and some swanky chic shops amongst other famous Roman hallmarks. Oh yes, and there were people roasting chestnuts on the streets!


The next day began with a tour of the fascinating and huuuugeee Vatican City complete with St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and quite possibly my favorite part…a statue of this lady, a woman of great fertility as symbolized by her many supple breasts:


With a full day still ahead of us, we stopped for a quick bite of lunch before moving on to more sites. A quick bite of cheap, good pizza to-go. I can’t even remember the name of the place. You choose your flavor, and you pay by the weight. The Vatican took a lot out of me and I was super hungry so I ate 5 fairly large squares. I was full for hours and hours afterward.

Cheese with Prosciutto and Wilted Greens

Roasted Eggplant with Herbs 

After lunch, it was off to the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Catacombs…Then, we browsed around one favorite places: the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, otherwise known as the “wedding cake.” I think the reason I like it so much is because it is called the “wedding cake,” and fittingly so, it really does look like a cake:


After a full day in the sweltering sun, it suddenly started to pour rain. Luckily my traveling companions and I ducked in to a quaint little restaurant at just the right time. We were seated outside under a covered awning, which was quite nice because we were sitting and we were dry and we could watch the rain trickle down all around us.

Bring on the drinks! Bright red Campari and Italian Prosecco took the edge off our sore bodies and set the mood for a lovely dinner.


I ordered a simple pasta dish–tonarelli shaped pasta with (mostly butter) black pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese.

Yeahhh baby!
One of my dining companions ordered another simple pasta dish…spaghetti pomodoro with fresh basil and a fried noodle on top. In case you haven’t got the message yet, simple is the name of the game here.

So there you have it, a quick glimpse of Roma. Ciao tutti!

 

>Polenta Cake with Olive Oil and Rosemary

25 May

>
Cake cake cake. I love cake. When there is cake in the house, I will eat it all day long for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Just the mere sight of a simple cake makes my body quiver. I get closer, and the smell locks me in. One bite, and I’m sold, it’s over, no stopping now.


Polenta. Rosemary. Olive Oil–use the good stuff, something that has a nice fruity flavor (by the way, what is the difference between olive oil and extra virgin olive oil? Virgin means the oil was produced by the use of physical means and no chemical treatment. Extra-virgin olive oil comes from virgin oil production only, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste).

Polenta cake with olive oil and rosemary. An experiment. A success. A moist treat full of herby flavor and a soft interior balanced with crunchy notes from the polenta.


I received David Lebovitz’s cookbook, Ready for Dessert in the mail, and I just had to make something right away! This cake stuck out to me. It looked like a simple cake to make, I had all of the ingredients, and the olive oil and rosemary intrigued me. Slathered with some butter and a dribble of honey, dunked in some hot coffee or milk, served with fresh nectarines and peaches with a dollop of whipped cream, or eaten sliver by sliver all on its own, this cake has my heart.

Polenta Cake with Olive Oil and Rosemary
from David Lebovitz’s Ready for Dessert

makes one 10-inch (25-cm) cake; 10-12 servings

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup (4 oz/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons plus 4 teaspoons finely minced fresh rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons (20 g) plus 3/4 cup (130 g) polenta or stone-ground yellow cornmeal (I used a combo of polenta and cornmeal)

1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil

5 large eggs, at room temperature

2 large egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon almond extract OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups (265 g) sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Smear the 1 tablespoon butter all over the inside of a 10-cup (2.5 liter) Bundt cake or tube pan. Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons rosemary evenly into the pan, then dust with the 2 tablespoons (20 g) polenta, tilting the pan to coat the sides.

To make the cake, into a small bowl, sift together the flour, 3/4 cup (130 g) polenta, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, egg yolks, and almond or vanilla extract.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the 1/2 cup (4 oz/115 g) butter and the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly dribble in the egg mixture, a little at a time, until completely incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture along with the 4 teaspoons rosemary just until incorporated. Don’t overmix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for about 30 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving platter.

Serving: This cake goes well with whipped cream and fresh summer fruit or poached pears.

Storage: The cake will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days, well wrapped. It can be frozen for up to 2 months.


Grilled Mahi Mahi with Coconut Lime Rice and Tropical Fruit Salsa

5 May


2 huge fish fillets, and I mean huge. Like, 3.5 feet long each. While this may seem small to some fish experts, 3.5 feet of fish definitely hits a record for me.

Today was a big day. It was my last day cooking for the entire co-op. To send everyone off on a good note, I made a happy, summery dinner. Ginger glazed n’ grilled mahi mahi (I did a tofu version of the mahi mahi for my veggie friends) with fresh squeezed lime and chopped cilantro over a bed of coconut rice and a tropical salsa, all accompanied by sauteed snap peas and daikon radishes.


So I held my breath and crossed my fingers that this fish would turn out ok. The marinade is simple yet strong and I had to use some arm muscle to slice my fish into nice angled pieces (the scaly skin was tough to cut through). My co-cook, David, got a nice grilling lesson. I made him stand over the smoky grill and be “the fish man”. He did a great job–the fish looked and tasted great with its nice grill marks.

I have definitely learned a lot from cooking in the co-ops and I feel thankful for that experience: seasonal food gets delivered to me, I have the power to feed a lot of people, I can get really creative and try out new ideas…

Next year I am living in an apartment with two friends, and I am excited for the change! I can’t wait to have a smaller community where I can cook a relaxing and intimate dinner in my clean house. I can’t wait to peruse the markets and I can’t wait to host my friends and family for small get-togethers. I can’t wait to spend more time with my candy-apple-red Kitchen Aid Mixer and my mortar and pestle and my nice tart pans and my cute measuring spoons.

So here’s to good times had and good times to come! Go try something new. It will probably be scary, it may turn out to be a horrible mess, but at least you tried and maybe you might try again.

Ginger Glazed n’ Grilled Mahi Mahi
adapted from AllRecipes

serves 4

3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
salt and pepper, to taste

cilantro and lime, for serving

1. Stir together honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic, and olive oil.
2. Place the fish in the marinade and let sit for about 20-30 minutes.
3. Heat your grill (or oil a grill pan) and grill your fish (start skin side down) once each side until easily flaked with a fork. Flip only once.
4. To serve, place your fish on a plate and squeeze fresh lime over the top. Garnish with freshly minced cilantro and top with a fresh fruit salsa (see recipe below).

Fresh (Tropical) Fruit Salsa

recipe from FoodNetwork

1 ripe mango (and/or papaya), peeled, seeded, and diced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple
3 kiwis, peeled and diced
1/4 cup minced red onions
1/4 cup minced red bell peppers
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced jalapeno
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Pinch salt

Combine the mango, avocado, pineapple, kiwi, onions, bell peppers, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, garlic, and salt in a bowl and gently fold to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving for the flavors to blend.

***NOTE: feel free to add/subtract whatever produce you wish (jicama might also be nice to add!)

Coconut Rice

recipe from FoodNetwork

***NOTE: The coconut makes the rice really rich (feel free to use less coconut milk/more water if your not into the “richness”)

1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup long grain white rice

fresh chopped cilantro and fresh squeezed lime, for serving

In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, stir well, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer undisturbed until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy, about 20 to 24 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit without stirring for 10 minutes.

Alternately, you can put everything into a rice cooker and BAM! Done.

Fluff with a fork and add the cilantro and lime. Adjust seasoning, to taste. Serve hot.

>I Ate my Final Project: Cooking up Change Competition 2010

19 Mar

>

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Times New Roman"; panose-1:0 2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-parent:""; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:439253501; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:1306444434 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;}

One of the perks of being a nutritional science-dietetics major is…well, food. Finally, after suffering through chemistry and biology and biochemistry and physiology…finally I get to take classes that are more “fun.”

Food Science, Food Systems Organization and Management, Human Food Practices, Nutrition in the Community…

For my final project in my food management class, I teamed up with my classmates Julia and Maggie to cook up a storm so that we can enter the Cooking up Change Competition 2010.



Cooking up Change is a contest in which teams of college students from across the nation compete to design a healthy school lunch.

We had to submit a recipe, a report on the nutritional content of that recipe, and photos of the team during various stages of the process. A judging panel of culinary professionals will evaluate our recipe on format and clarity, originality of the dish, and cohesiveness of the ingredients. We were instructed to present one entree and two accompanying side dishes that follow their strict ingredient list and nutritional requirements. And if we win, we get to go to Detroit to compete in round 2!

So, what’s on the menu?

Entree: Rainbow Rotini: multi-grain rotini pasta, fresh spinach, tomato, summer squash ribbons, basil ribbons, and chicken

Side #1: Cheesy Basil and Garlic Toasts: rustic whole grain bread loaves, broiled until bubbly with cheese, topped with basil ribbons and garlic

Side #2: Fresh Fruit Salad: chopped apples, sliced bananas, raisins, cinnamon, and fresh squeezed lemon juice

Our recipes had to have six steps or less and our meal had to meet certain nutritional requirements:

Calories 750-850 calories

Fat Less than 35% of calories from fat

Less than 10% of calories from saturated fat

Zero trans fat

Protein 2.0 oz – 2.4 oz protein

Fiber 10.7 grams or more

Grains 2.4 oz – 2.6 oz grains

At least half must be whole grains

Fruits and Vegetables 1 cup vegetables, 1⁄2 of which must be either dark green or orange

vegetables.

1 cup of fruit (not juice)

No starchy vegetables (i.e., potatoes, corn or peas)

Sodium Less than 1000 mg

After futzing around and thinking out load, we were able to adjust our meal to meet the requirements.

My team entered the competition because, firstly, cooking is WAY better than, well, anything. Second, we wanted to find a way to incorporate local ingredients and fresh, tasty, colorful meals for (college) student lunches.

Here are some photos documenting our adventures in the kitchen…



Fresh tomatoes, diced


Fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade



Julia is so happy surrounded by colorful veggies!


Stir stir stir!



Chop that chicken, Maggie!



Ah, the finished product!



And now…LET’S EAT!


Rainbow Rotini



This recipe has so much great color and texture to it! Mmm



Ingredients

1 lb. Multigrain Rotini Pasta

5 cups fresh spinach, chopped

3 yellow summer squash, peeled into ribbons

3 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch of fresh basil, sliced into thin ribbons

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 lb chicken breast, cubed

salt, black pepper, garlic powder

Directions

  1. Boil a large pot of water. Add the pasta.
  2. When pasta is almost done, add the spinach and squash ribbons. Let cook until all components are cooked (about 2-3 minutes more).
  3. Drain the pasta/vegetable mixture.
  4. Sauté chicken in 1 Tablespoon of oil until no longer pink inside.
  5. Add the cooked chicken, tomato, and basil to the pasta. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.



Cheesy Basil and Garlic Toasts



Note: Having a broiler made this go very fast and it browned our toasts to perfection. If you do not own a broiler, you can use a toaster oven or just a normal oven at high temp.



Ingredients

1 loaf of whole grain bread, cut into slices

3 Tablespoons canola oil

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

12 slices jack cheese

1 bunch fresh basil, sliced into thin ribbons

Directions:

  1. Preheat the broiler.
  2. Brush bread with oil.
  3. Sprinkle with black pepper and garlic powder.
  4. Place one slice of cheese on each slice of bread.
  5. Place bread on a sheet tray and broil for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
  6. Take the toasts out of the broiler and sprinkle with fresh basil ribbons.




Fresh Fruit Salad



Ingredients

1 apple, chopped

1 banana, sliced

¼ cup raisins

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Combine fruit and raisins in a bowl.
  2. Pour the lemon juice over the fruit.
  3. Add the cinnamon.

Simple Savory Soft Polenta: The Bowl that Will Soothe Your Soul

11 Feb

I feel tiny. When I think about all of the people in this world who have to be fed, I feel tiny. After visiting UCSF medical center today and taking a tour of the kitchen, observing how all the food gets prepared and delivered to patients, students, faculty, and the general public, I feel tiny.

When I watch the movie Food, Inc. and see how the number of slaughterhouses in the US has dwindled from thousands to just thirteen and how the animals are squashed together knee deep in their own manure, I feel tiny. I feel tiny, I feel trapped, but I also feel empowered.

Every time I buy from a farmer’s market, every time I stop and take a moment to think about my food purchases, every time I think about what I am about to put in my mouth, I feel empowered. By simply purchasing from a local farmer, I am giving a vote for a hypothetically safer, healthier, greener world.

We are thrown such mixed messages about the food we eat, and we have become so detached from where are food comes from. We have skewed our food system to the “bad” calories. The chips and candies are less expensive than the broccoli and the carrots. Why oh why are we so addicted to refined carbohydrates and added sugars?! Because they are cheap, they are subsidized, they taste good, and that good taste is addicting.

I sit here, frustrated and confused. When I think about all that I do related to food, I feel so proud and excited for the people I see cooking together, eating together, learning together. Yet, sometimes I still feel so tiny and so helpless.

I praise those who work in hospitals and schools and businesses and farms who feed thousands of people every day.

I need something that will soothe my soul today. A warm bowl of soft polenta–creamy and smooth with that slight bite of crunch from the corn. With a sprinkle of good cheese, I feel a little better. I feel a little bigger than tiny. I can sit here with my big warm bowl of soft polenta and be content. Content for the few minutes it takes to gobble this grain down.

Now go soothe your soul with a big warm bowl of the good stuff.

 

Simple Savory Polenta
from JoytheBaker

serves 4?

1 cup polenta

3 cups cold water

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place 1 cup of dried polenta in a medium sized bowl. Top with one cup cold water. Set aside.

In a medium sized sauce pan bring 2 cups of whole milk and remaining 2 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt. Slowly whisk the polenta and water mixture into the boiling milk mixture. Turn flame down to medium low. The time the polenta takes to cook will depend on weather you’re using fine grain or course polenta. My polenta took just minutes to thicken. However long it takes, stir occasionally until you’re reached a desired thickness.

 

Turn of flame and add grated parmesan cheese. Stir to incorporate.

 

***NOTE: You can make a sweet version of this polenta, just omit the cheese and give the grain a splash of vanilla (or use a vanilla bean!), a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a bit o’ brown suga’

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →