The Stew

I am extremely conscious about the ways we elevate things only to ruin them. Millennials - my generation - are great at this, mostly because we have the internet to heighten and accelerate the process - though I think every generation is drawn to this phenomenon. And once we've ruined things, we look for other things that were ruined or viewed as uncool or unhealthy by a previous generation (e.g., mayo, MSG, Bob Ross) and give them new life.

As a result, I greet every new trend with an appreciation for Newton's Law. When I hear about something that everyone love-love-loves, I anticipate backlash and keep my distance as long as possible. You may view this as a negative way to view the world, a sad form of self preservation, or just a symptom of the times we live in. I do, too, but I'm fine with it. And yet, in trying so hard to avoid trends, I'm finding that I'm not immune to the sway of the pendulum. I want know what everyone is raving about and why. I just may be a late adopter.

So what bandwagon did I most recently, finally, jump on? I made Alison Roman's #TheStew, a spiced chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric. Roman is a big deal among millennials right now because  home cooking is a big deal (a result of our budgets), and in true millennial fashion, we hashtag it like everyone knows about it, because why waste time explaining when there's the internet? And we exalt Alison Roman not only because recipe developers are finally getting their due, but because it's not enough to just like the food - you can't have a good cult-like following without a leader (see also: Samin Nosrat). She invented the ever-popular chocolate chunk shortbread cookies (a.k.a. #TheCookie), which I made, of course, and loved. And thus we decided everything she gave us is gold. It's very possible that Alison Roman's next career move is to have a Netflix show.

But back to the food: In the case of #thestew, I knew based on ingredients alone that I would like it but wanted to guard any enthusiasm I might have by trying to find something that could have been improved. I did reduce the amount of coconut milk a tad (two cans is a lot - not just from a richness standpoint but for the liquid element of it), and I put the chickpeas you're supposed to reserve for garnish back in the stew at the end because I didn't want cold chickpeas on my stew and there's no point in trying to make this dish pretty.

It was a delicious meal - a hearty, affordable, meatless stew that is worth some hype, regardless of trendiness. Even if Alison Roman eventually (sadly) becomes part of a trend we eventually move on from, or if we discover that chickpeas cause cancer and climate change, this is a recipe worth trying now, while it's hot. I don't think it's any better than other delicious meals you might cook at home - I think it's just surprising to a lot of people how filling and satisfying chickpeas are, and with coconut milk and vitamin-packed greens, how diet-conforming this meal is. Call your vegan coworkers, your gluten-free pals, your lactose-intolerant relatives and have a freaking dinner party again. Because dinner parties are trending (because, you know, home cooking) and you better have something ready. Just don't forget the hashtag when you post about it.

Recipe test: Adventures in vegan dessert

I take issue with vegan recipes that are labeled with non-vegan terminology. So when a vegan recipe is called "lime cheesecake," if I make it, I'm going to call it what it is: Lime-Avocado-Coconut-Cashew Icebox Dessert.

Do you still want to eat it?

I made it this weekend.

The inspiration to make it came from my weekly Splendid Table email, which featured a review of the new Vegan: The Cookbook by Jean-Christian Jury. The picture of the so-called cheesecake wowed me with its bright green color flecked with darker shades of lime zest. Marble-counter backdrops also suck me into recipes. They make pretty much any food look good. In any case, I had a number of ingredients in my pantry (dates, coconuts, raw cashews) that needed to be used up, and I loved that I didn't need to turn on the oven at all, so I scheduled this into my Sunday.

This is a raw dessert. The things that hold it together and give it bulk are presumably healthy fats and oils, i.e., cashews, coconut oil, avocado; plus some healthy-seeming sugar sources, like maple syrup and dates. It's very trendy, and the ingredients don't come cheap. Even shopping at Trader Joe's, you will spend $16 on the two bags of raw cashews alone. I had to go elsewhere for the cacao nibs, which set me back another $6. This is not a sustainable lifestyle for me.

For a one-off, though, it was fun to try as I attempt to add to my repertoire of recipes to satisfy a variety of eaters. And I should say that if a show created by Lynne Rosetto Kasper, i.e., The Splendid Table, publicizes a recipe, I give it the benefit of all doubt, so I soldiered on despite any skepticism.

All in all, it was quite simple to make. I'd made a similar sort of crust for Thanksgiving a couple years ago for a vegan pumpkin pie. Dates and coconut pair well with warm spices, so I was curious how it would fare with a tangier topping. When it came to making the topping though, it seemed to be missing that vibrant green color (I was likely fooled by color correction) and the bright citrus flavor. I blame the avocado for both of these things. I froze it and later placed it in the fridge, as specified, and when it came time to cut into it, it looked even less appealing. You could see all the grainy cashew bits and it didn't look super creamy. Maybe that's just under-processing on my part. When I went in for that first bite, I was even more glad I refused to call it a cheesecake. And it most definitely needed more lime. But it wasn't bad.

I saved us a small portion to keep in the fridge and I took the rest to work. I told my coworkers what it was (not a cheesecake), sent them the link, and to my astonishment, people were actually liking it. They probably didn't love it, but everyone I talked to seemed a little surprised they liked it. One of my coworkers who is into the raw/vegan diet gave me two thumbs up. Another forwarded the recipe to a friend she knew would love it. And another thanked me for not calling it cheesecake ("It was better knowing what I was eating," she said. Exactly.)

I probably won't make this again, but it was fun to try. Let me know if you make it or if you have a favorite nutcake-disguised-as-cheesecake recipe.

Here's the link to the recipe: Lime Cheesecake

These beans

When I was 5 or 6, my sister and her friend rewrote the lyrics to Top 40 hits of the day and recorded them on cassette tape. They were hilarious. I loved it because it was humor I could understand at that young age. I remember them spending more than one occasion turning songs like Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love" into a song about a sandbox romance called "Saving All My Mud," and, as pertains to this post, Heart's "These Dreams" into "These Beans." The lyric "White skin...in linen..." became "Green beans...on china..." and to this day, the rewritten chorus gets stuck in my head: "These beans go on when I close my eyes..."

Which brings me to yet another post about beans. These beans are not the most attractive. But I will say they are among the best I've made. I did not plan ahead but I did have a free Saturday morning to quick-soak them (bring beans to boil in plenty of water, boil for a minute, then cover and leave off heat for an hour), as opposed to soaking them overnight. These beans turned out just as tender and creamy, and were ready by lunchtime. While they cooked, I washed windows. Several days later, as we ate the last serving of the beans, a bird had pooped on those windows. Seriously. Do shiny surfaces just encourage avian relief? "White poop...on window..."

Anyway, these beans are good. I'm trying to eat fewer carbs these days (greetings, My 30s Metabolism), but beans, these or otherwise, are simply part of a well-balanced diet. Take or leave the bread - I would be happy to add a bit more liquid and just call it soup. The roasted garlic makes it rich and sweet. The thyme adds a tingle. Just close your eyes and you will see, truly, that these beans do go on, as the reimagined song goes.

Here's the recipe:

These Smothered Beans (adapted from Food 52)
serves 4

1/2 lb. dried white beans (cannellini or Great Northern), pre-soaked
1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, top cut off to expose cloves
olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt (or to taste)
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 400F. Place garlic on a small sheet of foil and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat the tops of the cloves. Wrap the foil around it completely and set on a baking sheet. When oven is preheated, bake for 35-40 minutes, until the garlic is tender. Unwrap and let cool.

Meanwhile, saute celery and onion in a large pot in the olive oil over medium heat. Once the vegetables become translucent and tender (7-10 minutes), add in the bay leaves and beans and enough water so it is about an inch over the beans. Stir, bring to a boil, then back down to a simmer. Cover and cook 50 minutes, or until the beans are becoming tender. Simmer uncovered for another 10-15 minutes. Skim most of water off the top and then add the salt, pepper and thyme. Squeeze the garlic cloves into the pot and mash bean mixture with a potato masher to your desired consistency. This mixture will thicken with time, and it stores well in the fridge for a few days. Serve warm with toast!

Baked falafel: attempts at vegetarian-ish-ism

When some dear friends visited us from Petaluma - vegetarians, all - earlier in June, they presented us with a jackpot of Rancho Gordo beans. I was so thrilled to try these for myself after hearing so much about them. Between that gift and thinking only in terms of non-meat dinners that week, I felt myself get back into the veggie groove. Sometimes I forget how many flavors I have at my disposal when meat is out of the equation. To be honest, I would be perfectly happy eating a plate of beans, Rancho Gordo (which are, in fact, all they're chocked up to be) or otherwise, with a smattering of herbs for dinner, or fresh tomatoes and cheese on toast, but I also know someone else in this house might not find it substantial enough. A vegetarian dinner that both of us can enjoy definitely is not impossible, but right now it's mostly limited to pasta and soup. And hot soup loses its appeal when the temps are in the upper 90s (i.e., mid-80s in the house).

Aside from the ethical and health reasons I've believed as good ones for eating less meat, the thing I'm realizing as one of the best things of vegetarianism is the economy of it. A pound of dried beans is enough to feed a couple people for at least two nights with leftovers for a lunch or two.

Feeling inspired and well-equipped with bean varieties, I charged on in my quest to build my vegetarian-for-two repertoire. My latest inspiration came from a Mark Bittman recipe for baked falafel - something I'd only made for myself until now - which I presented with confidence to my dining companion. "Do I like tahini?" he asked. There was only one way to find out, I replied. To my delight, we both enjoyed this dish and the tahini sauce that accompanied it.

The link to the Bittman recipe is here, though I must note that I un-veganized his tahini sauce. When I whisked the tahini paste with the water, there was just too much separation and I had trouble emulsifying it without a spoonful or two of Greek yogurt. I also added lemon juice for flavor. You can use this sauce - my version - as a yummy vegetable dip or dressing on hearty romaine salads, too.

We made pita sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Are you as frustrated as I am by store-bought pita bread when it comes to actually using the pocket function?  The only time I got a pocket was when I made them myself (and I wasn't about to do that this time around). These were too gummy to wiggle a knife into without ripping, so we just split the whole thing in half and made a sandwich that way. Still good.

Vegan and gluten-free apple crisp

Just a quickie to share a really simple, incredibly yummy apple crisp we enjoyed over Thanksgiving. You know it's good when the baking dish disappears to a corner where someone is eating the remnants. 

I'm always looking for great vegan and gluten-free options, particularly the kinds that require simple ingredients. The Minimalist Baker has become a great resource, which is where I found this recipe. They call for a blend of apples, but I used all Granny Smiths. 

Visit their site for the recipe. 

Best self, best shelf

A couple weeks ago, I got a do-over. We have a lovely little room that wasn't getting much use - technically my "Kraft Zimmer" (translation: power room, with the intentional Kraft/craft confusion). It ended up being more of a place to fling stuff, stuff which I'd later pick up anytime I actually needed to use the room for sewing projects or ironing. Because I didn't want to deal with de-cluttering, I tossed aside many sewing projects and almost completely dismissed the need to iron anything. But Joel surprised me one day by clearing out the old futon that was in there, making way for  whatever I could dream up for the space. I started envisioning walls of bookshelves, cute organizing baskets, ripping off the wallpaper, and a bundle of other ideas, but in the end, a little reorganization of stuff I already had was just what I needed to start making this little room a cozy space that we actually wanted to spend time in.

I cleaned out a bookshelf and put in all the books that inspire my creativity. That meant hauling cookbooks in from the kitchen and organizing my craft books by type. I'm spending so much more time with them now because I can see them so clearly from the cozy chair in the corner.

Last Sunday morning, I laid on my stomach with a bunch of cookbooks open to things I wanted to make in my immediate future.  I consulted my giant I Know How to Cook book and bookmarked the recipe for Potage Bonne Femme, a delicate vegetable soup. With a fresh loaf of bread, it turned out to be a lovely rainy day dinner that lasted a couple days. In this season when I feel like I have to make recipes with squash but don't want to deal with peeling the dang things, this is a great alternative. See, it even looks squashy.

Potage Bonne Femme
Adapted from I Know How to Cook by Ginette Mathiot

2 large leeks, or 3 medium ones, white and light green parts, sliced fairly thin
4 carrots, peeled and diced
5 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 T. unsalted butter
6 c. water
2 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

for finishing
Heavy cream
Minced chives

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium. Add the veggies and cook with a good pinch (or more) of salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Don't let them brown. Add the water (freshly boiled water is ideal), cloves and bay leaves and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are quite tender. Remove the cloves and bay leaf. At this point, you can stir in cream and season to taste, or, if you like a blended soup, as I do, take your immersion or regular blender and puree the soup. Stir in a glug of cream, season with salt and pepper to taste, and spoon into bowls. Top with chives.

Serve with warm, crusty bread or toast.

Recipe test: Canal House's Strawberry Conserve

What's the difference between conserves and preserves? My first guess was that conserves are made when you don't have all that much fruit and you want to make it last, and preserves don't have anything to do with the amount of fruit - but again you just want to make it last. Not very good definitions because that's basically like jam and jelly and other fruit in canning jars. I found this article via The Kitchn which explains the differences, but its definition does not match the Canal House's recipe for strawberry conserve (no dried fruit or nuts). Other sources define conserve as fruit boiled with sugar (which is what theirs entails). If I'm calling it what it is, I'd say this is a strawberry syrup with strawberry chunks. But no matter the name, this is a seriously easy way to dress up your food.

There's something so satisfying to me about putting fruit and sugar in a saucepan and watching things get syrupy over the heat. If you're into that sort of thing, too, you should make this. 

Canal House suggested these little toasted baguette slices topped with Serrano ham and the conserve, but Serrano is not easy to come by around here. But any thinly sliced, salty ham, like the one I used, still makes a great pairing. Later in the week, we put the conserve on crepes and popovers. We loved the hint of lemon that came from cooking the syrup down (sans strawberries) with some lemon peel (with the pith, because it acts as a natural pectin, they say). 

Will I make it again? Yes. 

Source: Canal House Cooks Everyday

Strawberry Conserve

1 lb. fresh strawberries, washed and hulled (I sliced them in half)
3 c. superfine sugar
peel (including the white pith) of 1/2 lemon

Fold 1 1/2 c. sugar into the strawberries in a large, wide pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, and then continue to boil for 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.

Fold in the remaining sugar, return the pot to the heat and return to a boil. Boil for two minutes and remove from the heat. With a slotted spoon, remove the strawberries and spread them on a plate to cool. Return the pot with the syrup to the heat and add the lemon peel. Bring to a boil over medium high for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the syrup settle, and skim off any foam on the surface. Once the syrup has cooled, return the berries to the pot. Cover and set aside until set, about 6 hours or overnight. Remove the lemon peel and place the conserve into clean jars and refrigerate. Makes 4 half-pints.

Almond meal cookies with coconut and chocolate

Have I ever mentioned I like to make things on the small side? These cookies were really fun to bake and were just a little bigger than a silver dollar.

And surprise, they're gluten free! I didn't miss the flour because the almond meal and coconut and chocolate are all so satisfying. After a day in an air-tight container, they get a little chewier and you can really sink your teeth into the coconut.

Almond Meal Cookies with Coconut and Chocolate
adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook

1 1/4 c. almond meal
1/4 c. chocolate chips, lightly chopped (or mini chips, or as the original recipe calls for, cacao nibs)
1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/3 c. sugar (I used sugar in the raw - the coarser crystal is nice)
1 egg
3 T. coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients, including the chocolate chips.  In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg vigorously until doubled in size and evenly colored, about 30 seconds by hand. Whisk in the oil and vanilla and add to the dry ingredients. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll the dough into 1 in. balls and place 1 1/2 in. apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently press down the tops and bake 8-10 minutes. Place on cooling racks and prepare some Earl Grey. They don't take long to cool. Makes about 24 cookies.