tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162335202024-03-12T23:04:49.732-07:00the accidental scientistMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.comBlogger255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-5301666446453669622009-12-07T12:07:00.001-08:002009-12-07T12:09:05.755-08:00Heart of the Matter #32: Breads - Sweet and Savory<span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkO5U2Q8TVeVJtrGbN9IPbnFra6T6BQd_OOPg6N8HGFjOrTPImxtu_2AgPFuVOavieDFdRi6zHDezWeCtPUyyu7BfGJyy8w6I_RnwQucZ9uzDncTI4c9jWvkRHfnartKBBBL2y/s1600-h/HotM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkO5U2Q8TVeVJtrGbN9IPbnFra6T6BQd_OOPg6N8HGFjOrTPImxtu_2AgPFuVOavieDFdRi6zHDezWeCtPUyyu7BfGJyy8w6I_RnwQucZ9uzDncTI4c9jWvkRHfnartKBBBL2y/s320/HotM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412588453077957250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I don’t know about all of you, but I love the holiday season. It’s like a food-lover’s dream – the possibilities for making and eating delicious food are blissfully endless. I spend hours pouring over every food-themed magazine I can find and picking out all the cookie recipes and other fun foods that I want to make this holiday season…this year? Eggnog and a yule log...wow, that even rhymes. Plus, I’d love to hold a cookie exchange with my friends this year. Do you have anything you’re hoping to make this month?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The holidays are a perfect time of year for this month’s </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com">Heart of the Matter</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> theme, “</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;">Breads: Sweet and Savory</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">.” There are so many kinds of breads that go perfectly with the cooler weather that we’re getting here…warm, yeasty boules filled with herbs and crackled crusts, sweet loaves packed with tart cranberries and ginger to be eaten with tea, sticky rolls for breakfast…it will be a challenging just choosing what kind of a bread to make! And yes, believe it or not, we get cooler weather here in Hawaii! Along with lots of winter rain…and last week, it even snowed on Mauna Kea, the huge volcano that is on the Big Island! Even my hometown in Colorado is in the holiday spirit, getting decked out for a white Christmas with nearly 10 inches of snow coming in today!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">So this month, send in your entry for a sweet or a savory bread (or heck, go wild and do both!). And of course it should please be heart-healthy too: your entry should be low in saturated fats (ie. not too much butter!), be low in salt (sodium), and if you'd like, abundant with vegetables or herbs or fruit. If you want to get more information, check out our useful links in the right hand marginal of the </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com">HotM blog</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">. Please only use your entry for this event so that we can keep things centred on heart-healthy recipes and please link to the event as well. Send your entries to me at phillipslayden AT gmail DOT com before (your) midnight </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;">Thursday, December 31</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">, and please put "HotM" in your subject line so I can keep track of all the entries! ;) I'll post the round-up on January 1st so that we can all eat these healthy breads as part of our healthy new year's resolutions!</span></span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-74320696387660590022009-12-01T12:59:00.000-08:002009-12-07T20:11:54.048-08:00Reviving Rumaki: Retro Dishes for HotM<span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMy0ZKZRsPgRdyTLPMCcEAJjNDTBd37G3bE3Fjmsv4njuKrr6M0aQUiePXwlVsmigru063w8OyCCfh-8ifQg8a1nNzcgOUBIJscmQ9N4u3FUHK7YfMQ_vg5U1u2P6CBkS6Qe8/s1600-h/IMG_2926a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMy0ZKZRsPgRdyTLPMCcEAJjNDTBd37G3bE3Fjmsv4njuKrr6M0aQUiePXwlVsmigru063w8OyCCfh-8ifQg8a1nNzcgOUBIJscmQ9N4u3FUHK7YfMQ_vg5U1u2P6CBkS6Qe8/s320/IMG_2926a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412703474888061714" border="0" /></a></span> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>375</o:Words> <o:characters>2140</o:Characters> <o:company>University of Hawaii</o:Company> <o:lines>17</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>4</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>2628</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 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"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @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;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:100%;" >After some technical difficulties, I am finally posting my entry for HotM...<br /></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">The theme for <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">Heart of the Matter</a> this month is <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/2009/11/heart-of-matter-31-retro-dishes.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Retro Dishes</span></a>.<span style=""> </span>When <a href="http://www.luculliandelights.com/">Ilva</a> and I decided on this theme, the first thing that came to my mind was <span style="font-weight: bold;">rumaki</span>. Rumaki was found at nearly every American party in the 1950s and 60s and I can’t think of anything more retro for my entry!</span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Rumaki is an appetizer that is thought to have originated with “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trader_Vic%27s">Trader Vic</a>” (and no, that’s not the Trader Vic of <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/">Trader Joes</a>), whose full name was Victor Bergeron.<span style=""> </span>There’s some controversy here though…Trader Vic owned some so-called “mock-Polynesian” restaurants in San Francisco, but according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumaki">Wikipedia</a>, the earliest known reference to this little delight is on the 1941 menu of the “Don the Beachcomber” restaurant in Palm Springs…one of Trader Vic’s big competitors.<span style=""> </span>Makes the history a little more interesting, huh?<span style=""> </span>Check out the link on the Wikipedia page because it actually has a scan of the menu!</span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvVhxH_xghFu-JVTOZwLPxZeDwG7tTMaNm-HKZkUbNnklxHeqoRLBZgYMGzrf5HrMdfFGEs72Srw6_XFBNZIhAuN2Q_xm_Ignvah1YFvC17hocg4hbt31VfT04Twj66ojOPoS/s1600-h/IMG_2912a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvVhxH_xghFu-JVTOZwLPxZeDwG7tTMaNm-HKZkUbNnklxHeqoRLBZgYMGzrf5HrMdfFGEs72Srw6_XFBNZIhAuN2Q_xm_Ignvah1YFvC17hocg4hbt31VfT04Twj66ojOPoS/s320/IMG_2912a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412703456269746034" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">The variations on rumaki are vast, but in general, it’s always got water chestnuts that have been wrapped in bacon and marinated in a soy-sugar mixture before being broiled or baked.<span style=""> </span>Many rumaki have chicken livers as a major component, but I left them out because the first rumaki I had (my friend Kristin introduced me to it) didn’t have them and so I’ve developed a taste for the simple bacon-water chestnut flavor. <span style=""> </span>However, to throw my own spin on it for HotM, add a little Hawaiian flair (and some more Polynesia to it), and to give this little pupu (Hawaiian for appetizer) some extra vitamins, I added pineapple to the mix. To make it heart-healthy, I lowered the amount of sugar, adding sherry for a sweet flavor, and used turkey bacon to decrease the fat content.<span style=""> Let's revive this delicious yet forgotten appetizer! </span><span style="">Though </span>you might want to make a double batch – these disappear quickly!</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Here’s the recipe:</span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFeAp_ixAYSTJjR6yWseMhQOhydTLn9oO2z5j3ILb74w5QguSP_JEs2ebeWlLYwLIWLtvP2glQ9N1DQ4YhFrwYDyj0M_jo4PnaZaXkLonANfCSKppwjuRHTa6aIG9DSOCnNUz/s1600-h/IMG_2920a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFeAp_ixAYSTJjR6yWseMhQOhydTLn9oO2z5j3ILb74w5QguSP_JEs2ebeWlLYwLIWLtvP2glQ9N1DQ4YhFrwYDyj0M_jo4PnaZaXkLonANfCSKppwjuRHTa6aIG9DSOCnNUz/s320/IMG_2920a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412703462047564274" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><u><o:p></o:p></u><o:p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Healthy Rumaki a la Hawaii</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">makes about 35-40</span><br /></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">¼ cup pineapple juice (preferably freshly squeezed; or at least not from canned pineapple)<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">2 tbsp soy sauce<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">1 tsp ginger, finely grated</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">1 tbsp dry sherry </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">1 tsp brown sugar, packed<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">1 small can (8 oz.) of water chestnuts</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">1 cup of pineapple, cored, cut in ¼ slices, then cubed (preferably fresh)<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">10 strips of turkey bacon, cut in half and lengthwise and crosswise<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">toothpicks</span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Preheat the oven to 375F (or broil, if you can -<span style=""> </span>I can’t because ours doesn’t work).<span style=""> </span>Cover a cookie sheet with foil.<span style=""> </span>Combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, sherry, and brown sugar in a medium bowl and whisk together.<span style=""> </span>Add the water chestnuts and soak for 1/2 hr in the refrigerator.</span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Dump the pineapple/soy mixture into a small saucepan and boil gently until reduced to about half – about 10 minutes.<span style=""> </span>Meanwhile, wrap each water chestnut and a piece of pineapple in the turkey bacon and secure with a toothpick.<span style=""> </span>Using a pastry brush or simply drizzling, coat the outside of each little parcel with the thickened mixture, then bake for 20-25 minutes (or broil for 5-6 minutes) or until the bacon is crispy.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Thanks for hosting, <a href="http://www.luculliandelights.com/">Ilva</a>!<span style=""> </span>You can check out this month's round-up over at <a href="http://www.luculliandelights.com/2009/12/some-photos-and-hotm-31-roundup.html">Ilva's site</a> soon and remember that all the archives are kept on the <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">HotM blog</a>. See you next month!</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-26217439518726930232009-11-04T21:56:00.000-08:002009-11-04T22:59:06.517-08:00Heart of the Matter 30: Seeds, Nuts and Things (Round-up)This month's theme for the <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">Heart of the Matter</a> monthly healthy eating round-up was <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/2009/10/this-month-for-heart-of-matter-my-co.html">Seeds, Nuts and Seed-like things</a> and I'm very excited because we got a lot of entries! Thank you to everyone who participated!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz-nRLx-VgHmZqH_VjCNe0dTUhQR2a8vhwVoMDn-azE5SPiqGHaJQAqUAZs3DCFBih91lfUQIvMufePlDmX5V2ULsKglCQS4TeGPPUkyabPEQwTPAA2iiRVxBWq2UujU6iQfz/s1600-h/Granola+Bar+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz-nRLx-VgHmZqH_VjCNe0dTUhQR2a8vhwVoMDn-azE5SPiqGHaJQAqUAZs3DCFBih91lfUQIvMufePlDmX5V2ULsKglCQS4TeGPPUkyabPEQwTPAA2iiRVxBWq2UujU6iQfz/s320/Granola+Bar+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400496665531339490" border="0" /></a>The first entry came in from Aparna, over at <a href="http://mydiversekitchen.blogspot.com/">My Diverse Kitchen: A Vegetarian Kitchen</a> in India, who sent in her take on the theme with her <a href="http://mydiversekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/refrigerator-is-centre-of-universe-and.html">Healthy Granola Squares</a>. I just love the look of them - fat and beautiful and full of yummy seeds and nuts!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PCmwBGSDtNL6W6BP6L2A4Dm6OarSKj22UDxt4gf22b7MKmv6Lc8RCTN8ZP4i961gcc1u9-oaSM_BU4xUkrGIQu6qDzJqSzEC3mkQZkIAGqTCQgzYqO1K-qGt85i8cgGCz2Ru/s1600-h/chocomuffin2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PCmwBGSDtNL6W6BP6L2A4Dm6OarSKj22UDxt4gf22b7MKmv6Lc8RCTN8ZP4i961gcc1u9-oaSM_BU4xUkrGIQu6qDzJqSzEC3mkQZkIAGqTCQgzYqO1K-qGt85i8cgGCz2Ru/s320/chocomuffin2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400499009759097410" border="0" /></a>Next to come in were the <a href="http://dhanggitskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/chocolate-almond-soft-caramel-muffin.html">Chocolate Almond Soft Caramel Muffins</a> from <a href="http://dhanggitskitchen.blogspot.com/">Dhanggit's Kitchen</a>. These sound so decadent and delicious! Plus, those caramels remind me of being a kid too!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTQPFuqJp1XcekTb-Fxxc8AXs9PwbIK31QL6xmw-tySZ-NI0an59YjsvGH9gESH38ImIbDg6EYxCt_qDClLla7LgCDe1T7pgP9fEPUld-pvUPO7pAgp91y78iknF1Wn3MFlsz/s1600-h/roastedandsaltedpumpkinseeds_thumb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTQPFuqJp1XcekTb-Fxxc8AXs9PwbIK31QL6xmw-tySZ-NI0an59YjsvGH9gESH38ImIbDg6EYxCt_qDClLla7LgCDe1T7pgP9fEPUld-pvUPO7pAgp91y78iknF1Wn3MFlsz/s320/roastedandsaltedpumpkinseeds_thumb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400500415015526434" border="0" /></a>Nathan Lau, whom I have had the great pleasure of meeting when he and his lovely wife, Annie, were here visiting in Hawaii, submitted his entry for <a href="http://chezannies.blogspot.com/2009/10/roasted-salted-pumpkin-seeds.html">Roasted, Salted Pumpkin Seeds</a>, one of my favorite October snacks (and the best reason to carve up a Halloween pumpkin). Their blog, <a href="http://chezannies.blogspot.com/">House of Annie</a>, has lots of great recipes they make both with and for their family.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mCPnA8oA2a3caVl4fdzEuuKROOPGPei1Y00z82uXiIMkY_KRvVBEQdwQnIVEzFVjrmI5w0Xr79_ndfMTN5TOoR7tdQbaE2sPcoJavCsp8-1po80deHbbsMfis9jZpyt8YjoA/s1600-h/hotm+cookies-4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mCPnA8oA2a3caVl4fdzEuuKROOPGPei1Y00z82uXiIMkY_KRvVBEQdwQnIVEzFVjrmI5w0Xr79_ndfMTN5TOoR7tdQbaE2sPcoJavCsp8-1po80deHbbsMfis9jZpyt8YjoA/s320/hotm+cookies-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400502119926874098" border="0" /></a>Johanna over at <a href="http://gggiraffe.blogspot.com/">Green Gourmet Giraffe</a>, whose banner for her blog title I completely adore, turned in her recipe for fabulous-sounding <a href="http://gggiraffe.blogspot.com/2009/10/hotm-chocolate-sesame-cookies.html">Chocolate Sesame Cookies</a>, which are vegan and have loads of interesting ingredients like tahini, molasses and those gorgeous black sesame seeds. Mmmm....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOP_B5bXPKxb1WvZhVF1nl8pxQMn9hlYbyGkvCroSTgP4Ojf4sS4XgbB28i983tkjX0WOMDBWUxL8Mt-bL1g_WrJdad09Ca_ozSniFe4S19Z44f6A8hUSFv5MQ5efvrHRCBpvI/s1600-h/3904881266_4305878b02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOP_B5bXPKxb1WvZhVF1nl8pxQMn9hlYbyGkvCroSTgP4Ojf4sS4XgbB28i983tkjX0WOMDBWUxL8Mt-bL1g_WrJdad09Ca_ozSniFe4S19Z44f6A8hUSFv5MQ5efvrHRCBpvI/s320/3904881266_4305878b02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400504121389183474" border="0" /></a>Tigerfish sent in a recipe for <a href="http://teczcape.blogspot.com/2009/10/millet-congee-millet-grains-or-bird.html">Millet Congee</a>. Millet is a grain that I wish I used more in my own kitchen and I think I will have to try this recipe soon because I just so happen to have some in the cupboard (and congee is something I have always wanted to try)! You can see the recipe for this perfect fall dish over at Tigerfish's blog, <a href="http://teczcape.blogspot.com/">Teczcape - An Escape to Food</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4xRHFrR7tlcmDZftoOYqx7eT-3A_Fr1gPMvrMNSGAtE3lqsWmUI8BjdOAsA9QsIOqiUlJBy_8O2GZAnVFvo1TODiZBODhm_1_FuOmfrmYtOwkYZBt1NtwFiR3eICHZawoiDh/s1600-h/BnanaSflwrSdCkie.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4xRHFrR7tlcmDZftoOYqx7eT-3A_Fr1gPMvrMNSGAtE3lqsWmUI8BjdOAsA9QsIOqiUlJBy_8O2GZAnVFvo1TODiZBODhm_1_FuOmfrmYtOwkYZBt1NtwFiR3eICHZawoiDh/s320/BnanaSflwrSdCkie.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400505646073222754" border="0" /></a>The next entry came from <a href="http://tastycurryleaf.blogspot.com/">Tasty Curry Leaf</a> - healthy <a href="http://tastycurryleaf.blogspot.com/2009/10/banana-sunflower-seed-cookies.html">Banana Sunflower Seed Cookies</a>! These light, fluffy cookies use bananas instead of eggs and I think they look like a smashing success! Since we have an abundance of bananas all the time here in Hawaii, I think these will be another dish that is made soon in my house.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5r2t5qaIMS2K-4azgmyR-TbRF_kOyoJ6mhg8uKJji2_Aa-sN7B5qB1vtEtdMObccnlfG3aOZRxS4ZTvW5DhcYfuSa2SPrXUXjQqL-z1z12jhqWhiCnTva7frteybO2F_EKas/s1600-h/Picture+035.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5r2t5qaIMS2K-4azgmyR-TbRF_kOyoJ6mhg8uKJji2_Aa-sN7B5qB1vtEtdMObccnlfG3aOZRxS4ZTvW5DhcYfuSa2SPrXUXjQqL-z1z12jhqWhiCnTva7frteybO2F_EKas/s320/Picture+035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400506940323318370" border="0" /></a>Champa from the blog, <a href="http://versatilekitchen.blogspot.com/">Stories from an Indian Kitchen</a>, is new to blogging but thankfully already participating in events. These <a href="http://versatilekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/vegan-almond-cookies.html">Vegan Almond Cookies</a> are full of yummy things like cardamom and almond butter - I love the thought of that combination!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiV5XdAQR6zG9vc5q9fvCBBg9rJ_zUvJPM2YJ1HTP1xrovW7ss1XMgpkdZJ28nFnuGI5sdar0DE4a2KYb9Pe3PQ0AUxZmB8WRiH4N5k-LnemdI5TELs2me85TrWkOCmUaD44n/s1600-h/IMG_4514.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiV5XdAQR6zG9vc5q9fvCBBg9rJ_zUvJPM2YJ1HTP1xrovW7ss1XMgpkdZJ28nFnuGI5sdar0DE4a2KYb9Pe3PQ0AUxZmB8WRiH4N5k-LnemdI5TELs2me85TrWkOCmUaD44n/s320/IMG_4514.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400509362283207730" border="0" /></a>Our last two entries come from the blog, <a href="http://pangravykadaicurry.blogspot.com/">Pan Gravy Kadai Curry</a>. The first entry was this <a href="http://pangravykadaicurry.blogspot.com/search?q=pan+fried+almond">Pan-fried and Almond-crusted Salmon</a> on a bed of sauteed spinach. Since we all know the benefits of eating fish for omega-3-fatty acids to help our hearts, I'm always on the lookout for a good salmon recipe!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3OFJDnvPJDxFkdIRVQsJ3h3O9WuMM3LpqChpQDbxPNANlWS6PhnC3eeIGajlS1tcp5Mk6HvGFkOhkW7YzII3Tl_ZgziLT3BOV2ZR9StuVqM3QoDkrARupk9_oqJdHBuWk_uH/s1600-h/RoastedChestnuts1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3OFJDnvPJDxFkdIRVQsJ3h3O9WuMM3LpqChpQDbxPNANlWS6PhnC3eeIGajlS1tcp5Mk6HvGFkOhkW7YzII3Tl_ZgziLT3BOV2ZR9StuVqM3QoDkrARupk9_oqJdHBuWk_uH/s320/RoastedChestnuts1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400509357247764386" border="0" /></a>I have a dream of eating roasted chestnuts in New York City around Christmastime, but since it will be a long time since I go to NYC, I can't wait to try Pan Gravy Kadai Curry's second entry for <a href="http://pangravykadaicurry.blogspot.com/2009/10/oven-roasted-chestnuts.html">Oven Roasted Chestnuts</a> at home!<br /><br />See you all next month for HotM 31, where <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Ilva</a> will be host!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-43477410554625606802009-10-05T12:55:00.000-07:002009-10-05T13:10:47.220-07:00Heart of the Matter (HotM) 30: Seeds and Things<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvytUeTlrqFliAdTHu38RHh8Q-G-Ik9RKgrLLbcm3IGojgmj73jDIjrtCrNjCy6Y-osj1WFhD60zxEDGq2otJbPouyb2sDjiuziUOZkCRX6HYdZhJUYfjKCUwBk_mu5vISO4-/s1600-h/HotM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvytUeTlrqFliAdTHu38RHh8Q-G-Ik9RKgrLLbcm3IGojgmj73jDIjrtCrNjCy6Y-osj1WFhD60zxEDGq2otJbPouyb2sDjiuziUOZkCRX6HYdZhJUYfjKCUwBk_mu5vISO4-/s200/HotM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389209922109452722" border="0" /></a>This month for <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">Heart of the Matter</a>, my co-host <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Ilva</a> and I are going with the theme of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nuts, Seeds and Nut-Like Things</span>. "Things" being other nut- and seed-like ingredients such as peanuts, which are considered nuts by most people (hence, the name) but are actually a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut">type of legume</a>. We got only a few entries last month (all of them fabulous!), but we're hoping to see more of you this month! Nuts make perfect Fall snacks and appetizers, are great in salads and breads...seeds are perfect in things like granolas, muffins, breads and all sorts of things. We can't wait to see what you come up with! Right now, HotM is the only thing keeping my little blog alive, but I still have high hopes for coming back sometime in the future!<br /><br />So this month, send in your entry for the most creative thing you can think of to do with Nuts, seeds or other nut-like things. And of course it has to be heart-healthy too: your entry should be low in saturated fats (lean meats and fish), be low in salt (sodium), and if you'd like, abundant with vegetables or fruit. If you want to get more information, check out our useful links in the right hand marginal on the <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">HotM blog</a>. Please only use your entry for this event so that we can keep things centred on heart-healthy recipes and please link to the event as well. Send your entries to me at phillipslayden AT gmail DOT com before (your) midnight <span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday the 31st of October</span>, and please put "HotM" in your subject line so I can keep track of all the entries! ;)<br /><br />See you then!<br />MichelleMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-45157386812381621042009-09-27T16:56:00.000-07:002009-09-27T17:43:46.450-07:00A is for (Sea) Asparagus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItRU2P3QgEOtPF4t0ZiG8-yHb1MYMX4SUHQSVoxOya-b7cqVsOz4ndcSZormvg23t4a_A-O1njzqVuhRhSGgv3Y1paZiPWtwg7P-NPV6_OvYoxOQq_vTLvjMWjzXR3PuA2CwU/s1600-h/IMG_2842a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItRU2P3QgEOtPF4t0ZiG8-yHb1MYMX4SUHQSVoxOya-b7cqVsOz4ndcSZormvg23t4a_A-O1njzqVuhRhSGgv3Y1paZiPWtwg7P-NPV6_OvYoxOQq_vTLvjMWjzXR3PuA2CwU/s400/IMG_2842a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386300757573869314" border="0" /></a>For this month's <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">Heart of the Matter</a>, my co-host, <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Ilva</a>, and I chose to go with the alphabet...and what better letter to begin a series of alphabetical themes than the letter, <span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>? While you won't be seeing a complete series for some time (we want to change the themes up with all the holidays on the way), you'll be seeing different letters appear in the upcoming months.<br /><br />So many of my favorite foods begin with the letter <span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">a</span>pples, <span style="font-weight: bold;">a</span>lmonds, <span style="font-weight: bold;">a</span>rtichokes, <span style="font-weight: bold;">a</span>vocado and of course, <span style="font-weight: bold;">a</span>sparagus. While asparagus is a year-round vegetable here in Hawaii, I know for many of you, it is only a short-lived springtime indulgence. And besides, I wanted to capitalize on some of Hawaii's bounty that maybe isn't so commonly known. For these reasons, I chose one of my new-found favorite vegetables here: sea <span style="font-weight: bold;">a</span>sparagus. Despite it's name, sea asparagus is not very similar to the asparagus we typically think of. It's more like a seaweed, I guess...or better said, a sea-vegetable. Sort of a cross between a bean sprout and a sea weed...it's a little salty, a little juicy and adds a bit of fresh flavor to anything.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYYyHHrpF_rPYjY5dx5WzApS2m187R-A7SoLOGjChxPVFJH9oaiCq-YHbIBh_feb-Z_p5isd0j1B_s9FrKMmGkp3vwZLoOY9i5ez3TsntPyyAjH2Pl0626kCqC-nS1ZZ0fkQP/s1600-h/IMG_0876a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYYyHHrpF_rPYjY5dx5WzApS2m187R-A7SoLOGjChxPVFJH9oaiCq-YHbIBh_feb-Z_p5isd0j1B_s9FrKMmGkp3vwZLoOY9i5ez3TsntPyyAjH2Pl0626kCqC-nS1ZZ0fkQP/s400/IMG_0876a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386303216015987202" border="0" /></a>This little sea vegetable grows wild in many places, but in Hawaii, Marine AgriFuture grows sea asparagus hydroponically on Kahuku shrimp farms, harvests it by hand, and sells it at Farmer's Markets and some of the grocery stores on the Island. So, while it's not a food product native to Hawaii (so many of them aren't), it <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> locally grown. And delicious.<br /><br />Sea asparagus is very versatile, and good for you. It's full of vitamins A, B12 and B9, as well as folic acid and antioxidants. It's thought to be a good detoxification agent and good for your muscles. And it's a good source of iodine. Since LB and I eat a lot of dark, leafy greens, which also grow very well in Hawaii and are good for you, but tend to interfere with the uptake of the important mineral, iodine, sea asparagus is one way we get our weekly dose of iodine (we use kosher salt for cooking, which does not have iodine added to it the way "table" salt does).<br /><p>While many people prefer to blanch the sea asparagus for a minute or so before using it, we've found that with the type of dishes we like to make with it, we like to maintain it's salty taste. While it is a bit bitter when eaten raw from the package, when mixed with oils (like the recipe below) it doesn't taste bitter at all. Below is my entry for HotM and a salad that is perfect for a potluck or a light dinner (with some crusty bread or even by itself). It's also easily cut in half. If you want to try it at home and don't have sea asparagus, this is still good with a bunch of regular asparagus - blanched first, cut into smallish pieces, and a little extra soy sauce or shoyu added.<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpTPTO5uPZmkD0S4Ma80My5gGUP0s0K-mbhlXD-ngjYazo7FFUbXYbPlRBqGnnlGMvKcvLxliv7tGNdF_l5DI_cZ1z4d5WtQYZVFXvleeIojJEZ0lUe2DcoilwGlp2H4-8hRh/s1600-h/IMG_2847a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpTPTO5uPZmkD0S4Ma80My5gGUP0s0K-mbhlXD-ngjYazo7FFUbXYbPlRBqGnnlGMvKcvLxliv7tGNdF_l5DI_cZ1z4d5WtQYZVFXvleeIojJEZ0lUe2DcoilwGlp2H4-8hRh/s400/IMG_2847a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386300749907736194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sea Asparagus and Tofu Salad, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">serves 8<br /></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><blockquote><span style="font-weight: normal;">1 package sea asparagus, roughly chopped</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">1 japanese or english cucumber, diced</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">1/2 block of extra firm tofu, diced</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">1 large heirloom tomato, diced</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds</span><br /></blockquote>Dressing</span><br /></p><p></p><blockquote>2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar<br />1 tbsp. soy sauce<br />1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil<br />1 tsp. grated fresh ginger<br />1 tsp. honey</blockquote>Combine all the salad ingredients, except for the sesame seeds, in a large bowl. Add the dressing to a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Close the lid and shake. When the dressing is mixed, pour it over the salad ingredients and then mix, gently. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and then mix again gently. This is good fresh, or even after marinating over-night. Better still? I use the dressing for all kinds of things - lettuce salads, marinating chicken, just about any kind of anything that I want to add an "Asian" flavor to...try it!<br /><blockquote></blockquote><p></p>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-71286792131615301602009-07-26T07:31:00.000-07:002009-07-26T07:37:09.132-07:00HotM ChangeHi Everyone,<br />There has been a slight change in plans for <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">Heart of the Matter </a>this month, and I will not be able to do the round-up because I had to leave town unexpectedly. Please send your HotM entries to my co-host, Ilva, at <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Lucullian Delights</a>. Her email is luculliandelights AT gmail DOT com. If you have already sent in your entry to me, please know that I have forwarded it on to her, so there is no need to re-send it if you have already. I apologize for the change and will see you next month. <br /><br />Best,<br />MichelleMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-23356634370926639422009-07-02T18:55:00.001-07:002009-07-02T19:00:07.468-07:00Heart of the Matter 28: Budget-Friendly Foods<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWbVEVujjSEkwLrCkBlLBIliZpUHhZzXCbX-wPXkARX4-A7W6AAErxu38c6TTYD0nLdZa_kVAcUQs7w9S9ch8SG2FP4mJImsfjXQhJ-BKDVYvRMXrodUdynrVMbTce0FJRNUC/s1600-h/HotM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWbVEVujjSEkwLrCkBlLBIliZpUHhZzXCbX-wPXkARX4-A7W6AAErxu38c6TTYD0nLdZa_kVAcUQs7w9S9ch8SG2FP4mJImsfjXQhJ-BKDVYvRMXrodUdynrVMbTce0FJRNUC/s400/HotM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354046803642986834" border="0" /></a><br />If you’re in the U.S. or many other parts of the world, you’ve no doubt heard about The Recession for months now. Many people are tightening their belts and making changes in their lifestyle to try and conserve funds or prepare for uncertain times. But no matter where you are, it never hurts to be a bit frugal occasionally or to have a few meals in your repertoire that can stretch your pocketbook a bit further if needed. Thus, the theme for this month’s <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com">Heart of the Matter</a> is “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Budget-Friendly Foods</span>.” <br /><br />Your challenge this month is to come up with a meal that is budget-friendly AND heart healthy…either using ingredients that don’t cost much (or perhaps you grew yourself?) or even ingredients where a little goes a long way. Be creative and share with us how you save money when you cook! What’s your go-to meal at the end of the month or before payday comes? What do you make when you have a lot of people to feed but not a lot of money?<br /><br />After the round-up, we’ll all have a suite of meals that we can use to help stretch our budget next month…And who knows, maybe that extra money you’ve saved could go towards a trip later on in the summer or spent on a bushel of extra juicy peaches while they’re in season?<br /><br />After you’ve made your meal and blogged about it, send me the link before midnight on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, July 31</span> at <span style="font-weight: bold;">phillipslayden AT gmail DOT com</span> and stay tuned for the round-up a few days later.<br /><br />Remember that your entry should be low in saturated fats (lean meats and fish), be low in salt (sodium), and that you can be abundant with vegetables or fruit. If you want to get more information, check out the useful links in the right hand marginal of the <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com">HotM website</a>. Please only use your entry for this event so that we can keep things centered on heart-healthy recipes.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-10894985427186090892009-06-25T14:16:00.000-07:002009-06-25T14:42:10.641-07:00Lemony Summer Pasta Salad: HotM 27<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJE0ov2gpuOzbealUXHaJ_7NOTa4QNjSQ2IIdV-iejS3mHL2yggWnpXkDSPb7SFjbchJoMdRyG_kyXz_EG8ZeZZZ1OGvzA5B5hyphenhyphenE3wJtsORKFsWKpgmSbNDN7AUXU98Fp04JW/s1600-h/IMG_2310a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJE0ov2gpuOzbealUXHaJ_7NOTa4QNjSQ2IIdV-iejS3mHL2yggWnpXkDSPb7SFjbchJoMdRyG_kyXz_EG8ZeZZZ1OGvzA5B5hyphenhyphenE3wJtsORKFsWKpgmSbNDN7AUXU98Fp04JW/s400/IMG_2310a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351378984530731938" border="0" /></a>While others around the country are just now beginning to see the bounty of summer’s first produce at their farmer’s markets – stone fruits, fava beans, baby lettuces, we’re on a little bit of a different schedule here. June in Hawaii means that mangoes, tomatoes, arugula, lychee and Kahuku sweet corn are back in force.<br /><br />Yep, I said tomatoes. And I don’t mean the little cherry tomatoes that grow year-round here. I mean the big beauties that most of the rest of the US doesn’t see until late in the summer. And these aren’t Early Girls or <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2006/10/you-say-to-ma-toe-i-say-to-may-toe-you.html">Uglies</a> either. They’re our own variety: Big Wave. But we also begin to get other heirloom varieties too, thanks to <a href="http://www.bigwaveflavors.com/about.htm">Jeanne Vana</a>, our resident Island heirloom tomato grower. For a self-proclaimed tomato addict such as myself, this is heaven.<br /><br />The theme for <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">Heart of the Matter</a> this month is the <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/2009/06/heart-of-matter-27-best-of-junes.html">Best of June’s Produce</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">,</span> so I couldn’t resist a dish that had a few of the tomatoes I picked out at Jeanne’s farm out in the North Shore last weekend. And I had to add in a few of the other vegetables that are plentiful these days too: peppery arugula, crisp cucumbers, sweet sugar snap peas, and local asparagus (<span style="font-style: italic;">available year round here</span>). Summer also means we’re back to hot days and muggy nights, which means that I don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen because anything simmering on the stove or roasting in the oven also means we’re roasting in our skin it’s so hot inside the house.<br /><br />Here’s the dish I came up with – it’s a pasta salad that’s great for a light, summer evening meal or a hearty lunch – it's healthy, packed with veggies, lightly scented with lemon zest, and it would be perfectly complimented by a slice of grilled bread and a glass of refreshing Riesling on the side. Play around with it! Use your favorite early summer produce or what you have on hand. If you prefer a non-vegetarian salad, this would also be delicious with a can of good-quality tuna in olive oil and some capers added. We’ve also been making our own cheese, which I would add next time to replace the feta – stay tuned for that recipe sometime next month when I’m back to blogging regularly (teaching ends after today!!).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UqGORksXGCuJkUwAB4i8qXvKfaHIaSw2Ktqq33ybcpaBbqVAHYOafBk16U5fkL89mi8Vq0CaJ-R48a2XaeK_Zk0OolLPJaw_jhuyIEF7FWstgpJZXzToh2GHsnnUFW2pnFIP/s1600-h/IMG_2307a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UqGORksXGCuJkUwAB4i8qXvKfaHIaSw2Ktqq33ybcpaBbqVAHYOafBk16U5fkL89mi8Vq0CaJ-R48a2XaeK_Zk0OolLPJaw_jhuyIEF7FWstgpJZXzToh2GHsnnUFW2pnFIP/s400/IMG_2307a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351378872273194098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Lemony Summer Pasta Salad</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">serves 6</span><br /><br />6 oz. shaped pasta<br />1 bunch asparagus, the woody ends snapped off<br />2-3 large tomatoes, chopped or ~15 small cherry tomatoes, cut in half<br />1 small cucumber, peeled<br />1 large handful of sugar-snap peas, trimmed and cut in half<br />2 scallions, thinly sliced<br />4 tbsp. olive oil<br />3 tbsp. red wine vinegar<br />zest of one lemon<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />¼ cup feta cheese<br />2 tbsp. thinly sliced basil (chiffonade)<br />1 bunch of baby arugula<br /><br />Bring a large pot of boiling, salted water to boil. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. When the water begins to boil, add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes, then remove the asparagus using tongs and transfer it to the ice water bath. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook it until it is al dente, then drain. Rinse the pasta with cold water, drain and return to the pan.<br /><br />While the pasta is cooking, remove the asparagus and put it on a towel to dry. When dry, you can chop it into 1 – 2 inch lengths. Pour the ice bath out and add the cut asparagus back to the bowl, along with the chopped tomatoes.<br /><br />Add the cucumber, sugar snap peas, and scallions to the cooled pasta. Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon zest and salt and pepper in a small bowl until it emulsifies, then mix this with the pasta and vegetables. Add the feta cheese and basil. Add the asparagus and tomatoes and mix very gently with a large spoon or better yet, your hands.<br /><br />Just before serving, mix in the arugula. If you plan to eat this as leftovers, only add the arugula to what you will be eating at one time – it tends to wilt too fast for my taste if it’s added early.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-77736214334677564212009-06-04T23:52:00.000-07:002009-06-05T00:36:03.322-07:00Heart of the Matter 26: The Locavore (Round-Up)The theme for <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2009/05/heart-of-matter-26-locavore.html">Heart of the Matter 26</a> was "<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Locavore</span>" or using local foods - using an ingredient, or several ingredients, from near your home. I hope it encouraged at least some people out there to seek out some kind of local food or be inspired to start growing something of your own! I'm sad to say though that only two of you out there were able to join us for this round-up and I hope it's only because May and June, that transition from Spring into Summer is always a busy one. I know I was crazy busy and waited until the last minute to make my dish and try and take pictures, only to find out my camera wouldn't work! So my actual post is in this round-up because I have just now gotten my camera back to working. I know my co-host <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Ilva</a> also ran into some computer issues and was unable to participate this time as well.<br /><br />Hopefully we'll see some of our regulars - and maybe a few new bloggers? - back here for June's theme next month!<br /><br />But without further adieu, here are our three entries - the two ladies who stuck it out and sent in their entry, and myself! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWko8jU6GNAEarY6_ANnuhtCUIcDe9BesagP73Co34cmCxNlIDyPh_jHvXaqp1dqgJX9PgzLgJV9yVdqvxk96IZJU-Ry1Rxu3kHaFhnu1cXpKPoMXyTzyESkqj1igTDJTqkQR/s1600-h/Pui+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWko8jU6GNAEarY6_ANnuhtCUIcDe9BesagP73Co34cmCxNlIDyPh_jHvXaqp1dqgJX9PgzLgJV9yVdqvxk96IZJU-Ry1Rxu3kHaFhnu1cXpKPoMXyTzyESkqj1igTDJTqkQR/s400/Pui+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343739125926720658" border="0" /></a>Our first entry came from Soma, at <a href="http://www.ecurry.com/blog/">eCurry</a>. She used some beautiful little greens that were right outside in her backyard to make her <a href="http://www.ecurry.com/blog/curries/dry/stir-fried-pui-with-poppy-seeds/">Stir Fried "Pui" with Poppy Seeds</a> - which is, as she describes it "<span style="font-style: italic;">a very simple recipe that my mom & my grandmom would make. It is a stir fry with a lot of flavor of garlic, almost caramelized onions and a sprinkle of poppy seeds.</span>" Sounds lovely, doesn't it? And it's so inspiring to me that she grew it herself!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR-0ofKZO7_6Fxoul3HrY4W4vCKIc-7x9jHjqJmIaoS_jsIdJ3T-LuSJmDw25aeS29tgmwCYxbfuqJx9Y3o7SHZhgE4W-lyL_vkiwxyQ-ffH9xbkBfcGHCXczUcTQ43jayGpa/s1600-h/DSC03808.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR-0ofKZO7_6Fxoul3HrY4W4vCKIc-7x9jHjqJmIaoS_jsIdJ3T-LuSJmDw25aeS29tgmwCYxbfuqJx9Y3o7SHZhgE4W-lyL_vkiwxyQ-ffH9xbkBfcGHCXczUcTQ43jayGpa/s400/DSC03808.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343741183298935154" border="0" /></a>Our second entry came from Zabeena, who writes the blog, <a href="http://alotonmyplate.blogspot.com/">A Lot On My Plate</a>. It has a very simple name, <a href="http://alotonmyplate.blogspot.com/2009/05/heart-of-matter-26-locavore-pink-green.html">Pink Green</a>, but you'll see while its name is simple, there are some incredible and interesting flavor combinations going on in this single dish - consisting of asparagus with three pink dipping sauces (and thus, the name!). She's also got a lot of interesting info about the food, the place she lives and how this dish came about - go check it out!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtsKhIJw4lkLACh4muUqVDNGMv4dJ_TaOAo2_ERdT4oA9OWVTBYOBGeN1TdG-K-UnF3SNym2uEHa0KgC26P_qT4Id2rK4UFYaZUWSarXuAkv9cQY6VzZ-bg0XqPeuVhyL4mUq/s1600-h/a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtsKhIJw4lkLACh4muUqVDNGMv4dJ_TaOAo2_ERdT4oA9OWVTBYOBGeN1TdG-K-UnF3SNym2uEHa0KgC26P_qT4Id2rK4UFYaZUWSarXuAkv9cQY6VzZ-bg0XqPeuVhyL4mUq/s400/a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343736468931975234" border="0" /></a>Lastly, my own dish is super simple, but made with all local ingredients...a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sweet Corn, Mint and Feta Salad</span>. Well, that's not exactly true. It is all local except for one ingredient...which could well have been local too but when I sent my husband to the grocery store for me he came home with the non-local version of the feta. Oh well! Kahuku sweet corn is available for most of the year here and is in full swing right now, so I simply paired it with feta, fresh mint, a bit of lime juice and some olive oil, salt and pepper. It turned out a wonderful, simple dish that I'm sure we'll be eating again this summer with various types of grilled fish and maybe even bring to a potluck or two!<br /><br />A big thanks to Soma and Zabeena for participating! Hope to see you next month too!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-39157595442740157172009-05-03T19:48:00.000-07:002009-05-03T20:28:58.256-07:00Heart of the Matter 26: The Locavore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseDbSm8w63yLtemOlW2HpSlRHBHvVncUI_tFs-Q5AfwamkWSNbQjinRC0MOcT6QHXFnRsv-0GCcnB1dS2YE9K7cFzTRilLpr9FvW3Y1jgDReA3CdhIWlhbygKmswy4l5KSylo/s1600-h/IMG_1429.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseDbSm8w63yLtemOlW2HpSlRHBHvVncUI_tFs-Q5AfwamkWSNbQjinRC0MOcT6QHXFnRsv-0GCcnB1dS2YE9K7cFzTRilLpr9FvW3Y1jgDReA3CdhIWlhbygKmswy4l5KSylo/s400/IMG_1429.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331798531654111538" border="0" /></a>Eating locally is big these days - the closer to home your food comes from, the more economical, carbon-friendly and overall good-for-everyone it can be. People who eat mostly local foods have even garnered their own title: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locavores"><span style="font-style: italic;">locavores</span></a>. Locavores are people who eat mostly food that has been grown or produced near their home (sometimes a radius of 100 miles - or even their own back yard). Many farmer's markets are beginning this month (or on their way), the first spring lettuces, asparagus and rhubarb are peeking their way out of the ground and ready to grace our plates after a long winter, and the idea of supporting your local economy couldn't be more prudent...what better way to enjoy all of these things than to cook up something at home, made with fresh, spring ingredients that have traveled a minimal distance to your plate?<br /><br />Since we're as big of supporters of being good to our bodies (especially our hearts) as we are of being good to the Earth, we thought a theme of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Local Foods</span>, or <span style="font-weight: bold;">"The Locavore"</span> for <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com">Heart of the Matter </a>this month would be fitting. So go ahead - forage, grow or shop your way to a heart-healthy dish made mostly with foods from the area where you live, then share it with all of us!<br /><br />Here's the rules:<br /><br />Make something that is heart healthy<span style="font-family: georgia;"> (</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;">low in saturated fats - ie. lean meats and fish, low in sodium and abundant in vegetables or fruit)</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">using </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">mostly </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ingredients that are grown or produced within 150 miles of your home</span> (or heck, at least from your state/region). If you're growing something in your garden and it's ready to use, that's even better! If you can find only a few ingredients locally, then use one of them as the centerpiece for your dish! We're not strict, we just think it will be a great way to start the summer off - thinking about what might be grown in your community, or what you <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> be growing by the time September rolls around and Fall is here (<span style="font-style: italic;">for instance, tomatoes are best towards the end of summer...there's still time to get seedlings and start growing your own - everybody knows there's nothing as tasty as a home-grown tomato!</span>). Just think of all the participants of HotM from around the world and all the possible climates and different types of things that can be grown in all those different places!<br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;"></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span>Once you've blogged about your local foods dish, submit to me by email at <span style="font-weight: bold;">phillipslayden AT gmail DOT com</span> by midnight on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, May 28</span> (please put "HotM" in the subject line). Then stay tuned for the round-up and see what everyone else made from ingredients that were local to them. <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;">If you're still unsure what "heart-healthy" means, check out the <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com">HotM blog</a>, and the many useful links in the right hand sidebar. Please only use your entry for this event so that we can keep things centered on heart-healthy recipes.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span> We're excited to see the diversity of heart-healthy and local dishes that you produce this month and can't wait to read about them!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-15930111347848557902009-04-25T20:25:00.000-07:002009-04-25T21:02:26.068-07:00Drink your Way to a Healthy Heart: Hibiscus-Ginger Cooler<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEhoZloyqqN1yITXnfdV5W_ISYF7CPEEPhOm0iqL85NzRuZ-5as5UsD2n7ctRA0BDDG5Ot16dEKzHO0Q9Udq0CLYekO0hsU62j4DddFDtQshHEnevzVdfmBjZwIe3m-Gn9F4X/s1600-h/IMG_2267a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEhoZloyqqN1yITXnfdV5W_ISYF7CPEEPhOm0iqL85NzRuZ-5as5UsD2n7ctRA0BDDG5Ot16dEKzHO0Q9Udq0CLYekO0hsU62j4DddFDtQshHEnevzVdfmBjZwIe3m-Gn9F4X/s400/IMG_2267a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328836113645403778" border="0" /></a><br />The theme for <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com">Heart of the Matter</a> (HotM) this month - hosted by Ilva at <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Lucullian Delights</a> - was <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/2009/03/winners-and-announcement-of-aprils-hotm.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flowers</span></a>. In Hawaii, hibiscus grows wild and is commonly found in home gardens and as an ornamental plant, but this little beauty is also extremely high in vitamin C (maybe that's what gives it its beautifully rich color?) and preliminary studies show promising results that it may <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8D-3WJ6X7M-V&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=9ef2fe9764a029427e6ae4ec220363c6">lower high blood pressure</a> and even cholesterol when steeped and enjoyed as a drink. Sounds like the perfect heart-healthy drink to me!<br /><br />Hibiscus has been used as a health "tonic" of sorts in cultures all over the world for centuries, and I think it's high time we bring it back! I've been taking some herbal classes lately, learning about the herbs, flowers and plants that are both native and invasive in Hawaii that can be used for tinctures, salves and more to improve health and reduce reliance on contemporary medicine. For my entry for HotM this month, I steeped dried hibiscus flowers with ginger, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizome">rhizome</a> known to be great for stomach problems, but which also has cholesterol-lowering properties. For a little kick, I added a bit of peppermint to the steeping liquid and then sweetened it slightly with honey. It came out great! I can imagine it as an extremely refreshing drink for the dog-days of summer, but it's been nice for the nice days this spring too, when you get a warm day. Add an umbrella and some sparkling water (or hey, rum if you are so inclined) and you've got yourself a fruity, tropical drink that can be made with completely local ingredients. We'll be drinking much more of this in the days to come!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiT6zZt-kIQtiZWNQPWgXKb5S8VfTmdtX35_0uvaIiQpLJiDd5AJsrn5f6pZxWi3H2qR4DxOCbAaNgdDnBQGZSGqELBGBQmPI43_lGb7_eA_5ocja7DJQUZCipiGoFcYSqYNad/s1600-h/IMG_2261a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiT6zZt-kIQtiZWNQPWgXKb5S8VfTmdtX35_0uvaIiQpLJiDd5AJsrn5f6pZxWi3H2qR4DxOCbAaNgdDnBQGZSGqELBGBQmPI43_lGb7_eA_5ocja7DJQUZCipiGoFcYSqYNad/s400/IMG_2261a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328836115901931410" border="0" /></a>While the flowers themselves are much more beautiful when they are not dried, the dried ones keep well in an airtight container and impart a gorgeous, ruby color to your steeping liquid. Hibiscus has its own distinct flavor...which is actually really difficult to describe, but good! And you don't need very many! I used 15 dried blossoms (I got these at the farmer's market some time ago, but you can also dry your own to about) but you could use the same amount of blossoms in a larger amount of water I think and not lose any flavor...I had a bunch, so I didn't mind using them because I wanted the hibiscus flavor to come through.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hibiscus-Ginger Cooler</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">makes 4 cups.</span><br /><br />4 cups filtered water<br />15 dried hibiscus blossoms<br />1 inch ginger root, organic and unpeeled - sliced into 1/4" slices<br />1 small sprig of mint<br />raw honey, to taste<br /><br />Bring the water to a boil, then remove from the heat and stir in the hibiscus, ginger root and mint. Let steep for at least an hour or up to 4. Strain the mixture with a sieve (or cheese cloth if you want a clearer liquid). You could sweeten it with the honey at this point, or you can sweeten each glass as you want to drink it depending on your preference and who will be drinking it later.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><br /></span></span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-884864499311649842009-03-23T13:09:00.001-07:002009-03-23T13:09:24.919-07:00Don't Forget to Vote for your Favorite HotM Recipes!Don't forget to vote for your<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> Favorite Recipe</span> and the entry with the<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> Best Presentation</span> from this month's round-up for Finger Foods for our 2 year Birthday Bash! You needn't have entered the actual event to vote for your favorite entries! There are prizes for each category: the winner of the favorite recipe category will win a special box coming all the way from <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Ilva's</a> home country, Italy, packed with goodies, includi<span style="font-size:130%;">ng</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span">black rice from Veneto, a small bottle with White Truffle Scented Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar Jelly and Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans from Slitti</span>! </span>T</span>he winner of the presentation category will be sent a box from <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/">Michelle's</a> state, Hawaii, full of delicious tropical treats, including <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Waialua Estate Single Origin Hawaiian dark chocolate, Red Alaea Salt, and Hawaiian grown macadamia nuts and Planted by the River Guava curd</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">this is one of the last remaining bottles of these special curds - the couple running the company has decided to stop selling them and they are no longer available, which is really a very sad thing because they are amazing</span>! see Heidi's <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/">review</a> <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000138.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001191.html">here</a>)! <br /><br />The winners will be announced on <span style="font-weight: bold;">March 25th</span>, so you have until tomorrow night at midnight (Hawaii time, which is probably well into Wednesday for many of you) to vote for your favorites. Send your votes to me at <span style="font-weight: bold;">phillipslayden AT gmail DOT com</span>.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-47205441415268507112009-03-18T21:00:00.000-07:002009-03-19T00:27:03.261-07:00Heart of the Matter Birthday Bash Roundup<span style="font-style: italic;">Aloha!</span> And thanks for joining us for the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Birthday Bash Round-up</span> for the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Heart of the Matter</span>. We're 2 years old now and I don't know about you, but I'm ready to celebrate! We had so many great entries this time - bloggers who have been with us since the beginning, some who have been showing up steadily since they first heard about us, and new bloggers who wanted to help out. Remember to keep your eye out for entries that stand out - we're looking for the entry with the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">best recipe</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">who will win an Italian goodie box!</span>) and <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">best presentation</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">who will win a Hawaiian goody box!</span>). The winners will be announced on <span style="font-weight: bold;">March 25th</span>, so there is one week to vote for your favorites. You needn't have entered the actual event to vote for your favorite entries! Send your votes to me at <span style="font-weight: bold;">phillipslayden AT gmail DOT com</span>. Well, without further adieu, here are the entries...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHpkt2gWnVHLcUWFqH70Xm-Hv4CqR7E1xs3jucy-MQSQHtyOhuRrr-JDYeuC1HMvDL4MeEZwxFD1G7oRYuLkgKOvFBmavZOqMJxIy3n2soE_1GiQ_Qw0twdSQf7ME0yH-H0lh/s1600-h/icy+pole.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHpkt2gWnVHLcUWFqH70Xm-Hv4CqR7E1xs3jucy-MQSQHtyOhuRrr-JDYeuC1HMvDL4MeEZwxFD1G7oRYuLkgKOvFBmavZOqMJxIy3n2soE_1GiQ_Qw0twdSQf7ME0yH-H0lh/s400/icy+pole.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304231468724275906" border="0" /></a>Our first entry came from the <a href="http://gggiraffe.blogspot.com/">Green Gourmet Giraffe</a>, with Johanna's <a href="http://gggiraffe.blogspot.com/2009/02/frozen-fruity-fun-with-icy-poles.html">Strawberry and Passionfruit Icy Poles</a>. If you're looking for a heart healthy and colorful treat for you, your guests or your kids that is full of freshly squeezed juices and fruit, then these are definitely it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWa8Ipklk0OVjORyH5UHQLc4SuyqheCR9tk2ASE0zlryiOxQG3GZ4oYDMERbNeSb-cImB6JvCrWfYQL8YO-Yv_eQswTEiiifUbmHyDsu5jiwT2UPU9yc_EtC6n81bUcY6QEIvX/s1600-h/3287547140_a1072e1103.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWa8Ipklk0OVjORyH5UHQLc4SuyqheCR9tk2ASE0zlryiOxQG3GZ4oYDMERbNeSb-cImB6JvCrWfYQL8YO-Yv_eQswTEiiifUbmHyDsu5jiwT2UPU9yc_EtC6n81bUcY6QEIvX/s400/3287547140_a1072e1103.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304242788936116290" border="0" /></a>I love Brussels sprouts and my co-host, Ilva, from the blog <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Lucullian Delights</a>, made some delicious looking (and beautiful) <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/2009/02/chestnut-parmesan-and-rosemary-filled.html">Chestnut, Parmesan and Rosemary-Filled Brussels Sprouts</a> for her first entry. I can just imagine plucking them up with my fingers and eating them!<br /><img src="file:///Users/gateslab/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCN79RRIkwnpOZ3wRn6ZnhXpOzmPLxvXNYHUbfFZCaK_tKK3EwRBwikM49BohQ9dKZ9dYAgIA-V8oe8AaCwUGG2b6lzDSdo6QPF1z-l_T3cZhqBPq4nGRWW1HxxiblvTWPec1/s1600-h/DSC00080.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCN79RRIkwnpOZ3wRn6ZnhXpOzmPLxvXNYHUbfFZCaK_tKK3EwRBwikM49BohQ9dKZ9dYAgIA-V8oe8AaCwUGG2b6lzDSdo6QPF1z-l_T3cZhqBPq4nGRWW1HxxiblvTWPec1/s400/DSC00080.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314763779110117762" border="0" /></a>Our friend Labelga, from the blog <a href="http://leafy-cooking.blogspot.com/">Leafy Cooking</a>, made these tasty little <a href="http://leafy-cooking.blogspot.com/2009/03/heart-of-matter-turns-2-lets-celebrate.html">Marinated Arabian Cheese Balls</a> with joghurt, which was something I hadn't heard of prior to now, but certainly look like they would be amazing!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJEtLbVfvKbU6O_kSRBKVY2f9_mjNh_fgpdw9wilL9sR4IWlBAP239mZttwZcYctilppMfCpWMfCv3y9bl4UpfmIfxvB0F20OGpltHqrShoL18oOE3Hm_EiYwW6Eam6QgJAK-/s1600-h/img_8422-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJEtLbVfvKbU6O_kSRBKVY2f9_mjNh_fgpdw9wilL9sR4IWlBAP239mZttwZcYctilppMfCpWMfCv3y9bl4UpfmIfxvB0F20OGpltHqrShoL18oOE3Hm_EiYwW6Eam6QgJAK-/s400/img_8422-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314764574064158834" border="0" /></a>Ever-faithful participants, Bee and Jai from the blog <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/">Jugalbandi</a>, brought these <span style=";font-family:Times;font-size:100%;" ><span style="border-collapse: collapse;">unique <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/2009/03/baked-masala-peanuts-and-pumpkin-seeds/">Spicy Nut and Seed Clusters</a></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> with all ma</span>nner of wonderful flavors (including cayenne, fenugreek and pumpkin seeds!) to the party. I can just imagine myself standing by the refreshment table and gobbling these up by the handful...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMyYPMdkh4WQv-U1AsmtzNr7r0_LYGx7ZS1-4lUfc7_BYB5xzvt-JGg9FGA0Ir9qg4Kp8F7yrBbqBTFs3UCH7-GjH7Iy6aHpTtR3SvNHEbQgfoebu1rDBnia06yqORgA99czp/s1600-h/Khandvi+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMyYPMdkh4WQv-U1AsmtzNr7r0_LYGx7ZS1-4lUfc7_BYB5xzvt-JGg9FGA0Ir9qg4Kp8F7yrBbqBTFs3UCH7-GjH7Iy6aHpTtR3SvNHEbQgfoebu1rDBnia06yqORgA99czp/s400/Khandvi+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314765942593588338" border="0" /></a>From the blog, <a href="http://www.ecurry.com/">eCurry</a>, arrived these dainty <a href="http://www.ecurry.com/blog/starters-snacks/savory-layered-nut-stuffed-chickpea-swirls/">Savory Layered & Nut Stuffed Chickpea Swirls</a>. Soma, author of the blog, says they are khandvis, another type of food that was new to me, but when I heard what was in them - mint & coriander chutney & coarsely ground lightly toasted almonds - I'm certain that I would fall in love with them!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk6J3KqDIs8Vg04M0sgQn5pAlBQu8tMVMrjo1vNmvkSXoW33HhF7EsOUdQRXhCtRpGJtEWajU0Io5bmECFpdyjgcucW8VMvmNl2oxWyEENtKBU8TzPwN_xeQcQh34Z3vfzx8V/s1600-h/3334340539_5dd286d0fd.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk6J3KqDIs8Vg04M0sgQn5pAlBQu8tMVMrjo1vNmvkSXoW33HhF7EsOUdQRXhCtRpGJtEWajU0Io5bmECFpdyjgcucW8VMvmNl2oxWyEENtKBU8TzPwN_xeQcQh34Z3vfzx8V/s400/3334340539_5dd286d0fd.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314768538511604706" border="0" /></a>They say for the prevention of heart disease you should eat your omega-3s and salmon is one of the healthiest sources for these essential nutrients. Tigerfish, from the blog, <a href="http://www.teczcape.blogspot.com/">Teczcape - An Escape to Food</a>, brought these lovely and healthy <a href="http://teczcape.blogspot.com/2009/03/salmon-cake-pattie-with-mango-salsa.html">Salmon Cakes with Mango Salsa</a> on them and I just love the splash of color that mango salsa lends to these little beauties. I wish the mangoes were ready to eat here!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbgTYzpftyJTeaZHAzw_SgNTejtfYjQo9OQ7_qWLSzPnrzNF4X532ylsPd4xKDOnJ-M12ZxcRf-w6uXXpJiYzoYTcOhC5fAHFqxIkAgOifoaunpNb1M_iEib5aFPczOUCmjz2/s1600-h/Onion_Confit_TP.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbgTYzpftyJTeaZHAzw_SgNTejtfYjQo9OQ7_qWLSzPnrzNF4X532ylsPd4xKDOnJ-M12ZxcRf-w6uXXpJiYzoYTcOhC5fAHFqxIkAgOifoaunpNb1M_iEib5aFPczOUCmjz2/s400/Onion_Confit_TP.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314769707591789618" border="0" /></a>If I saw this <a href="http://www.tastypalettes.com/2009/03/fig-red-onion-confit.html">Fig and Red Onion Confit</a> at a party, I'd definitely have to hunt down the maker - it happens to be Suganya, from the blog <a href="http://www.tastypalettes.com/">Tasty Palettes</a>. I've always imagined confit being complicated and thought it was only made from meat...Suganya shows us it's easy, beautiful and can be healthy and vegetarian at the same time! Delicious!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov64KgX1IRn10cLMorlSnh_944dFBDNxjBjQoQOIGmLY86ugpoumU4wSEmw-Z0K_GPrcs_ArUwWZN8Nf6zBChuLncprVEPDHN1ihXiD2waHAO9KQXA89L0ovQqK06XrRzn6kQ/s1600-h/Red+lentil+tartine_1a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov64KgX1IRn10cLMorlSnh_944dFBDNxjBjQoQOIGmLY86ugpoumU4wSEmw-Z0K_GPrcs_ArUwWZN8Nf6zBChuLncprVEPDHN1ihXiD2waHAO9KQXA89L0ovQqK06XrRzn6kQ/s400/Red+lentil+tartine_1a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314772177115205842" border="0" /></a>While Marla from the blog <a href="http://bellabaitaview.blogspot.com/">Bella Baita View</a> confessed that this birthday celebration was "only" her second time participating, I'm glad she decided to join us once again because her entry, <a href="http://bellabaitaview.blogspot.com/2009/03/red-lentil-crostini-crostini-di.html">Red Lentil Crostini</a>, topped with thin, dried apple slices, sounds truly irresistable. We hope to see you again sometime soon, Marla!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfLK-48Zp7DnNIYNy7CIldEpgrSXWZBQuwOW1X3jC7jBgsaFN8Mi4BH48X9tZbkiq9zBrDlJRRlYlJbGQgIomn-pdmlUzpQFN-BhF2HcgPW-tQSeRrJGhJdkz2mPewWZuU9mI/s1600-h/shapeimage_1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 395px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfLK-48Zp7DnNIYNy7CIldEpgrSXWZBQuwOW1X3jC7jBgsaFN8Mi4BH48X9tZbkiq9zBrDlJRRlYlJbGQgIomn-pdmlUzpQFN-BhF2HcgPW-tQSeRrJGhJdkz2mPewWZuU9mI/s400/shapeimage_1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314778152009739010" border="0" /></a>I've been secretly hoping that Tanna (from <a href="http://www.mykitcheninhalfcups.com/My_Kitchen_In_Half_Cups...Second_Helping_/My_Kitchen_in_Half_Cups...Second_Helping/My_Kitchen_in_Half_Cups...Second_Helping.html">My Kitchen in Half Cups</a>) could participate in HotM for ages, but she's always got so many projects and other events she participates in that she hasn't had the time, so it made my heart beam when she sent in her entry for these scrumptous-looking <a href="http://www.mykitcheninhalfcups.com/My_Kitchen_In_Half_Cups...Second_Helping_/My_Kitchen_in_Half_Cups...Second_Helping/Entries/2009/3/12_Small_Bite_Bean_%26_Tuna_Pizza.html">Small Bite Bean and Tuna Pizzas</a>. She shares these with neighbors on her rooftop with a bottle of wine - sounds like a perfect party to me!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZRO88rsRlCFtPvINeFBd7buDFqXCQZZD1omrpg6cPusgFu5HM9OAcEqVd-1KeaM5-PpcKgb2EV6Ow1vlmOtRtEsv3WIp4csWd_eze0UsPi_YpIfO77oWxx7zn9hT9RCFdUg0/s1600-h/DSCN8480.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 358px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZRO88rsRlCFtPvINeFBd7buDFqXCQZZD1omrpg6cPusgFu5HM9OAcEqVd-1KeaM5-PpcKgb2EV6Ow1vlmOtRtEsv3WIp4csWd_eze0UsPi_YpIfO77oWxx7zn9hT9RCFdUg0/s400/DSCN8480.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314781686118378386" border="0" /></a>One of my favorite greens is arugula, but I almost always eat it raw. I see now that I've been sorely missing out after hearing about these <a href="http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com/2009/03/saucy-chicken-and-arugula-meatballs.html">Saucy Chicken and Arugula Meatballs</a> from <a href="http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com/">More Than Burnt Toast</a>...plus, she was lucky enough to eat them wild when she was only a child! These little babies seem to me that they're like the perfect little black dress - they can go from pasta dinner to party food (on toothpicks) in a snap!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwviusTDtaiA6wS1Wnt3dJZxeSX_0_vftFDA6WHwVEUoTnZ7LDNinVfu6-Vag4_36qJ-WU7tNNnABuBrHmlGLx2rIa2NaMbpW83ZqnKwKk3zDk8ZIoYmx67tloEvGyc2YoDywJ/s1600-h/CIMG7524-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwviusTDtaiA6wS1Wnt3dJZxeSX_0_vftFDA6WHwVEUoTnZ7LDNinVfu6-Vag4_36qJ-WU7tNNnABuBrHmlGLx2rIa2NaMbpW83ZqnKwKk3zDk8ZIoYmx67tloEvGyc2YoDywJ/s400/CIMG7524-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314785189452689586" border="0" /></a>From <a href="http://tastycurryleaf.blogspot.com/">TastyCurryLeaf</a> in India, we have this decadent <a href="http://tastycurryleaf.blogspot.com/2009/03/walnut-vegetable-pate.html">Walnut Vegetable Pate</a>, served on toasted whole wheat bread (and I can just imagine it would be equally delightful in wraps or scooped up with fresh vegetables!). It's filled with hearty-healthy walnuts and sounds like a wonderfully healthy version of this exquisite food that looks and sounds fancy, but is simple to make - perfect for impressing any guests!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdQGsEzp_l4lMgdZOXyUf3jox0ksY5aRnqQ4i9Uje08bSeeihG1f_1bExgQg9DUeY_YOGr-F2FPe62Th-YZDk6U0Dt232BX5gchHeqrj7-imN-xz-15F3-HAujxCl9JpIE_oS/s1600-h/_DSC0038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdQGsEzp_l4lMgdZOXyUf3jox0ksY5aRnqQ4i9Uje08bSeeihG1f_1bExgQg9DUeY_YOGr-F2FPe62Th-YZDk6U0Dt232BX5gchHeqrj7-imN-xz-15F3-HAujxCl9JpIE_oS/s400/_DSC0038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314792768988637570" border="0" /></a>Laura, from <a href="http://cafebacaro.blogspot.com/">Tiramisu</a>', brought these dainty <a href="http://cafebacaro.blogspot.com/2009/03/heart-of-month-challenge.html">Shrimp Marinated with Lime and Herbs</a> to share at the party and I just absolutely love the little skewers! Elegant, yet simple, I bet these would make the perfect dinner party appetizer too. Not only are they good for you, but they're beautiful to boot!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnUAb71DWWbbNj-z-7OIm2FKNbU6ztJImA7gtNQz0Ozo_X3F0w2Y9JIrn-9veo_bWmAHUnXNQ-tpJRzglYXWE5dh0ddCThxcwDXIvRtC_xM7oHmxS-sFslvaQCKEGyx5hVcoM/s1600-h/3295012480_235afac944.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnUAb71DWWbbNj-z-7OIm2FKNbU6ztJImA7gtNQz0Ozo_X3F0w2Y9JIrn-9veo_bWmAHUnXNQ-tpJRzglYXWE5dh0ddCThxcwDXIvRtC_xM7oHmxS-sFslvaQCKEGyx5hVcoM/s400/3295012480_235afac944.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314795149478049170" border="0" /></a>My co-host, Ilva at <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Lucullian Delights</a> was thinking of our<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > friends who have trouble with gluten and made gluten-free <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/2009/02/mediterranean-rice-balls-gluten-free.html">Mediterranean Rice Balls</a> for the party as her second entry. She declared her love for finger food and described it as: "<span style="font-style: italic;">The little 5 year old girl in me, sitting there in her pink tutu and her fairy wand, raging to get out and run havoc in my adult life.</span>" What's a party without a few children running around in the background, right?<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZG-iEeVyO_5mLSye2OwkuM0JswF2p3fBONM_f-ZzyYcwKM7wWGLabf0ivhfAnO8oRQymVPOODi8cBijaVvkJvhkLiKcESAiRPdKPfQ820-b36dv3ImpXfgcFqFpkB6hDWm7i9/s1600-h/IMG_2227a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZG-iEeVyO_5mLSye2OwkuM0JswF2p3fBONM_f-ZzyYcwKM7wWGLabf0ivhfAnO8oRQymVPOODi8cBijaVvkJvhkLiKcESAiRPdKPfQ820-b36dv3ImpXfgcFqFpkB6hDWm7i9/s400/IMG_2227a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314796082116063122" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Lastly, I made <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2009/03/join-party-hotm-birthday-bash-is-just.html">Spiced Macadamia Nut Granola Bars</a> over at my site, <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/">The Accidental Scientist</a>. These bars are full of my favorite granola ingredients - whole grains, lots of dried fruit, coconut, macadamia nuts, maple syrup and honey!<br /><br />Thanks to everyone who pariticipated this month and celebrated right along with us!! Don't forget to vote for your favorites by March 25th so that we can send out the birthday bash prizes!!<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-2058264002242245952009-03-15T07:09:00.000-07:002009-03-15T12:16:37.272-07:00Join the Party! The HotM Birthday Bash Is Just A Few Days Away!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtL6dElC3E3CrFgRg7uSvry2-QUikWOGjxf2RNvVmuQlaXTk3hK4kWMyIc0AmMEckfS0wBPUKouFQ-Jd72zL5WspF3-dwxDu7L3qqzYVgfe5lBCPsUcNIVa6GL-28kcHEZNqa/s1600-h/IMG_2227a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtL6dElC3E3CrFgRg7uSvry2-QUikWOGjxf2RNvVmuQlaXTk3hK4kWMyIc0AmMEckfS0wBPUKouFQ-Jd72zL5WspF3-dwxDu7L3qqzYVgfe5lBCPsUcNIVa6GL-28kcHEZNqa/s400/IMG_2227a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313492676840094274" border="0" /></a>Wow, I don't know about you, but this last month has passed in a blur. Today is the last day to participate in the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">Heart of the Matter</a> - Eating for Life Birthday Bash</span>! There's still time to participate if you want to get in the fun - you can find the full details <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2009/02/happy-birthday-heart-of-matter.html">here</a>. Remember, there are <span style="font-style: italic;">prizes </span>at stake for the <span style="font-weight: bold;">best recipe</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">presentation</span> - gift boxes from Italy or Hawaii full of wonderful goodies! You have until midnight (Hawaii time) tonight - well, really, you have until I wake up Monday morning if you'd like to whip up some delicious finger foods, snap a photo and send off your entry. Then just come on over to the party on <span style="font-weight: bold;">March 18</span> - when the round-up is posted - and see what all your fellow heart-conscious food bloggers brought! After that, you'll have one week (until March 25th) to vote for your favorite entries. The two winners will be announced on the 26th.<br /><br />But I wouldn't be a very good host if I didn't share with you my own entry, so here it is: <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Spiced Macadamia Nut Granola Bars </span>- not so much party food, necessarily, but definitely to be eaten with your fingers! I try to stay away from store-bought granola bars - they often have odd ingredients and preservatives as well as high fructose corn syrup and loads of fat. I stay away from store-bought granola for the same reason, and because most of them are far too sweet for me. These little bars are a great snack or would make a good breakfast with some fruit on the side (<span style="font-style: italic;">say, a dainty little clementine or one half of a beautifully ripe papaya?</span>) and a big glass of milk. They're not too sweet, lightly spiced and and full of good for your heart ingredients like flax seed, whole grains, nuts and fruit. <span style="font-style: italic;">Or heck, why not bring them to a party?</span> See you on the 18th!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIbpub8bcfmp4Sm2Vzwarys0OeD1OBI6wBRMRTVhf2LsTh6jHxzfigJFk1j1MfFDzg74aeJIRoTegpF-86UOEMzYRV3aNyr5j8tl0VGmVkxOgdbJWoI8cmvUAyjELhqIKshma/s1600-h/IMG_2231a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIbpub8bcfmp4Sm2Vzwarys0OeD1OBI6wBRMRTVhf2LsTh6jHxzfigJFk1j1MfFDzg74aeJIRoTegpF-86UOEMzYRV3aNyr5j8tl0VGmVkxOgdbJWoI8cmvUAyjELhqIKshma/s400/IMG_2231a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313492684546136578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spiced Macadamia Nut Granola Bars<br /><br /></span>cooking spray (for pan)<br />1 cup old fashioned oats<br />1/2 cup triticale (or spelt flakes, or more oats - whatever you have will be great)<br />1/4 cup ground flax seeds<br />1 tsp. cardamon<br />1/4 tsp. allspice<br />3/4 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped<br />3-4 slices crystalized ginger, finely chopped<br />8 dried figs, thinly sliced<br />1/4 cup dried bing cherries<br />1/4 cup dried, unsweetened coconut (I get this at my local natural foods store)<br />3 egg whites<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />1/4 cup raw honey<br />1/2 cup maple syrup<br />1 tsp coconut oil<br />1/4 tsp. salt<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 350F. Spray an 9"x 9" baking pan with cooking spray. Mix the oats, triticale, flax seeds, cardamon and allspice in a large bowl. Add the nuts, ginger, figs, cherries and coconut to the bowl and toss everything together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites and vanilla. In a small saucepan, heat the honey, maple syrup, coconut oil and salt over low heat until combined and the honey has melted. Add a little of the warm mixture to the eggs in a small stream, stirring constantly (you are tempering the eggs). Then add the egg mixture to the rest of the honey mixture in the saucepan. Add the contents of the saucepan to the bowl containing your oats and other goodies. Mix well, making sure to get all of the dry ingredients (like your spices and the flax) off the bottom of the bowl and in the mix. Spoon the mixture out into your baking pan and press down with your fingers or the back of a measuring spoon - pressing out to all the corners. The bars should be about 1/2" thick. Put the bars in the oven and cook about 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a rack. Cut into bars - you should get about 8-10 bars. I didn't have the right-sized pan and squeezed mine into 1/2 of a pyrex dish, so I'm not sure exactly how many you would get if you had the right pan ;)Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-49277713892003236612009-02-16T08:25:00.000-08:002009-02-16T11:28:12.561-08:00Happy Birthday Heart of the Matter!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtoYjA_tb6ChC40ti8QC1ZnqSRsY_CDoXtNRniV3iOdWsfe3zPhVXStGZrBFLLdbQhW3P3VTlrr_ziu6Ow364K_La5PrPDVfcoS5XKLG3spOCYav8Vc6h1p63XTqeP-okX0YHWw/s1600-h/IMG_2154a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtoYjA_tb6ChC40ti8QC1ZnqSRsY_CDoXtNRniV3iOdWsfe3zPhVXStGZrBFLLdbQhW3P3VTlrr_ziu6Ow364K_La5PrPDVfcoS5XKLG3spOCYav8Vc6h1p63XTqeP-okX0YHWw/s400/IMG_2154a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303465678356591490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Heart of the Matter is turning two years old! </span><br /></div><br />Nearly three years ago, Ilva from <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Lucullian Delights</a> and I started thinking about beginning a monthly blog event dedicated to heart-healthy eating. In February of 2007, Ilva, along with Joanna from <a href="http://joannasfood.blogspot.com/">Joanna's Food</a>, made those thoughts a reality when they launched the website for <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Heart of the Matter - Eating for Life</span></a> and called out to the food blog community to send in their recipes for heart-healthy foods. I finally joined them in October as a host and for nearly two years, your recipes have been rounded up and archived every month so that we all have a go-to resource for diverse, heart-healthy recipes and information about heart disease.<br /><br />Last month, we were concerned that we were going to have to end Heart of the Matter (HotM) because we were getting fewer and fewer entries every month. We sent out a plea for recipes and you came to our rescue - we had a whopping <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/2009/01/heart-of-matter-23-roundup.html">20 entries</a>! This month, we'd like to have even more! To celebrate that HotM has survived, and in honor of this very special anniversary, we've revamped the <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">website</a> and we're going back to our very <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/2007/03/heart-of-matter-eating-for-life.html">first theme</a>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Finger Foods</span>. Entries will be due at midnight on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday, March 15</span>. Please send your entries to my email: <span style="font-weight: bold;">phillipslayden AT gmail DOT com</span> with the subject "HotM" and link back to this announcement in your post or to the HotM blog. I'll post the round-up by March 18th.<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9mxcLmKbYz3UdrNmcM6UQh2C3kDBco3dDhRTdoP8FWGstsEZ_qHnqRmFXPY87a6teWIfllApSjtzbP7RBeXUIXoZCpWxGTgVE-2xh9IB41DcZma8hQqjwv8bZDWTEnAGKYOzaw/s1600-h/HotM+prize+from+Italywtmk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 363px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9mxcLmKbYz3UdrNmcM6UQh2C3kDBco3dDhRTdoP8FWGstsEZ_qHnqRmFXPY87a6teWIfllApSjtzbP7RBeXUIXoZCpWxGTgVE-2xh9IB41DcZma8hQqjwv8bZDWTEnAGKYOzaw/s400/HotM+prize+from+Italywtmk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302621732291551138" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" class="Apple-style-span" >(Here we see the Italian prize: black rice from Veneto, a small bottle with White Truffle Scented Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar Jelly and Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans from Slitti)</span><br /></div><br />But what would a birthday be without presents, right? Even though it is the birthday of HotM, we feel that it wouldn't exist today without YOU. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> So we want to give YOU a gift for being a vital part of the HotM community and participating</span>! After the round-up is posted on the 18th, you will have one week (until March 25th) to vote for your <span style="font-weight: bold;">Favorite Recipe</span> and the recipe with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Presentation</span>. The winner of the favorite recipe category will win a special box coming all the way from Ilva's home country, Italy, packed with goodies (<span style="font-style: italic;">see the photo above</span>)! The winner of the presentation category will be sent a box from my state, Hawaii, full of delicious tropical treats, including <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2008/04/stepping-into-ring.html">Planted by the River exotic curds</a>, <a href="http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/waialua-estate.html">Waialua Estate Single Origin Hawaiian dark chocolate</a>, <a href="http://www.salttraders.com/Detail.bok?no=4">Red Alaea Salt</a>, and Hawaiian grown macadamia nuts (<span style="font-style: italic;">picture to come soon</span>)! Stay tuned after the round-up for more details on this.<br /><br />Keep in mind that your entry should be low in saturated fats (lean meats and fish), be low in salt (sodium), and have loads of vegetables or fruit (<span style="font-style: italic;">nuts, wine and chocolate are also considered to be healthy for your heart in smaller quantities!</span>). See the <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">HotM blog</a>, especially <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/2007/03/we-were-lucky.html">here</a> and the links to various heart disease related organizations on the side bar. <a href="http://joannasfood.blogspot.com/2005/05/some-basic-rules.html">This list</a> of Joanna's is also helpful as are<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" lang="EN-US" > <a href="http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000">this</a>, <a href="http://www.bhf.org.uk/">this</a>, <a href="http://www.nutrition.org.uk/home.asp?siteId=43&sectionId=404&subSectionId=321&parentSection=299&which=1">this</a>, <a href="http://www.health-heart.org/">this</a>, <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/">this </a>and <a href="http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/BHCV2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Heart_disease_and_food?OpenDocument">this</a> and even <a href="http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/12/ten-reasons-i-love-south-beach-diet.html">this</a></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span></span>post! Please only use your entry for this event so that we can keep things centered on heart-healthy recipes.<br /><br />So no matter if you're new to HotM, you've been waiting for that perfect time to join in (<span style="font-style: italic;">this is it!</span>) or if you've been participating with us since the beginning (<span style="font-style: italic;">a special thank you to you!</span>), send in your healthiest, heartiest finger foods! See you at the party!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ilvaberetta&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button2-bm.png" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" border="0" height="24" width="160" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-22352189131410433622009-02-12T09:00:00.000-08:002009-02-12T14:20:04.278-08:00How to Buy from Whole Foods Without Spending Your Whole Paycheck<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrC0CNF_MHSZ1IS8BZI_Wl0dyXwvzw4Npbi38MNJ4_li3Xmbo0cmDdS67B5lcSmT2CpZfQe-1-x8hyphenhyphenv9BxktCEHoIKruuHlNaDCPB9ib79yJjAOm753ywG7x7VdBswTqouEc2/s1600-h/IMG_1408a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrC0CNF_MHSZ1IS8BZI_Wl0dyXwvzw4Npbi38MNJ4_li3Xmbo0cmDdS67B5lcSmT2CpZfQe-1-x8hyphenhyphenv9BxktCEHoIKruuHlNaDCPB9ib79yJjAOm753ywG7x7VdBswTqouEc2/s400/IMG_1408a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246347942059765442" border="0" /></a>Foodies in Hawaii have been abuzz about the September opening of a <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/honolulu/">Whole Foods store at the Kahala Mall</a> - the first of these stores in the Hawaiian Islands. Whole Foods isn't exactly known for being a reasonably-priced, value-driven grocery store. In fact, the nickname for this corporate-owned natural foods store is, as I'm sure many of you who have Whole Foods in your area already refer to it by (<span style="font-style: italic;">at least we used to in Monterey, CA</span>), "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Whole Paycheck.</span>" The nickname is not without substantiation, either. You can easily walk into Whole Foods and spend a pretty penny for a very small bag of groceries.<br /><br />In Hawaii, where food is already at premium prices no matter where you shop, I was curious to see how Whole Foods would hold up against the hype, and if it would be worth the 30-40 minute drive across the island to shop there, since I live on the other side. Luckily, I have a partner in food crime, so to speak, and received an email shortly after the store opened from my friend Deb at <a href="http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/">Kahakai Kitchen</a> to attend a <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Value's Tour"</span> at Whole Foods - finding healthy food and doing high quality shopping at Whole Foods on a tight budget. Needless to say, I was game. While we attended this tour some time ago, and I am just now [finishing] writing it up, with the economy on a downturn, I thought the information we obtained during the tour is even more relevant now, so I'd like to share. They now run these tours weekly on Saturday mornings at 11AM.<br /><br />We arrived to a fully-booked tour at 11AM, given by the very pleasant marketing supervisor, Elyse. She started off by explaining to the group (<span style="font-style: italic;">I think Deb and I may have been the youngest in attendance...and neither one of us is exactly a spring chicken either</span>) why Whole Foods is different from other grocery stores - and I learned a few things about Whole Foods that I didn't know before this. For instance, they only feature foods that are <span style="font-weight: bold;">free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats</span> - foods they consider "pure." I was skeptical about this claim, having just finished Michael Pollan's book, <a href="http://www.michaelpollan.com/omnivore.php">The Omnivore's Dilemma</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;">yes, I know I am the only one out there that hadn't read it yet</span>), but every processed product I picked up off the shelves didn't seem to have any strange ingredients that I couldn't name or a "red #5" on the label.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsW3tU7Yrc0s8qo2GEEevHTEwbMhpU4nlUD3Ekfanc0x27mAuJjS_r_i_5YLR-85Kzu9jUKQqabOqKPTXSuwpXHDJoYVocSp4QUWlfWgAMg9wgwa-hOoSFnWzmvSsCVVrQG15/s1600-h/IMG_1406a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsW3tU7Yrc0s8qo2GEEevHTEwbMhpU4nlUD3Ekfanc0x27mAuJjS_r_i_5YLR-85Kzu9jUKQqabOqKPTXSuwpXHDJoYVocSp4QUWlfWgAMg9wgwa-hOoSFnWzmvSsCVVrQG15/s400/IMG_1406a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246347936549915282" border="0" /></a>The store also had a <span style="font-weight: bold;">very large selection of organic, gluten-free and local foods</span>. Every organic item is 3rd party certified and no herbicides or pesticides can be used (<span style="font-style: italic;">maybe obvious, but now I've been hearing about the "natural" pesticides that organic companies can use like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotenone">Rotenone</a> - read the second sentance in that link if you dare...</span>). Most of the fish are also certified by the <a href="http://www.msc.org/">Marine Stewardship Council</a>, and many come from our local fishery fleet in Honolulu. They have a large selection of gluten-free foods too - and all of them are prominantly marked and many are segregated into their own areas to help with ease in finding what you need. The local foods are what really got me though (<span style="font-style: italic;">what can I say? I'm a locavore at heart</span>!), because it was by far the <span style="font-weight: bold;">largest selection of local products I have seen here in a single place</span>, and they are all prominently displayed and easy to find. There are little tags everywhere sticking out from the shelves identifying local products and as soon as you walk in the door, there is a huge case of all locally grown produce (the picture above this is the other half of the case):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5MoOBYYleq60ik7jb5AHm4mAdMHGJ8dnoeFerOKmbU3v-vE1L-ceQ3W_cY2kJLBGOhdm1epafYs_U5HXq4X_egJABmWv1zZqDyuB1rnrYEd3FnrCiICxJ9JfhgrwphdZpxoI/s1600-h/IMG_1405a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5MoOBYYleq60ik7jb5AHm4mAdMHGJ8dnoeFerOKmbU3v-vE1L-ceQ3W_cY2kJLBGOhdm1epafYs_U5HXq4X_egJABmWv1zZqDyuB1rnrYEd3FnrCiICxJ9JfhgrwphdZpxoI/s400/IMG_1405a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246347935237030194" border="0" /></a>Yes, that is asparagus on the top shelf in the picture (<span style="font-style: italic;">from Waimea</span>) and Kahuku sweet corn in the middle, both from Oahu. Apparently, asparagus grows year round here and believe it or not it's actually good year round here too (<span style="font-style: italic;">I know, go ahead, hate me all you want to - and then come and visit!</span>). The produce prices are surprisingly reasonable, for some things. For instance, back in September, locally grown organic mangoes top out at $3.99/lb (<span style="font-style: italic;">not bad for here</span>). A little (<span style="font-style: italic;">#1 recyclable, I might add</span>) plastic box of Ho Farms family tomatoes (t<span style="font-style: italic;">hose cute ones you saw in <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2008/08/different-kind-of-picnic.html">this</a> salad</span>) are $4.99 (<span style="font-style: italic;">Foodland has them for $3.99 on sale usually, but 4.99 regularly priced</span>). Locally grown papayas were going for $1.99/lb, and organic bell peppers were running for 3.99/lb (<span style="font-style: italic;">el cheapo!</span>).<br /><br />Many other products are priced similarly to Safeway or Foodland here or PC Market in Eugene - so basically, they seem competitive. Watch out for the prices on certain items though, dragon fruit, which I just bought at Foodland a few days ago for $4.99 was a steep $9.99 at WF. Unfortunately, since September, <span style="font-weight: bold;">prices have risen a bit</span>...while not completely outrageous, many things are a dollar or more expensive now than when I was first there. I'm not sure when they did as I only make it there probably once a month these days because I don't go into Honolulu that often - or if it's only a seasonal jump in price, but that remains to be seen.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI743fI291e9MC6iXWCXtiQPn2oljB5eHEe5UAKHavyQLg-f_4Qhb8lXAv2pJ8AJKA5Xue7PuOMfclBN3-erRhBTMO5KAPZFF3ZzuEn8-azZlnX0QlclUb8meXL061lBjijrFN/s1600-h/IMG_1403a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI743fI291e9MC6iXWCXtiQPn2oljB5eHEe5UAKHavyQLg-f_4Qhb8lXAv2pJ8AJKA5Xue7PuOMfclBN3-erRhBTMO5KAPZFF3ZzuEn8-azZlnX0QlclUb8meXL061lBjijrFN/s400/IMG_1403a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246347929331736466" border="0" /></a>One thing going for WF is that they definitely know how to make food pretty and it does help sell their products no matter how much it costs. Check out the coffee selection...feel like you're at some kind of Colombian farmer's market (<span style="font-style: italic;">or, perhaps, Hawaii since we do produce our own coffee here</span>)? And not that you can read it, but their <span style="font-weight: bold;">in-house coffee is locally grown</span> - complete with a big sign to tell you exactly which island it came from. You have to admit, that's pretty cool.<br /><br />And if the coffee station doesn't sell you, the fish case will (<span style="font-style: italic;">check out that moonfish/<a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2008/07/still-life-with-local-burgers.html">opah</a> in the top picture!</span>). All the fish had pretty eyes and pretty scales <span style="font-style: italic;">(yay - fresher!</span>) and we even learned that you can pick out your fish, decide how you'd like to cook it that night, go off to do your grocery shopping - and heck, while you're busy picking out your Veggie Booty, <span style="font-weight: bold;">they'll even cook it for you</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">- free of charge</span>! They smoke meats and fish in-house and don't even get me started on the glorious cheese and charcuterie sections and the enormous (<span style="font-style: italic;">and quite tasty</span>) deli area. The meats, however, are <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> local, which I happen to find a good thing...our one local grass-fed beef supplier, <a href="http://www.beefhawaii.com/">North Shore Cattle Company</a>, can barely keep up with the farmer's market...but when I asked, the guy behind the counter told me that WF is attempting to work with producers on Molokai and the Big Island to get some local meat later on.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqUGAt7OFg-i855aIlYG6LiTqDaqlAiWdWJcfq_HKQXpXycMAtyRbUwDTWgBlNoqiMZ8_duD8pLAPFtvvk2RvxrkbGpBTkIp891VbAws-NWeVTRsMGl6_ISSZ4YjdyGxcIf9-/s1600-h/IMG_1407a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqUGAt7OFg-i855aIlYG6LiTqDaqlAiWdWJcfq_HKQXpXycMAtyRbUwDTWgBlNoqiMZ8_duD8pLAPFtvvk2RvxrkbGpBTkIp891VbAws-NWeVTRsMGl6_ISSZ4YjdyGxcIf9-/s400/IMG_1407a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246347937769694994" border="0" /></a>Okay, so enough already about what it looks like, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">how can you save money??</span> Elyse gave us 7 ways to save and I'm passing them on to you:<br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shop the Sales</span>: Like most grocery stores, every other week WF begins a new sale on certain items in the store. The sale items are identified by the bright red "SALE" tags sticking out from the shelves - just like the green, local tags. You can simply browse down the aisles, looking for red tags and buy up what you can. But then you've got to be able to cook with whatever you can get on sale...we're used to using this strategy here because we practically only buy what's on sale anyway!</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Search for Values</span>: WF has another way of showing you how to save money by marking products that are already good values even without a sale price attached to it. For these items, WF is passing along to the consumer savings they've gotten from the producer of the item through partnership or by buying in bulk. These are labeled by another green sign (this one is dark green - the local foods tags are light green) that says "Best Buy!" or "Value!"<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buy 365 (WF Brand) Items</span>: Similar to <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/">Trader Joes</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Oh TJs - how I miss you!</span>), WF arranges with a specific producer to make a product that is specifically for them at a set, nearly unbeatable price and which they can put under their own label. These are often the cheapest brand in the store and the producer has to follow all the other WF requirements of good, clean, pure food so you're still getting a high quality product, even if you don't know the name of who actually produced it (or so they say).<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bring in your Manufacturer's Coupons</span>: WF will accept manufacturer's coupons - you know the ones, from all your favorite health food magazines - so bring them in and use them to save money!<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buy a Lot of One Thing</span>: If you really like papayas, buy yourself a case! Or how about boxes of <a href="http://www.peacecereal.com/index.html">Peace</a> maple pecan cereal? Similar to how wine stores give a 10% discount if you buy a case of wine, WF offers a 10% discount off cases of your favorite foods.<br /></li><li>Oh, and if you like wine as much as I do, did I mention they also have a special rack of <span style="font-weight: bold;">$10 or less wines</span> too? So that even if you're in a hurry, it's easy to find the cheaper vino.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buy in Bulk</span>: As any self-respecting <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=crunchy">crunchy</a> individual like myself knows, bulk foods are a great way to save money and you can buy as much as you want to. WF has a fairly decent selection of granolas, beans, pastas, dried fruits and other bulk items. It's far better than many of the other grocery stores here and many of them are organic.<br /></li></ol>So, while I won't be trudging over into Honolulu every week to do my grocery shopping, in part because of the cost of food and gas (<span style="font-style: italic;">driving over there and back takes nearly a 1/4 of my gas tank and I drive a ford escort</span>), the more I hear of WF working with local farmers and fisherman <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> the local farmers and fisherman, and the better variety of local foods and food in general, I have to say I'm happy to patronize this big organic chain store on occasion. I go over and stock up on essentials (<span style="font-style: italic;">and the occasional fun goodie too</span>) when I want something healthy, organic or specific (<span style="font-style: italic;">they are the only store I've been to on the island that carries broccoli rabe!</span>), and heck, armed with value savy information from the tour, sometimes I even save a few dollars too.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-1855246987060310332009-02-01T21:04:00.000-08:002009-02-02T11:59:21.956-08:00Let Them Eat Cake! Orange Chocolate Brandy Cake, That Is.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Pf07HttSo8n1R3nEc3UUihmMyvmL9Evku_3UhjOzr6rmiQZIPdorHfnNg00EzADl_suMt9K1PJS3TJzTWso5NAaUdcIwaGuLfcfSf0VIxPCzvxNUClM0RwW2wDB3poIvLQIj/s1600-h/IMG_2080.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Pf07HttSo8n1R3nEc3UUihmMyvmL9Evku_3UhjOzr6rmiQZIPdorHfnNg00EzADl_suMt9K1PJS3TJzTWso5NAaUdcIwaGuLfcfSf0VIxPCzvxNUClM0RwW2wDB3poIvLQIj/s400/IMG_2080.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292866438881042402" border="0" /></a>I recently attended a potluck and member meeting for my local <a href="http://www.slowfoodusa.org/">Slow Food</a> organization – <a href="http://slowfoodoahu.org/">Slow Food Oahu</a>. Being January (<span style="font-style: italic;">and thus a month where we are still reeling from the painful sucking dry of our bank-account paying for health insurance, estimated taxes, car registration and of course, the ghosts of Christmas presents past</span>), I needed something that didn’t require a trip to the nearest grocery store for $20 worth of ingredients (<span style="font-style: italic;">though I can’t seem to get out of the nearest grocery store for less that $30 no matter what I am buying</span>). Thus, it had to be easy and use only ingredients that I might already have. Surfing through my blog recipe archives (<span style="font-style: italic;">which sorely need updating</span>), I found just such a thing: <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2005/09/weekend-of-yummy-delights.html">Chocolate Brandy Bundt Cake.</a><br /><br />The first time I made this humble cake was in the beginning of my blogging days – over three years ago. Since then, the recipe has sat in my archives – lost, lonely and unused. That’s a shame for a cake that has coffee, cocoa and a hefty shot (<span style="font-style: italic;">ahem</span>…1/2 a cup) of brandy in its humble ingredient list. Not to mention that the cake is easy to make, can be whipped up simply using a whisk, a couple of bowls and a single pot, and includes ingredients you’re likely to have in your larder – if you own such a thing (<span style="font-style: italic;">which, of course, I don’t</span>) – or at least in your cupboards. I don't even own a "real" bundt pan, but that's okay too. <br /><br />Reading over my old post, I saw that back then, while I thought the cake was good, it didn’t have much brandy flavor to it. Since the particular potluck in question was a round-up of the various chefs, restaurant owners and resident foodies in town that care about where their food comes from, I thought I should probably <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kick%20it%20up%20a%20notch">kick it up a notch</a>. I decided to add a bit of orange zest and cinnamon to the cake, guessing that one couldn’t go wrong with the combination of brandy and oranges, and that a bit of cinnamon rarely hurts most baked desserts. Luckily, I was right. The combo is delightful, and LB and I practically licked the bowl clean before it was even baked - something I haven't done since I was a kid. It smells amazing coming out of the oven and this time, the brandy didn’t hide behind any of the other flavors, making the cake rich and complex even with only a simple dusting of powdered sugar.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjusMuUrwHXyWUMKDyOAGaqjxXT14-ws9PcUP6tfZ7pO9yZarWUS1Wgc5YqSKwgFmznWq50nIVUpiJQVKmxj3_A-wYz76IrKZmSVwnfhZE5RlivE03wvaP8ZF6WbZY-gA9nLI/s1600-h/IMG_2078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjusMuUrwHXyWUMKDyOAGaqjxXT14-ws9PcUP6tfZ7pO9yZarWUS1Wgc5YqSKwgFmznWq50nIVUpiJQVKmxj3_A-wYz76IrKZmSVwnfhZE5RlivE03wvaP8ZF6WbZY-gA9nLI/s400/IMG_2078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292866443265994802" border="0" /></a>The only other dessert in attendance at the potluck was a concoction made of tangy lilikoi (passionfruit), bananas, yogurt, honey and tiny squares of poundcake (<span style="font-style: italic;">um, YUM</span>). Everyone raved about how tasty it was to mix the lilikoi and yogurt with the chocolate cake and I have to admit, the tartness of the lilikoi was a nice offset to the richness of the cake. So if I was doing a dinner party at home, I might even serve this with a bit of lilikoi ice cream next time since we just so happen to have a tree outside that kicks off a few lilikoi every couple of weeks <span style="font-style: italic;">(which I of course run over and snag before the neighbors get to them)</span> – but plain old vanilla ice cream or even lightly sweetened whipped cream would also do the trick.<br /><br />There are a few things I did differently this time while making it because my style of cooking and baking has changed over the years. I’ve listed these changes, as well as modified the recipe for cooking here in Hawaii, but the old recipe works just fine too. Honestly, I’m re-posting it now because there’s some sort of satisfaction in being able to re-post an old recipe because you’ve figured out how to make it better – and besides, don’t you just love taking a (little) better picture than you did the first time? It’s like a special kind of food-blogging retribution. I have one more version I want to try of this cake - a spicy version - so you'll be seeing it again sometime in the future.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Orange Chocolate Brandy Bundt Cake</span><br /><br />1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghiradelli) + 1 tbsp. for dusting pan<br />1/2 cup strong, brewed coffee<br />1/2 cup brandy<br />2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch peices + extra for pan<br />2 cups sugar<br />2 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 1/4 tsp. baking soda<br />1/2 tsp. salt<br />1/2 tsp. cinnamon<br />2 large eggs<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br />zest from one (organic, preferably local) orange<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 325F. Generously butter a bundt (or pseudo-bundt as the case may be) pan and dust with 1 tbsp cocoa; knocking excess out. Heat coffee, whiskey, and remaining cup of cocoa powder in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. When this is warm, add the butter and whisk until the butter is melted. Remove the pan from heat and add sugar, whisking until it's dissolved. At this point, it should turn dark and silky. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and cool ~5 minutes.<br /><br />While the chocolate is cooling, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl. In a third bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla and orange zest, then whisk this mixture into the cooled chocolate mixture until combined well. Finally, add flour and whisk until just combined (the batter will be thin and bubbly). Pour batter into your prepared bundt pan and bake until a wooden skewer or pick inserted into center comes out clean (about 45 - 50 minutes; though it took 55 min. here in Hawaii).<br /><br />Cool completely in pan on rack (about 2 hours), then remove from pan onto rack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.<br /></span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-86025883219315926152009-01-21T09:00:00.000-08:002009-01-22T11:37:18.837-08:00A Healthy, Hearty Pesto (Heart of the Matter 23)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfxETlFxcQqH_dVWW3b7i3CfbmGd-f_WPZqGuNWGIpUAmU-wrEhH-7RwFFWhit8QCG39e0nZs7uXuIDM1prJ_ERiKpf_tCdNgG0oFYGHqxKQW4K69YGL2qizV2z6SJLbr90dH/s1600-h/IMG_2087.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfxETlFxcQqH_dVWW3b7i3CfbmGd-f_WPZqGuNWGIpUAmU-wrEhH-7RwFFWhit8QCG39e0nZs7uXuIDM1prJ_ERiKpf_tCdNgG0oFYGHqxKQW4K69YGL2qizV2z6SJLbr90dH/s400/IMG_2087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292866794093498402" border="0" /></a>I don’t know why, but whenever I mention anything about healthy eating to LB, he persists in making faces like it’s the last thing in the world he can imagine doing. As if the concept of eating delicious foods such as oatmeal, quinoa, barley, nuts, fresh vegetables and fruits is just far too “<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=crunchy">crunchy</a>” for him...oh, and did I mention he was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadhead">Deadhead</a>? Doesn't make sense, does it? Maybe the stigma of “<span style="font-style: italic;">healthy = bland & boring</span>” is still attached to healthy food in his eyes. You’d think after eating healthy meals like <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2008/12/pizza-to-keep-you-warm-on-cold-winters.html">Kabocha Squash Pizza with Kale and Fresh Sage</a> and <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2008/11/cold-day-in-hawaii.html">Tuscan-Style Roasted Chicken with Vegetables</a>, and even decadent <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2008/12/healthier-christmas-morning.html">Caramel Macadamia Nut Sticky Buns</a>, that he would know better. Apparently that is not the case. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Men!</span>)<br /><br />Recently, when I mentioned that he had two choices for dinner – a Morrocan-style chicken dish or a walnut, parsley and flax pesto on pasta, it elicited the same sour face as if he was five years old and I’d just asked him to eat his creamed peas (<span style="font-style: italic;">which, I’m sure, are also delicious</span>).<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">**</span> Little did he know that no matter which option he chose, he was still getting both – just on different days. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure a walnut, parsley and flax pesto was going to be any good either, but I thought we might as well give it a try since I am always on the look out for alternative pasta toppings – especially if they are healthy, and even better if they are packed with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid">omega-3-fatty acids</a>, which this recipe just happens to be. You can read more about flax seeds and omega-3s (and get a killer granola recipe to boot) from my favorite go-to nutritionist blogger, <a href="http://www.glutenfreeforgood.com/blog/">Melissa</a>, <a href="http://www.glutenfreeforgood.com/blog/?p=300">here</a> and <a href="http://www.glutenfreeforgood.com/blog/?p=135">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">**Sidenote</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">: I learned this trick from my older sister with my nieces. She gives the kids two [healthy] options and let’s them choose. Then they feel like they are making the decision, and she knows that no matter what they decide, it’ll be a good choice in her eyes. Works wonders with grown men, too.</span><br /><br />The original recipe can be found <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/parsley-flaxseed-pesto-pasta">here</a>. And I can’t really take the credit for it, because it belongs to that all-American homemaking icon, <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/">Martha Stewart </a>(<span style="font-style: italic;">can’t you just see her telling you to eat your creamed peas?</span>). I put my own measurements on it because I was lazy (<span style="font-style: italic;">see below</span>), and added some extra pizzazz by throwing in some sautéed local oyster mushrooms. If I’d had them, I’d have also added some beautiful cherry tomatoes, for color even more than flavor. Or instead of tomatoes, some thin slices of Canadian bacon would also be lovely (<span style="font-style: italic;">and still healthy!</span>). But I have to tell you - it’s surprisingly good on its own, even without the accoutrements.<br /><br />I served it with whole wheat angel hair pasta, and the bright flavors of the pungent parsley stands up well to the hearty wheaty-ness of the pasta. This is a wonderful, quick and healthy dinner for any busy night of the week, and it’s my entry for the <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">Heart of the Matter (HotM)</a> this month, where the theme for heart-healthy cooking this month is “<a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/2009/01/hotm-23-and-green-broccoli-soup-with.html">Slimmer Recipes</a>.” After all that decadent holiday food, we could all probably use a few slimmer recipes in our repertoire, right? Check out the round-up at the <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">HotM blog</a> after <span style="font-weight: bold;">January 28th</span> to see the wonderful recipes that have been submitted from around the world. Or maybe you have a slimmer, heart-healthy recipe you’d like to share? There’s still time to get your entry in to Ilva at her blog, <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Lucullian Delights</a>, who is hosting this month. We would love to have you join us – the more, the merrier, and it brings even more awareness about heart health and heart disease.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0lYMgCAvNg4p9k3zNeMaMwKLz34f2076OrwgELOi6p_mDiJB_ibcyRP2SxOZz52Eu1CiyEM0UxkvDAFdGVNigRkKC0M72VmTFJNlUAXG4OsXKqQqpPqXdB4Ed6tnFvT9baoy/s1600-h/IMG_2086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0lYMgCAvNg4p9k3zNeMaMwKLz34f2076OrwgELOi6p_mDiJB_ibcyRP2SxOZz52Eu1CiyEM0UxkvDAFdGVNigRkKC0M72VmTFJNlUAXG4OsXKqQqpPqXdB4Ed6tnFvT9baoy/s400/IMG_2086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292866800730516194" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Walnut, Parsley and Flax Pesto on Angel Hair Pasta</span>, serves 4<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">adapted slightly from www.wholeliving.com</span><br /><br /><span>8 oz. whole wheat angel hair pasta </span><br />1/4 cup walnuts, raw<br />several large mushrooms (I used local oyster mushrooms), thinly sliced<br />2 tsp. olive oil, divided<br />3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds (if they aren't already, grind them in a spice or coffee grinder)<br />1 large bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped<br />1 cloves garlic, roughly chopped<br />1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish<br />1/2 teaspoon coarse salt<br />freshly ground pepper <span><br /><br />Preheat your oven to 375F. Start a large pot of ample salted water and cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain when finished, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in the oven until they are crisp and fragrant, about 7 minutes.</span> <span><br /><br /></span><span>Saute' </span>the sliced mushrooms in a skillet with ~2 tsp. olive oil until they release most of their water and become soft and slighly browned.<br /><span><br />In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the walnuts until the nuts are crushed and somewhat ground, about 1 minute. Add parsley, garlic, 1 tsp. olive oil, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and reserved 1/4 cup of pasta water; pulse until smooth and thick. Add the pesto to the warm pasta, adding a little more pasta water if it appears too thick or does not coat the pasta evenly. Garnish with extra freshly grated parmesan cheese.<br /><br />You could easily double the pesto recipe, and it can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week in a refrigerator or up to 1 month in a freezer (freeze it in an ice-cube tray for easy use!). Bring pesto to room temperature before serving; supposedly it' s not good to heat pesto because it ruins the flavor of the delicate herbs.</span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-30650469330811213732008-12-31T12:26:00.001-08:002009-01-03T19:04:13.079-08:00A Pizza to Keep You Warm On a Cold Winter's Eve<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXwE4pKWOn-5nzipQYhXMcLe6XsiZ4jIGcdzrTcTJrnadG5BieTFaX2DV0Ez1hWLnQGSeS1rAGRQ5h-0FOJsbbVsnyYuef2mnm4B-K59sNSrR-ObtxHObTAVyMCElquuIh5Na/s1600-h/pizza1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXwE4pKWOn-5nzipQYhXMcLe6XsiZ4jIGcdzrTcTJrnadG5BieTFaX2DV0Ez1hWLnQGSeS1rAGRQ5h-0FOJsbbVsnyYuef2mnm4B-K59sNSrR-ObtxHObTAVyMCElquuIh5Na/s400/pizza1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287174994040466898" border="0" /></a>Hau'oli Makahiki Hou, or Happy New Year!<br /><br />When I married a man who didn't like olives and didn't do much cooking, I had no idea that LB would become the Bread Man of the house (<span style="font-style: italic;">and lo and behold, he also quickly fell in love with olives - after only gentle prompting to try the ones that didn't come from a can</span>). These days, he can whip together a mean batch of pizza dough, some amazingly fluffy pull-apart clover rolls, or toweringly high biscuits (<span style="font-style: italic;">that put my hockey-pucks to shame</span>) in merely the blink of an eye. But pizza dough is his favorite. He's always coming up with new toppings for his pizzas too, like roasted cauliflower or his "buffalo chicken wing" pizza. Nearly all of them have been extremely tasty. We especially like to have pizza topping cook-offs, where he'll make up a batch of crust for at least two pizzas, he'll make one and I'll make the other, and we'll see which one we like best (<span style="font-style: italic;">I don't have to tell you that oftentimes we pick our own and there is almost always a ti</span>e).<br /><br />You can really put almost anything on a pizza and finding a winning combination is part of the fun. One of the pleasant surprises about living in Hawaii has been finding fruits and vegetables that I thought I knew well, that for whatever reason (<span style="font-style: italic;">the planets align properly to make some perfect? the electromagnetic properties of the island?</span>) taste especially sweet and delicious here. These include pineapples, mangoes, and papayas - which I wasn't too surprised about - but also persimmons and kabocha squash.<br /><br />Kabocha is a Japanese winter squash (or pumpkin) that is rich in <span class="mw-redirect">beta carotene</span>, iron, vitamin C, potassium, and even some small amounts of calcium, folic acid, and B vitamins. Interestingly, kabocha continues to grow after it's been harvested. It's picked when it is fully mature (ie. flavorful), then ripened in a warm place (77°F) for up to 13 days to help its starch begin to convert to carbohydrate content. Following this, it's transferred to cooler temperatures and stored for about a month, continuing the starch transformation. When kabocha is picked, it's dry and bland, but after this transformation it's flesh becomes a reddish-yellow color and is smooth and sweet. Apparently, kabocha reaches the peak of ripeness about 1.5~3 months after it's harvested (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabocha">Wikipedia</a>).<br /><br />I've always liked kabocha, but here in Hawaii it tastes like it's taken a luxurious soak in the perfect amount of brown sugar solution, and to top it off, it's texture is unbelievably silky and smooth. It needs no adornment - no butter, no maple syrup, no sugar, no anything - just cut it up (<span style="font-style: italic;">or not</span>), roast it at 400F for half an hour to 40 minutes and that's it. It certainly puts its cousin, the butternut squash, to shame. Here, every kabocha I have tried has been fabulous, and every butternut squash has been stringy and tasteless. So I'm now a kabocha lover and convert and I use it in almost everything I can, from salads to side dishes to soups, and of course, as a pizza topping.<br /><br />This was the latest venture in our pizza topping quest and the combination was splendid. It felt like a big hearty hug in the middle of winter - the delicately sweet flesh of the kabocha went wonderfully with the hearty, savory scent of the sage. Add a little cheese, some other winter vegetables and a few spices, and you're good to go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Vafj30HarvIbodbwBUvr726lL1JmskIdrailY0RgP3Q3G4_oDmXfN_pFTuYV2vP3C_rKDoMwVY9GJQptKNKHfYha2i2jlcYLRW-V_rKhCgrQ3n7XfQhDGo5ubIkIrDvhM6jg/s1600-h/pizza2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Vafj30HarvIbodbwBUvr726lL1JmskIdrailY0RgP3Q3G4_oDmXfN_pFTuYV2vP3C_rKDoMwVY9GJQptKNKHfYha2i2jlcYLRW-V_rKhCgrQ3n7XfQhDGo5ubIkIrDvhM6jg/s400/pizza2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287174995751380194" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kabocha Squash Pizza with Kale and Fresh Sage</span>, makes one large pizza<br /><br />1 large pizza crust (see below)<br />1 small kabocha squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces<br />2 tbsp. olive oil, divided<br />pinch of salt<br />1/2 large sweet onion, diced<br />2 cups chopped kale, thinly sliced<br />1/2 pint of mushrooms (I used local Hamakua oyster mushrooms)<br />1 tsp. red pepper flakes<br />1/2 tsp. dried oregano<br />2 cloves of garlic, minced<br />a small handful of fresh sage, minced<br />goat cheese or feta cheese (I actually used goat feta from Surfing Goat Dairy on Maui)<br />Parmesan and red pepper flakes, for garnish (optional)<br /><br />Buy or make your own pizza crust - if you've never made it before, try! It's easy, and the results will be worth it. We use one from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/1997-Cooking-Marion-Rombauer-Becker/dp/0684818701/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_2_img?pf_rd_p=304485601&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-2&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0743246268&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1XYTF4KVC92FSK936X1X">Joy of Cooking</a>, but there are lots of crust recipes out there.<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 425F and toss the squash pieces in 1 tbsp. olive oil and salt. Roast on a sheet pan in the oven for 35-40 minutes until soft and tender but not mushy. (I did this the day before and kept it in the fridge until I needed it...something I often to when roasting veggies is roast extra for a second meal later on in the week).<br /><br />Saute the onions in a medium pan until translucent. Add kale, mushrooms, red pepper flakes and dried oregano and cook until the mushrooms give up their water and the kale has cooked down quite a bit. Add the garlic the last few minutes of cooking and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.<br /><br />Brush the pizza crust with olive oil, then layer on the kabocha squash and onion mixture. Sprinkle the sage over the top and then dot the cheese across the whole pizza. Cook the pizza until the crust is firm and the cheese is slightly browned or melted (feta doesn't melt much...). Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and more red pepper flakes.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Other Pizza Posts:</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);" href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2006/04/theres-always-time-for-pie.html">There's Always Time for Pie</a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"> : Blue cheese, red onion and pine nut pizza; Caramelized onion and balsamic vegetable pizza<br /></span> <a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);" href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2005/10/perfect-fall-meal.html">A Perfect Fall Meal</a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">: Mushroom and Pancetta Pizzas</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);" href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2005/12/pizza-research-institute.html">The Pizza Research Institute</a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">, Eugene, OR: Apple, gouda and walnut pizza</span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-88500139722639327402008-12-28T11:34:00.000-08:002008-12-28T12:18:59.947-08:00HotM 22: Heart Healthy Decadence (Round-up)This month's theme for <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com">Heart of the Matter</a> focused on <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2008/12/december-full-of-heart-healthy.html">decadent treats</a> that were heart healthy. Unfortunately, we didn't get very many entries this month, and so I waited a few extra days, hoping that we might get a late entry or two because December is such a busy month anyhow - and it seems to have worked, because we did! Thanks to the wonderful bloggers who participated this month, even in the midst of all the holiday hustle and bustle!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivG9POpZ-aAW4-8JoZC5fMwQzG7i7s9udxHLXFIMVI93hYjyVOq9oIhccvRwvbyDGDduGCc1Oiv62Hl1-UqNCv8TRc_XJvCvqdZteYaYeKNy-QUKluCJoSJS9Lpo3TxZc3YwAr/s1600-h/tuttifruitimany.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 365px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivG9POpZ-aAW4-8JoZC5fMwQzG7i7s9udxHLXFIMVI93hYjyVOq9oIhccvRwvbyDGDduGCc1Oiv62Hl1-UqNCv8TRc_XJvCvqdZteYaYeKNy-QUKluCJoSJS9Lpo3TxZc3YwAr/s400/tuttifruitimany.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284933106864039986" border="0" /></a>Our first entry comes from Ricki, who authors the blog <a href="http://dietdessertndogs.wordpress.com/">Diet, Desserts and Dogs</a>. She reminds us in her post that real women bake cookies too (<span style="font-style: italic;">I love this!</span>) and offered her recipe for <a href="http://dietdessertndogs.wordpress.com/2008/12/19/gastronomic-gifts-v-tutti-fruiti-christmas-cookies-circa-2008/">Tutti Fruiti Christmas Cookies</a>. Since we're already after Christmas now, these pretty little treats would still make lovely hostess gifts or anytime cookies.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNARLk7nYE8fjhLChBvd_z83PgrVY3QRCAJ_Ekv6sM1WpaxZc_tDCbbcWoxcn_lKzR54clgzpxHtVm5FmhvY0bs_MAu853opcm7GfSHcFFVEcMuz2TiKjhd8Gxd1Y8fyisIR-/s1600-h/DSC09920.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNARLk7nYE8fjhLChBvd_z83PgrVY3QRCAJ_Ekv6sM1WpaxZc_tDCbbcWoxcn_lKzR54clgzpxHtVm5FmhvY0bs_MAu853opcm7GfSHcFFVEcMuz2TiKjhd8Gxd1Y8fyisIR-/s400/DSC09920.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284935287660317234" border="0" /></a>Labelga, a regular participant of HotM and the author of <a href="http://leafy-cooking.blogspot.com/">Leafy Cooking</a> went with some premium ingredients and made a <a href="http://leafy-cooking.blogspot.com/2008/12/heart-of-matter-22-bisque-dhomard.html">Bisque d'homard</a> (or, Lobster Bisque) - she served it fresh and hot and it didn't even need the cream the recipe called for, making it really healthy but still full of flavor. This truly shows that heart-heathy treats can be delicious and decadent!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmamFVYx1Xi9hXiAPPruRSdOa3Ovpgvs6UZr0VM-pvjUl_GlC3T_lYCITMn0C5RiJvPaF47UmvABy-jFyDsbbeeJFj0DRuIqhI5_qBVy47dk_AWO9Qrys66tqiMqv8B2cRBn2A/s1600-h/3110315798_cddf0b7466.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmamFVYx1Xi9hXiAPPruRSdOa3Ovpgvs6UZr0VM-pvjUl_GlC3T_lYCITMn0C5RiJvPaF47UmvABy-jFyDsbbeeJFj0DRuIqhI5_qBVy47dk_AWO9Qrys66tqiMqv8B2cRBn2A/s400/3110315798_cddf0b7466.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284929637645505650" border="0" /></a>Ilva, my co-host at <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Lucullian Delights</a>, has posted a beautiful <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/2008/12/apricot-and-almond-cake-with-oats-and.html">Apricot Almond Cake with Oats and Coconut</a> for her decadent treat. This would make a very lovely holiday breakfast or a delicious treat any time of the year!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTscGNNDJdlZXBKpbOSzU-dn8TUpXm8Xf6jCdcG-TB0bXoV0G6x2k9HRZRikdZAdipYao6Qy64tnyO-Ue_PR9a0SNuuPSeibS4hUgG1u-cvYBJ3Lf36T-t-n-hEUU_In4vKXCf/s1600-h/IMG_2070a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTscGNNDJdlZXBKpbOSzU-dn8TUpXm8Xf6jCdcG-TB0bXoV0G6x2k9HRZRikdZAdipYao6Qy64tnyO-Ue_PR9a0SNuuPSeibS4hUgG1u-cvYBJ3Lf36T-t-n-hEUU_In4vKXCf/s400/IMG_2070a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284936919419889730" border="0" /></a>Lastly, my own entry was for <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2008/12/healthier-christmas-morning.html">Caramel Macadamia Nut Sticky Buns</a> - these little treats were an early holiday breakfast for us and are perfect if you're having guests this holiday season.<br /><br />Thanks again to the participants this month and I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-85530458824015417402008-12-25T23:49:00.001-08:002008-12-25T23:52:34.683-08:00Mele Kalikimaka!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_5FVDJDW90uEy2FjABdI1lY5E02l9qV_D5AL-IrjUat6KFcb0E3IvuMxKdfGF4JGWbmdP1cGhb-yVbS40tNP-9p8c9DEG-CNfluIa-WuqV_L2yIqzXopQhzR_GFB0XmsufX3/s1600-h/IMG_2018.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_5FVDJDW90uEy2FjABdI1lY5E02l9qV_D5AL-IrjUat6KFcb0E3IvuMxKdfGF4JGWbmdP1cGhb-yVbS40tNP-9p8c9DEG-CNfluIa-WuqV_L2yIqzXopQhzR_GFB0XmsufX3/s400/IMG_2018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284002911426775506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">If you're celebrating with us today<br />in your own corner of the world,<br />we wish you a Merry Christmas<br />from Hawaii!</span><br /></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-82173722688745027442008-12-23T15:42:00.000-08:002008-12-24T10:54:46.144-08:00A Healthier Christmas Morning<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NCmcPgroaeh6wYgBIToKuhjJAgK9F5peRKeUX5Mm9LiwHg_UtUqmuAp3k7qEJEuWl5Y7yRh9EzMeNVcQ3qqEN86Xz6yF_IXUGD7FkqOKpXFjcdx3d_WNB6H_Lrh9w72WTJie/s1600-h/IMG_2070a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NCmcPgroaeh6wYgBIToKuhjJAgK9F5peRKeUX5Mm9LiwHg_UtUqmuAp3k7qEJEuWl5Y7yRh9EzMeNVcQ3qqEN86Xz6yF_IXUGD7FkqOKpXFjcdx3d_WNB6H_Lrh9w72WTJie/s400/IMG_2070a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283431592467284434" border="0" /></a>Every Christmas morning for as long as I remember, my mother would wake up early, head down the stairs and into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. My siblings and I would line up at the top of the stairs in our pajamas, youngest to oldest (<span style="font-style: italic;">later line-ups would include various significant others, husbands and wives</span>), sleepy-eyed and hair astray, and wait impatiently until she gave the signal letting us know it was okay to tromp the rest of the way downstairs and gather around the Christmas tree. While we’re all a little too old now to still believe in Santa Claus, our stockings – <span style="font-style: italic;">hung by the fire, of course</span> – were always filled with a few extra trinkets from ole’ Saint Nick. After presents were opened, coffee enjoyed (<span style="font-style: italic;">now often spiked with Kahlua or whiskey</span>) and the requisite (<span style="font-style: italic;">bad/terrible</span>) Christmas morning photos were taken, mom would bring out whatever special Christmas breakfast she had planned that year. Sometimes these were rich egg casseroles, decadent French toast, Christmas breads and fruit or something unique she had attempted from a recent magazine…all of them delicious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmx6uEVxUbSe7uGeyff9LmaE0bWMEfuqZdwz-WUdj_g7BNx5ehKiutBwJYVyS2DyErApeGrgHNE8H7QkOKZIeopQ_iupkouz0_ywJOqwtapcnwEgIzznUG5wFvYTk0lqUJ9vTD/s1600-h/IMG_2044a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmx6uEVxUbSe7uGeyff9LmaE0bWMEfuqZdwz-WUdj_g7BNx5ehKiutBwJYVyS2DyErApeGrgHNE8H7QkOKZIeopQ_iupkouz0_ywJOqwtapcnwEgIzznUG5wFvYTk0lqUJ9vTD/s400/IMG_2044a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283431589296860370" border="0" /></a>This month for Heart of the Matter (HotM), we asked for decadent, yet heart-healthy recipes from you. My contribution is a slight adaptation of a Cooking Light recipe I posted here some time ago: <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2005/12/caramel-hazelnut-sticky-buns.html">Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns</a>. While it’s not our Christmas morning breakfast this year (<span style="font-style: italic;">I’m planning on a grits, cheese and egg casserole instead</span>), these buns would make an excellent holiday breakfast, tasty enough to please any palette and nice enough even for guests (<span style="font-style: italic;">or, ahem, breakfast in bed</span>)…just make sure you start them early or even the day before, as they take a long time since they have two rises. But the effort is well worth it. The dough is soft and sweet, the caramel sweet but not cloyingly so, and the nuts add a perfect contrast in texture. There is butter in them, but each roll has a relatively small amount, and they’re fairly low in fat (<span style="font-style: italic;">only ~5 grams of fat, with only 1.9 of it saturated</span>). I also used brown rice syrup in place of corn syrup, since this natural sweetener is proving to be a better bet for healthy eating in recent research studies. One roll is perfect with a big, steaming mug of coffee and some seasonal fruit on the side (<span style="font-style: italic;">though if it is for the holidays, maybe two wouldn’t be awful…</span>). I had to throw a Hawaiian twist in them of course, and ended up with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Caramel Macadamia Nut Sticky Buns</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_RXjvOcIQB8yPmFjGspIo9_XiY_g7Ef6cJ_mlr6l0oDRgBwx2tsx2kpD9VNGKVxlc9D_rUGLd54hjUtktJF5uGH6KiGmjlPa7AN3wqm_hkuttQcyU4djfXxIeUgO5DT5uCMo/s1600-h/IMG_2057a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_RXjvOcIQB8yPmFjGspIo9_XiY_g7Ef6cJ_mlr6l0oDRgBwx2tsx2kpD9VNGKVxlc9D_rUGLd54hjUtktJF5uGH6KiGmjlPa7AN3wqm_hkuttQcyU4djfXxIeUgO5DT5uCMo/s400/IMG_2057a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283431583966127250" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Caramel Macadamia Nut Sticky Buns</span>, makes 16 buns<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Adapted slightly from Cooking Light</span><br /><br />Ingredients<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Caramel:</span><br />* 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed<br />* 3 tbls butter<br />* 3 tsp brown rice syrup<br />* Cooking spray<br />* 3 tbls toasted macadamia nuts, chopped<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Dough:</span><br />* 1 package dry yeast<br />* 1 2/3 cups warm water (100° to 110°)<br />* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />* 5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (about 23 1/2 ounces)<br />* 1/3 cup granulated sugar<br />* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />* 2 tablespoons butter, softened<br /><br />For the caramel, combine brown sugar, butter and brown rice syrup in a saucepan over medium heat; stirring frequently until the butter melts. Continue cooking until mixture thickens and becomes smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; pour into the center of a 10-inch round cake pan. Quickly spread caramel onto pan bottom. Sprinkle with macadamia nuts and cool to room temperature. Lightly coat sides of the pan with cooking spray.<br /><br />To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in salt. Add 5 cups flour to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); adding enough of remaining flour only to keep the dough from sticking to your hands as you knead. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 hour or until doubled in size. (If you can press two fingers into dough and the indentation remains, then the dough has risen enough.) Punch the dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.<br /><br />Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside. Roll dough into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface; spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter over dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends). Cut into 16 (1-inch-wide) slices. Place slices, cut sides up, in prepared pan (rolls will be crowded). Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 375° and bake for 20 minutes or until the rolls are a light golden brown. Cool in the pan 5 minutes on a rack, then place a serving platter upside down on top of pan and invert onto the platter. Serve warm and sticky, with coffee and love.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-49062079226884961662008-12-21T16:09:00.000-08:002008-12-24T11:07:42.324-08:00Christmas Came a Little Early This Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PqDu19Ap6wr1bMIaNnPQZciMkkiHQsXdaaDAo9RIn4SiDjSp0AgZoZfj-3_s67as7SqaPVYZbvji-bDMHLYKMBlJFiUxi2IwYm2_qoa65M_MoOignupno8qZjAYvMQyMvOME/s1600-h/IMG_2063a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PqDu19Ap6wr1bMIaNnPQZciMkkiHQsXdaaDAo9RIn4SiDjSp0AgZoZfj-3_s67as7SqaPVYZbvji-bDMHLYKMBlJFiUxi2IwYm2_qoa65M_MoOignupno8qZjAYvMQyMvOME/s400/IMG_2063a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283434347489504098" border="0" /></a>I recently joined up to participate in a <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/">Foodbuzz</a> Featured Publisher perk called the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tastemaker Program</span>. In essence, they send you samples of specially selected goodies, you taste and honestly evaluate them, then post about the product on your site…sounded like a pretty good deal to me! Not long after signing up, I received the first product, truffles from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cowgirl Chocolates</span>. These little chocolate treats arrived in a festive red box, gussied up with a black ribbon and adorned with a delightfully tiny pair of silver cowboy boots.<br /><br />According to their <a href="http://cowgirlchocolate.com/index.shtml">website</a>, Cowgirl Chocolates is the brainchild of a ceramic artist named Marilyn Lysohir (“May-Lillie”), who wanted to combine her love of both art and chocolate. Founded in 1997 in Moscow, Idaho, the company touts their goods as “<span style="font-style: italic;">gourmet chocolate for adventurous chocolate lovers</span>,” and since I would consider myself among that group, I was thrilled to be able to try them. Most of the <a href="http://cowgirlchocolate.com/recentpress.shtml">recent press</a> they have received has been about their <span style="font-weight: bold;">Copper Kettle Brittle</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">which I may just have to try next</span>), so I was curious how the truffles would measure up. I grabbed LB (<span style="font-style: italic;">always good to have a second opinion</span>), and over the next few days, we tasted our way through the box.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YucrYVaSil_0sOeWFWFsdRzo6DXuLwv5MGMNKl2zob7jleBYhg_xQU1FzIQmrMRJqB6eNsm1EsAUCDzHfVdQgqJ0CLH2-uZRqqrUU29Ti1X_hOf4iRGe1uRgzjRD1r1HjGM8/s1600-h/IMG_2036a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YucrYVaSil_0sOeWFWFsdRzo6DXuLwv5MGMNKl2zob7jleBYhg_xQU1FzIQmrMRJqB6eNsm1EsAUCDzHfVdQgqJ0CLH2-uZRqqrUU29Ti1X_hOf4iRGe1uRgzjRD1r1HjGM8/s400/IMG_2036a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283434342744754626" border="0" /></a>Browsing their <a href="http://cowgirlchocolate.com/flavorguide.shtml">flavor guide</a>, which accompanies the brightly wrapped chocolates, I saw they separated the truffles into “mild” and “spicy” categories. I wasn’t sure that most of the flavors lived up to the “adventurous” title, but the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Raspberry Lemonade Dark Chocolate</span>, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spicy Cappuccino</span>, and the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Buckin’ Hot Habañero Caramel</span> certainly had my curiosity piqued. First, let me say that these are not the kind of chocolate truffles that you might expect from say, <a href="http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/">Vosges</a> – there are no crisp chocolate exteriors or luxuriously silky ganache inside, but I don’t think that’s exactly what this company is going for anyway. The packaging and the over-all feel and look of the chocolates, as well as the website, suggest more charming farm girl than elite fashionista, and they certainly blow <a href="http://www.russellstover.com/">Russell Stover</a> out of the water and off the ranch.<br /><br />There’s not a distinct difference in texture between the exterior chocolate coating of most of the truffles and the ganache inside – the mark of an exquisite truffle, in my humble opinion is a thin, crisp coating surrounding a silk interior – but the over-all texture of these truffles is still pleasing. The flavors, however, is where this company earned big bonus points. A few of flavors are not very well balanced – namely the Habañero truffle and the caramel, which consist of a very spicy and slightly unexpected (because it is delayed) kick in the mouth…which made me a little sad because I love the combo of hot spices and chocolate. Other flavors, however, perfectly offset the richness of the chocolate, like the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Raspberry Dark Chocolate</span> and the delicious <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spicy Cappuccino</span>, with its crunchy “biscuit bits” added for texture. Our favorite truffles were the Spicy Double Dark Chocolate, the Raspberry Dark Chocolate, the Spicy Cappuccino and the very interesting and complex Raspberry Lemonade Dark Chocolate. But you should try them and decide for yourself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYDM2mQAaJax7JPBMsxshELdEvhFnigscWR_I-ziFomK3TPzZGTWSW5BPhq7JHtQGJ3NG7FLzjzMQw8wXF7XDGP3hzKjo0-8HG7gMnjX71mUQpgOvin3i-aUjKzxkkcQH75SY/s1600-h/IMG_2067a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYDM2mQAaJax7JPBMsxshELdEvhFnigscWR_I-ziFomK3TPzZGTWSW5BPhq7JHtQGJ3NG7FLzjzMQw8wXF7XDGP3hzKjo0-8HG7gMnjX71mUQpgOvin3i-aUjKzxkkcQH75SY/s400/IMG_2067a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283434353210186786" border="0" /></a>So, if you’re looking for a very last minute stocking stuffer, or even a perfect hostess gift for all those new years parties to come, <a href="http://cowgirlchocolate.com/index.shtml">Cowgirl Chocolates</a> would make anyone on your list a happy camper – be they a cowgirl, a cowboy or a city-dweller. Even better, they offer customized flavor assortments – the mark of a company that cares about their consumers. They also have brittles, hot chocolate and truffle bars – all of which I’m sure are excellent. I’m all for supporting the little business with the good-will story and a little rustic charm thrown in (<span style="font-style: italic;">I’ve never been much of a fashionista anyhow – I grew up on a farm and shh…even had my own pair of cowboy boots at one point</span>), so I’ll definitely be ordering from them in the near future (<span style="font-style: italic;">especially some of that brittle…</span>). A big thanks to Foodbuzz and to Cowgirl Chocolates for the samples and this opportunity!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-62034071955472764802008-12-07T11:17:00.000-08:002008-12-07T12:41:41.417-08:00A December Full of Heart-Healthy Decadence (HotM 22)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxWvqBeDXJhpTs9fmL4djQlmsQyfr526nDqA63Rq2jJPc6_M64rhzq3vxxcp_o9gP2C4etdJcFryVFlbwIJ3izQUdQyvtPvlGYCNzDOKlxFoBUCfInT1jhqPpW2TcgmmxXDUl/s1600-h/IMG_2020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxWvqBeDXJhpTs9fmL4djQlmsQyfr526nDqA63Rq2jJPc6_M64rhzq3vxxcp_o9gP2C4etdJcFryVFlbwIJ3izQUdQyvtPvlGYCNzDOKlxFoBUCfInT1jhqPpW2TcgmmxXDUl/s400/IMG_2020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277130956824924354" border="0" /></a>December is a month full of festivities: holiday parties to attend and coordinate, visitors to entertain, baked goods to create, presents to make or buy, occasions to celebrate with friends and family, cards to write and good cheer to spread. For many of us, it's the busiest time of the year, but also a time of year when we get to let our kitchen prowess shine - or at least get in there and try a few new things! <br /><br /> For me, December means <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2007/12/home-for-holidays.html">breaking out the Alabama Christmas CD</a> for a few renditions of <span style="font-style: italic;">"<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Thistlehair</span> the Christmas Bear,"</span> scouring books and magazines for new cookie recipes to share with friends, family and <a href="http://www.robinsweb.com/cookies/index.html">cookie swaps</a>; finding new side dishes to accompany the dusty and required <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2007/12/home-for-holidays.html">recipes for artichoke dip, prime rib and chicken noodle soup</a> that make up Christmas eve and Christmas day fare; <span style="font-style: italic;"></span>and choosing to attempt one of those "traditional" holiday treats that simply are aren't around the other 11 months of the year: yule logs with chocolate bark and marzipan mushrooms, soft and sweet <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">panettone</span>, fruitcake studded with jewel-like candied fruits, elaborate gingerbread houses, rum-spiked eggnog...you know the stuff. Every year, I dream of making such decadent treats, but December comes and goes too quickly, and I find myself left with only the vision of sugarplums dancing in my head and no yule log to speak of. This year, I'm determined to make those sugarplums materialize and sink my teeth in to them.<br /><br /> For over a year, participants of the monthly <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">Heart of the Matter (HotM)</a> event been helping <a href="http://lucullian.blogspot.com/">Ilva</a>, <a href="http://joannasfood.blogspot.com/">Joanna</a> and I show that food that's good for you doesn't have to be boring or bland. We've already done <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/search/label/baking">baked goods</a> and <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/search/label/holidays">holiday food</a> as themes before, so now we're stepping it up a notch. The holiday season is a time of celebration, abundance, and culinary wanderlust - so for HotM this month, we're asking you to share your recipes for the <span style="font-weight: bold;">most decadent, delicious treats</span>you can think of - with a heart-healthy twist. What sort of mouth-watering, scrumptious recipes do you dust off from your kitchen repertoire this time of year? Do you have a something you've always wanted to try, that always seemed too over-the-top to make any other time of the year? Will you take the challenge to make those indulgent foods saved for once-a-year into heart-healthy holiday treats?<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">The usual rules</span>: If you’ve participated before, you already know the basics. If you haven’t, check <a href="http://joannasfood.blogspot.com/2005/05/some-basic-rules.html">here</a>, <a href="http://joannasfood.blogspot.com/2007/03/affordable-superfoods.html">here</a> and <a href="http://joannasfood.blogspot.com/2007/05/pyramid-plan-for-healthy-eating.html">here</a> for ideas on what “heart-healthy” means, and we hope that you’ll join us! Again, <span style="font-style: italic;">we ask that this please be a single event entry</span>(please don’t use your post for other events – that way we can keep things centred on healthy heart awareness). Just send your entry to phillipslayden AT gmail DOT com (please use the title HotM, so they don't get lost) by midnight on<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Thursday, December 25</span>, linking to my site, <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/">The Accidental Scientist</a> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> (and to the <a href="http://heartyeating.blogspot.com/">HotM</a> blog if you’d like). <span style="font-style: italic;">Please note that this is only a few short weeks away</span>! Since it's so soon, and I want people to be able to gain inspiration and be able to enjoy the recipes all month long but have them before the holiday actually arrives, I'll be doing the round-up differently this month and posting the recipes that have come in at the end of each week. If you've never participated before, please join us! We'd love to have some new "faces" and recipes to share! <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ilvaberetta&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://www.robinsweb.com/cookies/index.html"> </a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16233520.post-43988087447092486722008-11-27T07:51:00.000-08:002008-11-27T09:51:58.151-08:00Thankful for the Wisdom of Others<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zS0ADsV-XYR1xJWa135eHuzvQ-aKj9kUXDr0Um07SlYtQi5D62cOh2BQ9Q27UMyBfuJOIrzPggacgJEPW4B1sDfIwLB8YNkDndtRp-DUgrs6OgOMesLXQbuH8C_yfdAhK40R/s1600-h/IMG_1903a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zS0ADsV-XYR1xJWa135eHuzvQ-aKj9kUXDr0Um07SlYtQi5D62cOh2BQ9Q27UMyBfuJOIrzPggacgJEPW4B1sDfIwLB8YNkDndtRp-DUgrs6OgOMesLXQbuH8C_yfdAhK40R/s400/IMG_1903a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273396192588861938" border="0" /></a>There's something infinitely soothing about knowing you're about to spend the whole day cooking. Well, infinitely soothing for those of us who really love to cook anyway. I know that I, for one, am looking forward to the act of preparing for the big Thanksgiving feast - even though I'm not the one who will be roasting the turkey, making the stuffing or the mashed potatoes nor many of the other wonderful, traditional dishes that grace Thanksgiving tables every year. But that's okay.<br /><br />As much as I love being the one in charge (<span style="font-style: italic;">heck, I'd cook the whole thing and have all my friends over for it if I could, but I guess that wouldn't be proper, eh?</span>), it's also liberating to not be the one calling the shots. Instead, I can focus on the few dishes I <span style="font-style: italic;">am</span> in charge of - this year, it's the ubiquitous <span style="font-weight: bold;">green bean casserole</span> (only a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/best-ever-green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html">homemade version</a> this time) and a delicious-looking take on <a href="http://www.deliciousdays.com/archives/2007/11/20/brussel-sprouts-all-over/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brussels sprouts</span></a> from Nicole Stich, the author of the beautiful blog (and now book!), <a href="http://www.deliciousdays.com/">Delicious Days</a>. Later on, I'll make my own versions of the stuffing and cranberry sauce, turkey and other trimmings that I didn't make for this first meal. Who says you can only eat Thanksgiving foods on Thanksgiving? Why not enjoy them other times? They're still seasonal in December! Most of them would be fabulous by themselves, alongside roasted chicken or fish (<span style="font-style: italic;">miso green beans anyone?</span>) and would even make perfect winter meals for tucking in with a bottle of wine and good friends (<span style="font-style: italic;">or even a good book</span>).<br /><br />Besides, I <span style="font-style: italic;">love</span> stuffing and cranberry sauce - it seems a shame to only enjoy them once a year, and yet that's the only time I make or have them. For the stuffing, I want to try <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2008/11/corn-bread-chorizo-stuffing">this</a> recipe. And the cranberry sauce? I'm thinking of incorporating a few local ingredients - like ginger and lilikoi (<span style="font-style: italic;">passionfruit</span>). Besides, many of the bloggers I love will be posting what they've made for Thanksgiving on or after the big day <span style="font-style: italic;">(at least if they are "slackers" like me)</span> - why not try and enjoy them now? I'll have the freedom of playing around with cranberry sauce, stuffing and all the other classic dishes to my heart's content - and they don't even all have to go together! Plus, then I get all the leftovers I want, which everyone knows is the best part.<br /><br />But something happened this year while I was out fighting the masses at the grocery store, buying all of the ingredients I needed. Something that really made me think about Thanksgiving itself. I had picked up one of those tin, disposable pie plates for LB. LB always makes his mother's apple pie for Thanksgiving - it's become one of our own traditions for the holiday, and he does a great job at it. But we only own one pie plate and there will be 12 or more people at the feast this afternoon, so he wanted to make two. The pie plates were in my small basket, along with a myriad of other things I had forgotten or couldn't find my first trip to the store (<span style="font-style: italic;">because, of course, this was my 3rd trip</span>). As I was grabbing a plastic bag to place the collection of small, compact Brussels sprouts I had chosen in, an older woman reached out to pick one up at the same time. We both had our hands out, and she insisted that I go first - "<span style="font-style: italic;">youth before age</span>," was how she put it. I thanked her and pulled my bag from the roll.<br /><br />And then she said something that took me by surprise:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"Oh, you actually know how to make a pie! I'm so glad!"</span><br /></div><br />I told her that <span style="font-style: italic;">yes, I do</span>, and that I loved to cook. But also that the tins were actually for my husband, who was making an apple pie for the Thanksgiving table. She told me she thought too many young people didn't know how to cook anything from scratch anymore, and she was glad that some were still out there that did. That statement saddened me. Are there really so many people out there that don't know how that this elderly woman believes that young people will only go to the grocery store to <span style="font-style: italic;">buy</span> a pie as opposed to buying the simple ingredients needed to actually make one? I guess so. I forget sometimes, in my world of food-love that not everyone avoids fast food restaurants or likes to cook from scratch...nor even believes that they have the time to do such a thing.<br /><br />I didn't really learn to cook from my grandmother or my mother <span style="font-style: italic;">per se</span>, as I've mostly taught myself over the last few years (<span style="font-style: italic;">and there have certainly been </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2008/04/stepping-into-ring.html">ups</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2006/04/thats-not-supposed-to-be-in-my-chicken.html">downs</a>) when I first had both the opportunity and the desire to learn. But they gave me advice along the way, shared their recipes with me, and more importantly, instilled an appreciation for simple food...crisp radishes and baby green onions in ice-water, canned pears and homemade jams and jellies, and the age-old family secrets for amazing <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2006/09/returning-to-my-rootspart-1.html">fried okra</a>. Even more than that, they helped me to not be afraid of the kitchen - as a child, I was enlisted to collect fresh eggs from our chickens, help snap peas from the garden, shuck corn, peel peaches and pears for canning, roll fresh egg noodles for stroganoff, and of course, prepare for the many Thanksgivings we had at both their houses over the years. They're the reason I yearn to go back to farm life in some ways - a big garden, fruit trees, fresh eggs - and they're the reason I want to learn to cook from scratch. Because that's the kind of food I grew up with and that's the kind of food I want to eat. It's also the kind of food I want my kids to eat too - when or if I have them.<br /><br />Standing there in the grocery store, I suddenly wanted to ask the woman to share all of her wisdom with me - did she have any recipes that she loved? Any kitchen tips or home remedies she swore by? What did she love to make from scratch? What was she making for Thanksgiving and how many times had she made it before? Was there someone in her family who would be carrying it on for her when she could no longer? Not wishing to seem like some nosy grocery store freak, I wished her a happy Thanksgiving and hoped silently that she did. And I said a quiet thank you for the people in my life that have passed things along to me.<br /><br />Many of us cannot be home with the rest of our family for this holiday, but we can carry our family with us and the traditions we have made with them to our tables no matter the far corners of the globe where we are today. Even if we're not making the same dishes that aunt Dottie or Grandpa Joe made when we were children, and we're now making our own traditions, we carry their stories and the memories with us no matter where we are today. I have been fortunate in that my grandmother gave me many of <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2006/09/returning-to-my-rootspart-1.html">her own</a> and <a href="http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2006/10/12-pies-men-like-best-and-other.html">her mother's recipes</a>, and my mother now loves to cook as much as I do - but I'm also learning from the wisdom of friends and friend's families - people who are willing to impart a bit of their history, their recipes, and their experience with a novice cook such as myself. And then there are you, dear bloggers, who share so much of your thoughts, recipes and yourselves on the internet with me and with so many others. I hope this dissemination of information never ceases - may we <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> someday know how to make a pie from scratch and learn something from someone we love so that we can carry on for them.<br /><br />I hope you all have a wonderfully delicious Thanksgiving, no matter where you are.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537200901718762277noreply@blogger.com15