...la cocina dooglas...

Cooking with Cacao in Belize

2011-07-28T23:11:00.003-06:00

Roasted cacao beans on our metlatl

My time in Belize has been filled with a variety of activity during my first two months in Punta Gorda. I've been busy making contacts for my research on the local medical system, and I've done interviews and observations with traditional Maya and Garifuna healers. I've taken some side trips with a few friends that have been here over the summer, which has provided some nice diversion from my research. Some of my most enjoyable moments so far, however, have revolved around food!

My friend Claire, an archaeologist putting together her dissertation research in one of the villages here in southern Belize, has been staying with me in Punta Gorda in between her trips to the village. We know each other from the University of South Florida, where we both got our MA degrees. We cooked and enjoyed food in Tampa, and we've done more of the same here in Punta Gorda.

Claire, beginning the process of grinding the cacao on the metlatl

One day last week, Claire brought home a small bag of roasted cacao beans with the idea that we would experiment with them in the kitchen. Neither of us had used cacao beans before, but we are both chocolate lovers and we had the makings for some of our very own chocolate - if only we could figure out exactly what to do with it!

Dooglas taking his turn grinding on the metlatl

Having done a good bit of traveling, and having a love of Mexican food, we were both familiar with mole, a typical sauce that has its origins in the food culture of Oaxaca, Mexico. We decided to make a meal of (almost) entirely local and traditional foods, with the centerpiece, a chocolate mole of our very own creation.

Winnowing the shells from the nibs

We began by grinding the cacao beans on a traditional basalt metlatl that we happen to have at the house. With the grinding stone, the beans break apart, and the thin shell flakes off, making it fairly easy to separate the "nibs" from the shell. We collected the shells to compost them in my garden, and put the nibs in a large pot.

Winnowed Cacao Nibs

Once we had the nibs ground and separated (this is called winnowing), we brought them into the kitchen. Unsure of what to do next, and without someone to ask, we put our heads and experience together, and came up with a plan. We began with some chopped garlic and onion with a decent amount of oil in our pan. We whisked together some flour, water, milk and spices (turmeric, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, and local ground habanero), and added the mixture to the garlic and onions. Then we began adding our cacao nibs!

PG-style cacao nib mole

We let that mixture simmer on low heat for a good hour, and the cacao nibs began to soften and almost melt into our sauce. In the meantime, we boiled some fresh-picked local corn, local pumpkin and callaloo (a local spinach-like green). A sliced avocado, a bit of grated cheese and some hard corn tortillas made around the corner rounded out our meal - a yummy, locally-sourced, traditionally based vegetarian feast!

Cacao mole dinner a la dooglas

The cacao mole was essentially a rich chocolate sauce with a nice spice kick that was excellent with the pumpkin. It was even good with the avocado and corn, but a little bitter for the already bitter callaloo.

Three plates of cacao mole-base food

In the end, we ate our faces off, and still had leftovers. With full bellies, we were pretty satisfied with our first experiment cooking with cacao, and the connection to our local environs and traditions made this meal extra special. If you're a chocolate lover, trying a dish like this is a must!

Don't forget that you can always email me for more specific recipes - cacao nibs are usually available at your local health food store. And even if it's not quite the same as buying fresh cacao beans at an outdoor street market in Belize, it will still be a great experience for all of the chocolate lovers out there!

Belizean Food on the Road

2011-07-13T12:11:00.000-06:00

Getting close to two months in Belize, nearly all of it in the southern town of Punta Gorda, and my food adventures continue to surprise me! I have managed to get out of PG (as it is called locally) a handful of times, including a day trip to the Belizean capital, Belmopan, and a long weekend in the beach town of Placencia. Following are some random shots of what is keeping my gastro-explorations so interesting while on the road...

Mango and Pepper
While traveling on the bus in Belize, food vendors get on at every stop to sell their snacks. This one is common in mango season - green mango (unripe) with cayenne pepper -and makes for a spicy healthy snack to hold you over until you reach your destination.

After giving a presentation on food research to a field school based in the village of Maya Center, I took a side trip to Placencia for a few days with my friend Sequoia. Our first night there, we were out drinking, when we were joined by a local - and gregarious - woman at the bar. After a few too many drinks we left her singing karaoke, only to run into her the next day at her small street stand where she sold grilled chicken and fish. Happy to see us, Miss Brenda invited Sequoia and I to her place for a home-cooked lobster dinner later that night.

Miss Brenda's House!
Inside, you can see Miss Brenda preparing our plates,
while Sequoia waits excitedly at our table in the front yard.

Lobster and Fish by Miss Brenda.
A plate done up right - fresh caught lobster and fish
with rice and beans, bread pudding, pasta salad.

We had some other tasty food in Placencia as well, which I will perhaps share at a later date. Instead, I'll share a small piece of the food scene in Belmopan. On this day I spent over 10 hours on the bus to get to and from Belmopan. I went to pick up my research permit, but I think I should have stayed a night to more fully explore what appeared to be an interesting variety of street food, if not to break up so many hours on the bus.

Food Shacks in Belmopan
Some of the many food stalls that occupy the area near the bus station.
Perfect for hungry travelers, and frequented by the many professionals
working in the capital.

Shekar Indian Fast Food
I went for the authentic Indian food for something I can't get in PG.
The owner and chef is from India, and was excited to share his food with me. You can see the menu, which changes daily.

Yellow Dhal by Shekar
The vegetarian special: A tasty plate with dhal, curried rice and Belizean Roti!

Cashew Roasting with Gomier in Belize

2011-07-01T12:11:00.000-06:00

With such an abundance of food-producing plants here in the Toledo district, there is always a new food experience to be had. Gomier is an old friend from previous visits, and the proprietor and chef at his small restaurant by the sea (here's a nice piece about him from the Esperanza Project). He prepares vegetarian and fish-based dishes, and is often credited with providing some of the best meals available in Punta Gorda.

With my friend Jillian from Remedia (soon to be Enduring Culture), I was lucky to get together with Gomier for a lesson in preparing cashews. It's a fairly simple process, but unique and fun in its own way. Best of all is at the end you have cashews to munch on!

These are the raw cashews in their shell. Raw cashews contain a toxin related to poison ivy which can be removed by fire...

With the help from a fire below, the cashews slowly catch on fire and blacken. Beware of the smoke ~ as I learned over the next few weeks, the toxin is burned off and present in the smoke. An unpleasant rash, very similar to poison ivy, results ~ for me the rashes lasted for about two weeks.

This is Gomier handling the burning cashews. Here, he is removing them from the fire, as they are now burning on their own.

With his tough bare hands, Gomier pats out the burning cashews. You need to be careful not to burn the nuts all the way through, or the nuts that you seek will be burned as well!

The resulting pile of burned cashews, and the beginning of the de-shelling process. Your hands turn black, and sometimes the nuts crumble apart, but with careful attention, the yummy sweetness of cashews begin to fill your bowl.

Time to snack! Our take of edible cashews was small, although I'm not sure if the take would ever be big enough. Thanks Gomier for this fun food adventure!

More Food from Punta Gorda, Belize

2011-06-19T00:11:00.000-06:00

Here are some more shots of my food experiences in Belize. If you're enjoying the pictures and the evolving descriptions, keep checking back, as I'll be uploading more as the days go by...

This is Giovanni Foster, owner and chef at Earth Runnin's in PG.
Here he's taking a machete to the Goliath Grouper head that
was the centerpiece of my last post. My friend Jillian is in
the background.

Shark Steaks, Fryjacks, and fresh-made salsa at Earth Runnin's in PG.
Man, this was good!!

A Purple House Creation! I live in a purple house in PG, and try to cook sometimes.
Here's a simple vegetable fried rice, fried sweet plantains, and fresh cucumbers.
Prepared by my friend Sequoia and I.

Like so many other drinks and foods in Belize ~
Caribbean Flavours Cucumber Juice: Brings out the Man in You!

Fish Head Stew in Belize!

2011-06-13T00:11:00.000-06:00

The head of a Goliath Grouper, or Jew Fish:

the centerpiece of Earth Runnin's Fish Head Stew

Living in the far south of Belize in the small town of Punta Gorda, it can be a challenge to find unique and well-prepared food. I've been hanging out at Earth Runnin's with chef and owner, Giovanni Foster, where I'm getting a first hand look at some great food creations based on local foods and traditional food-ways. He served shark and fry jacks for lunch yesterday, which I'll post some pictures of soon, but this post is reserved for the fish head stew we made a couple of days ago.

First, the fish head gets machete-chopped into large pieces -
notice the good amount of meat that comes with the head...

After the fish head is chopped up and cleaned in a hot water bath, the
pieces get marinated in lime juice, cilantro, kulantro, garlic, onion,
curry, turmeric and black pepper.

Cooking the Stew: A house made coconut milk base (from fresh-picked coconut),
simmered with large-cut bread fruit, cocoyam, and okra, the stew thickens
and the flavors mingle...

The fish head is separated out after the stew is done cooking.
One then dishes out the stew, and chooses their piece of fish -
with hopes of getting one of the prized cuts with an eyeball!

The finished product: a delicious bowl of fish head stew!

Belizean Food Adventures

2011-06-06T15:50:00.001-06:00

Be sure to check back for continued updates and new pictures of the varied food experiences that I encounter in the Toledo District of Belize and beyond!

Dragon Fruit & Banana Smoothie
from Earth Runnin's Cafe and Bukut Bar, Punta Gorda, Belize
Thanks Giov!

Belikin Stout - the National Beer of Belize & 6.8% abv

Whole Red Snapper and Stewed-Beans & Rice

From Joycelyn's Food Shack, Punta Gorda, Belize
(I had already taken a bite before I snapped this picture!)

The Antithesis of Unearthly

2010-04-05T22:39:00.001-06:00

Originally Published on "Brews of Our Lives"

Down here in the Tampa Bay area, our beer selection has improved dramatically in the last few years. We've gone from a relative beer backwater to the home of one of the most exciting new breweries in the country - Cigar City. Besides our own regional brews, we have also seen a huge increase in the selection of small batch brews from all around the country. As an apt example, I offer Iniquity - an imperial black ale from Southern Tier Brewing out of Lakewood, NY.

Per the writing on the bottle, Iniquity "is contrary to what one may expect from an IPA; this is an ale as black as night." However, I have to think they're referring mostly to the appearance of this black as night brew. Loaded with chinook, cascade, williamette, and centennial hops, this is clearly an IPA - even at first taste. But while the hops dominate and define this tasty brew, there is an underlying malt character that you might not find in other IPAs - I think the hop bitterness is evident, but the "debittered black malt" balances that bitterness out, making for a very pleasant 9% black IPA bomb.

Find one and drink it!

***For all the PA readers, I was at Cigar City Brewery the other night (and had some great beers), and I heard some bad news for fans from the north. Due to high demand, they're planning to stop supplying the PA market until later this year, after they get a couple new fermenters up and running. If you like the beers and see them around, snatch them up, as they won't be restocked for a while!

Brews of Our Lives

2010-02-09T08:39:00.001-06:00

For anyone who has enjoyed some of my beer blogs, I have also begun contributing to the new blog, "Brews of Our Lives" started by artist and good friend, Kevin.

Check it out here >>>

The 'Rents Winter Heat Hot Sauce

2010-02-06T15:22:00.000-06:00

I've posted a couple of the hot sauces that I've cooked up here in the past, and I'm just about out here in my Florida kitchen. Between sharing them with friends, and using them liberally on sandwiches and in my (occasional) cooking, I'm down to my last jar. I should say, the sauces age well - even after a year in the cupboard, the flavors have become more complex, and the heat has increased as well.
So running dangerously low has had me keeping an eye out for some good hot peppers, preferably organic and local. My searching was unsuccessful however, and I've just been milking this last jar for as long as I could. Alas, my visiting parents came across a hot pepper score at the local flea market, and brought me a bunch home. They brought back a high-powered BTU bunch, which I think included habaneros, serranos, thai chiles, and some jalepenos. I decided to just go simple with this sauce:

Blend all peppers together
Add ~1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
Add ~2 tblsp honey (I used local palmetto honey)

Once blended into a liquid, cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Jar it up, and let it sit for a while - a couple weeks at least, then share and enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Stirfry

2009-09-26T12:46:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted on cooking in a while, and that's largely because I've been living on sandwiches and Amy's frozen meals. Well I finally had a few things in the fridge that I wanted to use up, and decided to put something together - a pepper and onion sweet and sour stirfry. I've had some trouble in the past finding a good balance between the sweet and sour, but this one turned out pretty good. The tamari and pineapple juice complement each other fairly well, and the chili flakes add a nice bit of spiciness. If I had some, I would have added some tofu. Here's the recipe:

2 medium carrots
2 green peppers
2 small yellow onions
garlic to your taste (I like to use a lot)
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
6-8 oz pineapple juice
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp red chili flakes

Start by cooking the chopped carrots over medium-high heat for about 1-2 minutes. Add onion, garlic and peppers, cook for 5-7 minutes. Add pineapple, juice and tamari, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add cilantro and chili flakes, cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, serve over rice.

Bust a Nut Brown Ale!

2009-08-06T20:47:00.000-06:00

As I noted in a previous post, I finally broke down and purchased the equipment to start making my own beer, and about 1 month ago, a group of friends and I brewed our first beer - a nut brown ale. It turned out to be a great decision. It has given us another fun reason to get together, as there were six of us at the brewing, then eight of us at the tasting. If you enjoy cooking and creating in the kitchen, and you also enjoy craft beers, then homebrewing is a natural extension. I picked up the recipe and ingredients from Southern Brewing in Tampa, and the guys there have been friendly and helpful ever since.

Here's the tasting impression of the first brew of our recently dubbed "Greenbriar Artisan Brews" followed by the recipe:

Bust a Nut Brown Ale
Malty aroma - a slight smell of yeast
pours with a big head - well carbonated; doesn't hold that long.
a mild tasting malty brown; almost creamy with notes of walnut; slight hoppy finish.
aftertaste is a bit nutty.
not at it's best right out of the fridge. i didn't temp check it, but it seemed to be best at what i think was about 55 degrees.

Ingredients (for a 5-gallon, extract brew):
Yeast - Nottingham dry yeast
Malt - 5 lbs Amber Dry Malt Extract
Steeping Grains -
- 1 lb Briess Carmel 40L
- .5 lb Briess Victory
- 1 lb Briess Flaked Oats
- .25 lb Fawcett Pale Chocolate
Hops -
- 1 oz Fuggles (60 min)
- .5 oz EKG (15 min)
Priming Sugar (Dextrose) for bottling

Instructions.
Heat 2 gallons water to between 165 & 175 degrees and remove from heat. Place steeping grains into a mesh bag and steep for 30 minutes. Remove bags, strain, bring pot to a boil. Remove from heat, and add malt extract, stirring constantly until dissolved. Return to heat, and slowly bring to boil, being cautious of boil over. Boil for 5 minutes. Add Fuggles hops, boil for 45 minutes, add EKG hops, boil for 15 minutes more. Remove from heat. This is your wort.
Place the pot in an ice bath to drop temperature to about 110-120 degrees. Vigorously pour wort into fermenting bucket, add cold water to the 5 gallon mark. Wort should be below 80 degrees, add yeast, cover with airlock in lid.

The beer must now ferment for at least 10 days, but 2 weeks is probably better. I use a water bath in a round plastic keg holder that I purchased at the Home Depot garden center. It must be temperature controlled and kept in a range of about 60-74 degrees. I add ice bottles once in the morning and once at night, keep it covered, and that seems to do the trick.

After fermentation is complete, it's time to bottle. Dissolve the priming sugar in about 1 cup of water, add to bottling bucket. Carefully and slowly siphon beer into bottling bucket, causing as little oxygenation as possible. Bottle the beer. Five gallons gives you about 25 22oz bottles or 52 12oz bottles.

The beer is then ready in about 2 weeks. Some people try it after 1 week. I've heard it peaks at 3 months, and then deteriorates after about 6 months. Most important, enjoy your fresh yummy homebrew!

Beer in Tampa Bay: Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

2009-07-12T19:54:00.000-06:00

Another Dogfish Head treat to share - this time around it's the World Wide Stout - a crazy dark 18%+ stout from one of the coolest breweries on the planet. I am so happy to be able to buy their beer down here in Florida. It poured nearly black to a medium head that dissipated quickly, but still held a nice laciness on top throughout the drinking. As expected with such a high alcohol stout, the initial taste is of the sweet sweet barley. The sweet gives way quickly though, to complex flavors of slight smoke, a little caramel, maybe even some molasses and what I think tastes like cherries in there too. The warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach betrayed the high alcohol content which was surprisingly absent from the taste. For a single twelve oz bottle I paid $9, but after trying it out, it won't be the last one that I drink. Cheers to Dogfish Head for giving us such interesting and yummy brews to keep us warm (even in steamy hot Floriday) and happy.

Beer in Tampa Bay: Humidor Series Ale from Cigar City

2009-07-10T20:52:00.000-06:00

Living in the Tampa Bay area has recently gotten a whole lot better with the addition of Cigar City Brewing and their numerous unique ales. A bit hard to find, and only available in large bottles (and on tap at some area bars), Cigar City's brews have been well worth the search. While picking up some lunch at an Italian market in St Petersburg, I spotted a variety I have yet to see or try: the Humidor Series Ale. This is the first bottled edition of what is to be a rotating series of beer that will be aged in special (and rare) cedar-wood tanks. From Cigar City's website:

Cedar has a more subtle effect on beer than more traditional woods like oak. But, we think that once you taste it you'll agree that cedar deserves a place along side oak in the brewer's wood-aging toolbox. Humidor series beers will vary due to style, but are always a good option for pairing with a fine cigar.

This first edition to the series takes their Jai Alai India Pale Ale (7.5% ABV) and puts it in that special cedar tank. What can I say but yummmm!
The beer poured to a nice big head that was easily resurrected with a simple swirl of my glass once I began drinking. The Jai Alai is a hoppy IPA with notes of citrus that mixed and mingled surprisingly well with the hints of cedar culled from the tank. The floral aroma and initial mouth feel bring on the taste of an IPA, and then the cedar slides in and mellows it all out. This is a really nice beer made unique by the cedar casking - highly recommended!

Beer in Tampa Bay: Immort Ale by Dogfish Head

2009-07-06T21:01:00.000-06:00

As may be noticed, posts on my unique kitchen creations have been lacking for a while now, and I must admit that I have struggled to put much effort into my meals these days. One thing I have continued though is drinking beer. And after all, I figure beer does resided in the kitchen! When I first moved to the Tampa Bay area 5 years ago, I was shocked at how poor the beer selection was here - especially coming from the beer mecca of Philadelphia. Lucky for me (and all the other beer fans in the area), things have picked up down here in America's wang. Along with the increased variety, I have even commenced my first attempt at brewing: a nut brown ale about which I will post soon. So, the point of this little diatribe? I've decided to share some of the beers that I've been able to enjoy down here, along with some of the places from whence they have come. In other words: a little Tampa Bay Beer Love...

And so... first to be shared?

Dogfish Head Immort Ale
What we have here is a twelve oz bottle of 11% abv (alcohol by volume) goodness.
I first drank this with a few friends, and most of them didn't really like it, and I have to admit it does have a 'unique' taste when it first enters your mouth. Still, there was something interesting there, so I had another, and that's when I realized how unique - ly good this beer really is. It pours to a nice creamy head that lingers throughout the drinking. The label tells of the maple, vanilla, and oak notes of the beer, and strangely, each of these tastes boldly linger until the nice smooth finish after you swallow. At first taste, I felt like I was drinking a sweeter beer - similar to a barley wine perhaps - but it finishes so smooth and almost light, it becomes a highly drinkable high-alcohol beer. In fact, I liked it so much I had to go out and buy myself another 4-pack. If you enjoy beers that are a bit unique, go get yourself one of these tasty brews from one of my favorite breweries in the country these days.

Peter Jennings on "How the Food Industry is Deceiving You"

2009-06-16T21:45:00.001-06:00

This series of five 8(ish) minute videos is from 2007, but you may still find it very informative and certainly pretty interesting. Two years later, virtually nothing has changed...

Emerging Issues in the U.S. Organic Industry

2009-06-06T16:35:00.000-06:00

Read this new report from the USDA which includes details on the new incentives for farmers to transition to organic practices.
The abstract:
Consumer demand for organic products has widened over the last decade. While new producers have emerged to help meet demand, market participants report that a supply squeeze is constraining growth for both individual firms and the organic sector overall. Partly in response to shortages in organic supply, Congress in 2008 included provisions in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (2008 Farm Act) that, for the first time, provide direct financial support to farmers to convert to organic production. This report examines recent economic research on the adoption of organic farming systems, organic production costs and returns, and market conditions to gain a better understanding of the organic supply squeeze and other emerging issues in this rapidly changing industry.

Click here for links to the entire report >>>

Find Your Farmer

2009-03-28T15:46:00.000-06:00

An article in the NYTimes shares a new effort by a company from the western U.S. to help and encourage consumers to connect to the sources of their food.

The underlying idea, broadly called traceability, is in fashion in many food circles these days. Makers of bananas, chocolates and other foods are also using the Internet to create relationships between consumers and farmers, mimicking the once-close ties that were broken long ago by industrialized food manufacturing.

Visit the site @ findthefarmer.com>>>

Continue reading the NYTimes article>>>

No More High Fructose Corn Syrup!

2009-02-24T22:02:00.001-06:00

A handful of popular beverages are reportedly removing HFCS from their products, including Snapple, Mountain Dew and Pepsi. Apparently the move stems from consumer preferences that appear to be wising up to the dangers of the federally subsidized product.

Read the rest of the article here>>>

The National School Lunch Program

2009-02-22T12:50:00.000-06:00

From the American News Project:

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

2008-04-28T17:47:00.000-06:00

It sure has been a while, and while I have not been posting, it doesn't mean that I haven't been cooking. The fact of the matter is - these blogs take up a good portion of time, and at times, certain things take priority over sharing my food creations.

With that said, I could not resist getting this tasty little pot of goodness out there. What we have is a vegetarian shepherd's pie with a tofu/veggie layer, a vegetarian gravy, and sweet potatoes mashed on top. Known as a working-man's dish, the looks of this one fit that description, but the taste will make anyone strive to be a working-man.

So here's what we have. I sort of cooked everything at the same time so that it wasn't a drawn out process. I started by cutting up four sweet potatoes and boiling them in some slightly salted water (I would actually use 5 or 6 for a thicker potato layer - something this can definitely handle). While they were cooking, I made up the tofu layer:

1 block of tofu cubed small
1 large onion
2 stalks of celery
1-2 stalks of broccoli
1/2 cup of chopped almonds
1 tbsp thyme
1 tsp coriander
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp Braggs (or soy sauce)

Start by cooking up the onions and celery in some oil with the thyme, cumin, and coriander on medium heat. After about 2-3 minutes, add the broccoli and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Next add the tofu and Braggs and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Finally add the chopped almonds and lemon juice and let cook for another 5 minutes. Stir occasionally throughout, and lower the heat after the tofu cooks for a few minutes.

Vegetarian Gravy:
1 1/2 cup of water from that used for boiling the potatoes
3 tbsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch) dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup Braggs
1 tbsp horseradish
1 small red onion chopped
6-10 cloves of garlic chopped

Start by sauteing the onion and garlic until the onions are translucent. Add the water, tamari, braggs, and horseradish. Slowly stir in the arrowroot water, and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until thick.
This would also be really good with some mushrooms - I just didn't have any on hand.

Finally, for the sweet-mashed-potatoes, I boiled up the four cut sweet potatoes until they were soft. I used a hand masher to mash the potatoes (skins and all), about 1/3 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of soy milk, a little bit of salt, and about 2 tbsp of raw sugar, and mashed until smooth.

Finally, I layered the three, with the tofu layer on the bottom, a layer of sliced zucchini (which will cook during the bake), the thickened gravy layer, and all topped with the sweet potatoes. I then baked it at 400 for about 20 minutes. This pot is probably good for 6-8 people, more if served with sides or salads.

yum yum yum yum...

Healing in the Kitchen

2008-03-19T21:29:00.000-06:00

I realize I have not posted a recipe or meal in what seems like weeks. I do appologize, and expect that I have lost what few readers I had in the first place. It just happens to be one of those stretches in life where you do what you can to survive. Well... in lieu of food, I offer an article from Alternet.org that promotes the healing properties of those spices in our spice cabinets. If the fun of experimenting with preparing foods from around the world doesn't inspire you to play in the kitchen, do it for the potential benefits to your health and well-being.
Check out the article here.
More importantly - keep cooking!!!

The Devil Lives in Florida Hot Sauce!!!

2008-02-29T11:40:00.000-06:00

Alright... this is bound to be a hot sauce that throws some real heat out there. This is almost all hot peppers, and to add a touch of Florida, I threw in the meat of a big old locally grown mango. Again, I'm letting it sit for a few weeks before I give it a try, but I already have the first jar out to friends, so I'm hoping for some other opinions too...
Here's what I did to make it:
I had a bunch of garlic, 4 habaneros, 4 red jalapenos, 5 cayennes, 3 long red hots, and 1 hot red pepper. I used about 1/3 of a cup of organic balsamic, the meat of that mango sitting there, and blended it all together. Once it was well blended, I cooked it on low heat for about 30 minutes, after which I jarred it. Really, this was a simple one, but sometimes simplicity leads to the tastiest stuff. I can't wait to give this one a try. Just taking a little dip o' the finger while it was cooking, and my tongue was on fire. And you know... living down here in the sunshine state, I sometimes think the devil really is incarnate here - he/she could be any number of folks i've run into down here in the last couple of years. Maybe he's all of them!!!

Guacamole, Ginger-Baked Tofu & Corn on the Cob

2008-02-23T14:22:00.000-06:00

A simple, but diverse dinner here, with a small bowl of guacamole, some baked tofu topped with a peanut-soy-garlic-ginger mix, a cob of corn, and a few spears of asparagus. And that's a glass of homemade green & sage tea. And really, this was a simple meal to put together. While I was boiling the corn, I steamed the asparagus on top of the pot at the same time. A slab or two of butter on top, and these were ready to go. The baked tofu is a little more complicate, but remains one of my favorite ways to enjoy this soy product. In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of peaunut butter, 1/2 cup warm water, a few cloves of chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons of Braggs (or soy sauce) until mixed well. Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch slabs, place on a baking sheet, and spread the mixture on top evenly. Bake this for about 10-15 minutes (I do it in my toaster oven), or until some of the sauce is sizzling. Next, take a sauce (I have used various barbeque sauces in the past, but for this one, I used the Ginger People's Ginger Jerk Sauce), and pour liberally over the all of the tofu, and bake for another 5-7 minutes. That will be ready to go.
And finally, the guacamole. This is super simple. One avocado, the juice from half a lime, and a tablespoon (or two) of your favorite hot sauce or salsa (I used the "Florida Heat" hot sauce that I have posted previously here) and a few dashes of salt. With a fork, mix and smooth the ingredients together, and voila - a simple, but yummy guac.

Sorry for the lack of posts...

2008-02-14T17:44:00.000-06:00

I'm in a really busy stretch right now with some work stuff, so posts may be a bit sporadic. I have a couple of things ready to put together for a post, and hope to have a few more come together through this busy period. Keep checking though, as the food, pics, and recipes will continue to flow at some point in the near future.
Thanks for being patient....

A Taste of Summer...

2008-02-06T16:14:00.000-06:00

I just made the easiest dinner:
Empty 1 container of homemade tomato sauce into pot. Heat.
Cook 1 bag organic whole wheat pasta (Trader Joes).
Pour sauce over cooked pasta.
A few organic greens, parmesan cheese... Voila!!

The sauce was made last summer from those wonderful tomatoes we can only dream about this time of year here at the river. Nothing fancy: tomatoes, onion, green peppers, GARLIC, olive oil, fresh basil, oregano, parsley, pepper and sea salt - but the flavor just can't be beat! So, this summer, remember to freeze some of those luscious sauces and veggies and enjoy summer's bounty all year long!

As you leaf through those seed catalogs, be sure to order some heirloom veggies!

Pasta and Veggies!

2008-02-03T13:24:00.001-06:00

This dish is comprised of two parts: a penne pasta with a simple tomato, mushroom, and garlic sauce, alongside oven-baked vegetables, which included red and sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, garlic, and red and yellow peppers. It was all pretty basic and simple, but with just the right amount of flavor to keep it interesting. For the pasta dish, I used one small diced sweet onion, a handful of sliced baby portabella mushrooms, and a chopped tomato, along with a bunch of rough chopped garlic.
Start the onion and garlic in the pan, and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and tomato, and let it cook for another 4 minutes or so. When it's finished, add it to the pasta. I finished it off with about 2 tsp of sesame oil, which gave it a little bit of an Asian flavor, which worked well with the mushrooms.
While I was making all of that, I had the veggies in the oven baking. I started them in a covered pot with a mixture of olive oil, hot sauce, and braggs (or soy sauce). I took it out every 10 minutes or so, and stirred it up, and after about 45 minutes, I put it on some foil, topped it with poppy seeds and Parmesan cheese, and baked it for another 12 minutes or so. Served together with the penne dish, and I had myself a nice dinner, and a couple of lunches for the week. Yum...

Veggie Quiche

2008-01-28T15:33:00.000-06:00

New blogger here! While not nearly as creative as Dooglas, I do try to use local, organic products and EASY is the type of cooking I lean towards! This morning I decided to clean out the veggie bin in the fridge and altered a recipe from Dr. Weil - a fabulous quiche that uses potato slices in place of the traditional crust. Healthier and just as tasty!

The dish is lined with thinly sliced potatoes and then filled with fresh veggies of any sort, eggs, milk and spices. Local eggs and produce I find at Jack's Farm, now a weekly haunt of mine. The recipe calls for milk and sour cream, however I substitute rice or soy milk (without carrageenan) and an extra egg. I also use whatever veggies I have on hand. Mushrooms are always a nice addition as well as a little hot sauce.

The basic recipe...
Saute 1/2 c chopped onion, 2 cloves chopped garlic in a little olive oil till onions are transparent. Add 1 c sliced carrots (and mushrooms to taste) 1 T parsley, 1 T basil, chili flakes to taste, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook 5-10 minutes longer.
Butter pie dish and line with thinly sliced potatoes.
Whisk 6-7 eggs, 1 c milk, 1/4 c softened sun-dried tomatoes, 3/4 c shredded cheese of your choice, and a little hot sauce.
Mix liquid mixture with any fresh chopped veggies (enough to fill dish) and pour into potato crust.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 1 hour at 375.
Let cool a little bit before serving.

Serve with some greens.....

A nice winter tummy warmer here at the river!

Thai Green Curry

2008-01-26T10:26:00.000-06:00

Ok - I'm pretty sure this was the best plate that I have made so far (since starting the site at least), and it definitely is the best curry that I have created. How does this sound: white eggplant, sweet potato, and peanuts in a green curry sauce. The only thing I was missing was some fresh cilantro with which to top it all off. Here's the basic recipe:1 medium size white eggplant cubed
1 sweet potato cubed
1 sweet white onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup green curry paste (see recipe below)
1 cup vegetable stock
1 lime - juice, and grated rind
2 tbsp raw sugar

Prep:
Start by cooking the garlic, onion, and curry paste in a large wok or frying pan for about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggplant, and cook an additional 4 minutes or so. Add the coconut milk, and vegetable stock, heat to a near boil, and then simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potato and cook until tender - about 10 more minutes. Finally add the sugar, lime juice and rind, and the peanuts, and serve with brown rice in a bowl. Yum.Green Curry Paste:
2 jalapeños
1 small white onion
1 long hot green pepper
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 lime - juice & grated rind
1 tsp soy sauce (braggs)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin

Prep: Throw it all in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Simple and easy, and it comes out good - just the right amount of heat.

And finally - a really easy way to make your own vegetable stock:
1/2 onion
1 stalk celery
1 small carrot
3-4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp oregano
salt & pepper

prep:
Dice all the veggies very small, and cook in some oil in a small pot for about 4-5 minutes. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Sometimes I'll add some vegetable seasoning too - like Spike or something to give it a little more flavor. You can then take out what you need (one cup for the above recipe for instance), and use the remaining water/stock to cook your rice in.

Florida Heat Hot Sauce!

2008-01-21T19:28:00.001-06:00

I enjoy making different types of sauces, and with a good variety of hot peppers down at the market, I decided to start making some hot sauces. This one utilized the BPUs of 4 types of red peppers - three habaneros (orange actually), four long red hots, 1 cayenne, and 2 large red hots. Chopped, and placed in a blender - seeds and all - with about 1/3 cup of white vinegar, 1 cup of prepared salsa (tomatoes, various peppers, onions, garlic), 2 tablespoons of honey, and a handful of garlic cloves, and then blended until smooth. I then cooked the sauce over low heat for about twenty minutes, and jarred it. I'm letting it sit for a bit before trying - at least a week - and sharing two of the jars with friends, which I think is one of the best things about making and jarring hot sauces! Another fun thing is the creativity you can use to make hot sauces. Fruits, veggies, and hot peppers seem to go so well together, and in so many combinations. I'll try to keep a jar of my own on hand pretty consistently, and if I find friends who like them (and use them!), I should be making a bunch of them. If you enjoy the heat, you should definitely try your hand at making your own - and stay tuned for new ideas...

Salt & Pepper Tofu with Green Stir Fry

2008-01-21T19:01:00.000-06:00

After trying that salt & pepper tofu at Yummy House a couple of weeks ago, I have been wanting to try to put something similar together at home. So I gave it a shot, and served it with another stir fry and some brown rice.
Salt & Pepper Tofu: I cubed a half-block of tofu, breaded it with my salt & pepper mix, and pan fried it until the tofu started turning that golden brown. For my breading mix, I used seasoned bread crumbs, a good amount of ground salt, garlic, and pepper, and some spike seasoning. I rolled it around in the seasoning, and threw it in the pan. The breading didn't stay on as much as I had hoped, but it still cooked up to make a sort of salt, pepper, and garlic crumble, and topped with some fresh chopped cilantro, and I had myself a pretty good side of tofu.
Green Stir Fry: With a head of yummy broccoli, and some sweet peas in the fridge, I decided to make a simple stir fry to serve with the tofu. Chopped up the broccoli, a jalepeno for some spice, and threw in the snow peas, cooked it in a mixture of sesame and canola oil, tamari, and some thai fish sauce that I just picked up. Simple but yummy...

Dinner with the Anthro Peeps

2008-01-18T12:48:00.000-06:00

I got to do a group dinner for a change the other night when a group of friends from the anthropology department got together for a little welcome back from the holidays dinner. And as I love it, the whole bunch of us were buzzing around the kitchen putting it all together. The meal included a walnut-cranberry-fetta over baby-greens salad, a nice caprese salad, and a vegetarian lasagne served with garlic bread. Not pictured was a bunch of yummy golden corn-on-the-cob, and the dessert of dark-chocolate dipped strawberries. Two of us put together the lasagne, so that's what the focus of this post will be. We started with the sauce by cooking up a large onion, a bunch of garlic and mushrooms. We added a large can of diced tomatoes, along with some sun-dried tomatoes and some extra tomato sauce to increase the volume. We created a mozzarella-ricotta cheese mix, a shredded basil-spinach mix, and some steamed zucchini. This gave us three distinct layers in addition to our homemade sauce and the noodles. Topped with mozzarella and parmesian, baked for about 30 minutes, and then enjoyed with the rest of the spread. Thanks to everyone for a great meal and a great evening!

Okra Over My Cauliflower - Indian Style

2008-01-13T19:37:00.000-06:00

Maybe they would call this Bhindi Gobi, I'm not sure, but either way, it was kind of a fun new dish that I haven't made before. What we have here is a baked head of cauliflower, on a bed of rice, covered with an okra-tomato Indian curry.

I'll start with the cauliflower - take the full head, brush it with olive oil and a little bit of tumeric and curry powders, add a little bit of water to the pan, and bake it. It took about 45 minutes until the cauliflower was soft enough so that when I dished it out, the serving spoon sort of just went right through. Then I took the short-grain brown rice that I've been using, and spooned it around the cauliflower.

For the okra-tomato curry, I used my array of spices (pictured here) to make my own sort of garam masala, which I cooked in oil before adding anything else. After cooking the spices for a few minutes, I added the chopped garlic, onion, and okra, and cooked them until the onions were translucent. Then I added the diced tomatoes, and let it cook on low for about 20 minutes or so. During this time I also added a tiny bit of cinnamon, and some more powdered garlic, just because I can't get enough of the stuff. Then I simply ladled the curry over the the cauliflower and rice, and it was ready to serve.

Simple Stir-Fry

2008-01-12T15:08:00.000-06:00

Feeling decidedly uncreative, but still with the pangs of hunger in my belly, I decided to go stir-fry last night. This is a basic and simple dish with two shallots, carrots, celery, green pepper, broccoli, sweet peas, and tofu, all chopped to preference. In a wok-fry hybrid pan, I heated some oil, and started with the garlic, and quickly added the rest of the veggies, stirring and flipping occasionally. I then added Braggs liquid aminos, tamari, and some homemade hot sauce at this stage. After a few minutes, I added the tofu, and let that cook for a another few minutes until everything looked like this... Served with short-grain brown rice, and enjoyed!

Latin Night!

2008-01-09T20:13:00.000-06:00

With a fridge full of stuff, and an empty belly, I decided to cook something for myself tonight, but I couldn't really come up with anything too striking. Well I finally decided on a Latin/Mexican theme, and came up with some pretty interesting, and definitely yummy stuff. On the plate is some corn-on-the-cob topped with a slab of fresh mozzarella, a baked sweet potato topped with rice and beans, some more fresh mozzerella, and some fresh salsa, and finally a spicy hot-pepper eggplant baked with three cheeses. Yup - yummy yummy.
So let's see - the corn is pretty simple, so no explanation needed there. The sweet potato was pretty simple too. I baked the potato and then cut it in half. The rice and beans was a simple kidney beans and rice, with some garlic, peppers and onions, and some green salsa I had in the fridge, served with the mozzarella and fresh salsa on top. The eggplant was a little more time consuming, but not all that much. I used a really flavorful, almost creamy, heirloom variety of eggplant that I got down at the market. It was sort of like purple and white zebra-striped. I first cooked the cubed eggplant with some cumin and dried hot red pepper, and set it aside. Next I cooked up some garlic, onion, and three different types of peppers until they were soft, and then added the eggplant back in for just a minute or so. The mixture was then put in a small baking dish and topped with shredded cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesian cheeses mixed with seasoned bread crumbs (pictured at right without the cheese topping). Baked for about 12 minutes, and served with the rest. Now I just need someone to share this with!

Stuffed Peppers & more Brussel Sprouts

2008-01-04T19:33:00.000-06:00

Back to the cooking.... With the market coming up, I needed to use a few things in the fridge so that I could restock, and I came up with a nice two course meal. Dish one was caraway-dill brussel sprouts over pasta spirals. I started with a quick and easy veggie broth which I make by dicing onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, cooking them until soft, adding spices to taste (oregano, basil, cumin, or in this case some caraway), then adding water and letting it simmer for 10 minutes or so. After getting the broth going, I cooked up another onion and some more garlic in a fry pan, and added the brussel sprouts, dill, and more caraway, and let it cook for a few minutes, finishing it up by adding the broth and letting it cook for about 15 minutes until the brussel sprouts were done. I served it mixed with some left-over pasta spirals.
Dish two was Provençal-style stuffed peppers. Here I cooked baby portabellas, red onion, garlic, and zucchini, for about 5-10 minutes, added two chopped tomatoes and some basil, and cooked for another 5 minutes or so. I used this as a filling in 6 halved red and green peppers that I first blanched for about 3 minutes. I baked the filled peppers, covered for about 20 minutes, then topped them with shredded cheddar and fresh basil, and baked them five minutes more. Served and enjoyed.

Yummy House in Tampa

2008-01-03T13:04:00.000-06:00

So this will be my first restaurant review for the site, and I'm happy to say that it will be about a yummy meal from Yummy House - a chinese restaurant in Tampa, FL. As with nearly everything down here in the sunshine state, Yummy House is in a small strip-plaza, and is fairly unassuming, but the food inside certainly lives up to the name on the sign. So let's get down to it - our meal: We started with an appetizer of the salt & pepper tofu, which was definitely the highlight of the evening. Crispy-fried cubed tofu, soft and creamy in the center, and topped with a type of salt and pepper crunch, made of garlic, chives, cilantro, jalepenos, and of course salt and pepper - we didn't stop until the plate was clear. We also had a pot of green tea, which seemed to have a hint of seaweed that my friend didn't like, although i have to say it made for a compelling flavor. We finished the evening with two entrées - the tofu-fish bowl, and the vegetarian buddha's delight. The tofu-fish bowl was basically a large soup, warmed by flame in a unique metal pot, with large slabs of silken tofu, cabbage, onion, whole cloves of garlic, ginger, and big chunks of white fish, served with a side of rice. Tasty, but a whole lot of soup for one person, and a bit lacking as an entrée. The buddha's delight was a typical vegetable stirfry, with baby portabellas, baby bok choy, onions, carrots, baby corn, and water chestnuts, covered in a light, slightly sweet sauce, over thin rice noodles - simple, but good. With the lack of good Chinese food in the Tampa Bay area, I will certainly hit up Yummy House again, and the menu invites multiple visits, with a number of unique dishes available. Service was certainly a bit abrupt, but we got what we wanted fairly quickly, despite the lack of open tables. I think we both would have liked to finish the meal on something as tasty as that salt & pepper tofu though, and walked out to the cold with those smiles that the appetizer brought to our faces at the beginning of the meal.
Give it a try:
Yummy House
2202 W. Waters Ave
Tampa, FL
813-915-2828

happy new year!

2008-01-01T23:08:00.001-06:00

so i started out the day on new years eve with the plan of cooking a big dinner with some friends, and having something yummy to post here today. well as we all know, plans are best made to be broken, but we did get a little food made. along with some basic rice and bean quesadillas, we roasted some zucchini and brussel sprouts with garlic and olive oil, and topped it with mozzarella. accompanied with some pear martinis, and we were off to a good start for the evening. then this morning (afternoon really), we made up for the lack of a big meal last night by making a big breakfast - i guess you can call it "first breakfast, and really, cooking with a friend is the next best thing to eating what you've just cooked! but on to the food - we had some pretty basic morningstar farms veggie bacon and veggie sausage along with some generic 12-grain toast. but our meal got more interesting after that, and included rosemary and red onion potatoes, the left-over brussel sprouts and zucchini topped with poached organic free range eggs, and some stewed tomatoes to top it all off.
and here's how we made it all:
the roasted brussel sprouts and zucchini was really simple. olive oil and garlic was put on our little homemade tin foil tray along with the halved brussel sprouts and thick-sliced zucchini. baked at about 400 until they all started getting a little browned, and with occasional flipping. then top with the shredded mozzarella and bake for five minutes more, and done - easy.
the potatoes - start again with olive oil and garlic, but this time in a large frying pan. add the rosemary to start and let it cook for a few minutes. add the diced red onion, and the small-cubed red potatoes, and let it cook on medium until the potatoes begin to brown, and the onions get caramelized. yum.
the stewed tomatoes - another simple one - melt some butter in a small sauce pan, add the tomatoes and cook until they all become a similar consistency - sort of like stew!
this was certainly a nice big breakfast that provided a great meal to start off the new year. may we all continue to eat well!!

Italian!

2007-12-28T19:59:00.000-06:00

Ok... this one involved using up some of the stuff i had in the kitchen, and it came out really nice. It's a baked dish with penne pasta, a garlic, peppers, and onion tomato sauce, and topped with broccoli and some mozzarella. Here's how i did it: for the sauce, i cooked up the garlic, a green, a red, and a jalepeno pepper, along with an onion until they were at the point where you would put them on a sandwich. then i added a chopped tomato and a little bit of tomato sauce, and added some basil. i put the cooked penne at the bottom of the baking dish, and then covered it with the sauce. next, i steamed some broccoli, put it on top of the sauce, and added a layer of grated mozzarella with some bread crumbs. then i baked it for about 12 minutes until the broccoli got a bit brown. it didn't come out of the dish and onto the plate looking all that fancy, but it was certainly yummy...

Christmas Dinner 2007

2007-12-25T20:25:00.000-06:00

Well... there's a few different things going on here:
one: a satay-style tofu - a mixture of garlic, ginger, peanut butter, braggs, honey, coriander, lemon juice, hot sauce, and water was used to marinate the tofu for one hour, and then baked for about 30 minutes. this idea was modified from a recipe in the cookbook, tofu cookery, by louise hagler.
two: ginger-garlic infused brown rice - here i simply cooked the rice as normal, then in a sauce pan i quickly sautéed garlic, ginger, and a chopped hot red pepper, added a little bit of water to make a creamy paste, and then i just mixed the rice in.
three: indian-style okra - i love cooking indian, and over the years, this has proven to be a challenge for me. i have some stuff down pretty well now though, and this dish, for instance, came out great. i sautéed various spices first, then added onion, celery, carrot, okra, a jalapeño, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
four: fresh made persimmon juice - i took a persimmon (the non-astringent type) and put it in the blender with some water and ice - simple and yummy - and it sort of came out like a mango lassi (minus the yogurt), which was perfect for this indian meal.
and of course i'm going to have some of that pie (from the previous post) for dessert...
merry christmas.

christmas pie!

2007-12-24T18:45:00.001-06:00

here's a pie i made on christmas eve, and i just couldn't wait until christmas day to try some. i haven't baked in a couple of years now, but i've been wanting to start again, so i found some good stuff at the market this week, and here's what i came up with: it's an apple-pear-blackberry pie with homemade crust. check out the easy crust recipe:
flour, butter, water, salt, sugar. simple. and the filling was pretty easy too. a couple apples, a couple pears, some blackberries along with a mixture of soy milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little bit of lemon juice. bake it for 45 minutes, cool, and enjoy...

winter solstice...

2007-12-23T18:39:00.000-06:00

i made the bulk of this dish for winter solstice dinner 2007. the rice dish was a bit different for me. i first made a vegetable stock, then began to cook veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, celery, squash, and carrots) and added the dry rice to this mixture. i then slowly added the veggie stock over the course of an hour or so, resulting in a nice creamy, delicious rice (these pictures are a day or so after the fact). i wrapped some of the rice concoction in large pieces of green leaf lettuce. for the original dish (pictured below), i wrapped the rice mixture in steamed beat leaves, added some grated cheddar, and covered it with a simple sweet tomato sauce. and... that's some homemade green tea up in the corner - iced with an infusion of raspberry tea. finally, i just have to pass on what i'm reading right now - "the Omnivore's Dilemma" - which is an excellent read if you're thinking about what you eat. the author investigates the many different food chains that exist in the US, from industrial agriculture, to what is left of hunter/gatherers. highly recommended for a critical look at how we eat. happy solstice!

november dish...

2007-11-15T18:17:00.000-06:00

this is a dish i made in november 2007: mushroom rice pilaf with yellow squash/sweet pea tomato curry with a raw prickly pear chutney on the side. a nice glass of pinot noir to go along...