nature’s bounty from the hills, wilted in boiling water for a quick minute, given a cold rinse and tossed with sesame oil, sea salt and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds…
raw vegan cookies
my neighbor, danielle, makes some tasty raw vegan cookies that i was fortunate to get to sample this week. her company, PACHA VEGA, makes gluten free, vegan snacks full of nutritious ingredients like fresh fruit, raw almonds and cashews and vanilla, all dehydrated at low temps to preserve naturally occurring enzymes. pacha vega cookies come in five different flavors with playful names like Strawberry Banana Almond Sloper, Coconut Curry Crimper, and Sunflower Caraway Undercling as a tribute to their maker’s favorite pastime of rock climbing. you can order on the website and i suggest you get some!
detoxify...
the recent tragedy in japan has raised concerns about radioactive material in our air, food and water. although the amount of radiation we are being exposed to is probably very slight, it is never a bad idea to protect your body from all of the toxins to which we are exposed every day. some very wise ladies at GOOP (yes, it’s gwyneth paltrow’s blog and it’s fantastic) and midnight apothecary have given us some tips that i think are worth sharing. here are some things we can incorporate in our lives regularly to keep our bodies toxin-free and feeling great.
1. SEAWEED: the iodine in sea vegetables helps protect your thyroid and other glands from radioactive uptake and in general is one of the most medicinal foods on earth. buy some nori and host a sushi or kimbap party, or dress up plain brown rice by wrapping it in toasted nori (trust me, it’s delicious!)
2. MISO/DOENJANG: fermented soybean paste is full of live cultures, amino acids, minerals, and protein. japanese and koreans have a bowl of miso or doenjang soup almost every day and it’s easy for you to do too. make a big pot of vegetable stock this weekend and use it throughout the week as the base for your soup. boiling miso or doenjang paste destroys essential nutrients so, while you are reheating your stock, put a spoonful of the paste in a bowl and pour the hot stock over to mix. add a few cubes of tofu and a handful of scallions and share the love with your family and friends.
3. MUSHROOMS: strengthen your immune system with shitake mushrooms, sauteed in olive oil with salt and pepper or in a simple soup. mushrooms are the healers of the forest, knowing how to bring everything (on earth and in your body) back into balance.
4. Eat lots of vegetables, especially DAIKON radishe and BURDOCK root. throw them in soups or make a shredded salad or slaw. cooling and detoxifying daikon has been used for drawing out radiation.
5. FERMENT: make homemade sauerkrauts and kimchi or find someone who does (or just buy some of good quality). have a fermentation celebration and fill your empty jars or tupperwares with crunchy apple and cabbage kraut or spicy kimchi. it’s fun to massage vegetables with friends and these foods have the probiotics your gut needs and wants and are deeply nourishing and restorative.
6. HERBS: some great herbal allies are nettle tea, cilantro (it helps draw heavy metals out), and milk thistle (helps your liver process toxins).
7. WATER: DRINK lots of it. take baths. go to the sauna. sweat. cry. detox.
8. IMMUNE support: do the things you know boost your immune system. sleep well, limit sugar and processed foods, eat garlic and vitamin C rich foods and be happy!
obstructure
lazy sunday slurping noodles, nose running, intense heat
sweet and spicy mingle together like friends around a table
home-cooked stew of braised potato, onion, carrot… a veggie version
some friends of mine have started an inspiring project called Obstructure. Obstructure provides a series of “ob”stacles to a community of writers, visual artist, performers or anyone else with ideas to spare. it is the artist’s challenge to transform the obstacle into the “structure” that will become their art which will then be compiled into a quarterly ‘zine. Obstructure is based in seoul but open to creatives anywhere in the world so come join us!
the theme of Obstructure’s first issue is sijo, a traditional Korean poem comparable to Japan’s haiku. each participant was given a challenge specific to his or her talents and interests. what you see above is the product of my sijo challenge, titled andong jjimdak, which led to three great meals of one of my favorite foods shared with some of my favorite people.
rice bowl
food this good can (and should) be quick and easy. i love cooking but rarely do i feel like putting together something elaborate that takes more than an hour to cook. so most nights, i make a big pot of brown rice (enough for morning leftovers!) and top it with whatever fresh veggies i have in the fridge - steamed, stir fried, or roasted.
i have a shelf full of spices but i prefer to let the vegetables’ natural flavors work on their own so just a bit of salt and pepper and maybe a dash of nutmeg - my current favorite - is all that’s needed. top with chopped scallions for a fresh twist or add some toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and a drizzle of olive or sesame oil for protein and good omega fats and your dinner is complete.
sunday brunch
give last night’s leftover rice a new life as a sweet and healthful breakfast version of arroz con leche.
simmer cooked brown rice in soy milk - or rice milk or nut milk - with cloves, cinnamon stick and a cardamom pod until creamy and spices have steeped well.
remove from heat and sprinkle with more cinnamon, nutmeg, cane sugar, flaxseed, dried fruit, nuts, seeds or all of the above!
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