Published on May 24, 2009
in food.
Mark Bittman on the way we eat, from his bio on the New York Times:
Taking control of our food - knowing where it comes from, selecting it and cooking it ourselves - makes us more thoughtful. Sitting down to a meal and eating with those we care about instead of standing over the sink with a bowl of cereal is an act of engagement rather than one of isolation. The way we interact with food says a lot about how we want to live our lives, and a move toward wholesome food and away from Pop Tarts and fish sticks can only portend good things.
(Thanks, Tim!)
Had a nice outing last night with my old workmates from FTSE. Went to Pride of Spitalfields - my favorite pub on the east side - for a beer and a pub cat. I had a Sharp’s Doom Bar, a 4% bitter from Cornwall. It was warm. But the cat was totally chill and the company were sweet as always.
After drinks, we headed up Brick Lane for a curry at Chaat, a Bengladeshi cafe off on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch. The food was pleasantly non-greasy, though I did think it needed a bit of salt (my companions thought I was nuts). I’ve had better samosas, but the “paneer roti wrap” was fun, the channa salad was pleasantly spiced, and the tarka dal was delicious and garlicky. It doesn’t beat Rasa, and it doesn’t beat my own Indian cooking (if I do say so myself!), but the food was great for the price, the atmosphere was pleasant, and the staff were really nice. I give it a three out of five stars.
My fam’s been making this pumpkin pie recipe since 1978! It’s always a hit at the family parties. But why wait for the holidays for pumpkin pie? I’m making one right now, for no better reason than it’s yummy, easy, and gives me a good excuse to practice my pie crust technique!
Pumpkin Pie
1 16oz. can of pumpkin
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 13oz can of evaporated milk
1 unbaked pie shell, for a 9″ pan
- In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, salt and spices.
- Blend in eggs and evaporated milk.
- Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes,
until a knife inserted half way comes out clean.
- Slice and serve with fresh whipped cream.
One step closer to the truth yesterday at Mildred’s Vegetarian Restaurant in Soho. Made with beetroot, pumpkin, peas and spring onion, this vegan burger was NOT a mush burger. And it tasted fab. Lots of whole fennel seed. Great texture. Yummy sweet relish and basil mayonnaise on the side.
Now, how do I accomplish something similar? I’m guessing lots of oil… and salt.
BTW, Mildred’s is a very nice restaurant, and reasonably priced (the veggie burger was £7.50). I would definitely eat there again.
Crossposted to SmarterFitter.com
I always wondered what it would take to break me of my Bircher muesli habit. Turns out it was the flu.
The antibiotics I’ve been taking are playing games with my taste buds, and instead of craving raw nuts and fruit, I’m instead craving cheese and dairy like they’re going out of fashion. I suddenly find myself in the mood for crêpes and blintzes, so last week I hit up Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for a bit of inspiration.
These buckwheat crêpes are my new favorite breakfast. Made with buckwheat flour, they’re chock full of fiber, manganese, magnesium and protein, and when combined with tasty fillings like fresh fruit, yogurt or cottage cheese, they make for a delicious, wholesome breakfast. My favorite crêpes medley so far is pictured above: filled with honey-sweetened cottage cheese, then topped with loads of fresh fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar. I also really dig fruit-filled crêpes topped with Greek yogurt.
That’s the awesome thing about crêpes - they’re totally versatile. In fact, these crêpes would do just as well with savory fillings, such as sauteed mushrooms, feta cheese, or any kind of veggie. I have a vision of filling these crêpes with pan-fried asparagus, then topping then with cashew gravy, but I usually eat all the crêpes up for breakfast before I get a chance.
Crêpes are traditionally made with eggs and butter, but vegans in the audience can have their crêpes and eat it, too. Check out this recipe for vegan crêpes and get cookin’!
Buckwheat Crêpes
Adopted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup milk
1 cup water
2 eggs
2 Tbsp butter, melted
- Whisk together all of the ingredients Let the batter rest for at least an hour.
- Lightly oil or butter an 8- or 10-inch nonstick skillet and place over medium heat.
- Pour a couple of tablespoons of batter into the skillet. Swirl it around so that it forms a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. (If the crêpe isn’t thin enough, add a little more milk to the batter.)
- When the top of the crêpe is dry, after about a minute, flip and cook the other side for 15 to 30 seconds. (The crêpe should brown only very slightly and not be at all crisp.)
- Stack the crêpes on a plate as you make them. You can keep them warm in a low oven while you make the remaining crêpes. Or freeze the leftover crêpes, separating each crêpe with a piece of parchment paper.
Makes about 16 crêpes. Per crêpe: 57 Calories; 2.1g Protein; 2.4g Total Fat; 7.2g Total Carbohydrates; 28mg Cholesterol; 22mg Sodium; 0.8g Fiber.
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