July 2011

July 27, 2011

The Incredible Edible Purple Egg

Yesterday I made purple eggs. Yep. Dr. Seussish, delicious purple eggs. Not because it was Easter, although I wish I had thought of doing this earlier this year. But because I was pickling cabbage (for something very, very special) and I had a tub of fuschia pickling liquid that just couldn’t be wasted. Seriously, can you imagine just pouring it down the drain? I couldn’t. So I quickly learned how to hard boil eggs — yes, I had to look this up, no judgment — and I plopped my freshly peeled gems into the cabbage container. A few hours later, […]

July 25, 2011

Salt-Free Dolmas

So I had a job. It wasn’t supposed to involve food — there was a lot more paperwork than stirring or standing over a stove. But nonetheless, it was a subject we always found ourselves gravitating towards. I also had a manager at this job, to whom I always paid a quick visit before heading to the nearest market to grab something for lunch. And upon said visit, I would ask, “is there anything you want me to get for you while I’m in the outside world?” To which I expected answers like: sandwich, coffee, maybe chips. But she always […]

July 21, 2011

Pickled Chard Stalks, Rainbow Style

Oh hi. Remember that garden I told you about a few months ago. The one that made my heart burst (in a good way)? That looked out to the gorgeous city skyline? That was a mere, dirt-filled twinkle in my eye? Yep, that’s the garden. Well, only a few months later, our little plot is full to the brim. With squash, eggplant, budding asparagus, walking stick kale, monsterous amounts of collard greens, a splash of herbs, and you guessed it, tons of rainbow chard. But a funny thing happened. Not funny haha, but funny as in we had maggots crawling […]

July 20, 2011

Seven Layer Salad

Sometimes, food is good just because it looks cool. Like bagel bites and chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs. Or noodles made of zucchini. Or bananas flambe. Which is fruit on fire. So when it comes to jazzing up the basics, a simple twist in the presentation goes a long way. And the next time you think of salads, forgetting about mixing and tossing, and try some layers. This lovely bowl had stripes of chopped red onion, fennel, apple, raw asparagus coins, fresh dill, green onions, cherry tomatoes (heirloom of course), avocado, a twist of lime, a drizzle of vinegar and […]

July 15, 2011

Low-Sodium Square One

I received a couple emails this week from readers who had been newly diagnosed with some life-altering situation and, as you can probably guess, had been told to start a low-sodium diet. Some of them were friends. Some of them were strangers. Some were nearing their sixties. Some had barely left the nest at twenty. All of them were stunned. So while I had a lovely seven layer low-sodium salad ready for you today I thought it might be better to pause from the cooking and talk about taking on this low-sodium diet, starting at square one. First, it is […]

July 13, 2011

Edamame Education: The Ultimate

Today is completely dedicated to edamame pate. Because sometimes people don’t like chicken livers. And also because a dish like this exemplifies why (and how!) low sodium cooking can be so much more than just a restricted diet. Or worse yet, a boring diet. In reality, low sodium is the ultimate test of your creativity in the kitchen. And once you’ve whole heartedly accepted the salt-free challenge, your mind starts coming up with some crazy ideas. Like edmame pate. Which is just silly crazy. And it tastes equally bonkers. For my dear reader who asked for a salt-free and equally […]

July 11, 2011

Edamame Education: The Basics

A few weeks ago, I was invited to speak at the Bay Area Association of Kidney Patients. I met some amazing folks… said a few things (http://www.vimeo.com/25442598)… and I even walked away with a nifty gifty basket of goodies from Trader Joes. Just polished of an entire bottle off salt-free balsamic vinegar. Thanks, Trader Giovinni! But beyond the chit chat and tchotchkes, I also left with some brand new ideas for low-sodium recipes. Because when I posed the innocent question, “what foods do you miss most,” these go-getters sure didn’t hold back. First, there was the tomato-less ketchup conundrum that, […]

July 8, 2011

Crispy Rice and Green Tea Pops

A few things happened this past month. I rediscovered root beer (hello, Hansens) which led me to rediscover ice cream (thank you, So Delicious). Which ultimately brought me to today’s post. And these crispy rice and green tea pops. You see, when foods – that you thought were permanently off your safe-eating list – make a grand re-entrance, the possibilities suddenly feel endless. And when one salty-barrier is broken down, I generally experience a flooding of new ideas. Edamame pate. “Shrimp” and grits. Dolmas. There have been so many new projects filling my brain that it was hard to focus. […]

July 5, 2011

Magic Mini Cornbread Madeleines

Rule number one: you eat with your eyes. In a sensory-overload kind of way. Not in actual chewing and digesting. Which brings us to rule number two: do not try to stick a forkful of food near those pretty little lids of yours. It will only lead to disaster. But back to the first lesson…presentation is perhaps one of the most important tools for a low-sodium cook, other than an immersion blender. It can be just as flavor-enhancing as a good shake of cayenne and salt. And if you play around with the look, feel, or structure of a traditional recipe, the […]

July 2, 2011

Gazoontite, America

First thought of the day: when I hear someone say God Bless America, it sounds to me like America is sneezing. And since it has been a pretty rough year for allergies, I think my point here makes even more sense. Second thought of the day (or more of a confession): to celebrate this weekend of freedom (and sneezes), I may or may not have purchased a red, white, and blue one-piece pant suit. True story. But really what we’re here to talk about is not my Claritin or my closet. It’s my kitchen, which is getting a particularly festive […]