Rome: An Unexpected Pain in the Arse

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Not quite the food and wine adventure I expected, alas, but I did manage to eat one piece of Italian cheesecake with berry coulis.

For the past year, I have participated on the scientific planning committee for the International Conference on Diet and Activity Methods, which convened at the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome last week. A triannual meeting, it is the major conference in my field where scientists focus on the measurement of food intakes and physical activity. Accurately assessing these behaviors is key, as it is the foundation for studies examining important diet and health relationships such as with cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and cancer, like my own research at Boston University.

I had been integrally involved in the program planning and was scheduled to chair a symposium, give two talks, co-chair a post-conference workshop, and moderate a panel. I tell you this only to convey that this conference is among the top in my field and it is a big deal. Fellow researchers and friends from across the globe would be in attendance, and I was looking forward to hearing about their work, meeting about potential research projects, and socializing with them over fabulous wine and food in the Eternal City.

I could never have imagined missing essentially the entire conference. While my colleagues and collaborators enjoyed the intellectual stimulation of the meeting and wandered about this magnificent city, I spent most of my time sedated in the medical center following a shot in the arse.

Damn hotel bed! (Or Something.)

Anyone who has thrown out their back can understand the story I’m about to tell, and if you can’t, I hope you never will. But if bad backs are in your genes, it often takes the tiniest thing to lead to unthinkable amounts of pain. My husband once suffered from a toothbrushing-related incident, for example. My back had been a bit sore for weeks but when I entered the hotel and sat on the bed, which was hard as a rock and mattress pad-less, I had a very bad feeling about it. (This is Rome’s version of a 4 star hotel, by the way. Don’t even get me started on the other issues.)

My back was hurting the first morning, which is nothing new albeit the discomfort was a bit more extreme than usual. The bed didn’t help, sure, but who knows how it happened?Lugging my hotel the 0.75 km to the hotel? (Not unusual for me following a long flight; I love walking.) The 4 inch heels the night before? (I do love my heels…) Perhaps a combination, I imagine.

I successfully chaired my first session and gave my first talk, then sat down at the table.

At the session’s end, about an hour later, I could barely rise from my chair.

In spite of that, I managed to survive through the dinner that evening, hoping things would resolve. I took a hot bath back at the hotel, praying things would be better in the morning.

Two sleeping pills and 10 hours later, I could rise from the bed only with agony. (The kind that is slowly beginning to develop now as I finish writing this piece, as any verticality whatsoever is quite painful after 30 or so minutes.)

I nonetheless dressed very, very slowly and prepared to head over to the conference.

I am nothing if not disciplined, after all. I persevere. No pain, no gain. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. That kind of thing.

Until I collapsed on the hotel floor.

*****

As I lay crumpled on the ground, I thought first of calling my husband or my dad, prepared to change my flight and return home immediately. Defeated, tears streamed down my face with pain and anguish.

And then I thought of Team Hoyt, the magnificent duo where father Dick pushes son Rick in a wheelchair during marathons. Oh, and pulls him in a boat during triathlons. With the message “Yes You Can!” they’ve traversed more than one thousand races in the past three decades. I’ve watched them run the Boston Marathon in years past and wept openly. In April I was honored and humbled to run by their side as I accompanied a struggling friend on the final 3 mile stretch to the finish line in the near-90 F degree heat.

And I thought of the millions and millions of people who struggle every day with basic tasks due to extreme physical challenges.

Yes, I was in excruciating pain, but lots of people throw their backs out for all sorts of reasons, in all sorts of circumstances. I would somehow make it to the conference and fulfill the roles I had promised to play.

Long story short. (I Mean, Less Long.)

I did indeed deliver my second talk and chair the post-conference session, as planned. (My cute suit, a short burgundy dress and jacket I bought in Sydney, looked awesome with sneakers.) 

And I did, in fact, hear the closing address by the FAO assistant director-general of agriculture in the final fifteen minutes of the conference, which highlighted the importance of biodiversity and sustainability in feeding the world.

I did not, however, attend any of my colleagues’ sessions and spent a good portion of two days sedated in the medical center while getting injections to control the pain and lying very, very still.

I rallied for one evening out with a very patient friend and even plodded around the Colosseum on my last night in Rome, where I inadvertently participated in a gay rights demonstration. (True story.)

And, through the grace of God and power of the human spirit, along with one garrulous Brit with whom I chatted happily for several hours to pass the time while flying across the pond, I somehow made it home as planned in time for Boston University graduation the next day.

What, you ask? You attended graduation after all that?

Yes, yes I did.

Live long and prosper. (No matter how much pain you’re in.)

My student worked with me for more than 3 years, and if I could walk at all I would be there to hood him as nutrition’s newest doctor, pain notwithstanding. And I was. And the following day I dragged myself yet again to the main graduation, as participating in university commencement is an important academic duty of a professor. I would play my part to the degree I was able, and I was excited to hear Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt give the address and see Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek‘s Dr. Spock) receive an honorary doctorate.

You see, after getting through last week – and believe me when I tell you that this is the short story – my bar is reset yet again for what is possible.

Now. If you’ll excuse me, I need a valium.

–

Dr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist who normally writes about food, cooking, health, science, and sustainability. You can follow her on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or check out her food porn on Pinterest. 

Pine Nuts in a Grand Setting

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I love traveling, but it does make writing harder than usual. I’ve been at the International Conference on Diet and Activity Methods in Rome at the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations this week, a triannual meeting focused on how scientists measure food intakes and exercise behaviors. If you missed me desperately or felt you would have liked to know that sooner and/or or see other status updates and photos this week, please feel free to become a fan of my page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. I do have a Roman tale to tell that I will write soon – it’s not food related, ironically – but in the meanwhile wanted to write a quick post to connect with you. I also have many other (nicer) pictures so perhaps I’ll make a slide show soon. I selected the two photos below to highlight both the Colosseum – I think that may be required if you’re writing about the Eternal City? – and Rome’s fabulous fauna.

Misleading of its magnitude, the trees are *not* taller than the Colosseum. They don’t call it “Colosseum” for nothing, after all.

Isn’t that gorgeous? I love the Italian (Tuscan) Cypress (background) and European Umbrella Pine trees (foreground) that dot the Roman landscape and create a lovely adornment to the outer perimeter of this grand amphitheater. Indigenous to Mediterranean climes, the latter tree bears the pignoli (pine nut), a tasty little seed common in Italian cooking and my own Mediterranean-style diet. (Do toast them first – it brings out the flavor, as it does with any nut.) Earlier this week I enjoyed a salad of frisée, parmigiana, and pine nuts with rosemary-infused olive oil. (No food porn, sorry – I was at a reception and decided to eat it, not tweet it.)

Here’s a bit more perspective for you.  And remember this is the *ruin* of this architectural masterpiece.

I must sign off for now but I really have been missing blogging terribly; I am blessed to have far more stories to tell than there is time to write. More to come soon, I hope. Until then, know how much I deeply appreciate each and every one of you who reads my blog. In no time at all, we’ll soon be making pesto together with summer-sweet basil, pignolis, parmigiana, and olive oil. I look forward to cooking again with you soon!

Moxie, Maine, and Me: A Wicked Short Story

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Moxie Confusion

This past weekend I took a quick jaunt up the coast to Portland, Maine. While a great foodie town and all-around wonderful place to visit for lobster and beyond, the reason for my trip was for a book signing, not dining. The event was in Lisbon Falls and celebrated Jim Baumer’s Moxie: Maine in a Bottle.

I’m always happy to visit Maine, as I’ve spent many a summer there on family camping trips (Two adults, four kids, and a canine in a pop-up camper; I’ll let you fill in the rest.) Nowadays I head up on the Amtrak Downeaster for good food, family, friends, and fun; Maine hip-hop is often involved.

I’m sure you all know what moxie means, right? Well, in case you don’t, I personally enjoy the brief description here. I feel like the only people I’ve really ever heard use the word are Mainers, in such statements as “He’s got moxie!” My strongest association with the word, in fact, is when I was given a Moxie girlz doll (right) by my great aunt upon finishing my doctorate. (In jest. I don’t still play with dolls.)

It may therefore be understandable to some, if not most, that I had absolutely no idea Moxie was the name of Maine’s official soft drink. I got the metaphor in Jim’s subtitle - Maine in a Bottle - but missed entirely the literal meaning. This gave me considerable amusement upon arriving at a small country store that was almost entirely orange and featured quite the panoply of Moxie products, including the beloved beverage as well as t-shirts, baseball caps, ice cream, bumper stickers, and beyond. I was fairly shocked given I don’t recall ever seeing this product and I’ve been to Maine dozens of times. Okay, then, the book is about the state of mind and the soda itself. Sure. Now I get it.

Here’s a brief recap to give you a better sense of the scene.

Meeting Moxie

The setting. PKN enters a very, very orange store, surrounded by the Moxie Man logo (right), looks stunned, feels like a moron. Clearly out of the loop.

Think: you’ve just entered Willy Wonka’s factory and had no idea he made chocolate.

PKN (to shopkeeper behind ice cream counter): “Hi! Wow. I had no idea Moxie was a real thing.”

(Why would I possibly ever say that?)

Shopkeeper: “Do you drink soda?”

PKN: “Umm…no, not really…”

[Why are you even still talking?]

[Tries quickly to recover.] “I mean, unless it’s mixed with bourbon, or something…”

[Attempt unsuccessful; the shopkeeper appears unamused. Crap - is this a dry town?]

“But I’m happy to try some. I’d LOVE to try some!”

[Obvious overcompensation.]

“What does it taste like?”

Shopkeeper: “Well, the first taste is terrible, and you’ll want to spit it out. The second is a bit better. And by the third, you’ll realize why we consider it the fine wine of soda. Now, take a sip, let it roll around your mouth a bit…”

[Well, with an advertisement like that, I can't wait!]

PKN takes sip. Projectile vomits.

***

I’m kidding! Back to the true story.

***

PKN takes sip: “Oh, okay… it’s kind of like root beer.”

Shopkeeper: “Would you like to taste the ice cream?”

PKN: “Sure.” (tastes ice cream) “Anyone ever drink Moxie ice cream floats?”

Shopkeeper, laughing. [I am now being mocked, and deservedly so.]: ”I’ve made millions of ‘em. There’s a line down the street every year during the Moxie parade.”

[There's a friggin' parade?]

PKN: (laughs) “Oh, sure. Right…”

[Slinks away, humiliated.]

Moxie Postscript

Oh, and this is why I don’t normally drink soda, by the way.

Unless used a mixer, as I mentioned, although that’s very rare as you may infer given my penchant for creative cocktails like pomegranate martinis, blackberry margaritas, and strawberry-bourbon lemonade. That said, there is a time and place and, both humbled and inspired by my Maine Moxie trip, I brought a can back to Boston for a so-called Country Girl (bourbon+Moxie). It would make the perfect ending to my trip, obviously, and I was looking forward to a little moxology of my own.

Got home, unpacked, went for a run, showered, filled my glass with ice … and then remembered that I was out of bourbon.

The solitary can of Moxie thus remains in my fridge, leading to what I believe to be silent mockery by the Moxie Man every time I open the door.

And my continuous humming – to the tune of “Macho Man” – “Moxie, moxie, man … I-want-to-be…. a moxie man.”

Cool ad. Great message. For the concept, that is, not the soda. Just so we’re clear.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

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Mexican Food Wrap-Up. (May Include Indian Food.)

Just a quick post to say Happy Cinco de Mayo! Whether you are Mexican or not, at least here in the US many of us look forward to this day to enjoy festive food and drink. It occurred – while I sit on the train en route to Portland Maine for the day – that I have a few posts of this ilk, so I’m simply summarizing them here in case you are looking for some last-minute cooking and eating ideas this weekend. These are a mix of Mexican, Southwestern, and Tex Mex foods. This small list will grow over time and doesn’t even include one of my favorite dishes, black bean and corn burritos, which I keep in the freezer for on-hand healthy eating. Ceviche also comes to mind, as does peach salsa with juicy sweet farmers’ market peaches…

In the meantime:

As much as I adore Mexican food, I actually made Indian food yesterday (chana masala) with some of my garbanzo beans in an unanticipated culinary irony; it was a special treat for my husband while I was out of town.

Olé.

Dried Beans: They’re Not Just For Kindergarten Art Projects

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Does this title even make sense? Parents out there, I beg you to answer! I am using this title in recollection of gluing dried macaroni and beans and such on paper plates as a tot. Have art projects become more sophisticated since then? Is there even art at all? Or are 5-year-olds just on Twitter these days? These are the questions that keep me up at night.

That, and wondering why people don’t eat more beans and legumes. (How’s that for a smooth segue from kindergarten to beans?) A foundation of many plant-based diets, beans are an incredible source of protein and fiber alongside many other beneficial phytochemicals and nutrients that vary by species. My post on salsa verde included black beans, for example, and beans show up in my chili, salads, and soups, too. (Although I’ve not yet posted recipes to two fabulous bean soups, Moroccan red lentil and Cuban black bean. Delicious.) Americans in particular do not include nearly enough of these fruits in their diet, and they should not only to provide variety and yumminess, but also as a foundation of sustainable eating. In other words, the ability to which you can limit your meat consumption – even if you do not omit it completely from your diet – will be a boon to your personal health as well as the environment given the smaller amount of resources needed to grow plant foods. And if you start from dried beans, whether from the bulk bins at the local coop or store or pre-packaged on supermarket shelves, your are also doing the environment a favor by supplanting the tin-coated steel or aluminum cans. Reduce, reuse, recyle are the three r’s associated with environmentalism, but people often overlook the first and most important facet – reduce – especially in their food choices.

Preparing Beans at Home: Three Simple Steps From Dried to Edible

Step 1. Rinse the dried beans in a few changes of fresh water.

Dried garbanzos (aka, chickpeas) are small and hard, but they soften right up given time, heat, and water. (A little love doesn’t hurt, either.)

Step 2. Soak the beans. Two methods, choose whichever works for you: 1) Soak the beans overnight in cold water, approximately 8 hours or 2) Pour boiling water over beans and soak, covered, for 1.5 hours. Or, bring them up to a boil then remove them from the burner, cover, and let sit 1.5 hours. Either way. The water should be about 3″ above the top of the beans.

The beans plump as they absorb water during the soaking process.

Step 3. Cook the beans. Drain the beans, rinse, and add back to the same pot. Fill with cold, unsalted water (again, about 3″ above the beans), bring to a boil, then simmer with the cover askew for approximately 45-90 minutes. The time depends on a) the size and type of beans you are preparing, as larger beans take longer, and b) how soft you like your beans. For example, garbanzos take about 1.5 h to cook while black beans take about 1 h; I prefer my beans on the firm side. Extrapolate accordingly, or do a quick google search to give you a more precise estimation for whatever bean you are cooking.

Now they’re looking like the beans you usually get from the can, minus the sodium, preservatives, and can! So much better for all involved.

Step 4. Store the beans for future use.

That’s a lot of beans, I know, but I used them in three ways: hummus, chole (aka, chana masala, an Indian curry dish), and on several salads. They last in the fridge about 1 week.

Now that you see how easy it is to prepare beans from dried, I hope you’ll consider trying it at home. It’s a super weekend (or evening) cooking project. That said, I will freely admit that my pantry always includes (no sodium, organic) canned beans. I don’t always have a chance to make them from dried, and I’m sure you don’t either. And, given they have so many culinary uses, and as I often just eat a big salad for dinner, keeping canned beans on hand is an important staple of my diet. (I don’t churn my own butter or mill my own grain, just for the record; I even eat pizza and – gasp! – order take out sometimes, too.)

So, whether the star of your Meatless Monday or simply a tasty add-on source of protein and nutrients to a salad, think about adding some more beans and legumes to your diet. And if this post leaves you wondering the age-old question, “What is the difference between a bean and legume?” here’s some more info on that. (Short answer: a bean is a type of legume.)  And if that query leads to the natural follow-up, “And how do nuts fit in, again?” along with the classic example of the peanut, that’s discussed here. Classification is certainly fun for us science geeks and hopefully of moderate interest to at least a few of you reading this – humor me? please? – but a discussion of bean, nut, pea, legume, and grain botany is beyond the scope of today’s post. So, until I give that subject its due time, just … eat more beans. I mean, legumes. I mean, nuts.

Right.

Don’t See Red: Expand Your Horizons with Salsa Verde

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Salsa is amazing, and not just in a “dancing under the stars on the boardwalk in breath-taking Sydney Harbor with handsome men I just met my first night in Oz” kind of way. (True story.) Nope, I’m talking about the versatile condiment that can be prepared using a variety of fruits and vegetables – tomato, black bean, corn, peach, mango, and so forth – and has many more uses beyond chips ‘n’ dip. There are likely as many different varieties of salsas as there are ways to utilize them. The first use that comes to mind for most is tasty complement to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, chili, nachos, huevos rancheros, and the like. (I love Mexican food!) There are many other terrific ways to use salsa, too, like on a gorgeous piece of grilled fish. Whatever your pleasure, the upcoming Cinco de Mayo holiday is a great time to try a new salsa. And, since it’s way too early in the season for some of my favorite fruit salsas, we’ll begin with salsa verde, or tomatillo salsa.

Toma-who now? I’ll bet not everyone knows what a tomatillo is, so let’s begin with a brief intro before moving on to the recipe and a few serving suggestions (healthy food porn!). A staple of Mexican, Southwestern, and Latin American cuisine, the tomatillo is a tart culinary vegetable (botanical fruit), which is a member of the nightshade family, as is eggplant and tomato. It looks like a small green tomato and comes in its own cute little wrapper. The inedible papery husks are removed to reveal a firm, usually green fruit most commonly used to make salsas and sauces. About 20 calories in half a cup, the tomatillo has a bit of fiber and pro-Vitamin A carotenoids important in eye health as well as a few other vitamins and minerals. It’s no nutritional powerhouse like kale or squash, but who else knows what’s in there that we nutrition scientists just haven’t discovered yet? The broader your intake of vegetables and fruits, the better off you’ll be. Regardless, it’s a low-calorie veggie that makes a fun alternative to red salsa and brings zing to a variety of dishes.

Roasting Tomatillos. Start by unwrapping and washing 7-9 tomatillos; they are naturally sticky. Toss them in a bit of EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) and season with a touch of salt and fresh black pepper. Pierce gently in 2-3 places to avoid an improbable but not impossible exploding tomatillo situation. Roast for 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. When the bottom surface is brown toss them onto a different side for another 15 minutes or so. Prod with a sharp knife. If it enters easily, they’re done, if not, toss onto another side and continue roasting until soft. Depending on the size of the tomatillos, total roasting time will be between 20 and 40 minutes; you may need to remove the smaller ones first.

Making Salsa. Roughly chop 1/2-1/4 an onion and a few cloves of garlic and scrape into a food processor. Add the tomatillos. Pulse until the salsa is the desired degree of chunkiness. Squeeze half a lime into the mix. (As when making guacamole, start with half and, depending on how much juice there is, add more if desired.) Add a small splash of white balsamic vinegar and pulse again. If you like heat, add finely diced jalapeño. Some people also include cilantro. You can further adjust the seasonings with a touch of agave nectar or EVOO, if you like. Note: you can chop the tomatillos by hand to save yourself some dish washing; I’ve done both, and either works perfectly fine.

Cooking Notes. If  you’ve never tried tomatillo salsa, be forewarned that, unlike its sweet red counterpart, tomatillos are quite tart. This is why it’s such a great accoutrement to so many dishes, of course, especially savory-cheesy things like Mexican food. However, if you find yourself puckering – but go you for giving it a shot! – you could try adding some less-acidic foods for balance and texture. Corn kernels work great, for example, and so does chopped avocado. Or, you could add some tomato and do a “best of both worlds” salsa, which is also very pretty. I’ve made all of these variations either for presentation purposes (i.e., color) or simply to keep things interesting. In these cases, however, I recommend chopping everything by hand to avoid blending yourself up a brownish smoothie instead of colorful, chunky salsa. No one wants to eat that.

Serving Suggestions: Beyond Chips

Tacos aren't just for dinner. Softly scrambled eggs stuffed in a whole grain corn tortilla with black beans, red peppers, cilantro, and tomatillo salsa make a fabulous breakfast taco.

Southwestern chili with tomatillo salsa. See how much prettier the green looks?

One of my favorite Mexican dishes is black beans and polenta garnished with cheddar cheese, tomatill0 salsa, and scallions. (You can substitute brown rice if you prefer.)

Another brunch preparation, Tex Mex eggs are served on a crispy whole grain corn tortilla with two salsas, tomatillo and black bean & corn. A bloody (or virgin) Mary is the perfect accompaniment.

Final words of tomatillo encouragement. In addition to the above non-chip preparations, you can of course also dollop a bit of tomatillo salsa on individual nachos, just as you would with tomato salsa or heart-healthy guacamole. If you’re still nervous about trying the tomatillo, go for guac! It’s an acquired taste, but once developed avocados are down-right addictive. Whichever, I encourage you to expand your horizons beyond the same-ole standard tomato salsa. Live a little! That is, in fact, what Cinco de Mayo is all about.*

–

*Yeah, I just made that up, poetic license and all. But here’s the real scoop on Cinco de Mayo, and if you read the article you’ll see that apparently in Vancouver there is a sky-diving event to commemorate the holiday. I feel like that puts into proper perspective my humble request for you to, er, get a little crazy by trying a new salsa. And if you’re still reluctant, there’s always celebrating Caribbean-style with an air-guitar contest. (Huh?) Doesn’t anyone just drink Mexican beer, for goodness’ sake? Yes, apparently, in Malta – and certainly here in the US.

Ah, Wikipedia.

Do You Hear the People Eat?

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(sung to the tune of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” in Les Misérables)

It’s been quite some time since I made a theater reference, and this one immediately sprung to mind in light of the upcoming Food Revolution Day on Saturday, May 19.  It’s sort of like the 1832 revolution in France, only people shake wooden spoons instead of weapons and yell “Make Food, Not War!”

Or something.

Anyhow, courtesy of Jamie Oliver, the day is designed to “inspire change in people’s food habits and to promote the mission for better food and education for everyone.” Do we need a food revolution? Check out his video below and let me know what you think.

–

Postscript: About this post’s title (aka, getting my musical theater geek on)

I have theater on my mind, as my company’s production of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World plays May 4-12. So please forgive the not-very-funny Les Mis quip; it’s among my favorite musicals and I couldn’t resist. And I’ve quoted that very same song before in a post on local food in London, where I (almost) saw Alfie Boe in the West End production. However, according to the sign posted in the lobby, he was “indisposed” at the time. Now, that’s another story altogether, but it begins with “the indisposition of Alfie Boe” – sung in my head to the tune of the overture to Sweeney Todd – and ends with me falling down the stairs. Other than that, it was a stellar production that blessedly did not include Nick Jonas. I’m still bitter we cannot get the rights to produce the show for our upcoming 15th season next year.

All that said, no one wants to hear people eat. Gross.

Leftover Wonderment: Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Squash, Coconut, and Curry

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Vietnamese soup with coconut and curry gets a healthy boost from roasted squash and brown rice noodles. (Optional garnish of chopped peanuts and sliced scallions.)

I will never cease to be amazed by people who hate leftovers. No offense to them or anything, it’s just such a foreign concept to me, is all. As my regular readers know, I cook purposefully in large amounts to create leftovers for both fridge and freezer. It’s wonderfully efficient and ensures I always have healthy, homemade food on hand. (As I’ve mentioned, I do not cook hot meals from scratch every day for reasons related to both time and my love of big salads for supper.) As well, on many a happy occasion culinary creativity kicks in and my leftovers are morphed into something altogether new, like…

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I frequently have leftovers from the new dish I made from the original leftover, which always makes me smile. Thus far I’ve never morphed my secondary leftover creation into a tertiary concoction, in case you were wondering. Since often times sauces and such turn into soups, I’m not quite sure what the next step would be other than, say, blended baby food.

Part I: Leftovers Inspire Soup Awesome

Part I: Leftovers Inspire Soup Awesome

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Part II: Vietnamese Soup How-To

Part II: Vietnamese Soup How-To

This movie requires Adobe Flash for playback.

 

Additional Cooking and Nutrition Notes

Interestingly, you really can’t taste the squash all that much in this soup, and you should go ahead and vary the proportions of the liquids – squash, stock, and coconut – to suit your taste. But part of why I love my version so much is that by starting with squash soup you add thickness, body, and flavor via squash rather than solely with coconut milk. This addition decreases the energy density and increases the nutrient density of the dish – a key facet of healthful eating. And, because the roasted squash is so sweet, it’s a perfect complement to the coconut. (Note: I tried hard to come up with some clever “A squash walks into a coconut…” joke, to no avail.) Switching out brown rice noodles for nutritionally bereft refined also adds extra vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and you’ll never know the difference. (Incidentally, this soup ended up being both gluten-free and vegan, if that’s of concern, though it wasn’t designed as such.)

Also, while the soup is excellent as made in the video, when serving it I remembered one additional ingredient that completes the flavors, which is tamarind paste (2-3 tsp or 1 tbsp). It’s not required but, like the fish sauce, the combination is what creates such an incredible party on your palate. (Kaffir lime and/or its leaves would be another traditional ingredient you could add but I didn’t have any on hand; regular lime suffices.) Finally, a garnish of chopped peanuts is optional, as depicted, but not at all necessary.

So, if you enjoy South Asian cooking, whether coconut-ty sweet or super spicy, this soup is for you. If you like squash soup, you’ll adore it. But I’ll also bet that if you served it to someone who didn’t like squash soup (!?) they’d be none the wiser and you could trick them into liking something good for them.  Sure, coconut milk is high in calories, but my recipe cuts it down substantially without compromising flavor, and there’s a lot of other highly nutritious stuff in there to boot (veggies, high fiber garbanzos and brown rice noodles, etc.). So, whereas coconut-based soups are not something I eat frequently, as they are certainly higher in calories than broth- or vegetable purée-based soups, they are a luscious addition to a plant-based diet.

Dig in.

And if you think of some good coconut-squash-curry jokes, let me know.

Healthy Food Porn is Here!

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Food porn five!

Where else but my blog do the words “healthy,” “food,” and “porn” come together? The words are here, and the porn is on Pinterest.  

And if you’re not into that (yeah, right) there’s always Facebook and Twitter for you literary sorts.

I’m behind on my writing this week, you’ll note. I hate it when that happens. However, perhaps that’s given some of you a chance to catch up on what you’ve missed here at Play a Good Knife and Fork. I’ve had several readers ask me to write less, actually, to better manage their reading load. Well, I never! To them I’ve explained that I write as much a possible because, um, I’m a writer. In fact, I consider myself a very lucky woman that I rarely run out of things to write. Or say, not surprisingly. Oftentimes my husband wishes I had less to say, but that’s another story.

Further, if you don’t have time to read my posts, perhaps you’re spending too much time reading uninteresting drivel elsewhere? I’m kidding. Sort of. I’m so not kidding. I mean, we all know that it is critical to filter carefully what we read lest we consume (mis)information all the day long. Some of which may cause indigestion, I might add, due to terrible writing, bad grammar, spellling errors, crap poor content, uninformed opinion, and bogus anti-science. (Not that I have strong opinions on this, or anything.) Then again, it may just be empty calories to fill your head, and that has a time and place, too.

Well, that metaphor went too far, and was certainly too strongly worded, but you get the point. See what happens when I don’t have time to write for days on end? I’m all about the funny, but my dry wit can on occasion tend toward acerbic and approach caustic; it gets bottled up and spews out uncontrollably, people get offended, and next thing you know – Bam! No more readers or followers. (Or friends.) Which is the last thing I want, given it’s actually the purpose of today’s post.

Yes, Viriginia, there is a purpose.

How Do I Connect with Thee? Let Me Count the Ways

I share your struggles in determining what to read, who to follow, and so forth. And that is why I am incredibly grateful to all of you who read my blog. Thank you so much. Yet, there is a multitude of ways to meet online and acquire information these days such that I wanted to take a moment to list the different venues where we can connect. The methods are centered on the same themes - food, nutrition, science, sustainability, and cooking - but the format and content do differ somewhat. Here’s the deal.

1.  Food porn on Pinterest.  All the cool kids are on Pinterest these days, and I’m a follower, so I wanted to do it, too. Yeah, not really. Quite simply, Pinterest is a great way to connect with visual learners. (That’s my professorial way of saying “people who like food porn.”) I thusly gathered all my food photos and organized them onto pinboards, including salad, seafood, sweets, sauces, soups, and other categories that don’t begin with the letter ess. Pinterest makes it very easy to search some of the main categories that are here on my blog via food images. If you find something that looks tasty, just click on it and – Voilà! – you’ll be linked to the post with the story, recipe, video, and whatnot. Click here for porn! Food photo quality varies more than I’d like, you’ll note; the photographer is a dilettante. (And yes, that’s how you spell ess, as all you Scrabble players out there well know; not often you get to use it when not playing the game, though.)

2. News and more on Facebook; it’s not just about me. After years of never being on FB (I’m actually rather introverted), I took the plunge as a necessary step of the social marketing for this new venture of mine. This is a fan (professional) page, not a personal page, and it’s where I connect with people about current events by posting links to recent articles, reports, other blog pieces, etc. And, yes, I occasionally mention my outings to the farmers’ market or some scrumptious thing I cooked for dinner, but it’s mainly about highlighting interesting stuff on the interweb relevant to why what we eat matters. If you’d like to be a part of the conversation, visit the page to see what it’s about and become a fan. I post between 0 and 3 times a day, in case you were wondering about volume.

3. Blessedly succinct on Twitter.  I’m now part of the Twitterverse, as it’s called (I’m told). It’s like FB, as you probably know, only shorter. Some of my tweets are posted as wordier FB status updates, but I have many more daily tweets than FB posts (1 to 7 per day or so, I’d say.) My tweets do not currently automatically feed into my FB page to avoid redundancy and information overload for my FB fans. So, if you want less of me more frequently (or something like that), follow me on Twitter. And check out the awesome video called “Eat It, Don’t Tweet It” by American Hipster if you missed it last month for food porn, twitter style.

By the way, don’t forget that Earth Day is this Sunday, April 22. I even have some earth porn on Pinterest! Yeah, that phrase really doesn’t work, I agree, but the NASA photos are gorgeous and are also part of my space, food, and the final frontier post – an apropos mention given the upcoming holiday.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to making my Earth Day decorations.

Blackberry Margarita Martini: A Marriage Made in Cocktail Heaven

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Can’t decide whether or not you want a margarita or martini for cocktail hour? No need to choose with this killer two-in-one libation, which brings both flavors together in a marriage made in cocktail heaven. Well, that’s my personal opinion, anyway. By the way, the inspiration for this drink came last summer, when I shook up some farmers’ market fresh watermelon margarita martinis for an outrageous five-course Mexican fiesta dinner party. I have an epic video of that in the works that I aspire to posting one day. Until then, it’s been some time since I blogged about cocktails, so I hope you enjoy this variant in the meanwhile.  Both drinks are sensational.

And good luck to all of my friends – and anyone else out there – running the Boston Marathon on Monday! I will be cheering you on from the sidelines; I may or may not be drinking this cocktail.

Additional Notes I Forgot to Mention in the Video

Yeah, I’m so not perfect. Here are a a few more notes I neglected to mention for a bit more instruction and context.

First, part of the reason this drink is more martini than margarita is the higher ratio of tequila to sour mix. This is an important distinction, as it results in the martini being a much heftier drink. If you find this this recipe too strong, or want it to be more margarita-ish, serve on the rocks and add more sour mix. What, you say? You didn’t add sour mix! Well, I did, indirectly. I actually make my own sour mix – that Chernobyl-lime-green concoction on supermarket shelves frightens me – which is mainly equal portions fresh citrus and simple syrup. As I had run out, I simply added separately a soupçon of simple syrup alongside fresh lemon and lime juice.  Finally, the berry concoction base comprised various thawed frozen berries but I tossed in a bunch of fresh blackberries I had in the fridge, yielding a a predominantly blackberry purée. Some people have issues with seeds so you could strain the liquid if you like but I don’t find it necessary. I personally prefer a bit of pulp for texture and body, which incidentally also retains a bit of fiber.

And, yes, nutrition science has shown consistently that moderate consumption of alcohol promotes cardiovascular health, especially when consumed as part of a heart-healthy diet rich in plant-based foods. Like, say, blackberries.

Postscript: What’s in a Name?

I originally coined this drink a “margatini” when I first created it, because really it’s the perfect name. And yet, I am reluctant. Apt description or “just say no”? Tell me what you think! That said, don’t get too caught up in the matter. This drink is meant to be drunk, after all, not etymologically analyzed.