On my nightstand

Still a slow going year so far...  anyway, I'm still making progress and book club keeps me chugging along ....

As I mentioned last time, February's book club choice was The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd.  I did indeed finish reading it a couple of weeks ago and we reviewed it last Thursday at the February meeting!  General consensus was that the story was much more powerful after discovering it was based on the real events of two women fighting for the rights of slaves and women.  Look for a review soon!

Next month's book club is Bel Canto by Ann Pratchett.  I'm excited to read this one as I'd read recently it was a good book club read, let's see if it lives up to my expectations.

As reported previously, I was finding The Dinner by Herman Koch difficult to read, and indeed my library subscription expired before I finished it.  To be honest, I don't think I'll pick it up again, to whiny, to complain-y... just depressing. 

I'm really enjoying my library subscription and have picked up two new books: Provence 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste by Luke Barr and Longbourn by Jo Baker.  Unfortunately, my subscription to Longbourn lapsed after I had read  ~30%.  Three people had requested the book after my subscription ended, so now I'm on hold in order to finish it. Longbourn is a novel about the life of the servants in the novel Pride and Prejudice... the story itself is not unique (typical drama love story), but it's fun to put in perspective of Pride and Prejudice. Provence 1970 is a foodie book about the encounter and dinner event of great and arguably influential American culinary minds and chefs.  A bit slow going, but interesting to read and drool over the descriptions of delicious French food! 

Curry is still on my list, but with the discovery of this awesome library subscription I've been putting off reading actual physical books!  Since there's no time limit, it's taken a back seat, but I intend to get through it.

After these novels, I'm pretty open, but I have a lot of waiting list holds at my library.  For a few, I'm pretty far down the list, so in the mean time I'll have to find something new.  What are you reading?  

Sarah B's Roasted Fennel, Blood Orange Mint Salad from My New Roots

Here's a yummy winter salad that will knock your socks off and make you feel like summer is upon us (if you can forget that oranges are a winter fruit).  One of the best things about eating seasonal is that the food tastes soooo good.  

This salad really simple, easy to prepare on a weekend while your significant other is shoveling the driveway, working on the computer, or doing other things without you!  He or she will be happy to tear him/herself away from their activity and join you in sharing a plate of this lovely (and also detox friendly!) winter salad. 

Recipe from My New Roots

Ingredients (serves 2 people)

2 fennel bulbs (1 per person)

3 blood oranges (you could also use navel oranges or grapefruit, but take into account that these are larger)

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

sea salt to taste

1 small red onion cut into rings

1 bunch of fresh mint (I to ~ 10 sprigs or so)

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F or about 175C

2. Wash the fennel bulbs and remove the green parts.  Slice into sections about 1/2 inch thick.  Place fennel in a roasting pan, sprinkle with olive oil, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Cook under fork tender, about 30 minutes.  

3. While the fennel is roasting, prepare the oranges.  Remove rind from the blood orange and slice horizontally to make orange rings.  

4. Cut the red onion in rings in paper-thin slices.  

5.  Roll up mint leaves (like you would basil leaves) and slice thinly into ribbons. 

6.  Arrange everything on a plate.  (I put the fennel in the center, surrounded with the orange rings, topped with the sliced onions and mint ribbons).  If there is juice left in the rind of the orange, squeeze it over the fennel (I did not do this).  Serve immediately.

Detox Review

I've mentioned detox in a couple of my other posts already, but I wanted to write a dedicated post on detoxing, at least for me if not for anyone else! I'll use this post to describe the general philosophy and a general idea of what we did to meet the goals of the detox.  I encourage you to check out this website if you want to learn more.

How this whole thing came about: 
This idea was first proposed to us by our friend as a great way to re-set for the new year.  She had done this detox before through Replenish PDX.  I just want to be clear that this was not our brain child or even something I was particularly interested in.  In fact, at first I was pretty resistant to the idea.... pretty convinced we wouldn't have the conviction to stick through it for 3 whole weeks...but after reviewing the general philosophy of the detox, proposed menus, and discussing with my friend in great detail, we took the plunge and hopped onto the detox bandwagon!

General Detox Philosophy:
First of all, I should say that there was a guide that we used to help direct our meal plans (see website link above) for each week.  In general, however, while the recommended meals could be used we could also use our own as long as they followed the 'rules' of this detox.

The point of our detox was to eat whole foods, whole grains, consume organic foods, eliminate gluten, eliminate dairy ... in general, to put good, natural foods into our bodies.  While it was possible to use canned or jarred foods, the point was to stay away from any canned, jarred, or otherwise packaged food that used preservatives, or ingredients in general one was not aware of (and no, just because you are aware of monosodium glutamate and can pronounce it, doesn't mean it was an included ingredient on this plan).

We eliminated as much gluten from our lives as we could. In general, bread was out, but it certainly was possible to have gluten free bread (I made a sweet-ish 'bread' from almond flour). Additionally, the soup I made for lunches during the week included 1/2 cup of barley (total about 10 servings), which I didn't feel it was necessary to eliminate. We also completely replaced white rice with whole grains (think: quinoa, brown rice, or bulgur), I will continue to replace white rice with whole grains, but I still love my sticky jasmine rice!

Dairy: this wasn't a huge change for me, but a much larger change for my husband.  First thing I noticed was that the hassle around the milk status in our house went away! The largest size milk carton that is offered here is 1 liter... we usually pick up 2 for my husband and I'll take a little for our coffees in the morning.  We're usually at the grocery store buying milk at least twice a week to accommodate my hubby's milk drinking habit, but during the entire detox, we've survived off of only 2 liters for 3 full weeks! Woo hoo!  Anyway, we still used milk to top off our non-caffeinated chai (see below for more on eliminating caffeine and a link to the chai recipe I used) and a cup of yogurt in the large pot of soup for lunches. Other than that, there was no other dairy in our diet (including cheese! - I will be reincorporating cheese into my life, love it too much!).

Caffeine: We were able to eliminate caffeine by week 2.  Both my husband and I were already down to 1 cup of coffee in the morning for the day just before starting the detox (prior to Christmas vacation I was easily drinking 2 cups of coffee in the morning with an occasional shot of espresso at work from the coffee machine).  With achieving 1 cup a day, I didn't feel a huge need to rid myself of coffee for the purpose of this detox.  Well, by week 2 I was waking up in the morning with a clear head and decided to be ambitious and eliminate coffee.  I replaced coffee with this chai without adding tea bags/leaves (so, really there was no caffeine, just a lot of spice oils and aromas!) and adding a little bit of warmed milk to top it off (much like our coffee).  The first 2-3 days were ok, there was a bit of a coffee headache to deal with there, but it was very manageable.  By the end of the week, it was gone and it was fabulous!  In the end, I'm glad I eliminated coffee, but I enjoy coffee too much to completely eliminate it.  I plan to stick to 1 cup a day as we were prior to the detox.  The best part of eliminating coffee was how clear and awake I felt in the morning without coffee, sometimes even before my alarm would go off, this was fantastic!

Cooking with whole foods: For me, the big change was eliminating eating out (yeah, didn't think I would say that about Eindhoven!).  When looking at the suggested recipes and picking some of my own that met the rules (I replaced a lot of olive oil with coconut oil, although olive oil is perfectly acceptable), I found that my normal approach to cooking was on par with the detox with only a few exceptions (think: replace all that white rice with quinoa or brown rice and no flour tortillas!).  The bigger change for us was eating at home, every single day, for all 3 weeks...I have to say, sometimes I was cooking on an empty belly!  Meal planning helped a lot here, and this surprisingly (although retrospectively this should not have been surprising!) resulted in a near empty fridge by Saturday morning (our typical shopping day)! I bought meat from the organic butcher as much as possible which had the side effect of resulting (think: expensive!) in many more vegetarian dishes in the week than normal (which also meant we added different vegetables to our standard week purchases such as spinach and kale).  Of course, the biggest thing I craved was, in fact, eating out and all of its conveniences (which are limited... in Eindhoven ....but nevertheless missed... ha!).

Results:
I've observed a couple of different things while being on this detox which I've mentioned above also.  For me, these are more way-of -life (god, am I starting to sound Dutch?) related observations.

1. Meal planning is great and resulted in a nearly empty fridge by Saturday morning almost every week.  It's laughable that it took this detox to get this concept through my head.  In the last 2 years prior to moving to Eindhoven, I lived only 2 blocks away from a fresh market that ran all year round.  While I miss that (and Italy) so much, I have to accept that this is my life now and weekly shopping is how it is.  Meal planning is something to embrace, but allow yourself some freedom to be inspired by what's at the market (I find Saturday's and Sunday's perfect for this).  
2. I woke up with a clear head in the morning.  My guess is that the reduction of caffeine has really contributed to this, but I also think the amount of water I'm drinking really helps to flush out my system and rid my body of various toxins I've consumed throughout the day, leaving my body and mind to be clear by the morning (I have no idea if this is scientifically a real thing).  Whatever it is, the biggest drawback is the need to pee A LOT, but I think well worth the inconvenience (unless you're stuck in a meeting and can't get out of it!).  The water consumption is something I will continue to observe, I've also taken to bringing water with me to work and a small tupperware with lemon juice to last me through the day.  
3. Meals made from whole foods without gluten (or limited amounts) and dairy (or limited amounts) can be delicious!  I was convinced that this lifestyle was too hippie for me, but with the encouragement of this detox to give it a whirl, I've been persuaded otherwise (and happily found out it wasn't a huge change to our life anyway)! Here are some photos (some include links where I've posted previously) of yummy meals we ate during this entire experience! I hope they emphasize that you don't have to go hungry during a detox/cleanse and you can be completely satisfied, not only with the taste of your food but in cooking it too! 

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Cod with Dill and Lemon (side: Lime lentil salad with cucumber, and cherry tomatoes)

Jeweled Rice

Roast chicken with a cilantro-pistachio pesto

Coconut Quinoa (note: contrary to Yiling's method for making the quinoa, I made it like I make white rice, 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of liquid - for this recipe split by coconut milk and water.  Either way works!):

Weekly snacks of nuts and seeds (in the 3rd week, these ended up with small amounts of raisins which was a nice treat):

Garlic-Ginger Pumpkin Seed Sauce/Dressing to accompany my version of winter abundance bowl (which is brown rice cooked with lentils served with steamed sweet potato and broccoli or cauliflower):

Cherry tomatoes for snack (I packed these babies into 5-10 tomatoes per bag for a snack each day): 

Baked salmon with a Orange-Red Pepper Cilantro Garnish :

Seed Porridge (blended flax seed, coconut flakes, chia seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds topped with berries or bananas):

And nnnnnoooooowwww, I'm rrrrreeeeeallllyyyyy looking forward to this: 

Have you done anything to change your diet in the new year?  Is your change temporary or permanent?  Any recommended whole food meals?

On my nightstand....

Well, let's see, it's been a while since I've updated what's on my nightstand!  Reading has been a little slow going this year, I've been catching up on many TV shows with our new subscription to amazon. Well, anyway, book club is underway again and as a result, I have updates on what I'm reading :P

Last month I reported that I finished The Son by Phillipp Meyer and you can find the review of this book here.

I also mentioned that I started Curry: A Tale of Cook and Conquerors by Lizzie Collingham.  I'm about half way through and put it down for a couple of reasons.  1) it's just not fair to read a book about food while you're detoxing and trying to cut out various foods (whine!) 2) book club started again (see below) and it seemed like the perfect excuse to set it down.  I still intend to finish it, but it will take longer than originally anticipated.

I recently started The Dinner by Herman Koch, (which I borrowed through my local library in MN, very exciting thing to finally figure out!)... which is completely depressing and such a downer of a book that I'm not at all motivated to read it.  My subscription ends on Jan 31 and I don't think I'll make it.  I'm only 20% of the way through, so I might pick it up later.... to be seen and maybe continued....

February's book club read is the latest book by Sue Monk Kidd, The Invention of Wings.  This is a very recent release, so I was excited to see it nominated and eventually chosen! This is a book set in the early to mid 1800's about a Southern bell and 'her' slave and the relationship that develops between the them.  I'm about 40% of the way through and it's a pretty easy read.  There are passages that are insightful and sometimes meaningful, but I'm often distracted by the Oprah highlighted portions that are included in the digital version of the book I purchased.  Oh well.  So far the book is keeping me interested and I'm always eager to pick it up in the evening or just before bed, but it's not an amazing read... yet.  To be continued... for sure!  

What are you reading?  Any new releases you're anticipating this year?

Sarah B's Jeweled Rice from My New Roots

Here's another detox friendly dish/side-dish that was a lot of fun to make and is beautiful to serve at any dinner party.  Allow some time to prep the ingredients before cooking the rice since it takes some time to get through them all.  This dish is well worth the effort as the aromas from herbs and spices pack in a good punch of flavor that only gets stronger as it ages (like a day or two, it didn't last much longer in our house after that...).

Ingredients:
2 cups of brown rice (rinsed and soaked overnight)
medium sized yellow onion (or 2 small yellow onions; Sarah B indicates shallots as well)
2 carrots
organic orange rind with as much as of the white pithe cut away
coconut oil
1/2 tablespoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
4 bay leaves (dried)
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup of raisins (you could mix various fruits here, apricots, dates, raisins, be careful of sugar content if observing detox rules)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
1/2 cup packed chives
1 pomegranate seeded
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup pistachios
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, if you like (I did not do this)
lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

1. Soak brown rice over night.
2. Dice onion and grate the carrots.  
3. Peel or slice off the outer edge of the orange rind, removing as little white pithe as possible.  If peeling, use a sharp knife to remove the white pithe. Slice into matchstick-sized pieces and set aside. 
4. Heat a knob of coconut oil (yeah, as previously mentioned I dislike this phrase, maybe 2 teaspoons - 1 tablespoon, cut back as needed) on medium high heat.  Once warmed (melted), add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute), then add turmeric, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick.  Stir to coat the spices with oil and fry until fragrant.  



All the spices and carrots, onions and orange peel cooking away, there's a lot of flavor packed in there!

5. Next, add diced onion, grated carrots, orange rind and raisins (or dried fruit).  Cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.  The coconut oil will be completely absorbed by the mixture here, that's ok, but turn down the heat a little so the ingredients don't burn. 
6. Drain the soaking rice and add 4 cups of water and salt.  Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until all the water has evaporated.  Once all the water has evaporated, turn off the burner, leave the lid on and allow the rice to steam to cook further if needed. 
7. While the rice is cooking, prepare the following: wash and chop the mint, remove the seeds from the pomegranate, and gently roast the nuts until golden. 



cooked brown rice with carrots, orange peel, onion and all spices

8. When the rice is finished cooking, transfer to your serving bowl (hopefully it's room temperature) or baking sheet (the baking sheet will allow it to cool faster, but it will create another dish to clean :D).  
9. After a few minutes, add the herbs and nuts and pomegranate seeds and fold to incorporate.  Season to taste.  
10. Serve rice with a drizzle of olive oil (if using) and lemon wedge.  

zoomed in finished dish

zoomed out finished dish - love the green pistachios and ruby red pomegrantes

Buon Appetito!

Sarah B's Garlic-Ginger Pumpkin Seed Sauce (Dressing) from My New Roots

Last week, I was making this simple meal as part of our detox journey and came across this sauce, that I just have to share with you all!  I wasn't planning to share on this blog anything from this meal and as a results the photos suck... but I do hope that it will not deter you from trying this awesome-sauce recipe! It's finger-lickin' good!

BTW - when my husband first tried this sauce (and he was very skeptical!), he thought it tasted like ranch dressing, ha!  Ridiculous! Luckily, he gave it a second chance and we both agreed in the end it was delicious, especially for how simple, fast, and healthy it is.  

Anyway, here's the recipe I followed: 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of pumpkin seeds (or 150 grams, I measured in cups)

3 cloves of garlic

'knob' of fresh ginger (I struggle with Sarah B's use of knob of whatever, aim for about 2 tablespoons of finely minced ginger for the first time and then adjust accordingly for the next time)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 cup of water

3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt (I used coarse, cause that's what I had!)

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper (who measures this stuff? just crack as much as you like to taste in your food processor/blender)

*Note, Sarah B calls for cayenne pepper to taste ad 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in addition to above listed ingredients.  I did not include these in my version.

Directions: 

1. If you desire a more toasty/rustic flavor, dry roast your pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet until they begin to pop.  Remove and set aside to cool (I did not do this, completely skippable step for a fast week night evening meal).
2. In a food processor, add the garlic and ginger and pulse until finely chopped.  
3. Add cooled or untasted pumpkin seeds and blend on high until sand textured (mine actually released a fine dust from the mixture).  
4. Add remaining ingredients, scraping down the sides periodically.  Add more water (start with 3/4 cup and add more as necessary) to obtain desired consistency. 

This recipe makes a lot of sauce that has remained in good quality in our fridge for a week.  Sarah B recommends 5 days.  I periodically add it to leftover quinoa if I need a quick snack.  

 

The Son by Philipp Meyer Review Book Review

The Son has been on my reading list for a while, it took a back seat while I was under a time crunch to finish  Brick Lane before our trip to London in November and The Orphan Master's Son for book club (which we just recently discussed... finally!).  I picked this one up just before the holidays and finished just after, with some concentrated time around New Year's to polish it off.  This happened to be the first book I finished in 2014 (perhaps the only at this point... ).

Synopsis: click here for Amazon's synopsis.

The Son is indeed a family saga spanning many generations.  I read this on my kindle and as a result, missed the schematic of the family tree in the beginning.  This left me to piece together the family tree in my own head, which turned out to be fun.  It took somewhere between 20 - 30% to piece it together.  There was only one relationship I misunderstood, which would have brought greater clarity had I known while I was reading, but I enjoyed rethinking through the course of events after learning the true relationship.

In the beginning, the story lines I thought I would be least interested in, turned out to be some of the more interesting ones in the end.  While it took almost 20% of the book to pick up, once it did, it kept going.  The chapters are structured such that they move backwards and forwards in time depending on the character of focus of the chapter.  At times this could be difficult to keep up with, especially in the beginning when I was a bit impatient and kept asking myself, well what the heck does Jeannie have to do with Eli, where do these darn characters connect. Once the connections were established it became more interesting to read character development one chapter at at time in this disjointed sort of manner.

Unfortunately I took too long to write this review and I'm having trouble recalling much more about this book.  While I enjoyed it and was able to finish it, it's not the great American novel its been touted as by other reviewers.  It's a good book and a good read if you're looking for something new, but not a must read.  I wouldn't bump anything off your reading list for this one.

Happy Reading!