Chinese 5-Spice (plus more) Popcorn

"A desire would arise and, concurrently, the satisfaction of that desire would also arise.  It was as if (a) I longed for a certain (heretofore untasted) taste until (b) said longing became nearly unbearable, at which time (c) I found a morsel of food with that exact taste already in my mouth, perfectly satisfying my longing."
-from Escape from Spiderhead in Tenth of December by George Saunders

I think this would be Max's sentiment about his music class, if he were able to articulate complex thoughts. And with some lapses in time.

After an art class was cancelled not once, but twice, because we were the only ones in attendance, I scouted around for some other options.  I found a not-annoying (there are countless annoying options out there, believe me) music class, and decided to put the little guy in it.

The following day, without even telling him about his upcoming class, music was suddenly meaningful to him. He asked for me to stream Pandora constantly, danced ridiculously, and even refused to go to bed without an iPod softly playing some Beatles.

His music class has become his favorite part of his week.

This Chinese 5-spice popcorn has played a similar role in our lives.  One night we decided that we needed popcorn.  And not just any popcorn.  But popcorn with Chinese 5-spice powder, a previously unexplored combination.  We rushed to the kitchen to play and found a delicious way to satisfy our longing. And though it wasn't a completely simultaneous experiencing and fulfillment of the craving, it was pretty close.

Ingredients
1/2 cup kernels
2-3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
finely ground salt, to taste

Instructions
In a small bowl, stir together the black pepper, Chinese 5-spice powder, nutritional yeast, ground mushrooms, garlic powder, and salt. Set aside.

Pour enough oil to cover the bottom of a large pot. Place over medium heat. Add three kernels of popcorn and cover pot with lid. Once those have popped, add the 1/2 cup of kernels. Shake the pot frequently. Once the popping has stopped, take off heat. Drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle the seasoning mix. Stir to ensure even coating of the popcorn. Adjust salt to taste.

A Day at the Beach with Quaker Mixed Berry Cookies

Attempts were made to turn me into one of those nature-y outdoorsy sorts of people.  Success was not the result of these endeavors.

The exception is the beach.  

It has the following things going for it:

a) proximity

b) castle-making sand

c) deliciously salty breeze

d) soothing sounds from crashing waves

e) an appealing blue/green color

f) possibility of whale/dolphin spotting

g) crucially, availability of bathrooms

Though I love being at the beach, the actual process of getting to the beach can be a hassle. One doesn’t just decide to go, and then “poof” there you are laying supine while rays of sunshine embrace you in their warmth. Oh no. Things must be gathered. Bags must be packed.

When we tell Max that we are going to the beach, he is overcome with excitement. The word “beach” is repeated again and again and again, an unremarkable word that sounds utterly charming when he says it. I don’t actually mind hearing this word said over and over, like a toddler incantation.  

But I do mind the insistent way he immediately heads for the door, stopping only to grab his shoes along the way.  Still clad in his footed pajamas.  So then we have to be the spirit crushers, and by definition, the tantrum midwives, reining in the excitement and telling him that we can’t go right this minute. Preparations still need to be completed.

I used to raise an eyebrow at the beachgoers lugging around bag upon bag just to spend a few hours in surf and sand.  Now I get it.  I am now the person I never wanted to be.

In order to go to the beach with even one child, things  are needed – bottles of water, food, toys, sand castle toys, extra clothes, food, blankets, camera, food, large trucks to roll over the sand and haul rocks, containers for rock collecting.  Food is clearly a most necessary part of the beach-going experience.  It can’t just be any food.  It has to be the right kind of food - handling heat well, tasting good, curbing hunger, portability. 

I would like to point out that while we have budged on this whole “why so many bags” deal, we will never be the people who return to their vehicles in a busy parking lot and then spend 20 minutes dawdling while other cars wait and wait and wait for this most precious of spots. We never cease to be mystified by the massive delay between returning to one’s car and the pulling out of the spot. We are, and always will be, quick. Like bunnies.

Finally, and it has gotten easier with repetition, provisions are obtained and gathered, and we get to the beach.  And after having to spend inordinate amounts of time running after a little guy and stopping him from running right into the ocean and being swept away by a wave, and after spending time in the sun and in the sand and trying not to fall when running after the toddler and making attempts at not twisting an ankle while traipsing along on all the rocks on the shore, one most definitely gets hungry.

So we sit down on our garishly, outlandishly, colored beach towels imprinted with ridiculously clichéd images of flip flips and beach balls, and pull some things out from the designated “Food Bag” for a beach picnic. Like Quaker’s Mixed Berry Cookie.  It totally fits our beach needs - doesn’t melt in the sun, sweet berries in a whole grain cookie make for deliciousness, curbs hunger with those 10 grams of whole grains per serving and all that fiber, and it is quite portable.  These cookies have become part of the beach food arsenal.  

And while we munch on our Quaker Mixed Berry Cookies we take a moment to look out at that gorgeous Pacific Ocean and relax. Just for a moment.

Quaker is on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest - so follow/like them!

And now that you need some of these Mixed Berry Cookies in your life, you need to know where to find them - look here for a product locator and here for more information about the cookie products.

This post is brought to you by Quaker.  We were financially compensated for this post by Quaker via AOL Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Quaker.

Swiss Chard Chips with Lime Zest, Ginger, and Nutritional Yeast

Recent items that were offered to the toddler, but rejected include:
homemade pizza
kale chips
turkey meatballs
cheesy-creamy pasta with broccoli
and these Swiss chard chips

Items that said child has attempted to eat during this same time period include:
a coffee table
a throw rug
a cardboard box that had been turned into a train tunnel
a windowpane
a cardboard box that had been turned into a boat

At least when he tried to eat the cardboard, he did try to justify it.  Our pig cat Rambo has a fondness for tearing up cardboard, and Max tried to explain to us that since Rambo eats the stuff, he should be able to as well.  Not the worst logic.  But still not convincing.  Both have been cut off.

I guess that leaves more of these chips - all full of lime and ginger, and ancho chile powder and the subtle umami taste from the nutritional yeast - for me.

Ingredients
1 bunch swiss chard, roughly chopped into chip-sized pieces
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
zest of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
wedges of lime

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  In a small bowl, mix together lime zest, ground ginger, salt, ancho chile powder, and nutritional yeast flakes.  Place the chard in a large bowl, and use tongs to coat the pieces with oil.  Sprinkle the lime seasoning mix and use the tongs to coat the pieces with the seasonings.  In a single layer, place the chard on parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.  Bake for 5-10 minutes, until crispy.  They may not crisp evenly, so remove the finished ones and return the pan to the oven to get the rest crispy.  I only did one baking sheet at a time, as I didn't want to risk steaming the chard instead of getting it crispy.  I did 2 rounds of baking.  Drizzle some lime juice and extra salt (if desired) on the chips, once they are all finished.  Finally, leave out on cooling rack for a few hours before storing.

A Taste of Bermuda

Bermuda is pretty pink beaches, dazzling turquoise water, lush vegetation, touches of British style, pastel painted homes and truly friendly people. It’s posh yet casual and while not a bona fide culinary destination, it offers some delicious things to eat and drink that you won’t find elsewhere.
Here are my top picks:

Fish chowder
This scrumptious soup, considered the national dish, was originally poor people’s food, made from fish bones. It’s a rich broth, with vegetables including onions, tomatoes, celery, carrots and a variety of spices and herbs. It's a little bit like Manhattan style chowder but with bits of fish instead of clams, but what makes it most special is the black rum and sherry pepper sauce that’s added to it, often at the table.

Where to find it: I loved it everywhere I had it, and it’s on just about every menu, but I’m told, the best version is sold at the Rubis gas station near the airport (get your taxi driver to take you!). I tried it at Bonefish, Henry VII and Wahoo’s Bistro.

Fresh fish
Grouper has a tender texture and a sweet flavor, similar to sea bass. It’s often served in Bermuda with sautéed bananas. The combination of sweet and savory is very popular on the island. Wahoo is another local fish, but if even slightly overcooked, it can be terribly dry.

Where to find it: I enjoyed tastes of grouper at both Muse and Swizzle Inn, where it was expertly prepared.

Rum cake
Rich buttery cakes doused in rum are popular in Bermuda, as they are in the Caribbean. The best are airy, light, boozy and just a touch moist in the center.

Where to find it: While I had samples at many shops, the best I had was at the luxurious Fairmont Southampton.

Pepper jelly
I never understood the appeal of pepper jelly until I had it in Bermuda. Wow! This spicy sweet jam with chunks of pepper was the perfect foil for a fresh scone slathered with clotted cream. But it’s also great on toast with butter. There are lots of different varieties and brands, some hotter and others sweeter.

Where to find it: The best price I found for it was at the supermarket in Hamilton but you’ll find it at gift shops and in the duty free stores at the airport.

Bailey’s Ice Cream
DJ Donovan, one of the charming taxi drivers and guides on Bermuda told me the best ice cream on the island is at Bailey’s, and I believe it. The rum raisin is made with the Gosling's Black Seal Rum of course.

Where to find it: Bailey's is across the street from the Swizzle Inn, At Wilkinson Ave and Blue Hole Hill (in Bailey's Bay), Hamilton Parish

Gosling's
Gosling’s is the oldest business in Bermuda and makes Bermuda’s only rum. The sugar cane is not grown on Bermuda, and it’s not distilled there either. But the proprietary blend of distillates from Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad is blended there and it’s distinctive spicy flavor is the key ingredient in the Dark and Stormy and the Rum Swizzle, both of which you should try while on the island.

The Dark ‘N Stormy, Gosling's trademarked cocktail, is made from Gosling's Black Seal Rum and ginger beer over ice. The recipe for the Rum Swizzle varies, but it often consists of Gosling's Black Seal Rum, and a combination of lime, and orange and pineapple juice and a sweetener such as falernum or grenadine. If you want to try their most premium rum, look for the family reserve.

While you can find Gosling's Black Seal Rum off the island, what you can’t find is Bermuda Gold, a brand owned by Gosling's. It’s a sweet loquat liquor made on the island. It’s fruity and slightly reminiscent of amaretto. It’s great over ice, with orange juice of sparkling wine. It's also perfect over vanilla ice cream.

Gosling's Family Reserve Old Rum is in limited supply and very expensive off the island. A must for rum connoisseurs, this award-winning rum is rich and mellow with spice and fruit.

Where to find it: You can get the cocktails anywhere, buy Bermuda Gold liqueur or the Gosling's Family Reserve Old Rum at the airport in the duty free section, at the gate. The prices there are the best you'll find.

Disclaimer: I was a guest of Bermuda Tourism, However I was not paid for this, or any other post and I paid for some food and drink that is featured in this post. 

Mexican Cooking Class with Ruth Alegria

It's hard to spend time with Ruth Alegria, and not want to jump on the next plane to Mexico City. To say she knows Mexican food would be an understatement. Ruth has lived in Mexico City for almost 10 years and before that studied the cuisine with luminaries including Diana Kennedy and Enrique Olvera. She also opened the first Mexican restaurant in Princeton, N.J., in 1980 and received two stars from the New York Times.

Her culinary tours and cooking classes at Mexico Soul and Essence are not just beloved by her students, but were singled out by Saveur magazine as among the best in all of Mexico. But it's not just the recipes, it's the techniques and insights into shopping, ingredients and the history and culture that make her such a wonderful teacher and guide.

This past Sunday at the lovely Tamarindo Antojeria restaurant in Oakland, proprietor Gloria Dominguez hosted a cooking class with Ruth. We made salsas, agua fresca, a creamy poblano soup, an ensalada with nopales and another with grilled spring onions, cochinita pibil and pollo pibil, fish wrapped in hoja santa and more. I learned so much, it's hard to know where to start! But here are a few tidbits:

* Seek out Mexican oregano, it is much different than the Mediterranean variety, and very fragrant (a bit sweeter I'd say).

* Toast herbs on a comal, in addition to spices and vegetables. A cast iron comal is probably better than non-stick.

* Cook your salsas, if you want them to last longer in the fridge.

* Add chia seeds to agua fresca.

* Cut chayotes in half, then boil them just until a knife will pierce them, not till they are soft!

* If dried chiles are brittle, do not buy them. They should bend, not break.

* After grilling poblano peppers, put them in a paper bag, not a plastic bag, before scrapping off the peel otherwise they will continue to cook.

* Use only Mexican Jamaica flowers in vegetarian dishes, not the Sudanese variety which turns pink after steeping to make agua fresca.

I am looking forward to trying some Ruth's recipes, especially for salsas, and Gloria's recipe for Capirotada, a Mexican style bread pudding (with no eggs!).

Ruth is spending time in the San Francisco Bay Area, to take a class with her or to find out more about her tours and classes in Mexico, visit her Facebook page.

Vegetable Cookbooks

Is this the year of the vegetable? It sure seems like it! Vegetable centric cookbook are in the spotlight, and it's not one size fits all. There are cookbooks about foraging, using roots, healthy eating and more. In honor of Meatless Monday, here's a round up of some interesting ones I've come across lately.

The Duke's Table is a vegetarian book of Italian food, written in 1930 and now available in English. I learned to love vegetables in Italy where they are never, ever served plain. They are always "dressed" and I find this makes all the difference. Even a little drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice make a dish of vegetables more appealing. This book has a staggering number of recipes, over 1000 and everything from pasta dishes to souffles, egg dishes, soups, ice creams and even some raw dishes (those are a little out there!). Some of the recipes are healthy, some are not, but all are interesting and offer a peek into a fascinating diet of a man of means at the turn of the century (the duke lived from 1879 till 1946). Some of the recipes are fancy, but many are regional dishes like Bucellati, a sweet bread or Torta Napoletana. The vegetarian meatballs and meatloaves are inventive mixtures of mushrooms and walnuts. 

My verdict? A fascinating book for Italian food lovers. 

I am very excited about Tara Duggan's book Root-to-Stalk Cooking because I am the kind of cook who wonders, can I eat carrot tops? What can I do with squash blossoms other than stuff them? And is there a good use for apple peelings? Fortunately this book answers all those nagging questions and more. It's all about using the whole vegetable and that just makes good sense.

Recipes I've bookmarked include Chard Stalk Relish with Pine Nuts & Sultanas, Pea Pod Pudding, Carrot Top Salsa Verde with Roasted Root Vegetables and Apple Peel Bourbon. Note this book won't be available until August. 

My verdict? Great for adventuresome and thrifty cooks, farmer's market shoppers and gardeners who often end up with whole, untrimmed vegetables. 

Vegetable Literacy is the latest book from Deborah Madison and the closest thing to a vegetable bible both for cooking and gardening. It's organized by families, such as nightshades, lily, grass, cabbage and sunflower. It really makes you think about vegetables in a new way!

There are recipes for vegetables you use all the time like carrots and squash but also recipes using less common vegetables like burdock, quelites, parsnips and escarole. I have so many recipes bookmarked I don't know where to start, but a few that caught me eye are Young Leeks with Oranges and Pistachios, Corn Simmered in Coconut Milk with Thai Basil and Sweet Potatoes with White Miso Ginger Sauce. I am in awe of Deborah Madison. She's like a national treasure and though no longer living in the Bay Area, she was deeply involved in the restaurants that made a big impact in our local cuisine specifically Chez Panisse and Greens. 

My verdict? Buy this book! It is destined to become a classic. 

Ripe is written by Cheryl Sternman Rule with stunning photography by Paulette Phlipot. It came out last year but is still making waves! Organized by color, it really does embody passion and excitement. It's written in a slightly cheeky style that's fun to read and each ingredient gets a set of tips for using them and how to combine them with other ingredients.

There are lots of surprises in this book like Swiss Chard stuffed with Polenta (smart!) a juicy salad of Honeydew, Cucumber and Grapes with a poppyseed and lime dressing and show stopping Persimmon, Apple, Radicchio stacks (you can't tell me you've seen that elsewhere). 

My verdict? Inspiring recipes, ideas and photos, and a great coffee table book. 

The Longevity Kitchen by Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson focuses on 16 "age busting" foods, they are asparagus, avocado, basil, blueberries, coffee, dark chocolate, garlic, green tea, kale, olive oil, pomegranate, sweet potatoes, thyme, walnuts, wild salmon and yogurt. Let's face it, you are going to get old, no matter what you eat. But the ingredients in this book may help you live a more healthy life.

The photos are good and the book is really jam packed with inspiring recipes for things you probably haven't considered like Nori Rolls stuffed with Avocado and Smoked Salmon, Edamame Wasabi Spread and sardines mixed with loads of herbs and mustard. Many of the recipes, including all of the baked good and desserts are gluten-free, often relying on almond flour. Also Rebecca Katz writes wonderfully informal headnotes with each recipe.

My verdict? Great for anyone wanting to incorporate more healthy foods into their cooking and looking for new ideas.

Backyard Foraging. Yay! Another book on foraging! And this one is not about going far into the wild, but simply into your own backyard. Full color photographs and a guide to seasonality will be helpful to those just starting to forage for food. Did you know you could eat magnolia flowers and buds? I didn't! Watch out foliage, this book is coming after you! 

There are instructions for how to prepare the foraged food, but only a few recipes at the end of the book, for things like Dandelion Wine, Dahlia Tuber Bread, Mushroom Ravioli and Rose Hip Soup. 

My verdict? Great for budding naturalists living in the suburbs or less urban areas with access to common plants. I fear urban plants growing wild are probably exposed to more pollution and not as suitable for eating, though perhaps I'm wrong about that.

The Passionate Vegetable is a weird name for a cookbook. I mean, what exactly is a passionate vegetable? Written by a health educator, Suzanne Landry the book provides a roadmap for better health through the "flexitarian" style of eating. Perhaps most importantly the recipes are easy to follow.

To be honest, though I do want to try The Passionate Breakfast Cookie, much of the photography is not terribly inspiring in this book and the recipes remind me of the things I cooked when I moved into my first apartment--Mushroom Barley Soup, Black Bean and Corn Salad, Ratatouille over Spaghetti Squash. 

My verdict? This book is best for beginning cooks. 

Disclaimer: Some of these books were review copies, and this post includes affiliate links. 

Cantaloupe Drizzled with Lemon Cardamom Yogurt Sauce

As I get older, one thing that seems to get increasingly higher is my threshold of what constitutes "embarassing" behavior in public places.

In my middle school years, I would never leave home without my self-defined "mall outfit" - a fun shirt and jeans, makeup, and copious amounts of baubles emblazoned with smiley faces, yin-yangs, and peace signs (oh my god what were we thinking). Having parents in tow was an automatic source of embarrassment (for no logical reason).  All behavior was directed at the goal of "fitting in."

Eventually, things start to ease up.  You realize that no one actually dies if you decide to wear sweatpants out of the house.  And the mere fact that you have parents no longer seems to be a source of shame.

And now I am the girl who leaves home with giant knots in my hair.  As well as the person who traipses around markets, sniffing each melon to find the most wonderfully fragrant one.  Picking them up to make sure they are dense. Examining the color of the rind.  This is all very important work.  A bad melon is a bad melon.  But a good melon is transcendent.

But one could make the case that this behavior is quite odd.  Embarrassing, even.  Which I'm sure I will be told by Max sometime in the near future.  But that will be his problem, not mine.

Ingredients
Cantaloupe chunks (or slices, which would be prettier, but not as easy to eat )
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
zest from small lemon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon honey
pinch cardamom

Instructions
Mix the yogurt, lemon zest and juice, coconut milk, honey, and cardamom together in a small bowl.  Spoon over cantaloupe chunks.