The Mediterranean Way

Ask me to choose my favorite food region and I will instantly confess to a certain fondness for the Mediterranean. To travel and eat my way through countries like Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Morocco, Croatia and Greece would be the fulfillment of some highly intense food fantasies. Just thinking about the vivid colors and glorious beauty of the Mediterranean spurs my creative spirit and appetite.
Certain films have fueled my desire to explore all things Mediterranean. Films like “Shirley Valentine,” “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and a quirky John Cassavetes film called “Tempest”, which all glorified the gorgeousness of Greece, while “The Talented Mr. Ripley” transported me straight to San Remo and forever cemented my opinion that the Mediterranean is among the most stunning areas in the world.
In the book “1,000 Places To See Before You Die” there is a paragraph that reads; “After visiting the Amalfi Coast, a giddy Andre Gide wrote in “The Immoralist” that “nothing more beautiful can be seen on this earth.” It continues on by saying “Vertical cliffs plunge into an impossibly blue Mediterranean, as a coastline of seaside towns unfolds among terraced olive and lemon groves, oaks and umbrella pines.”
But here is the clincher for me...the author goes on to describe a bit of the area's food by writing; “This is the region that gives the world fresh mozzarella di bufala; imagine how heavenly it tastes when it is grilled on a fragrant lemon leaf and served under the warm Neapolitan sun. Things only get better with the exquisite simplicity of spaghetti made with a sauce of plump baby clams and mussels.”
The food of the Mediterranean is fresh, natural, unprocessed...of the earth, and the sea. And that impresses and inspires me, as I feel that the greatest of dishes are the simplest ones, made with the best ingredients.Turns out that eating as the Mediterranean people do, by focusing on an abundance of fresh vegetables, and fruits, along with grains, and incorporating a bit of fish, poultry, lean meats and dairy is not only soul satisfying, but immensely healthy for the body.
Rachel Greenstein, Communications Manager for Oldways wrote to me several weeks ago to inform me that Oldways has declared May “National Mediterranean Diet Month”. Oldways is an
internationally respected non-profit organization devoted to positively changing the way people eat and live. As a global educator, Oldways creates materials, educational programs, activities and recipes to promote healthy eating, drinking, and a lifestyle that celebrates the many pleasures of sharing natural, nutritious and delicious foods.
Rachel directed me to the Oldways website and I have been having a wonderful time learning more
about Oldways' vision for teaching Americans the goodness of the Mediterranean way. Oldways worked closely with the Harvard School of Public Health, along with an international coalition of nutrition scientists and numerous culinary experts to create the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, which is a richly illustrated and easy to comprehend graphic that details the components of this supremely healthy way of eating. Oldways has launched a campaign to deliver a million Mediterranean Diet pyramids to American households and you can download yours at www.oldwayspt.org.
The traditional dietary habits of the Mediterranean people have been widely studied and are believed to be among the healthiest ways to eat in the world. Research on this primarily plant based diet shows that there may be significant health benefits including greater longevity, improved heart health and an enhanced quality of life.
But let's get back to the food! The foods of the Mediterranean Diet are luscious, nutrient rich, natural choices that are full of tantalizing flavor and exciting eye appeal. Sun drenched, color soaked vegetables and fruits such as scarlet and neon yellow sweet peppers, bright green, baby spinach, garden fresh sugar snap peas and cucumbers, pale yellow and green summer squashes, rich, red tomatoes, fat mushroom, fragrant strawberries, crunchy apples, sweet grapes, luxurious figs and a host of other fruits and vegetables form the mainstay of the pyramid.
A range of grains from rice to pasta, couscous and polenta as well as whole grain breads are included on the pyramid. Grains, fruits and vegetables offer important vitamins, minerals, energy, antioxidants and fiber. Eating these nutrient dense and fibrous foods helps the body feel full longer and can lead to successfully sustaining weight loss.
But for me, here comes the best part. I love my veggies and greens and grains and fruit, but I love my dairy even more. The Mediterranean Diet encourages a moderate consumption of yogurt and cheese. I have always found that artisinal cheeses and organic dairy products have exceptional taste and when I eat well made dairy, a little goes a long way.
The Pyramid also suggest that consuming healthy fats such as olive oil, avacado and nuts can be a beneficial part of life, along with the aformentioned lean meats, poultry, and fish. The Mediterranean diet opens up a vast array of cooking opportunities that are not only tremendously tasty, but can
enhance our health. I love that the Mediterranean Diet also focuses on whole body wellness, by encouraging daily exercise and sharing quality time with the people you love.
So for these remaining days of May, I am continuing to collect and experiment with Mediterranean inspired recipes. I'm thinking grilled octopus, brushed with olive oil and finely chopped herbs. I imagine it will turn out slightly smoky, yet sweet, fabulous with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. I adore that fresh herbs play an important role in Mediterranean cooking. Herbs are such an amazing way to add incredible layers of flavor to food, from pungent rosemary with grilled meats, thyme and parsley
embellishing a roast chicken, chopped dill and cilantro adding spark to a green salad, or a mix of herbs
layered between roasted eggplant, onions, peppers, tomatoes and squash, with just a bit of French feta cheese. (Find french feta at Liuzzi's in North Haven, CT!)
On this particular day in May, the spring rains are coming down hard, but the my kitchen is lit with love and the wonderful warmth of the Mediterranean way!

To connect with Oldways:
www.oldwayspt.org
http://oldwaystable.org
http://www.facebook.com/OldwaysPT
http://twitter.com/#!/OldwaysPT


Robin Glowa is a healthy cooking teacher, passionate food professional and writer. She is a
a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teacher's College.
www.theconsciouscook.net

February Cooking Adventure 2011

 
 
 
 
Love In the Air at the Clarke Culinary Center


Wine, women and song..well, it was actually wine, women and food. And since I can't sing, and it's all about food for me, I was thrilled to find myself at the incomparable Clarke Culinary Center on February 10th for a special “ladies only” Valentine's cooking class.
Any cooking class at the Clarke Culinary Center is an amazing experience, but this promised to be a match made in heaven, as in a petite bit of French heaven.
Oh yes, a spectacular menu created by chef extraordinaire, Jean Louis Gerin, owner of Restaurant Jean-Louis in Greenwich, that we ladies would be able to recreate for a special Valentine celebration at home. To top it all off, there would be a champagne tasting as well.
Now, I must confess I love champagne, and I love pairing it with food. And a high school trip
to Paris and Lyon left me with a certain misty and wistful life long fondness for all things French. What could be more romantic than sipping champagne and watching a renowned French chef prepare a love feast before my very eyes? C'est magnifique, non?
As we women gathered round the gleaming cooktop, Chef Jean-Lous bustled about, smiling
and gathering ingredients. As class began he introduced us to champagne expert Geraldine de Kersaint de Gilly. Of course, she would have an impossibly charming name to go along with her perfectly petite self. I wondered briefly if I could become Robin de Confession de Conscious.
Geraldine delved right into our champagne education. She handily demonstrated the proper way to open a bottle by first removing the foil, relieving the cork of it's wire cage (also known as the museliere, or muzzle) and firmly grasping and turning the cork in one direction while rotating the bottle in the opposite direction.
56a3“Do not point the bottle at anyone while you are opening it!”, she noted. A perfect little popping sigh and the Demoiselle Rose` was ready to pour.
As Geraldine instructed us to pour only about 2 inches into a glass, she added, “Do not leave champagne for months in the refrigerator as it should not be too cold. A three hour chill down before dinner is perfect.”
As I inspected my glass, watching the upward dance of minuscule, merry pink bubbles, I listened to Geraldine explain how rose` champagne is full of body, with a good bite of acidity and quite food friendly. “You could have it with meat even”, she insisted,”Rose` never gets overwhelmed by the food! In fact, all champagnes are an excellent accompaniment to food, try it with sushi or oysters,” she said with a big smile.
“Rose` became quite fashionable again over the past 20-30 years”, she continued. “Taste, taste,” Geraldine insisted and so we did. Bright and effervescent, with a light layer of lush strawberry sweetness, the Demoiselle was lovely.
As we sipped our champagne and became suffused with a bit of a blush ourselves, Chef
Jean-Louis was busily beginning the evening's dessert, a Passion Fruit Charlotte with maron glace
(candied chestnuts)...”It's nothing crazy”, grinned our Chef,”fruit-caramel-gelatin..you will love it!”
But first, Chef Jean-Louis prepared a simple Chocolat Feuillantine, much like a crunchy candy bar. As he chopped chocolate and mixed it with praline and butter, he emphatically pronounced that “we
should never forget to lick our fingers after preparing chocolate!”
Chef Jean-Louis also mentioned that chocolate does not like refrigeration, “eat chocolate quickly”, he said, “and if you do put it in the refrigerator, be sure it is well covered. It will absorb the odor of all your other foods otherwise.”
Chef Jean-Louis then moved on to making caramel. “Caramel”, he says “is sugar and a dash of water...just a few drops. You must prepare it over high heat, so it goes quickly and doesn't have time to crystallize.” He then admonished, “Caramel doesn't need you, so don't play with it!” He instructed us
to stop the caramel cooking process by putting the pan in the sink and running water around the pan.
After years of avoiding recipes that included caramel..something about brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush seemed a bit tedious to me and I worried about overcooking it... turns out caramel is really quite simple. And it took a Frenchman to teach me that.
The sweet perfume of passion fruit soon filled the kitchen as our Chef dipped gelatin sheets in iced water and then melted them in warm cognac. A mountain of whipped cream appeared and the passion fruit, gelatin, whipped cream and and sugar were folded together. Assembled in individual cups, a bit of the chocolate feuillantine anchored the bottom while a cloud of passion fruit cream was pillowed on top. Off to the freezer to chill and it was on to the rest of the menu.
While Chef Jean-Louis began on his appetizer of Leek and Oyster Pain Perdu, Geraldine invited
one of the ladies to open the next bottle of champagne, a Champagne Couche. Tentative at first, she firmly disposed of the museliere and the cork went sailing straight across the kitchen! So
a reminder, keep the hand on top of the cork while twisting! No injuries, and after much laughter, Geraldine regaled us with more champagne trivia.
“Champagne is produced in a designated area protected by law, anything produced outside this
area cannot be called champagne”, she stated. “ Champagne can be much lighter or darker, that's the influence of the grapes, and you should be aware that the smaller the bubble, the better the quality. If the bubbles vanish too quickly, this is not good, you want consistency in the glass.”
“You know”, said Geraldine happily, “ Champagne is very special and many famous women have been quoted saying amazing things about champagne. Coco Chanel, for example, said “A woman drinks champagne when she is in love and when she is not”, Brigitte Bardot claimed it was the only thng she would drink when she was tired and Marilyn Monroe once bathed in 350 bottles of bubbly!” As we sampled the freshly opened bubbly, I was beginning to feel like I was bathing in it!
But the food was coming, anticipating the oyster appetizer was making me salivate. Chef Jean-
Louis cleaned leeks and began chopping them. He mentioned that onions, shallots, leeks, garlic, all need to have the inner stem removed, as the stem will make you burp. He also encouraged us to save all scraps and scrapings from vegetable preparation to go in a freezer bag to make stock or soup.
The mildly pungent aroma of leeks wafted through the kitchen as they cooked in a generous
plop of butter. When they were wilted , salt, white pepper (“I only use white pepper in the kitchen,”
Chef Jean-Louis insisted, “ black pepper doesn't look good, it's bitter,black pepper is for barbecue!”) and cayenne pepper were added with heavy cream. Chef Jean-Louis quipped that “French cooking is not just butter and cream, it's just not true,” then he giggled a bit.
A lightly beaten egg and oysters were added to the creamy leak mixture and divided atop
baguette slices and popped in the oven. We were served a sensuous taste experience, the crisp crunch of the bread, the silky, rich, buttery biote of leek and oyster, caressed by sips of sparkly champagne.
Very, very romantic.
With the main course of Drunken Red Snapper and warm fingerling potato in Champagne Beurre Blanc, we tasted Chef Gerin's own private champagne-Cuvee Jean-Louis. Geraldine informed us this was produced from 100% chardonnay grapes and is known as a blanc de blanc. “This is made by my
wife's family”, interjected Chef Jean-Louis,”we go through a tremendous amount at my restaurant...I had to stop drinking it in the morning”, he laughed.
For his simple yet sumptuous dinner entree, Chef Jean-Louis cooked potatoes in boiling, salted water until just tender and then sliced them into ¼ inch thick pieces. He seasoned the flesh side of red snapper filets with salt and white pepper. Champagne was poured into a large saute pan and boiled for 30 seconds to remove the alcohol. Chopped onion and the red snapper were slipped into the pan and simmered for about five minutes until the fish was cooked. The fish was removed from the pan and set aside while he reduced the liquid and then tranferred the liquid to a blender with butter and 4 slices of
potato. “You thicken sauce by reducing it, there is no need to add flour, flour is for pastry”. The sauce was finished by boiling more champagne, adding the remaining potato slices, the blended liquid and
a touch of heavy cream.
The dish was plated with two romaine lettuce leaves, the potatoes were laid on the lettuce leaves and then topped with the fish. The rosy red skin side was offset by the brilliant white flesh, a perfect color for Valentine's Day. Drizzled with sauce,the dish was absolutely delicious, full of mouth filling flavor.
Simple, fresh ingredients cooked with love, this was a perfect menu for romance. Chef Jean-Louis said “You must have absolutely the best, freshest fish and don't have too many ingredients-it's too confusing!” Good advice for cooking and for romance!
Then it was time for dessert and the last remaining bottles of bubbly. Geraldine opened a
Lucien Albrecht, a cremant, made in the style of champagne, but produced outside of the region. I
immediately noticed larger bubbles, and a marvelous warm blush pink color. I didn't find it to be as delicious as the Demoiselle, but by now I was too focused on dessert.
The passion fruit charlotte was superb, the uniquely sweet, slightly sour taste of the passion fruit, the cool creaminess combined with the chocolate crunch and the plump candied chestnut...insanely good. A dish to fall head over heels in love with.
Just when I thought I my senses couldn't be any more stimulated, Chef Jean-Louis, with his marvelous French accent announces “if you have a little champagne left, cook it with some bitter chocolate. It will make a wonderful body paint.”

And on that note, dear reader, I will leave you to your own romantic pursuits.


Restaurant Jean-Louis
61 Lewis Street
Greenwich, CT
203-622-8450
www.restuarantJeanLouis.com


Clarke Culinary Center
64 South Main Street
So. Norwalk, CT 06854
203-838-9385
www.clarkecorp.com

 

 
Winter's Unlikely Superhero

Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane...no, it's a grossly enlarged girl, suffering the pangs of post holiday carb consumption. Able to consume copious quantities of Christmas cookies, pasta carbonara
and oh yes, one more glass of Chardonnay, the Carbed Crusader spent the entire holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve, demonstrating the stupendous eating abilities of a true superhero.
Ever the social butterfly, the Carbed Crusader politely accepted whatever was proferred at all the parties, all the potlucks. A truckload of Triscuits and hot artichoke dip, seductive salt and black pepper potato chips, an oozing pastry wrapped brie partnered with a tart cherry compote, all delicious, all delightful, fueling our gargantuan girl wonder with all the glories of the season.
Seemingly there is no end in sight to the catastrophic caloric clogging. Now deep in the dregs of January, with yet another massive snow storm on the way, the Carbed Crusader is contemplating constructing a succulent Chicken Pot Pie crowned with a flaky, cheese laced crust. Then she will fill a
sturdy dutch oven full of elegant, richly flavored Beef Daube, accompanied by a large loaf of crusty olive bread. Once that's done, the Carbed Crusader will commence to concoct a volatile vat of chili.
After all, Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner and provisions must be made! Plus, that steaming bowl of spiciness is just the vehicle for beefing up the body of this one woman eating machine.
While the chili is cheerily bubbling away, there exists the perfect excuse for whipping up a batch of tender cornbread laced with sharp cheddar and bracing bits of jalapeno. A bright yellow crumble of cornbread, slathered with creamy butter and drizzled with wildflower honey brings a definite touch of sunshine to dark winter days. Never mind the crunchy, salty tortilla chips, luscious chunks of avocado and giant plop of sour cream that make that bowl of chili just about the most heroic of winter meals.
Of course, the Carbed Crusader does realize that all wild indulgences must eventually be curtailed. One cannot retain superior crime crushing skills, glowing skin and bright eyes when one keeps feeding the insatiable demons of desire. C.C. knows that moderation in all things is the superior way to be ready for all of life's adventures. Slumping, slack flesh and that tight, uncomfortable pinching, along with an ever plummeting energy level will at some point become an unbearable encumbrance.
But before the Carbed Crusader can return to a rigorous routine of responsible eating and regular exercise, there is one last moment of gustatory glory to be savored. An indulgement so divine and delicious it will carry this carb craver to a place of complete contentment. The need to exceed will be quietly quelled by a magnificent pan full of mighty macaroni and cheese.
The Carbed Crusader considers macaroni and cheese a sacred dish, one to be created with reverance and really good ingredients. Seldom using less than 5 selections of cheeses in her macaroni and cheese, the Carbed Crusader favors a flavorful blend of sharp cheddar, smooth, unassuming Swiss, a bit of mozzarella, a bit of bleu or gorgonzola to add a bright, salty bite and a heavy handful of Parmesan.
Meze rigatoni is the only macaroni she will use, the stubby tubes a perfect vehicle for harboring perfect mouthfuls of ooey gooey cheesiness.
The sauce is a classic roux, blended with warm skim milk and some half and half, whisked until perfectly silky. Nearly all the cheese is stirred in, then the rigatoni. Poured into a buttered baking dish, the remainder of the cheeses are scattered atop the pasta and the whole creation is capped off with hand torn shards of french bread tossed with salted butter. Into a 375 degree oven, and thirty minutes later sheer heaven will emerge. It is advisable to check the oven halfway through for burning breadcrumbs. If they are overbronzing, protect with a layer of aluminum foil.
A super feast for any eating hero, the crisp, golden crumbs mingling with melted cheese is worth every calorie. Besides there is 2 feet of snow out there for the Carbed Crusader to shovel her way through. Super carbs for super strength!! Up, up and away!

 

 
Doughnuts..The Hole Story

I've been contemplating doughnuts lately. Which is really odd, because I don't eat doughnuts, period. Never. Seriously, I never touch them. When I was a child, my grandparents would bring Dunkin' Donuts whenever they came to visit us for the weekend. The adults were really into it, everyone had their particular favorite. My mother was a cruller fan, my grandmother always chose Buttercrunch. Buttercrunch was a great name for this doughnut. Big, round and glistening with a glaze full of crunchy little nibs, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. The first time I bit it into one of those sugary orbs, I tasted sweet, tender, doughy delightfulness. But not five minutes, later I was gripped by a hideous bout of heartburn. Sugary treats were not a common occurrence in our house and to give up such a rare pleasure was heartbreaking, nonetheless I quickly gave up on doughnuts.
So I grew up in a mostly doughnutless world, or donut less world..I do not do the donut. With one glaring exception. I would eat Mrs. Wing's doughnut holes. Mrs. Wing, who lived down the road from my family's house, made apple cider doughnut holes every year for Halloween. Maybe it was the cuteness of their petite size, or the tangy taste of the cider mingling with cinnamon sugar, the crumbly yet somehow compact cakiness. This was a most marvelous trick or treat for little mischief makers.
However she made them, there was no pang of pain deep in my chest cavity. Just the wonderful flavor of cake and apple and frangrant spices. I don't know if I would actually prepare them, but I wish I had her recipe. I'm sure she would have written it down on one of those wonderful old fashioned recipe cards, with the blue lines in the center and the script type at the top that would say “Recipe from the kitchen of__________”. I wonder if she would have written Mrs. Wing or if she would have written her first name too, in that spidery cursive type so typical of little old ladies.
I hadn't thought much about doughnuts for years, until I recently interviewed John Plasko, Sr. who owns Plasko's Farm in Trumbull. CT. For 93 years the Plasko family has been farming, and they continue to be the oldest working farm in Trumbull.
John is a charmer who really knows how to work a crowd. And in October, their busiest month,there is always a crowd. Moms, dads, and teachers chaperone busloads of kids who flock to the farm to go through the corn maze,buy pumpkins, race around on the lawn and prop themselves up on the fence to make friends with the four miniature Sicilian donkeys.
It just so happens that Plasko's Farm has a general store filled with all kinds of goodies you'd expect to find in an old fashioned general store, including their famous apple cider doughnuts. John thinks they are the best he's ever had, and Ct Magazine has voted them among the 5 best in the state.
John treated me to 2 boxes of his famous doughnuts. Wouldn't you know that when I ripped open the first box and tried a bite, memories of Mrs. Wing and many, many Halloweens ago came flooding back.
That intoxicating rich scent of cinnamon mixed with sugar, the fabulous texture, it was all there.
So now it seems that doughnuts are everywhere I am. The New Haven Advocate featured an article on the best local doughnuts in their recent “Autumntimes Issue”. I was merely looking for restaurant and live music info. At work my boss brought in a bulging box of doughnuts from Neils in Wallingford, CT. It's almost disturbing the way I can't get doughnuts off my mind. Something I never eat. Ever. Period. Seriously.
But there they are in the supermarket, neatly packaged, a display of eight perfectly lovely doughnuts glowing with glaze. I'm not only noticing, I'm craving.......god forbid..DOUGHNUTS!!
I know doughnuts are a pretty serious treat. They average a couple of hundred calories each, depending on flavor. According to livestrong.com, one cider doughnut has 201 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 of those being saturated, 31 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium....etc.etc., you get the picture. Or rather, I'm getting the picture. I never had to think this way about doughnuts before, because I was never tempted. Now I want to sample every type, yeast, raised, cake style, cream filled, jelly stuffed.
A food professional must be constantly doing research, yes? Please say yes.
I am a huge advocate of enjoying life and occasional treats make us happy, contentented, and fulfilled. If we didn't indulge from time to time, I think we could quite possibly go mad with desire and subject ourselves to the public humiliation of being caught red handed in the candy or chip aisle, ripping open plastic with our teeth and cramming an entire bag of cheez doodles in our mouths. Moderation is the key to mindfulfulness.
I started researching doughnuts and reading about their history. Some say the Dutch are responsible for bringing them to America. I discovered that fried dough is eaten everywhere in the world and foreign doughnuts have exotic, lovely names such as Beignets in France, Bismark in Germany, Churro in Spain and Mexico, Poori in India, Baursaki in Kazakhstan, and Zeppole in Italy. That's just to name a very few.
I wondered if there were any slightly more healthful ways of preparing doughnuts and found a recipe in the October 2010 issue of Health magazine for Baked Buttermilk Doughnuts. It requires buying a special pan, a Wilton Doughnut Pan, to be exact. Prep time is 8 minutes, bake time is 8 minutes. A simple cake like batter looks easy enough and several appealing variations are shown including lemon glazed, chocolate hazelnut and, best of all, cinnamon sugar. The recipe offers decent reductions in calories, fat and sodium, insignificant cholesterol differences.
I may decide to give it a try....then again, I think a once a year Halloween visit to any famous apple cider donut maker is a worthwhile and delicious tradition, and will quell the wild cravings of any conscious cook.