Green Wraps, Going Green, and Jigsaw's Greens

You can probably guess what my favorite

color is.

I am a green fanatic.  I love green.  When I get married,

my color scheme will be green.  When I have a house,

it will be filled with green plants that somebody else

takes care of.  And when I eat, I love to eat greens.

These green wraps are a great way to eat leafy green

veggies without feeling like a kid who's eating her vegetables.

grown-up green wraps

+ Collard Greens (whole-leaf with stem below the leaf removed)

+ Filling:  carrots, scallions, cabbage, onion, etc.

+ Hummus, tempeh or roasted and ground seeds.

Start a large pot of water to boil.

Prepare your collard greens.  Remove all stem below the leaf-line.  

Leave the entire leaf intact.  Slice your carrots, cabbage, etc. into thin matchsticks.

Blanch collard leaves in the boiling water until bright green.  Remove and drain.

Water or oil-saute your matchsticks until soft and bright.  I either add sesame oil,

tamari soy sauce, vinegar, or mirin to add flavor.

Lay your leaves flat.  If you're new to cooking, it helps to lay them on a sushi mat.

Line your sauteed veggies and hummus horizontally across the leaves, like sushi

ingredients on sushi.  Roll the ingredients inside the leaves, slice, and enjoy!  

The picture at the top of the post are my veggie wraps.

I like to dip them in tamari with lemon juice, dijon mustard, or any

leftover sauce I've got hanging around the fridge!

Ketchup Recipe and Pretty Red Things

I made homemade ketchup today.  We didn't have any, so I made it.

I still can't believe I'm the kind of person who makes their own ketchup.  I feel like Bear Grylls.  Or Rambo.  If there was a nuclear accident at the old Heinz place and all the ketchup in America was contaminated...  I could make some.

But seriously... how many people do YOU know who know how to make ketchup?  For most people, it's hard just to wiggle the butter knife around that skinny glass bottle to get the ketchup out.

Forget that.  I'm ten light-years ahead you.  I made ketchup.  Hell, while I'm at it, I could probably make the ketchup bottle too.

I need to stop.  I need to take a few steps back.  This is how hipsters in Brooklyn end up with their own old-fashioned letterpress factories run out of lofts.  If I don't stop now, I'll end up with my own small home pickling business.  Oh, wait.  Too late.  Did I mention I'll be selling homemade tofu cheese and amazake starting next week?

- 2 carrots

- 1 onion

- 2 to 3 tsp. ume plum vinegar

- 1 tbsp. maple syrup

Place two separate pots of water on the stove to boil.  While the water is heating, chop carrots and onions into fingernail-sized pieces.  They can be messy since they're headed for the blender.

Boil carrots and onions separately for 15-20 minutes, until onions are translucent and carrots are soft.  Save some of your boiling water, approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup.

In a large bowl, add carrots, onion, 1/4 to 1/3 cup boiling water, ume vinegar, and maple syrup.  Blend well with either a hand-mixer or a food processor until smooth.  

If you're feeding this to kids, I'd add 1/2 a steamed beet for red color.  I love this ketchup because unlike conventional ketchup, it has no sugar, no artificial colors or flavors, and is a great way to sneak in veggies.

pretty things ::  essie nail color $8 //  brian atwood carla watersnake triangle clutch $1385  // 

//  kate spade twirl karolina shoes $350 //

Becky's Kitchen Nightmares

I'm dreaming of a legendary kitchen.  We're about to undertake a major kitchen renovation, but the important stuff like island placement and square footage doesn't interest me.

I'm more interested in the color of the kitchen door...  the number of teacups on the shelf... the pots of green herbs.  I love the details.  To me, a room is about its amenities.  I had custom picture frames on the wall of my last apartment before my bed had sheets.  Or a mattress.  Or a bed frame.

It drives my family insane.  I do the same thing with clothes.  My mom throws a fit because I'd rather buy six neon belts than one jacket.  What can I say?  I love tiny, perfect moments.

The thing I love best about kitchens are that accessories are the name of the game.  Plates, cups, china...  Even dried foods become props.  On the third picture below, you can see how a braid of garlic is both a beautiful and functional item in this kitchen.

I hope you enjoy my kitchen idea board!  I'll be posting rosemary fries later!

Gifts for the Macro-Vegan Couple

Hello friends!  I survived the Night of Two Weddings and ate some lovely canapé too.

I have many more to go before I retire my dancing shoes for this wedding season, so I wanted to share with you my thoughts on gifts for the health-conscious couple just starting out.

Put together a gift basket of macrobiotic cook and reference books!  Every macrobiotic family I know has their own library of books they use for diagnosis and cooking.  These can be pricey for a new couple just starting out, making it a thoughtful and generous gesture as a gift.

1 kristina turner :: the self-healing cookbook

2 pottery barn :: shayne basket

3 alicia silverstone :: the kind diet

A CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture membership, is a way to support both a new couple AND the environment!  CSA details vary from farm to farm, but the general gist is, once a week, the couple shows up at a pick-up point and loads up their basket with fresh, local, organic veggies from their local farm.  Most couples I know are young, broke, and unused to cooking for themselves.  A prepaid CSA membership provides them with high-quality fresh ingredients that support a macrobiotic lifestyle.

1 boston :: stillman's farm CSA

2 nashville ::  barefoot farmer CSA

3 bay area ::  eatwell farm CSA

star shaped press farmer's market poster  ::  etsy

Wedding Season Arrives

This weekend marks the beginning of wedding season.  I'm going to at least five weddings that I can remember, probably more that I'm not aware of yet.

Wedding season is not wholly dissimilar to exam season.  I used to have an exam motto.

If you think you did well, you didn't know enough to know you failed.

If you think your weekend is free, you are forgetting your best friend's wedding.

Never fear, snackers!  With my carefully curated guide, you'll look like you've been planning for weeks!

 1 jonathan adler frames  $78 / $58  2 bodum coffee maker  $20

3  kitchenaid stand mixer  $500  4  etsy artisan print  $19

5  etsy custom cake topper $15 6 martha stewart melamine bowls $30

7 martha stewart bird service bowls  $46

It's A British Invasion!

What's so special about spring?  Why, it's the anniversary of the Royal Wedding and the Diamond Jubilee of H.R.H. Queen Elizabeth II!  It puts us in a British Persuasion.

So you went macro.  That means no more pub crawls and goodbye figgy pudding.  But Britain is about more than confusing words and binge drinking.  It's about tea!  It's about tiny teacups!  It's about Fish and Chips!

So here are all three.  With love, from me, to you.

FRIED FISH

for your macrobiotic consideration

-------------------------------------------
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (corn flour for GF)
1 tsp. arrowroot flour
1-2 c. water
2-3 c. panko flakes (crushed GF Brown Rice Crispies for GF)
5-6 white fish fillets, I like sole or cod
1/2 gallon safflower or dark sesame oil.  Safflower is cheaper
daikon radish
-------------------------------------------

Before beginning your fish, grate 2-3 tbsp. per person of raw daikon radish.  This will help break down all the sinning you're about to do so your large intestine doesn't go on strike.  It's also extremely flushing, so if you're having trouble with loose bowels, skip the grated daikon.  In fact, it's probably best to skip the fried food entirely.  When you get done grating, stick this in the fridge until serving.

Combine 1 cup flour and arrowroot flour, mixing thoroughly.  Add water until the batter takes on a moist consistency similar to pancake batter.  Set up three dipping stations.
STATION 1:  Flouring.  At this station, you will rub the fish around in the remaining 1/2 c. whole wheat or corn flour until it's thoroughly coated.
STATION 2:  Battering.  Take your floured fillets and dip them in your liquid batter, covering all sides and surfaces.
STATION 3:  Breading.  Finally, you'll drop your floured, battered fillets in the panko bread crumbs or crushed brown rice crispies.  Place finished fillets on baking sheet to await frying.

Heat your oil in a deep cast-iron pot.  I always open the windows, because inevitably my smoke alarm goes off, I panic, and my fish burns while I'm running around trying to ventilate the place.  The oil is hot when a drop of batter quickly floats to the top.  Gently lower your fish fillets.  Allow to fry until fish is golden brown, then remove with a small strainer and rest on either a mesh drying rack or a thick stack of paper towels.

For a dipping sauce, try a light sauce of tamari mixed with kombu or bonito soup stock, some grated fresh ginger, and some chopped fresh scallions.  Or if you really want to go British, dip it in a little brown rice vinegar.

Tea & Cups

kate spade :: gardner street green teacup  $38

harney & sons  ::  cherry blossom tin $7

kate spade ::  market street green teacup + plate  $38

teaforte :: organic lemon lavender tea (citrus set)  $24

teaforte :: sontu teacup + saucer  $15

harney & sons ::  indian nimbu looseleaf tin  $13

whittard of chelsea ::  long may she reign cup & saucer  $25

harney & son's ::  paris tea satchet tin $8

British flag motif inspired by zazzle (dot) com.

Japanese Goodies I Want and Need

suribachi

mortar + pestle

starwest botanicals   ::   6" suribachi   $14

I consider this a macro must-have!  Make gomashio, turn tofu into dressing, break down nuts and dry spices...  I plan on using my future suribachi to make ohagi (sticky rice balls)!

otoshibuta

Wood-Drop Lid

amazon   ::   sukiyaki nabe with otoshibuta lid   $26

Soak this bamboo lid in cold water and enjoy!  You can put weights on it to get a pressure-like effect on grains and beans, or simply lay it flat on saucy sautés and get a more even distribution of liquids.

tawashi

Most Excellent Veggie Scrubbie

amazon   ::   japanese tawashi brush   $3

Cute like a hedgehog, tricky like a fox.  This thing rules for cleaning wooden spoons, lids, and bowls.  It is also a bangin' vegetable scrubber, clearing dirt and debris without damaging your produce.

benriner mandolin
"Terrible things, but great things."  -Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

amazon ::  benriner japanese mandolin slicer  $22

This thing is kind of frightening, but if you're in a hurry or you're cooking for more than five people, this thing gets it done.  Scarily sharp, terrifyingly toothy, and compact in a way that only a Japanese slicing device can be, the benriner mandolin is a serious kitchen tool.  

With great power comes great responsibility. 

Wear kevlar gloves.

Squash Pudding : Lovely Glasses

squash pudding

I've got leftover brown rice amazake, a massive amount of squash, and a willing accomplice.  What do I make?

Squash pudding.  I'm modifying Aveline Kushi's "Squash Pie" recipe to make it slightly sweeter and more spiced, featuring my best friends cinnamon and nutmeg.  To top it all off, an icy white, thin layer of amazake and a thin dusting of crushed green pumpkin seeds.

As soon as I make it, I'll put it up here on the blog.  This is the recipe I'm using, modified from Aveline's "Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking" is now gluten-free and slightly sweeter because I'm using Lundberg's brown rice syrup, and I need to conceal the flavor with some maple syrup (I'm now firmly Team Suzanne's).
-----------------------------------------------
1 butternut squash
1 cup of water
pinch sea salt
1/2 c. brown rice syrup
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. kuzu, dissolved in cold water
-----------------------------------------------

I'll put technique up when I make it.

We've been making a lot of puddings and parfaits lately.  But what to serve them in?  We can't just put them in cereal bowls!  How gauche!  They simply MUST go in dessert glasses.  Anything else would be barbarism.

Anthropologie ::  Helianthus Goblet  $8

Anthropologie ::  Sunk Shades Goblet  $12

Target ::  Tulip Glass Dessert Bowl Set of 12 - Green   $84

Etsy ::  Ruby Red Avon Cape Cod 1876 Dessert Bowl  $10

Crate + Barrel  ::  Tinge Turquoise/ Green Dessert Plate $4

Crate + Barrel ::  Delice Dessert Bowl $8

Pressing Veggies in a Chic Apron

Bonjour, mes amis!

Snackro is taking this show on the road this summer and going to France, where our ancient ancestors wished they lived!*

Traveling macro is never easy, and it's especially difficult when you're in a new city in a new country.  My mother and I are renting an apartment, and since it has a kitchen I will be sharing macro/vegan dishes with her friends in Paris!  I can't WAIT to be inspired by the ingredients and location.  My brain is already whirring!

LES PRESSED SALADES

Today's macro tip comes from Chef Joel of the Kushi Institute, who taught me that pressed salads don't have to taste like cold, wet cabbage.  I asked him yesterday why his pressed salads tasted so much better than mine.

It's okay to press different veggies separately.  Pressing a carrot is like getting tears out of Vin Diesel.  Cucumbers are downright weepy.  If you have a pressed salad with carrots AND cucumbers, press them separately so you don't water down the sweet flavor of certain vegetables.

Be mindful of color.  If you press purple cabbage with rutabaga and green apples, you're going to end up with a giant bowl of purple.  If you mix it all together at the last minute, you'll maintain a pretty mix of colors.

Don't press some things at all.  This is the most counter-intuitive part of pressed salad-ing.  Why call it a pressed salad if not all of it is pressed?  Just let it go and trust me.  If you press a red onion, some of the sweet sharpness gets lost.  There are many ingredients (apricots, red onions, roasted nuts) that we mix in at the very end to great success.

Don't be afraid to go sweet.  I'm deathly afraid of getting raisin-bombed.  You know when you're eating a savory dish and you're like "Man, my life is good.  Delicious food, attractive company, and -BOOGER!"

There are plenty of ways to add sweetness to your dish without raisins.  I hate raisins.  They're like sweet boogies.  Real mature, I know.  I like to add crisp green apple slices, gala apple slices, or fresh pear slices.  They have a gentle sweet flavor that blends with salt for a beautiful, crispy finish.

If I'm going to be cheffing in the city that invented the seven-course meal, I need to look the part.  Today's post is going to detail a pretty serious piece of chef equipment that no chef macrobiotique should be without...

williams-sonoma // logo apron $19.95

anthropologie // tea-and-crumpets apron $32.00

anthropologie //  cuisine couture apron $32.00

anthropologie // trousseau apron $38.00

etsy //  environmentally yours half-apron   $38.00

so apparently this apron is actually a halloween costume.

  awkward.  i'd still wear it.

etsy //  harry potter gryffindor-specific apron    $30.00

if you wore this apron, i'd eat anything you made.  

and i'd wash it down with a butterbeer.

etsy // retro ice blue diner apron $28.50

Coming soon...  superfluous macro kitchen gadgets I really want.

*My ancestors herald from various regions across Britain and Eastern Europe, but the two things they all had in common were peasantry and goat-herding.

The Body Scrub

"Becky," some of you say.  "Not all of us can have delicately balanced intestinal florae like you."
"This is true,"  I say.  "I've been working on my intestinal florae for months."
"What's the quickest thing I can do to feel better?"

Gentle readers, ask me no more.  I tell you, it's the Body Scrub.

What is the body scrub, and why can't I do it in the shower?

Everybody washes their body differently.  Some people like shower gel, other people like soap.  Some people use loofahs, others use washcloths...  I personally reach for the conditioner, shut my eyes and pretend it's soap.

When we're in a hot shower, our aggressive, contracting, tight "yang" energy disperses.  This is why a hot shower feels great when we're stressed.  We're literally melting.  In the shower, your super-congested sinuses begin to loosen and release when you're sick.  As our body moves towards a more expanded, relaxed, "yin" state, the tight, tense, overly "yang" becomes balanced.

Problem is, I like to poach myself like an egg.  Our showers are hot, long, and by the end, we're usually wrinkly, spotty, and red.  This is the result of going too far in the right direction, becoming overly expanded.  We become slightly depleted.  This sounds a little hippie and fringe, but think about it from the Western perspective:  What happens if you stay in a hot tub for an hour?  You'd probably pass out.  Too much of a good thing is too much.

When we do a body scrub, we're activating the skin and moving our body's natural energy around.  When you shower, energy is going down the drain and away, which we've established is good to an extent, bad if it's too much.  When you gently move your body's energy, you want to treat your body gingerly.

Now scrub!

Scrub in the same direction.  In the morning, start at your feet and scrub towards your head, brushing in an upward direction.  At night, start on your face and move down.  Don't miss your ears and earlobes!

Don't scrub too hard, now.  Gentle strokes will do.  You don't need to take off the top layer of dermis just to prove your point.

Wet the washcloth in warm water.  When it cools, reheat it and carry on.

Be sure to get your feet (tops and bottoms) and your hands (palm and fingers).

.: attractive washcloth options :.

$8 washcloth

anthropologie

the frieda kahlo of washcloths

$38 hand towel

anthropologie

the 8-bit washcloth

$7 washcloth

ralph lauren via neiman marcus

the yoga mat

$7.99 washcloth

kate spade via bbb

the stiff embroidered washcloth

$75 two-set

missoni via gilt

how the other side body scrubs