onigiri!

i love onigiri!

おにぎり好き！

onigiri : noun, japanese

(pronounced "oh-nee-gee-ree")

1.  delicious use of leftovers
2.  quick to-go lunch
3.  steamed rice balls filled with delicious goodies and covered in nori seaweed.

onigiri is the ULTIMATE to-go food in japan.  a lot of japanese people find it strange that westerners have never heard of onigiri, because it is the japanese equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  every child gets it in their lunch box (some of which are triangle-shaped to fit onigiri).

why is it so great?
for one thing, the salty goodies on the inside actually speed-ferment the rice so that you don't need to refrigerate it.  it stays fresh all day!
also, the nori seaweed "diaper" on the outside of the onigiri keeps the sticky grains of rice from getting stuck to your hands, making for a truly mess-free experience.

what can you put in it?
you can put anything in onigiri.  traditionally, umeboshi plums, pickled daikon (called takuwan), and salty fish are the most common fillings.  it's a great way to recycle fridge leftovers, like last night's salmon teriyaki.  you can see that i put a small dollop of each filling on top of the onigiri in the picture.  this is so that i can identify what's inside!

recipe please?
here we go.  the only thing i pre-made here was 2 cups of short grain brown rice.  friends, this is the time to use up your leftovers.  do not use any other kind of rice besides short-grain.  it won't hold together.

this looks wicked gross, but i swear it's not.  

it's a pickled umeboshi plum (available at whole foods), 

pit removed, cut into strips.

put about 1/3 cup cooked rice in your wet hands, shape into

a bird's nest, and put a small dollop of fillings in the center of

the nest.

shape into tiny triangles, placing a teeny piece of the topping

on top so that you know which flavor is which :)

line them up like a tiny, tiny army.

all the little soldiers in a row :)  so cute!!

cut 2"x6" strips of nori, and wrap the bottoms like a diaper.

onigiri is the cutest snack.

::ingredients::

2 cups cooked short-grain brown or white rice

pickled ume plums

natto version - 1/2 cup natto, 2 tbsp minced scallions, 1 tsp dijon mustard, splash tamari

fish version - 1/4 cup shredded bonito fish flakes (whole foods), 1 tsp. tamari, 2 tsp. water

daikon version - 1/3 cup pickled daikon radish, rinced and diced

some of the above combinations require a little mixing and adjusting to taste.  i had a little bowl of natto mixture, a bowl of fish flakes, etc.  and fyi, the fish version was the winner :)

pot-sticking to my story.

can gyoza be gluten-free and vegan?

with more rice flour disasters under my belt than i'd like to

freely admit, i was pretty sure these dumplings were going to

be a total hot mess.

they were hot.

they were not a mess.

i got my filling from yukiko's delicious recipe over on berkshire vegan.

it's shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, scallions, and garlic.

i have made these in the past with tofu and leeks on the inside, and

they were totally delicious, so i would recommend doing that too!

to stuff a dumpling, just make sure you have:

a sticky protein (i.e. tofu, crumbly tempeh, mushrooms)

something with some heat (garlic, sesame oil with chili)

something tangy (scallions, leeks, onions)

something green (cabbage, baby bok choi)

gyoza wrappers

white rice flour

arrowroot starch

water

salt

and sesame oil

again, hat-tip to berkshire vegan for an excellent set of instructions.

the gluten-free modification was pretty simple, just a straight flour-to

rice-flour substitution.  i DID have to add more water, though.

following yukiko's excellent instructions, i combined the dry

ingredients, added the sesame oil, and slowly added water,

kneading for approximately ten minutes.  i then pinched little

balls of dough slightly smaller than a ping pong ball, rolled

them in arrowroot, and pressed them flat.

dumplings are a communal activity.  you really need more than

one person, because the fragile dumpling wrappers begin to

crack and dry out quickly, so the faster you can stuff those

wrappers, the better.

place a SMALL amount of filling (no more than one teaspoon)

on a flat, circular wrapper, take a finger dipped in water and wet

a half-circle on the flat wrapper, press edges together, and smooth.

they should look like little crescents.

if your dumplings begin to crack... DO NOT PANIC.

just add a little water and gently smooth.

heat oil to pretty high temperature, and toss in your dumplings,

flipping gently as each side browns, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

i opened a window to avoid setting off the smoke alarms.  this

helped tremendously, as they get a little smoky.

gyoza sauce:

1/3 c. tamari

1 tbsp brown rice vinegar

1 pinch chili powder

diced scallions

1 tsp. grated ginger juice

on the side:

2 tbsp. grated raw fresh daikon

yum!!

carrot daikon drink!

since i didn't make this today, a photograph will be forthcoming.  in the mean time, this is a request for carrot daikon drink from a friend of mine.

carrot daikon drink is great for releasing old stores of stagnant oils and animal products.  it's particularly useful after a cleanse or fast to get that stuff up and out.

it's important when you do a regimen of carrot daikon drink to walk lots, drink lots of water, and chew your food well.  i believe intuitively that it works best that way.

also, don't do it before bed.  you'll be up peeing all night.  thank you daikon!

also also, do not eat for thirty minutes before or after carrot daikon drink unless instructed to do so by your macrobiotic counselor :)

carrot daikon drink
one serving

1 cup grated carrot (fine to semi-fine grating)
1 cup grated daikon (fine to semi-fine grating)
1 square inch nori seaweed
1/3 pickled umeboshi plum or 1/2 tsp umeboshi plum paste

bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  add carrot and daikon, return to boil, and simmer ten minutes.  add nori and ume plum.  let sit until it's cool enough to drink, and drink/eat 1 cup.  if you've got extras, i always like to share :)

user warning:  this stuff smells really, really bad.  prepare to clear out your house.  people will complain.

mushroom latte

i really missed an opportunity here.  

i TOTALLY should have hooked a shiitake mushroom off the top of 

the cup as a garnish.  next time i make this, i'm doing it for sure!

today we're doing a sponsored review of alphay's

zhi4 black coffee

with a base of arabica coffee, this instant mix contains the lingzhi herb,

shiitake, and maiitake mushroom powder!

i'm not a huge drinker of straight black coffee.  i usually prefer lattes.

i started with a base of soy and rice milk (approx 2 cups) in a small skillet.

if you don't have a frother, use a big whisk and a strong arm to make foam.

as the milk heated, i added 1 tbsp. brown rice syrup, a splash of

almond extract, and a splash of vanilla extract.

once the milk was steaming hot, i added the packet of mushroom

coffee powder, mixed vigorously, and poured.

finally, i dusted the latte with unrefined raw cocoa powder,

cinnamon, and nutmeg.  wonderful!

i was impressed by how smooth the zhi4 coffee tasted.  there

was no bitterness and it certainly didn't taste like mushrooms.

i also really like how cheap it is.  it comes out to around a dollar

a cup, and while i dressed it up, all you REALLY have to do

is add it to a cup of boiling water.

you can order the zhi4 mushroom coffee from ginny harper

at 615-292-9168 or her website, You Can Heal You.

beautiful yudofu. beyudoful.

this is why i need you people to keep me in check.  i start punning.

yudofu

what is it?  a beautiful, light tofu dish that can be served warm or cold.

how long does it take?  this is the brilliant part.  about 15 minutes.

i love japanese cooking because with simple techniques and the same

few ingredients, you can make endless combinations of dishes.

what is bonito?

...what IS bonito?  bonito is a common japanese ingredient.  it's a predatory fish

native to asia that is dried, shaved, and used either as a garnish or a base in recipes

and sauces.  ghee is to indian food what bonito is to japanese food.

in the past, bonito came in big plastic bags, shredded like coconut flakes.

it's become a lot more processed in modern times, mostly for speed and ease

of use.

Eden brand bonito flakes, traditional style.  Between $6 and $8
at Whole Foods Market.

bonito pellets.  Usually between $2-$6 at Asian grocers.

the pellet brand and similar brands powder the bonito and combine it with kombu,

salt, sugar, MSG, and some processed compounds i can neither pronounce nor digest.

this is one of those cases where traditional food has become doctored and processed

in the name of "convenience."  it's so SO important to read ingredients.  i love eden brand

because i can trust that there's no funny business hidden in the label.  i used to cook with

the pellets, but it always left me feeling dehydrated and puffy.  on the contrary, after cooking

with the eden flakes, i felt light and wonderful.

real, whole foods are beautiful <3 p="">

making yudofu

ingredients

--tofu--

1 package silken tofu

--sauce--

4 tbsp shredded dried bonito flakes (eden is a great brand)

1 3 inch strip dried kombu

1/3 cup shoyu or 1/4 cup tamari

1 tbsp mirin

3 cups water

--garnish--

2 scallions

1 sheet roasted nori

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

rinse kombu in cold water.  place kombu in three cups cold water in a medium-sized

saucepan and bring to a boil.  once boiling, add bonito flakes, lower temperature,

and simmer for ten minutes.*

add mirin, tamari/shoyu, and bring back to a rolling boil.

cube silken tofu and GENTLY place it on a spoon with a strainer.  lower into

boiling sauce for 2-3 minutes.  gently lift and roll tofu cubes into a shallow bowl.

once all cubes are boiled, take sauce off the heat.  pour sauce over tofu using a strainer

to remove any stray tofu or bonito flakes that may be lurking around.

cover in grated fresh ginger, scallions, shredded nori, and enjoy!

*i save time here by stuffing the bonito in a tea or coffee filter and tie it off at the top.

this means i don't have to strain the sauce at the end.  it's just a convenience thing.

you certainly don't have to do it, but it IS easier.

Open-Face Salmon Sandwiches

I have been an abysmally bad blogger lately, apologies.

I just moved, and it's been a real struggle adjusting.

I don't know a lot of people here, and between beginning

a new job and getting things settled, it's been hard to find 

the energy to write.  Cooking takes emotional legwork!

I am working on scaling back my energy bubble and trying

to center.  My mood is so dependent on the moods of other

people that being in a new setting is totally wearing me out.

I'm moving again in July to my own house for a little

while, and I'm really excited for the time to center and

focus on my macrobiotic practice.  Also, a few people

from Boston are hopefully coming to visit, which would

be enormously awesome.

+  +  +

Now, on to the sandwich.

This is a Martha Stewart recipe that fits in PERFECTLY

to the macrobiotic diet.  Just steam some greens, and you've

got dinner in fifteen minutes!  The other thing I love is that

there's practically zero prep.  Who doesn't love that?

Juice 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. lemon juice.

Set aside 1 whole celery stalk (no cutting necessary)

Set aside 2 springs fresh flat parsley.

I used 1 lb. wild Alaskan Salmon.

Fill a large pot with 2 inches of cold water.  Add

1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tsp. salt, celery, and parsley.

Bring to a boil.

In the mean time, peel and remove pit from 1 avocado.

Combine 1 tbsp. wasabi powder with 1 tbsp. lukewarm water.

Add remaining tsp. lemon juice, avocado, and wasabi paste

to your handy Vitamix blender or food processor.  Run

until it looks like this bad boy:

Cover in saran wrap that touches the surface so no air

is allowed in.  This keeps the paste from turning brown.

Toast 4 slices whole grain rye bread or your trusty

frozen gluten-free bread.  My kingdom for delicious GF

bread that doesn't come in a plastic bag.

Add your salmon to the boiling water and poach for

10-12 minutes, until cooked through.

Assemble your sandwich and enjoy!

Healthy Desserts 102: Mochi Puffs!

Two nights ago I went to a super-famous Boston desserterie: finale... yum!  I LOVE finale, but with desserts like Molten Chocolate Cake, Creme Brulée, and Tiramisu, I knew there was no WAY I could find a "macro dessert."

I'm pretty proud of myself.  I tasted everything I wanted to taste (gluten-free, of course.  There are some lines I can't cross without an early birthday trip to the hospital) without over-indulging.  I had a bite of this, a bite of that, and as much fresh fruit as I wanted.

Today I'm sneezing, wheezing, and my system is unhappy with me.  "DAIRY AND SUGAR AND EGGS?" I can hear it yelling.  But I walked out of that restaurant having only eaten about 1/4 cup of American style dessert, so I'm calling it a win.

These "seasonal allergies" that I didn't have before Tuesday are pretty much on me for eating the desserts.  I'm just going to treat my body right this week... some nishime, some greens, some brown rice, some soup.

I want to thank it for letting me have my cake and eat it too!

To cut back on my post finale sugar cravings, I've been supplementing with fresh fruit and macro sweets.  These cloud-like confections were done in about 10 minutes, required NO work, and really hit the spot!

.: mochi puffs :.

1 inch squares cut mochi

2 tbsp. brown rice syrup

1 tsp. cold water

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

preheat oven to 400 degrees.  combine brown rice syrup, cinnamon, and water in a small bowl until blended.  toast mochi 10-15 minutes until it pops and puffs and breaks the cube-shape.

dip mochi in sauce and serve hot :)

Healthy Desserts 101: Not Your Mom's Rice Crispy Treats

School bake sales, church potlucks, summer afternoon...  Who can forget the sweet and salty lighter-than-air crunch of these delectable snacks?


Wedding season is nearly upon us, and I don't know about y'all, but I've been wiggling and squeezing and praying my way into party dresses that I bought in lighter times.  I've kissed my Starbucks indulgence goodbye.  Farewell, Grande Soy Mocha Latte.  Perhaps we'll meet again someday.


I'd be going crazy right now, BUT I've got an arsenal of healthy desserts that have way more taste than guilt!


Rice Crispy Treats are well-suited for wherever you're at in the healthy eating spectrum, because they can be as sweet or as natural as you'd like.  Low on calories and a great source of protein, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, these treats can be tailored to meet your dietary goals.


A great Rice Crispy Treat has three things:

base  --  binders  --  ingredients

Your base is always rice crispies.  This is the foundation of the treat.  My favorite brand of rice crispies is Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal (Gluten-Free), because it has no cane sugar or corn syrup.  Arrowhead Mills has a Puffed Rice cereal that comes in a bag, but this brand doesn't have a very good crunch.


Your binders are the liquids.  They're the "marshmallow" and "butter."  They make your treat stick together!  You'll need something sweet, and something with fat, like a nut or seed butter.  This is also the place you add your salt.  You can handle this one of three ways:
-pinch of salt
-teaspoon of sweet or mellow white miso
-salted nut/seed butters


Your ingredients are the jazz that make the treat uniquely yours.  They're the fun part that takes this treat from after-school snack to grown-up dessert!

--sweet--

brown rice syrup

maple syrup (just a little, mixed with BRS or it's too sweet)

carob chips (make sure these are vegan and/or gluten-free, they often have add-ins)

note  These chips are from tropical climates and are considered quite yin.  Make sure you find a brand that doesn't use cane sugar, evaporated milk, or malted barley sweetener if you're sensitive to gluten.  If you're serious about trimming up, skip this guy in favor of the brown rice syrup.

--buttery--

almond butter

cashew butter

sunflower seed butter

tahini

dried apricots

raisins

dried apples

dried cherries

note  I chop all dried-fruit finely so it's easier to chew!

roasted sesame seeds

roasted almonds

roasted chopped pecans

note  If you want the flavor of chocolate with less of a calorie boost, melt a handful of unsweetened vegan carob chips and drizzle it on top of the treats when they're done!  You'll use 1/8th the carob but still get the flavor!

Measure 4 cups crispy brown rice cereal and set aside.  Roast any nuts or seeds that need to be roasted.  I add about 1/2 cup of roasted nuts/seeds, total.  Combine nuts/dried fruit with brown rice cereal and set aside.


Measure approximately 1 c. sweet ingredient.  If using carob chips, use a little closer to  1 1/2 cups and be ready to cut smaller portion sizes, about 1" x 1".  This will make a dense treat.  If you're using brown rice syrup, add another 1/2 cup brown rice cereal.  This will make a light treat.


Measure 1/2 c. buttery ingredient.  Use 1 pinch salt if buttery ingredient is unsalted, or 1 tsp miso.


Combine sweet, butter, and salty ingredients in a saucepan and warm over low heat.  If heating carob chips, use a double-boiler to prevent burning.  Liquid ingredients should be steaming and easy to stir.


Grease a casserole pan and spread your brown rice cereal and nuts/dried fruit evenly across the pan.


Pour your liquid ingredients over the brown rice cereal, mixing vigorously with a spoon until pan is evenly coated.


Freeze for at least 2 hours.


Enjoy in moderation!

Roasted Seed and Apple Salad

I loved the way this salad came out so much that I made it three times in three days!  The best part is, it only takes 15 minutes to make!

- roasted seed and apple salad -

- 4 apples, assorted variety (I used Fuji and Granny Smith)
- 1/2 cup whole raw almonds
- 1/4 cup raw tan sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. maple syrup

Chop apples.  My favorite technique is to slice them into quarters, seeds, stem and all.  Just a big + right over the top.  I then slide a paring knife down the middle of each quarter to remove the seeds.  After that, I cut those quarters in half.  We now have eighth wedges.  Cut those in 3-4 pieces, resulting in the bite-sized chunks you see above.

To keep your apples from turning brown, place cut pieces in a bowl of cold water until the final step in the recipe.

Roast almonds at 400 for approximately 5-10 minutes, keeping a wary eye on them.  They should smell sweet, not burned.

Dry-roast your sesame seeds in a hot skillet.  Stir constantly with a spoon until they release a sweet aroma and begin popping.  Remove promptly from skillet to prevent further cooking.

When almonds and seeds have cooled, crush seeds in a suribachi or blender, and rough-chop almonds until they're about the size of pencil erasers.

Drain apples and combine with seeds, nuts, and all remaining ingredients.  Serve immediately!

Condiments, Dips, and Pestos

It's summer time, and the snacking's easy.  Coming soon are the chic little garden parties, the cocktail fundraisers, and the horse races I wish I was invited to.

Whether you're sick of lifeless filets of fish or tired of bland bowls of rice, condiments can be a saving grace.  Here's a trinity of fun and easy dips for your snacking pleasure!

As a side note, I'm in Beacon Hill right now, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in America.  I'm down the street from a house that's retailing $32 million.  The healthiest food in the local grocery store is Doritos.  That's America for you.

condiment

nori condiment

----------------------------------------

5-6 sheets nori seaweed
1/4 to 1/2 c. water
dash tamari
optional minced scallions, minced garlic, dulse sprinkles
-----------------------------------------
Rip nori sheets to small pieces, and stir with water in a small saucepan.  Slowly bring to boil, stirring gently until sheets dissolve.  Add dash of tamari and/or optional ingredients, reduce to simmer, and simmer for 2-3 more minutes.

dip

natto-scallion spread

-----------------------------

1/2 cup natto, available where most macro food is sold
2 tbsp. minced scallions
1 tsp. dijon mustard
-----------------------------
Natto is pretty radical stuff.  This is a way to make this incredibly healing food more palatable.  I'm investing in a box next week and playing around with 3-4 different natto combinations, so stay tuned.  I'm thinking of doing a sweet/savory ginger and miso natto combo, but I don't want to post that here untried.  Natto with dijon mustard is one of the most bizarre combos I've ever tried, but it's freaking delicious.

pesto

cilantro-walnut pesto

-------------------------------------

2 c whole raw walnuts
1 bunch fresh cilantro
4 garlic cloves, rough-chopped
1/2 to 1 c. olive oil
1/2 fresh-squeezed lemon
sea salt to taste
--------------------------------------
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roast your walnuts until golden brown and releasing oil, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.


Rough-chop cilantro and garlic into pieces your blender can manage.  Crush cool walnuts with your hands.  Add cilantro, garlic, and walnuts to blender in alternating layers, pulsing to combine as you go. The trick to this is liquid, liquid, liquid.  If your ingredients aren't mixing evenly, you need to add more oil and lemon juice.  Continue to add ingredients and pulse until it takes on that distinctive pesto-like texture.


Once your ingredients are added and it's been salted to your taste, the key is to add enough oil that the cilantro is never exposed to air.  Once it hits the air, the green starts to oxidize and turn a yucky-looking brown.  Nobody wants that.  Enjoy your pesto!


P.S.  That's my homemade pesto.  I just used an old salsa jar because we reduce, reuse and recycle 'round here.

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

Honey Bunches of Moch

I took a walk down memory lane this morning as I rifled through the pantry.

"Remember Honey Bunches of Oats?"  I asked myself, as my fingers brushed crusty ume plums and jars of hydrogenated vegetable fat.
"I sure do," I replied.

Who can forget that happy little parade of silhouettes marching across the bottom of the box?  I used to space out and stare at them as I absently hunted for chunks of granola in my bowl.  Those were the days.  Let's be real.  Honey Bunches of Oats is a pretty delicious cereal.

Apparently, it's healthy now too!

At least, that's what the website proudly proclaims...  The facebook site runs through glowing endorsements from various fans, including the following nuggets of nutritional wisdom:

"not only is it healthy, it taist's yummy!"
"IT IS GOOD 4 U"
"It's healthy.  Good for body and skin."

A quick look at the ingredients showed that it was indeed high in Vitamin B6, Vitamin Sugar, Vitamin Brown Sugar, Vitamin Milk Byproduct, Vitamin Corn Syrup, Vitamin Artificial Flavor, Vitamin Natural Flavor, and Vitamin BHT ADDED TO PACKAGING MATERIAL TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS.

The website for Honey Bunches is pretty slick.  It's a pretty tough sell to call all that stuff healthy.  They let the comparisons do the work.  You can compare Honey Bunches to Frosted Flakes, Honey Nut Cheerios, Special K (The obvious token "Boring Cereal"), and Frosted Mini Wheats.  The obvious conclusion is that Honey Bunches is lower in sugar and calories than all but one of these.

Which isn't saying much, if you ask me.

Frosted Mini Wheats and Frosted Flakes are the whiffle balls of the unhealthy cereal world, and Special K has the gastronomical appeal of packaging peanuts.  The study says, "We may be unhealthier than Special K... but do you really want to eat that stuff?"

I don't think I do.  I also don't want to eat BHT.  Which is why this morning, I decided to make

Honey Bunches of Mochi

Ok, so the picture isn't Captain Fantastic.  It was early, ok?

1 block gluten-free brown rice mochi (available at whole foods and most grocery stores)

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/2 c. roasted almond slivers

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1-2 tbsp. roasted tan sesame seeds

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 c. brown rice syrup

Grate mochi block on largest hole of a cheese grater.  This takes strong muscles and some patience.  For 2-3 servings, grate 1 1/2 to 2 cups of shredded mochi.

Combine mochi, lemon zest, almond slivers, and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix well.

Heat a skillet (no oil) over medium-high heat.  Scoop 1/2 cup of mochi per "pancake," and allow the mochi to heat.  As it heats, the flakes will run together and hold the pancake together.  Once the bottom can be lifted fully intact, flip the mochi "pancake."

Once the pancake is done (the mochi will have run together so that the whole thing can be lifted at once), remove, allow to cool, and slice into thin strips.

Heat brown rice syrup in a small sauce pan with about 3 tbsp. cold water.  Add lemon juice and stir constantly until syrup is heated and water and lemon juice have been completely absorbed.

Dip your mochi sticks and enjoy!

Sugars, Syrups, and Sweeteners

I love syrup. I love smothering my pancakes, waffles, french toast, et. al, with syrup. As much as I wish I could make an excuse for using straight maple syrup, the fact is that sweeteners, even the "natural" ones, aren't all they're cracked up to be. If you have a condition that gets aggravated directly by sugar, having "evaporated cane juice" isn't going to save you. It's not even a better option. It's really just as bad.

Here are the ones that are sugar by any other name:

• CANE SUGAR
• EVAPORATED CANE JUICE
• UNREFINED CANE JUICE
• MINIMALLY PROCESSED CANE SUGAR
• NATURAL CANE SWEETENER
• BEET SUGAR
• EVAPORATED BEET JUICE

Here are some that are very yin and should be used with moderation:

• HONEY
• MAPLE SYRUP
• AGAVE NECTAR
• COCONUT SUGAR
• PALM SUGAR

Less yin, more natural and balanced, but still in moderation:

• FRUIT JUICE
• COOKED FRUIT
• RAW FRUIT
• BROWN RICE SYRUP
• BARLEY MALT
• AMAZAKE

This last category is the least "traditionally sweet" of all the sweeteners. To people who aren't macro, these sweeteners have little to no taste. Our taste buds are blazed on modern sweeteners, and we often can't taste how extremely sweet something like brown rice syrup really is. After a month of balanced eating, these sweeteners will taste as sweet as any "modern" sweetener.

So how to make pancakes without slathering them with maple syrup?

CINNAMON-MAPLE BROWN RICE SYRUP

1 1/2 c. brown rice syrup (I love Suzanne's brand)

1-2 tsp. organic maple syrup (beware big grocery brands. I've heard there's rarely any real maple in them)

1/4 c. water

1 stick organic cinnamon

1 pinch sea salt

Mix syrups and water in a small saucepan, stirring continuously until dissolved, about five minutes. Heat mixture until just below boiling, over medium-high heat. Add sea salt and cinnamon, and stir over low heat for ten minutes. If clumps develop, skim and remove.

Slather and enjoy! I have been keeping my leftovers covered and in the fridge, and I'm thinking about making a tossed apple salad with it next week.

It's Hard to Write an Impassioned Post About Kidneys

Dear friends,

I wanted to come to you today and write about kidneys. I had the best intentions. This week at St. Michio's School for the Nutritionally Delinquent, I quit TV and dedicated myself to reading and study. I read about kidneys and studied Ann Rice's "Interview With the Vampire."

My conclusion was that I drink too much liquid, and I find Tom Cruise to be much more likable as the murderous demon Lestat. He just seems more approachable.

Like I said... This is what I wanted to write about. What I'm actually writing about is

KIMCHEE SOUP

This sour, tangy soup is one of the single best dishes I've ever made. It's stupidly easy to make, insanely tasty, and incredibly spicy. I'm a little scared to eat this with my new macrobiotic small intestine.

NOTE: Macro kimchee is notoriously hard to come by. The stuff you find at the Asian grocery store usually has red chili flakes, shrimp, and sugar. You can make your own by doing a simple online search, and there's a girl who was just here at KI who made an AMAZING one... There is also a guy in Tennessee who makes it homemade and vegan. My dirty confession? I use the Asian grocery store stuff.

I'm going to try to make my own homemade when I'm back in Boston. As the great minds of the 12th and 13th century used to say, "A monastic cell is not the place to undertake complex pickling."

Ingredients:

1 lb. kimchi

3 garlic cloves, minced

8-10 shitaake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and minced

3-4 tbsp. sesame oil (use 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil for some good flavor)

1 block soft tofu

bean sprouts

carrots

green onions

9-12 c. dashi soup stock. (I will post on how to make this from macro scratch later, til then, use the internets or Hon-Dashi packs for your recipe)

1-2 tbsp. mirin

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tbsp. tamari

love

Recipe:

Set your 9-12 cups of water to boil in a soup pot. This recipe calls for two pots, one for the dashi soup stock, and one for the "meat and potatoes" of the soup.

While it's boiling, take your second soup pot and coat the bottom in sesame oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and fry for 30 seconds until browning begins. Add shitaake mushrooms and fry until liquids begin to seep.

Add pound of kimchi, neither rinsed nor drained. Make sure all that liquid and pickling juice gets down in there. Fry the mixture for 3-5 minutes, until kimchi leaves begin to take on a milky, translucent appearance.

Until the soup water boils in the other pot, reduce heat of kimchi, cover, and simmer. Once the water boils, add the bonito packs (or kombu if you're doing this vegan), mirin, and tamari. Keep at a rolling boil for 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on your kimchi. If it looks like it's drying out, turn the temperature off and keep covered.

Combine soup stock and kimchi pot. You should have everything in one pot now. Add all your veggies, saving the green onions for last, your tofu, and your bean sprouts. Simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry, remove any bonito packets you used, and ENJOY!!!!

*sniff* Favorite recipe ever.