There is nothing, and I do mean nothing that is better than harvest time.
It's mother nature at her best, unabashedly showing off. The colors, the textures, the smells of the market, inviting me to come hither. The possibilities at each stall--of soups and purees, of pies and salads--send me into a veritable tizzy. Yesterday, at our annual organic market (called "O Sole Bio:--where Bio on this side of the world actually rhymes with Mio) I spotted for the first time in a year a butternut squash.
Yeah, that's my life...going into a tizzy over farmer Hans's butternut squash. Even he looked a bit nervous about the attention I gave him over the squash.
Inevitably, I buy more than I can use. Well, I could use it, but then there's that small task of preparing it.
With fall on it's way, I'd like to share with you one of my all time favorite autumn recipes for Butternut Squash. This recipe originally showed up in Gourmet Magazine in 1994, and it's been a staple on our Thanksgiving table ever since. And it's not that tough to do...you need time to roast the squash but that's a no-brainer. If you roast the squash ahead of time and put it all together, you can bake it the next day. Or the day after that. And it will be FAB.
Even if you're not a squash eater, please try this. You will email me and thank me all over the place for making you a believer.
PS: Sorry, it ain't that healthy, and may even be fattening.
Bonus: great vitamins, fiber, and a good time had by all. No one says you have to eat it every day. And anyways, you could call this a dessert in which case you can sign me up for the world's healthiest yet tastiest dessert contest.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH WOOTEN
1 large butternut squash
1 stick of butter. Yeah, a whole stick, really. OK, a half stick IF YOU MUST
2 tsp coconut extract. I don't care if you don't like coconut. It's not the same without it and you will positively not even be able to recognize this flavor in the final performance. Just put it in.
brown sugar to taste. Here's where you can cut, if you really must
2 eggs, beaten
10-12 Nilla Wafers or other plain cookie crumbs.
Directions:
If you live in Switzerland, get one of your American friends to smuggle over some coconut extract the next time they go back. It's not on the Migros shelves, I've already searched pointlessly.
Bake squash at 375F/190C for about one hour. I like to cut the squash lengthwise and bake it cut side down on a piece of foil (makes for easier clean up later).
When tender (you'll know it's OK when you can easily put a skewer into it and it's soft), scoop out the flesh and cool. Put it in the blender to puree. Add butter, coconut extract, and eggs. Mix well. Pour into a buttered baking dish. At this point you can store it in the fridge overnight. If you're ready to do it the same day, then top it with the Nilla Wafer crumbs and bake in a 350F/180C oven for 30-45 minutes, uncovered.
Remove from oven, and resist the urge to eat it all in one sitting.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
We're only borrowing...
You know the old adage, "you can't take it with you?"
Why do we read this once in awhile, agree heartily, yet fall back into the same routine--making money and stuff the center of our world?
My 3 year old asked me why I had to go to work yesterday.
"Do you like sleeping inside?" I asked her.
"Yes..." she tenatively replied.
"Mommy goes to work to get the money to pay for the house, and to buy the food that we need to eat." That was a bit too much for her, but it satisfied her for the moment.
I didn't tell her that I also work so that we can travel, so that I can give her the experiences which will be so central to the big kid and adult I want her to become, so that she can have not only shoes on her feet--but the really good kind which will support her growth. I didn't tell her that I have a Louis Vuitton fettish, or that I like to eat meat at every meal, or that I like to be surrounded by comfort and beauty.
Stuff. There's a certain contentment to having it.
Not that I've got a lot of it. But I like to be able to get it.
Every now and then something happens, though, which causes me to ask my self--why the hell do I do it? Why do I work my backside off? I watched the death of Edward Kennedy, I feel the seasons changing even today--another summer lost to the digital photographs which I took in a futile attempt to stop time. The ache in my throat and the sting in my eyes as I hold my daughter on my lap--her body stretched out now nearly to my feet, yet her hand still wrapped around my fingers. I reevaluate the cost of working and missing every single moment and breath that she takes.
Why do you work? For some of us, it's a question of just surviving, for others it's about status and feeling good about ourselves, and for others it's about more stuff--better cars, being more financially secure, better neighborhoods, better schools. But are we ever really more financially secure? Do we ever get "there?"
The answer might have been less obvious 10 years ago, but now we know, that no, we are never financially secure. That is because our spending tends to run parallel with our income and because tomorrow, God forbid, something could happen that could wipe all of that security away. Forever. Far fetched? Look around. Homes are foreclosing, folks are losing their jobs, savings accounts have been cut in half or more.
Everytime I go through this exercise, this soul searching, this regret over how fast time passes, I find myself coming to the same conclusion. I have to work, there is no choice, and I must love every day I have with my daughter. But I am ever so grateful that I have never felt the need to work for more "stuff."
The truth is, the stuff we have is borrowed; it doesn't really belong to us. It's on temporary loan. We can't take it with us.
So why do we get so protective of our stuff? Why does the very notion of helping others who have less than us enrage us to the point where we want to see proof that those who have less have worked just as hard as we have before we bend down to offer them a kind word or a bite to eat? Why must we insist on making sure that we're not being tricked by someone who might just be looking for a free ride?
I ask these questions in the heat of the current debate on healthcare, and the innuendos about socialism and the end of the American Dream.
And then I'll ask one more question--what is the American Dream?
Is it the ability to take advantage of those less fortunate on whose backs we build our wealth? Is it the false notion that "if you just work hard enough, you too can build your own wealth?" Is it the notion of once you get there, you don't look back and don't help others less fortunate than you because you mistakenly believe that the only reason they're down there and you're up here has all to do with you and your work ethic?
Isn't the American Dream the idea that given the proper tools, we can live independently? So how can those who don't have the tools (sound mind, education, inner drive to succeed instilled by parents or caregivers who valued this) even possibly aspire to the American Dream?
And if everyone cannot live the American Dream, perhaps we should rename this concept. Maybe we should call it, "the American Dream for Those Lucky Enough to Have been Born into the Right Circumstances."
Protecting our stuff is the single most critical reason for the mess we're in today.
Why do we read this once in awhile, agree heartily, yet fall back into the same routine--making money and stuff the center of our world?
My 3 year old asked me why I had to go to work yesterday.
"Do you like sleeping inside?" I asked her.
"Yes..." she tenatively replied.
"Mommy goes to work to get the money to pay for the house, and to buy the food that we need to eat." That was a bit too much for her, but it satisfied her for the moment.
I didn't tell her that I also work so that we can travel, so that I can give her the experiences which will be so central to the big kid and adult I want her to become, so that she can have not only shoes on her feet--but the really good kind which will support her growth. I didn't tell her that I have a Louis Vuitton fettish, or that I like to eat meat at every meal, or that I like to be surrounded by comfort and beauty.
Stuff. There's a certain contentment to having it.
Not that I've got a lot of it. But I like to be able to get it.
Every now and then something happens, though, which causes me to ask my self--why the hell do I do it? Why do I work my backside off? I watched the death of Edward Kennedy, I feel the seasons changing even today--another summer lost to the digital photographs which I took in a futile attempt to stop time. The ache in my throat and the sting in my eyes as I hold my daughter on my lap--her body stretched out now nearly to my feet, yet her hand still wrapped around my fingers. I reevaluate the cost of working and missing every single moment and breath that she takes.
Why do you work? For some of us, it's a question of just surviving, for others it's about status and feeling good about ourselves, and for others it's about more stuff--better cars, being more financially secure, better neighborhoods, better schools. But are we ever really more financially secure? Do we ever get "there?"
The answer might have been less obvious 10 years ago, but now we know, that no, we are never financially secure. That is because our spending tends to run parallel with our income and because tomorrow, God forbid, something could happen that could wipe all of that security away. Forever. Far fetched? Look around. Homes are foreclosing, folks are losing their jobs, savings accounts have been cut in half or more.
Everytime I go through this exercise, this soul searching, this regret over how fast time passes, I find myself coming to the same conclusion. I have to work, there is no choice, and I must love every day I have with my daughter. But I am ever so grateful that I have never felt the need to work for more "stuff."
The truth is, the stuff we have is borrowed; it doesn't really belong to us. It's on temporary loan. We can't take it with us.
So why do we get so protective of our stuff? Why does the very notion of helping others who have less than us enrage us to the point where we want to see proof that those who have less have worked just as hard as we have before we bend down to offer them a kind word or a bite to eat? Why must we insist on making sure that we're not being tricked by someone who might just be looking for a free ride?
I ask these questions in the heat of the current debate on healthcare, and the innuendos about socialism and the end of the American Dream.
And then I'll ask one more question--what is the American Dream?
Is it the ability to take advantage of those less fortunate on whose backs we build our wealth? Is it the false notion that "if you just work hard enough, you too can build your own wealth?" Is it the notion of once you get there, you don't look back and don't help others less fortunate than you because you mistakenly believe that the only reason they're down there and you're up here has all to do with you and your work ethic?
Isn't the American Dream the idea that given the proper tools, we can live independently? So how can those who don't have the tools (sound mind, education, inner drive to succeed instilled by parents or caregivers who valued this) even possibly aspire to the American Dream?
And if everyone cannot live the American Dream, perhaps we should rename this concept. Maybe we should call it, "the American Dream for Those Lucky Enough to Have been Born into the Right Circumstances."
Protecting our stuff is the single most critical reason for the mess we're in today.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Spelt is spelled s-p-e-l-t!
I admit it.
After opining about our relatively smaller waistlines on this side of the Atlantic, I awoke from a relatively snowy and brutal winter to discover....
that my summer pants didnt fit.
Well, I could get them on and all, I just couldn't zip them.
After not being able to successfully convince myself that the fitted look was really in, and that no one would probably notice, I asked myself, 'How did this happen?" Portion control, check. Exercise, partial check. (Well, gimme a break--it's tough to climb hills in the snow!). Carbohydrate control, negative. That's where I went extremely wrong.
This is not about Atkins or any other fad diet. It's not about completely cutting all of the good stuff out of your diet. It is, however, about substituting this for that and barely feeling it (except when you're able to finally fit into your pants again).
This winter I found myself indulging in my favorite variety of yummy carbohydrates, not saying no to sweets, and pretending that it didn't matter. Well, I'm here to tell you, it did. Here's why and if you remember nothing else, please remember this: calories, while they matter, are far less important than a food's inherent quality of how much available sugar it converts to in your bloodstream and how FAST it converts once you eat it. We call that glycemic index. High glycemic index foods are bad news.
Simple carbohydrates are the worst offenders. Yeah, we all know that white bread, white pasta, white rice, and sugar of any kind is not great for you. But did you know that the following foods are also offenders:
When you eat foods with a so-called high "glycemic index" such as the ones I've listed above, you are eating foods which can give you instant energy. The net result of eating these foods is an instant sugar deposit directly into your bloodstream. The body responds to these foods by sending insulin into your bloodstream (otherwise you can get into serious trouble--and this is precisely the issue with diabetes).
There are two problems with insulin surges. First, it's now known that continuous insulin surges over long periods of time can lead to Type II diabetes. I will not even pretend I have a grip on the science here, but suffice to say, the pancreas (the organ responsible for secreting insulin) gets burned out.
The second problem is that, in the presence of insulin, glucagon is suppressed. What is glucagon, you ask? Glucagon is the hormone responsible for directing the body to break down fat to use as energy. You don't want to suppress it. Trust me.
I know that this is a REALLY simplistic explanation of the process but trust that simple carbohydrates are evil.
Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are excellent. One needs carbohydrates, and these are the type to have. They are found in whole grain baked goods such as:
In Switzerland we have a grain called spelt, and it is sold as flour as well as pasta (we call this "Ur-dinkel.") In the US, you have brown rice pasta (Trader Joe's makes a fab one). Believe me when I tell you this, you will BARELY notice the difference if you do at all.
So if you really must have your pasta and eat it to, turn to brown rice or spelt.
As for the spelt flour--you can use this as a substitute for anything you normally make with white flour. You WILL NOT NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE. I promise.
Last Sunday I made waffles made with spelt flour...amazing. My 3 year old scarfed them.
I have also made spatzle (small dumplings) with spelt...again, no discernable difference.
These are just a couple of ways you can make a small change and see a major difference. In a world where we are all just about as stressed out as can be, it's natural to look for comfort in our food. You can still have that and do the right thing for your body.
After opining about our relatively smaller waistlines on this side of the Atlantic, I awoke from a relatively snowy and brutal winter to discover....
that my summer pants didnt fit.
Well, I could get them on and all, I just couldn't zip them.
After not being able to successfully convince myself that the fitted look was really in, and that no one would probably notice, I asked myself, 'How did this happen?" Portion control, check. Exercise, partial check. (Well, gimme a break--it's tough to climb hills in the snow!). Carbohydrate control, negative. That's where I went extremely wrong.
This is not about Atkins or any other fad diet. It's not about completely cutting all of the good stuff out of your diet. It is, however, about substituting this for that and barely feeling it (except when you're able to finally fit into your pants again).
This winter I found myself indulging in my favorite variety of yummy carbohydrates, not saying no to sweets, and pretending that it didn't matter. Well, I'm here to tell you, it did. Here's why and if you remember nothing else, please remember this: calories, while they matter, are far less important than a food's inherent quality of how much available sugar it converts to in your bloodstream and how FAST it converts once you eat it. We call that glycemic index. High glycemic index foods are bad news.
Simple carbohydrates are the worst offenders. Yeah, we all know that white bread, white pasta, white rice, and sugar of any kind is not great for you. But did you know that the following foods are also offenders:
- carrots
- corn
- potatoes (white)
- honey
- many kinds of "whole wheat" bread
- bananas
- raisins
- maple syrup
- preserves (jam or jelly)
When you eat foods with a so-called high "glycemic index" such as the ones I've listed above, you are eating foods which can give you instant energy. The net result of eating these foods is an instant sugar deposit directly into your bloodstream. The body responds to these foods by sending insulin into your bloodstream (otherwise you can get into serious trouble--and this is precisely the issue with diabetes).
There are two problems with insulin surges. First, it's now known that continuous insulin surges over long periods of time can lead to Type II diabetes. I will not even pretend I have a grip on the science here, but suffice to say, the pancreas (the organ responsible for secreting insulin) gets burned out.
The second problem is that, in the presence of insulin, glucagon is suppressed. What is glucagon, you ask? Glucagon is the hormone responsible for directing the body to break down fat to use as energy. You don't want to suppress it. Trust me.
I know that this is a REALLY simplistic explanation of the process but trust that simple carbohydrates are evil.
Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are excellent. One needs carbohydrates, and these are the type to have. They are found in whole grain baked goods such as:
- sourdough (really!)
- rye bread
- true whole grain breads (check the label for carbohydrate value and go for the lowest one)
- sweet potatoes (yams)
- brown rice or wild rice
In Switzerland we have a grain called spelt, and it is sold as flour as well as pasta (we call this "Ur-dinkel.") In the US, you have brown rice pasta (Trader Joe's makes a fab one). Believe me when I tell you this, you will BARELY notice the difference if you do at all.
So if you really must have your pasta and eat it to, turn to brown rice or spelt.
As for the spelt flour--you can use this as a substitute for anything you normally make with white flour. You WILL NOT NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE. I promise.
Last Sunday I made waffles made with spelt flour...amazing. My 3 year old scarfed them.
I have also made spatzle (small dumplings) with spelt...again, no discernable difference.
These are just a couple of ways you can make a small change and see a major difference. In a world where we are all just about as stressed out as can be, it's natural to look for comfort in our food. You can still have that and do the right thing for your body.
Wild Chihuahuas: Brava: The Story of a Miracle
Wild Chihuahuas: Brava: The Story of a Miracle
Please click on the link to read a heartwarming story of tenacity and love between a dog and her human.
Please click on the link to read a heartwarming story of tenacity and love between a dog and her human.
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