ORGANIC SNOB

Golden Cherry Tomato Spicy Arrabiata Pasta

2010-10-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

I am in Cali, where the farmers market is booming with an abundant variety of amazing tomatoes. And, because of that, I always always seem to buy more than I can eat cause they all look so beautiful!!! So, if I don’t eat my luscious ripe tomatoes right away, I put them in the fridge to stay fresh but…ummmm…note to self: don’t forget about them!!! Huh. I know. My beautiful boxes of ripe golden red cherry tomatoes got pushed to the back of the fridge where I couldn’t see them clearly. Oh and I also found a bag of hot red chili’s from the farmer market too…hmmm….what to make…what to make…ohhhh, I know… a spicy Arrabiata Pasta sauce!!!!

Since coming back to the states from my Italian food adventures, I have been completely inspired to cook many incredible Italian dishes I experienced. Ahem…let me be specific…my newfound love for PASTA!!! Whole grain pasta, that is. I made the homemade pasta we learned at The Awaiting Table cooking school but it didn’t come out as perfectly as it did when we made it there, in Italy. Maybe it has something to do the all those wonderful minerals in the water…who knows…hopefully one of these days I will perfect it. It’s not that mine tasted bad, it’s just that it came out a bit thicker and chewier…in the meantime I am joyfully exploring the world of organic dry Italian pasta. Right now, I’m diggin’ Rustichella d’Abruzzo rigate di farro. It’s made from 100% farro flour, which is an unhybridized form of wheat that closely resembles spelt so any of you wheat sensitive peeps should find this ancient grain A-OK.

It’s a glorious end of summer kind of day with that wee bit of crispness of Fall in the gentle breeze, perfecto for an outdoor Italian pasta lunch! Yes, I was thinking the same thing; a special “friend” and some Italian wine is a must too! Either way, enjoy yaself!!! Ciao ciao….

Recipe:

1 box of dried penne pasta or any fresh pasta will do

2 boxes of golden and red cherry tomatoes, halved

½ red onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 fresh red chili pepper, halved, seeded and chopped (leave some seeds if you want more heat!)

good Italian olive oil

1/3 cup black or green olives, pitted and halved

½ cup dried tomatoes

1 tsp sea salt or more to taste

1 TB smoked dulse flakes

½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Pine nuts to sprinkle on each serving as garnish

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese or your choice of a vegan alternative

Instructions:
1. Make pasta as instructed on box.
2. In a medium sauce on medium heat pan add about 1TB of olive oil.
3. When hot add diced onions, garlic and red chili if using and dash of sea salt. (I like a lot of heat from the chili but if you don’t, by all means, don’t use any chili peppers or if you just want a little, only add a dash of dried red pepper flakes. Your choice.)
4. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and dried tomatoes and stir until combined.
6. Cover and put on low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until tomatoes are fully broken down.
7. In a large bowl add about 4 TB of olive oil, chopped parsley, 1 tsp sea salt and olives.
8. Stir to combine and add your reserved fresh tomatoes.
9. When pasta is down add to the bowl and stir in dulse and combine.
10. Then, when sauce is done add some sauce and combine being sure to add more sauce on top of individual bowls with cheese and pine nut.

Rustic Fall Garden Vegetable Soup with Pistou (fancy way of saying basil pesto)

2010-09-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

I woke up this crisp September Sunday morning with the feeling of Fall. A slight chill in the air. Mist along the west coast. Mmmmm. I LOVE these morning’s. Especially here in Cali, where the weather of the season’s seem to always blend together. Finally, a change! YAY! Gonna embrace this new day in all it’s glory. Enjoy it while it lasts. Stay cozy for as long as I can. And that means, makin’ one of my most beloved dishes…SOUP! Woooooooo hooooooo. Yes, I am really THAT excited to make some yummy homemade soup! And, yes, I am the type of gal that fantasizes about makin’ it in the last long hot days of summer…just sayin’…

Soooooooo stay in your warm comfy PJ’s, put on some holiday music. I know it’s very early in the season for some holiday cheer but, I ain’t gonna lie, I’ve been know to rock out in the kitchen to those fab festive jams while makin’ me soup as soon as it gets chilly outside…:)...Oh and be sure to call some friends and invite them over for a delish homemade Sunday Soup Supper! Just ask them to bring a baguette and a bottle of wine and you got a wonderful din din…

Oh and I’m also gonna make a stock. It adds more flavor to your soup and is very easy to do. You can always tailor your homemade stock to enhance the soup you are making. For example, if you’re making a sweet vegetable soup, add sweet potato or squash for extra sweetness to your stock. You can also use your vegetable trimmings, such as leek tops, mushroom caps, squash skins and fennel tops. But avoid spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale, collard greens, brussel sprouts, beets, onionskins and wilted vegetables. They will make your stock bitter.

For the Vegetable Stock:
In a large pot add 1 diced a large onion, throw in about 6 cloves of unpeeled garlic, a few stalks of chopped celery, a couple of carrots, parsnip if you got it, corn cob, a chopped seeded chili pepper, a couple of slices of fresh ginger, bag dried shitake mushrooms or a few fresh ones, a piece of kombu seaweed, handful of fresh parsley, a bay leaf, 1 TB mirin (Japanese rice wine) and a tsp of sea salt. Top it all off with some filtered water to cover, bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for about an hour. Strain and, boom, you got homemade veggie stock. It will last about 5 days in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer.

For the Vegetable Soup
2 TB olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, scrubbed, halved and cut into half moons
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into half moons
6 fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed / thinly sliced
2 large celery stalks, sliced
1 fresh red chili pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tsp sea salt
Homemade veggie stock (recipe below)
1 ear corn, kernels only
1 box cherry tomatoes, halved
1 /2 cup fresh Italian parsley chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups cooked quinoa or cooked pasta, 1/3 cup on top of soup when serving in individual bowls.

For the Pistou
2 cups green basil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
2 TB pine nuts
2 TB fresh lemon juice
4 TB olive oil

Instructions For Soup: 

1. In large pot heat oil and sauté onions, garlic, carrot, parsnip, celery, shitake mushrooms, chili pepper and 1 tsp sea salt. 

2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to turns golden, about 8 minutes.

 3. Add tomatoes and sauté about 5 minutes then add veggie stock to cover vegetable about an inch.

 4. Bring to boil then turn down to simmer for about 25 minutes or until carrots and parsnips are soft. 

5. Add corn kernels and cooked pasta or grain for a few minutes then add fresh chopped parsley and cilantro.

 6. Taste, and then add more Tamari or seas salt if needed.

Instructions For Pistou:

 1. Put everything in food processor and chopped until combine.

To serve:

 Ladle soup into bowl with fresh sliced basil leaves and large TB of pesto (bring pesto to the table so you can add more if desired). Oh and if you can eat dairy serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese or you can always do a vegan option. Toast the baguette and serve with the soup. Yum Yum!

Spring Strawberry Guava Sorbet

2010-04-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Yum. That's all I gotta say about this incredible creation. Now I am on the west coast at the moment where the Spring produce at the Farmers Market is in full gorgeousness so please forgive me if you are reading this and are on the east coast and do not have these fruits at your local market...BUT if you are lucky enough to have them or be on the west coast do yourself a favor and get your ass to the Farmers Market and buy some organic Strawberries and Guavas straight from your trusted organic farmer. You and your guests will thank me. Period. This is sooooooooooo easy and delicious you may wanna jump back and kiss yaself!

3 boxes of fresh Strawberries, washed and stemmed

1 box of fresh Guavas, washed and peeled

pinch of Sea Salt

2/3 cup agave

1 TB Vodka (yes I said Vodka -- it helps with the freezing and the texture!)

1 TB real Vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetend soymilk or organic cream if you can

Juice of half a meyer lemon (you can use a regular lemon if you can't find the meyer)

Put everything in a high speed blender. Blend for about a minute. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer into a pitcher. Discard the little seeds in the strainer. Put pitcher into refrigerator and chill at least a few hours or overnight.

Make sure to put the glass container you will be using to put the Sorbet in, in the freezer. Pour the chilled mixture into your Ice Cream maker, turn it on and let it do it's thang. Check it from time to time. It will be done in about 20 minutes. When it's done, take out the chilled glass container from the freezer and transfer the sorbet. Cover and freeze for a few hours.

Spring Cleaning for your Colon

2010-03-20T05:37:00.000-07:00

I am very fascinated with my innards. I think I have always been this way. Since the days when it was cute to play with my poop. Yes I said poop. I have an enthralling curiosity by what goes in, and most importantly by what goes out of me. And yes I have been known to inspect the porcelain throne with scientific obsession. And so should you. Embrace it. (Well not literally.) Embrace what's swirling around in there. It could teach you a thing or two about what is going on with your internal health. With why you are feeling a certain way. With how you're digesting or not digesting foods. With knowing when it is time to do a little cleansing. A little love for your intestines. For your colon. It works so hard for you each day. Why not take some time to give it a massage. Give it a cleaning.

I am a strong believer in doing colon cleanses. I try to do them 4 times a year. Around the change of the seasons or if I'm feeling a little sluggish or ate something funky or if I'm a wee bit stopped up. Doing these cleanses have completely healed my digestion, stomach issues, acne and food allergies which I had for many years of my life. It's really amazing how we can really heal ourselves of ailments we have through what we consume. I am also a believer in doing a colon cleanse before you start any kind of fast. It helps your body get ready. Eases you into it. Now. The products you choose are obviously extremely important. And what might work well for me might not be good for you. So I am gonna share with you 3 Organic Snob Approved products I have used and loved. I am actually using one of them right now which has inspired me to write this post.

Dr. Schulze Intestinal Formula #1 and #2.

This is my staple and one that I stand by and have used many time thoughout the years. I sometime use #1 if I am stopped up and need a little friendly help and also use #2 when ever I have eaten something bad or have ingestion or tummy trouble. It works wonders. You must must be near a toilet though when you are on formula #1 cause this is definitely an intense roto rooter for your colon and when you gotta go you really gotta go. I am just warning you. Go to there website as they explain all you need to know about what's in it and how it works. These products are under digestion & elimination: https://www.herbdoc.com

Quantum Herbal Intestinal Cleansing Formula #1 and #2

I am using these products right now. It's my first time trying and I'm digging them. They are much gentler then Schulze and you don't always have to be near a toilet which is good when you are walking the streets of the city. I found them in the health food store. Check out there website for info: http://www.quantumherbalproducts.com/

Health Force Intestinal Drawing Formula

I love this company. They have some wonderful products. And delicious Superfoods to put into your smoothies. However there Intestinal movement formula didn't work that well for me so I use this Intestinal Drawing formula with one of the above #1 formula. This Drawing formula is also a very soothing powder and helps relieve any sort of after dining discomfort. Check out website: http://healthforce.com/

So there you go. The colon cleanse usually lasts about 2 to 3 weeks. Give or take. Try to eat more simple foods while you do it. Trying to avoid processed foods, gluten, fried foods, red meat, dairy, sugar and excess salt. A week into it you will probably want to eat lightly anyway cause you are getting rid of a lot of crap and you will hopefully feel clearer and cleaner. Slow and steady win the race so remember that. Eat as many raw foods as possible. It will help with the cleansing process. Below are a list of foods to avoid and enjoy. Do what you can. I still drink my green tea. Don't be takin' that away from me. Oh no... :)

Foods to AVOID when you are cleansing:

Alcohol
Wheat and Gluten
Canned and frozen food
Chocolate
Cigarettes
Coffee
Complaining
Cooked grains, except Millet and Quinoa
Dairy
Distilled vinegar
Eggs
Foods cooked with oils
Fruits that have been glazed or sulfured
Meat, fish, birds, shellfish
Nuts, seeds and legumes that have not been soaked or sprouted
Popcorn
Processed cereals
Processed milks (soy, rice, almond)
Salt
Soft drinks
Sugar
Tea (except herbal, caffeine free tea)
Tofu and soy products

Foods to ENJOY when you are cleansing:

All fresh fruits
All raw vegetables
All salad greens
All sprouts — beans, seeds, nuts
Apple cider vinegar (raw)
Dried apricots
Dried figs
Appreciation

Seaweed
Fresh or dried seasoning herbs
Fresh, raw juice
Fun
Grapefruit

Lemon

Garlic

Ginger
Herbal Teas — no caffeine
Joy
Millet
Quinoa
Raw, cold-pressed, organic olive oil, flax seed oil and coconut oil

Dark Chocolate Cookies with Dried Dark Cherries and Crystallized Ginger

2010-03-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

I was invited to a Oscar party last week and was asked to bring something sweet. Ummmmmm-- I needed something easily transportable and easily nibbable. Something with a little glimmer. A little sparkle. A little pazazz. Decisions decisions decisions. For me, that’s the hardest part with cooking-- or baking-- or blending—or shopping—or-- I guess you could say that about anything really. To make that ‘perfect’ decision. My mind races. I become obsessive. Some would probably classify me as a wee bit OCD. But when that choice comes to light and I have made my final decision I am at ease. At one with the universe. Complete. Happy. At least for a little while anyway…

1 cup dried dark organic cherries

½ cup brandy

1 ½ cup gluten free all purpose flour

¼ heaping teaspoon xantham gum *

3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

½ cup organic jungle vegan shortening, softened

¾ cup organic palm sugar

½ cup agave syrup

6 ounces dark chocolate, cut into ½ inch pieces

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

Bring cherries and brandy to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, and let stand for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, xantham gum, cocoa, cinnamon, the baking soda, and salt.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat shortening and palm sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add agave, and beat until creamy. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and beat until combined. Drain cherries; discard liquid. Add cherries, chocolate and crystallized ginger to dough. Mix to combine.

Scoop 1 tablespoons dough to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart, as you work. Bake until just set and starting to crack, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets.

*Xanthan Gum is used by people who are allergic to gluten to add volume and viscosity to bread and other gluten-free baked goods. It helps replace the gluten in a recipe and aid in binding and thickening recipes. It is an essential ingredient in gluten free baking.

Homemade Hemp Milk

2010-03-04T05:38:00.000-08:00

I have been on a seed milk kick these days. Yes. I said seed. Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Sesame Seeds and finally Hemp seeds. They are one of the easiest thing to make. When it comes to 'milk substitution' most people reach for the Soy milk over and over and over again. This is kinda no bueno. A little Soy is good but I am sure that if you take a look into how much you consume on a daily basis you may wanna ease up and try an alternative with your morning cereal or shake. It's very important to mix things up at bit. In and out of the kitchen.

Hemp seeds are considered to be one of the most nutritious food sources on the plants. They are packed with 33 percent pure digestible protein, rich in iron, omega-3, GLA and contains three times the amount of vitamin E found in flaxseeds. Hemp protein contains all 20 known amino acids including the 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) our bodies cannot produce. It also is free of the tryspin inhibitors which block protein absorption and free of oligosaccharides found in soy, which cause stomach upset and gas. So drink up and be merry!

1/4 cup hemp seeds

4 cups filtered water

4 TB raw agave

dash of sea salt

Put everything in a high speed blender. Blend for about a minute then pour the 'milk' slowly through a nut milk bag. This is a must have. I bought mine here: http://www.oneluckyduck.com/store/product-details.php?id=124&cat=26

However, if you don't have a nut milk bag yet do not fret. Just line a fine mesh strainer with multiple layers of cheesecloth, pour milk, strain and squeeze - making sure all the liquid is out. Boom. You are done. That's it! You now have your easy breezy homemade hemp milk.

Pour into a glass pitcher and refrigerate. Lasts about 3 days. Remember stir or shake to combine before use.

P.S. Use this milk in it's raw state. Some say heating Hemp can make it toxic.

Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream

2010-02-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

I received a late night call last night from my husband. "We are out of your Green Tea Ice Cream!!!" Unfortunately we are not in the same city at the moment so I could not make him a new batch. He was very upset. "What am I gonna do!!??" I told him he could learn to make more Ice Cream himself or wait for me to get home. He is a green tea Ice Cream junkie. He is my Green Tea Ice Cream junkie and biggest fan. He can not wait. So my love...this post is dedicated to you!

First off do yourself a favor and buy a very inexpensive Ice Cream machine. I use this Cuisinart one: ’http://www.cuisinart.com/products/ice_cream/ice-30bc.html

Alright. Now. As you know I am always inspired by how to create old school unhealthy recipes into healthy ones. A bit obsessed with making homemade sorbets and vegan ice creams. Once you start experimenting, it's very very hard to stop. Yummy yummy...

INGREDIENTS

3 cups organic unsweetened Edensoy milk, chilled

1/2 cup organic agave nectar

1/4 cup organic brown rice syrup

4 TB organic matcha green tea powder

pinch of sea salt

Put everything in blender and blend until blended. CHILL mixture in refrigerator overnight or at least until very cold. Also chill the glass container you will be using to put the Ice Cream in, in the freezer.

Pour the chilled mixture into your Ice Cream maker, turn it on and let it do it's thang. Check it after about 20 minutes. When it's done, take out the chilled glass container from the freezer and transfer ice cream. Cover and put into freezer for at least 2 hours to harden. That is if you can wait that long... ;)

Enjoy!

Good Morning Green Juice

2010-02-16T05:43:00.000-08:00

I know. It's been way too looooooonnnnngggggg since last I blogged. life has distracted me I guess or I have not become inspired. Well that is all over now because...don don donna...I have become inspired this snowy winter morning to blog my incredible green juice recipe. I arose feeling a bit salty. Yes I said 'salty'. that is my word for feeling as though I consumed a bit too much sodium the night before. Could have been the sesame miso sauce I made last night to go with my steamed kale...ummmmm...at any rate I feel a bit puffy and wanted to have something for breakfast that could balance my 'salt hangover'. Suddenly a light shined from above and I thought, GREEN JUICE. Perfect. Now, first you need a juicer. Obviously. I use a Breville. Works great and clean up is very easy. Secondly, and I'm sure this will not come to any surprise to you when I remind you that you must must must only use organic produce when juicing. There is really no exception here cause if you don't, all those pesticides and herbicides will get even more concentrated into your juice and that would be no bueno. So on we go to the recipe. You can always substitute the collard greens with kale, the celery with cucumbers and the meyer lemon with a regular lemon if you like. juice it up and enjoy!

1/2 bunch of collard greens

4 celery stalks

2 red apples

2 in fresh ginger (I like it spicy but if you don't lessen the ginger)

1 cup fresh pineapple

1/2 meyer lemon (you can juice with the skin on or off. I like it off.)

Flourless Almond Tart with Raspberry Sauce

2008-11-18T06:44:00.001-08:00

This is a very easy tart to make. So easy that you will be amazed how divine and sophisticated it will look and taste. Blanching almond are extremely simple to do at home. All you do is boil a medium pot of water on the stove, add the almonds for about 15 seconds, drain and rinse with cold water. The skins will easily pop off the skins with your fingers. Discard the skins and boom, you got freshly blanched almonds that you did all by yourself. Also according to Ayurveda, a traditional native Indian medicine, they believe that the skins of almonds are toxic and are not easily digestible. So enjoy your beautiful blanched almond tart!

Tart

1 ½ cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted

3 eggs (you can use only egg whites for a lighter tart)

½ cup maple syrup or agave

1 TB almond extract

¼ tsp sea salt

1 pint fresh seasonal berries

Preheat oven to 350. Blanch almonds.

Spread blanched almonds on baking sheet and put them in oven to lightly toast and dry. About 10 minutes. Put almonds in food processor and pulse until a fine meal. While machine is on add eggs, maple, salt and extract. Blend well. Pour into oiled 8 ½ inch spring baking pan. Bake 20 minutes until firm and golden brown on top. Cool. Serve with fresh berries and sauce.

Raspberry Sauce

1 pint fresh or a bag of frozen raspberries

2 TB agave

½ tsp vanilla

2 TB filtered water

Puree the raspberries and agave in food processor or blender. Strain in fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Stir in vanilla and thin with water.

Homemade Almond Milk

2008-11-18T06:29:00.000-08:00

Alright. This is the easiest thing to make. SO please make it when ever almond milk is called for and never buy the pre-made gross stuff you get at the market. Trust me. When you taste this you will never buy that crap again. I told you I aptly called this blog organic snob ;)

All you need to do is invest in a nut milk bag - www.oneluckyduck.com/product-details.php?id=124&cat=26 - one of the best things you will buy and it's only $7.95. You can substitute your favorite nuts of the almonds; hazelnuts, pecans, cashew, walnut...create away my friends...

Milk

1 cup blanched almonds (to blanch: boil water, add almonds for about 15 seconds, drain and the skins will easily pop off with the help of your fingers. Discard skins and use your beautiful white almonds)

pinch of sea salt

4 cups filtered water

add a about 4 TB of agave if you want to sweeten

1 vanilla pod, seeds only (optional)

Blend almonds and water in blender for about 2 minute. Strain the milk through a nut milk bag or multiple layers of cheesecloth to make sure no almond pulp will go into your milk. Discard pulp or use it in the shower for a wonderful exfoliant! Then rinse the blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend to combined. Pour into pitcher and refrigerate if not using right away. Lasts about 3 days in fridge.

Blackberry Crumble

2008-11-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

Any seasonal fruit works wonderfully in this basic gluten free crumble. You can make this with or without nuts. Experiment with your favorite fruits. This is also a perfect way to use your organic frozen berries if fresh ones are no longer in season. Either way YUM!

Berries

2 cartons fresh blackberries, picked over and rinsed

2 cartons fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed

1 TB vanilla extract

2 TB fresh lemon juice

4 TB agave

2 TB tapioca starch

Crumble

1 cup quinoa flour

1 cup quinoa flakes

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp sea salt

¾ cups walnuts or pecans (optional)

6 TB agave

2 TB melted coconut butter or 2 TB walnut oil

2 Tb filtered water (a little more if needed)

Preheat oven 350.

In a 9 x 13 (3 quart) pan gently toss first 5 ingredients. Then add in the tapioca flour. Mix well to combine. Taste. If berries are not sweet enough add a few more tablespoons of agave.

In another bowl mix dry ingredients. Slowly add 1 TB of agave at a time. Crumble with fingertips and add in the coconut butter/walnut 1 TB at a time. Should look like wet sand and large balls. Add a few TB of water. Stir in nuts if using. Spread flour mixture evenly over the berries. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden on top. Serve warm and top with ice cream or a dollop of my cream!

Apple and dried Apricot Crisp

2008-11-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite classic fall desserts. Your house will smell divinely festive. Any firm apple works well with this dessert: Gala, Fuji, Jonagold, Rome, Winesap, Mutsu, Honeycrisp. Remember if you use soft apple such as Macintosh and Red delicious you will get more of an apple sauce texture. Hey, could be good too! Try it all I say!! I also am one to leave the apple skins on, being that much of the nutrients are in the skin. But if you prefer without the skins by all means peel away.

Apples

6 medium apples, halved, cored and cut into ½ inch cubes

½ cup dried apricots, sliced (next time substitute dried cherries for the apricots!)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

2 TB maple syrup

2 TB dark honey

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest

Pinch o f sea salt

Crisp

1 cup walnut halves, lightly toasted

¾ cup quinoa flakes

½ cup quinoa flour

¼ cup tapioca flour

¼ tsp sea salt

½ cup maple sugar

4 TB walnut oil, sunflower oil or coconut butter (melted)

2 TB filtered water

Preheat oven 400.

To make topping: in a medium bowl mix together quinoa flakes, quinoa and tapicoa flour, sugar, walnuts and salt. Drizzle in oil one TB at a time, mix with wooden spoon. Then add water and toss. It should look crumbly, like wet sand. Set aside. (could be made one day in advance. Just refrigerate until use)

To make filling: Toss everything into an 8x8 inch glass baking dish. Mix everything to combine. Sprinkle reserved topping evenly over apples. Bake in the middle rack of oven for 15 minutes at 400. Then reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are soft.

Remove from oven and let cool. Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Aria's Amazing Cream

2008-11-04T09:49:00.000-08:00

Cream

½ cup homemade almond milk or unsweetened eden soy milk

1 ½ TB agar flakes

1 cup homemade almond milk or soy

3 TB maple syrup

3 TB agave syrup

¼ tsp sea salt

1 ½ TB kuzu, dissolved in 2 ½ TB water

1 TB vanilla

1 TB almond extract (only use if you want an extra almond flavor)

Pour ½ cup milk in medium pot with 1 ½ Tb agar flakes. Allow to soften for 10 minutes. Then turn on stove to medium heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and continue to stir until flakes are dissolved. About 10 minutes. Add the rest of the milk, maple, agave and salt. Stir and simmer about 2 minutes. Dissolved kuzu in a small bowl and add to pot. Stirring constantly until a light boil. Reduce heat and cook for a minute longer. Turn off heat and add vanilla and almond (if using) extracts. Stir to combined. Allow to cool then pour into shallow baking dish to completely cool. Refrigerate to set.

When completely cool blend in food processor or blender. You may need to add a little more agave if not sweet enough. The cream is delicious as is but if you wanna add a little something extra make GINGER!

Ginger Cream

¼ cup filtered water

3 TB ginger, peeled and finely minced

2 TB agave

1 cup cream

Combine water, ginger and agave in a small pot over medium heat about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. In a separate bowl add cream and slowly mix in ginger syrup.

** Note: Below is a little description on what the heck Agar-Agar, Arrowroot and Kudzu are...

Agar-Agar: Vegetarian form of gelatin, made from red seaweed that is processed into flakes, bars and powder. The flakes are easily available at the natural food store in the seaweed/macrobiotic section. Use in place of gelatin.

Arrowroot: Root starch used as thickener. Use in place of cornstarch. It also is used as a flour in baked goods.

Kudzu: Interchangeable with Arrowroot though much more expensive. It also has medicinal properties. Especially used to alkalize acidic conditions such as nausea and indigestion. Wonderful tummy soother.

Kabocha Squash Cakes

2008-11-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

This recipe was inspired by pastry chef Will Goldfarb. I read it in Bon Appetit magazine then altered and adapted it to become gluten and dairy free. I made it last night and WOW WOW WOW. Huge hit amongst the fam. My husband actually woke me up in the middle of the night singing my praises on how amazing the desert was.

Kabocha Squash Puree

2 cups kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 cup unsweetened eden soy milk

1 vanilla bean, spilt lengthwise

Combine squash and milk in heavy saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean;add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat, partially cover, reduce heat to low and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. note: don't walk too far away from the stove, the liquid could boil over and get messy. Take it from someone who knows ;) Remove vanilla bean. Cool. Place mixture in food processor and blend until smooth. * can be made 1 day ahead. cover and refrigerate.

Cakes

1/3 cup + 2 TB dark maple syrup

1/4 cup agave

4 TB extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup gluten free beer (i used Greens. got it at whole foods market)

1 large egg

2/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour

1/4 cup amaranth flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven 375. Lightly oil six 1 cup ramekins. Place 1 cup squash puree in large bowl. (reserve remaining for another use). Add maple, agave, oil, beer and egg to the bowl with squash puree. Blend until combine. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into bowl. Blend. Divide batter among prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on baking sheet. And put into oven.

Bake until cakes are firm, about 20 to 25 minutes. (might need to bake longer). I served them right in the ramekins. Make sure you wait a little for the cakes to cool down before serving. Top with a dollop of Cream and you will be in heaven.

Pumpkin Pudding with maple pecans

2008-10-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

A variety of Squash are abundant in the fall. Butternut, buttercup, blue hubbard, red kuri, kabocha, sugar, cheese, sweet dumpling, the list goes on. One of my favorite things to do on a chilly autumn day is bake a squash in my oven. I turn my oven onto 350, wash my squash of choice, put it on a large baking/roasting pan and pop it into the oven – whole. Check it after about an hour or until the squash is soft. Then I take it out wait for it to cool and I easily peel the skin away, scoop out the delicious flesh, discarding the seeds (some folks save the seeds, wash then, dry them and toast them, by all means go for it if you got the patience) and now, with all this yummy fresh baked squash you are ready to make some fall goodness. If you want to make this recipe into a pie, by all means do. Just pour the pudding into a unbaked pie crust and follow the same baking instructions below. Also if you have some baked squash left over you can make a soup or add it to a stew…

Pudding

3 cups cooked squash

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup agave

½ cup unsweetened soy milk, coconut, cow or homemade almond milk

¾ tsp ground cinnamon

¾ tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (i never use the pre-ground nutmeg. buy the whole nutmeg and a nice little grater and you just made your dish taste that much better!!)

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp sea salt

2 TB arrowroot powder

1 tsp agar powder (if you can only find agar flakes you have to dissolve 4 1/2 tsp agar flakes in a pot over medium heat with the milk of your choice, stirring until dissolved, about 10 minutes. You will know they are dissolved when you don't see any flakes on the back of your stirring spoon.)

* use can omit the arrowroot and agar altogether and add 1 egg and 1 egg yoke instead.

Pecans

1 ½ cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped

1 Tb molasses

¼ cup dark maple syrup

1 tsp arrowroot powder

Toss everything in bowl. Mix and set aside.

Preheat oven 350.

Add everything except arrowroot and agar to food processor. Process until smooth. Taste. Add more agave if necessary. Then add arrowroot and agar. Mix until combine. Pour into, lightly buttered or coconut buttered, 9 inch pie dish (or pie crust if using). Make sure you put the pie dish on baking sheet so nothing drips in the oven. Cover with parchment paper then foil. Bake for about 50 minutes. Be-careful when taking off the parchment paper, it the pudding may stick too it and be a little gooey.

Remove from oven and remove parchment paper. Evenly distribute pecan mixture over the top. Put bake into oven and bake, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool a couple of hours before serving.

Garden Gazpacho

2008-10-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

These are the last few weeks for tomatoes so get em' while you can. And if you are in LA it feels more like summer than fall! So make yourself one of the most refreshing soups and best ways too use those soft tomatoes. At the farmers market they sell soft tomatoes for half price but you gotta ask where they are at!! Remember not too refrigerate your tomatoes. They will lose much of their flavor if you do. So use them asap. Oh and you may notice that there are no bell peppers in this recipe. Why you ask? Well because I am not a fan of the bell peppers. But if you are then by all means chop some up and add them into the food processor with the rest of the vegetables. To each is own. Make sure you patiently wait for the soup to chill.

Soup

4 large heirloom tomatoes, large chop (I use pineapple and black cherokee tomatoes)

2 medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

1 small jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped

large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

4 basil leaves, chopped

fresh squeezed juice of 2 limes

2 tsp sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Garnish

1 fresh corn, kernels only

1/2 hass avocado, small dice

cilantro leaves

Place tomatoes and sea salt in food processor, pulse until blended but still a little chunky. Pour into large bowl. Then add cucumber, onion and jalapeno into food processor, pulse until finely chopped. Add to tomato bowl. Combine. Mix in fresh cilantro, basil, fresh ground pepper and lime juice. Taste. Add ½ tsp salt if necessary. Chill in fridge for at least an hour. Taste. You may need to add a pinch more salt and possibly a squeeze more lime juice. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the corn kernels, avocado and a beautiful leaf of cilantro. I like to serve this with Mary's Gone Crackers for an extra crunch! http://www.marysgonecrackers.com/ns/intro.php

French Onion Soup

2008-10-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

This soup is amazingly rich. The special somethin' somethin' comes from the use of unpasteurized dark miso. I use south river miso. They make their miso using a variety of grains, beans and sea vegetables. They are all wonderful. Miso not only add extra depth to any soup but has exceptional nutritional values. Unpasteurized miso is a 'living food' and contains natural digestive enzymes that aid in digestion. So feel free to melt a thick piece of cheddar cheese on top and toast a baguette and while you're at it open a good bottle of red (very snobby wine list coming soon!) and you got yourself a meal fit for a queen. Unfortunately, there is no vegan alternative for the cheese that I have found to taste remotely good. As for a gluten free bread option, I love grindstone bakery. Yes they are up in San Francisco but you can order a bunch on line and freeze them. Also if you live in the LA area, Erewhon supermarket thankfully started to carry them. The loaves are made with quinoa, millet and buckwheat flours so they are whole grains, dense, very nutritious and delicious toasted. http://www.grindstonebakery.com.

Soup

2 TB olive oil

4 pounds red and yellow onions (about 8), halved and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½ cup port

8 cups vegetable stock

2 to 3 TB dark miso paste

fresh ground black pepper

fresh parsley, chopped

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add onions and garlic, dash of sea salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened, 12 to 15 minutes.

Uncover and continue to stir and cook until onions are dark golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. (If bottom becomes brown add ¼ cup water and scrap up browned bits with wooden spoon.)

Add port and cook until syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in broth. Bring to simmer. Turn off stove. Mix 3 Tb miso in ½ cup water and then blend into soup. (Do not boil miso. It losses the nourishing medicinal properties.) Taste. Depending on your salty taste buds add more miso if necessary. Add freshly ground pepper and garnish with a touch of fresh chopped parsley.

Homemade Vegetable Stock

2008-10-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is a basic stock that can be used with pretty much any soup or stew. You can always tailor your homemade stock to enhance the soup you are making. For example, if you're making a sweet vegetable soup, add sweet potato or squash for extra sweetness to your stock. You can also use your vegetable trimmings, such as leek tops, mushroom caps, squash skins and fennel tops. But avoid spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, brussel sprouts, beets, onion skins and wilted vegetables. They will make your stock bitter. The stock will last about 5 days in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer.

Stock

1 large onion, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 leek, white and green parts or 2 leek tops, washed and chopped

2 carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 celery rib, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 parsnip, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (if fresh is not available use dried)

1 whole garlic bulb, unpeeled and cut in half

2 quarts filtered water

2 bay leaves

10 black pepper corns

handful of fresh parsley

handful of fresh sprigs of thyme or 1 tsp dried

Put everything in a soup pot. Bring to boil. Skim off any foam that forms. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 1 hour. Strain vegetables and voila, you have made your very own homemade stock.

Chestnut Soup with White Truffle Oil

2008-10-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

Simply elegant and damn good!!

Soup

2 TB olive oil

1 cup shallots, chopped

¼ cup celery, chopped

3 cups cooked whole chestnuts

3 ½ cups vegetable stock

¼ cup unsweetened edensoy soy milk

Pinch of cayenne pepper

White truffle oil

In a large saucepan heat the oil. Add shallots and celery; sauté until tender. Add chestnuts and 3 cups stock. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 15 minutes. Remove 1/3 cup chestnuts from pan and chop coarsely; set aside.

Puree soup in blender. Return to pan and mix in ½ stock and ¼ cup soy milk. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Ladle soup into bowls; add chopped chestnuts and drizzle with white truffle oil and a leaf of fresh parsley.

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Ginger and Squash

2008-10-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

I promise you won't miss the ham hock in this wonderful soup. Remember to soak the spilt peas overnight (drain and rinse in fresh water in the morning). You can use green peas if you wish but I just love the brightness of the yellow peas mixed with the orange flesh of the squash and the green of fresh chopped cilantro or parsley to garnish.

Soup

1 cup yellow split peas, soaked

1 medium squash (butternut, buttercup, kabocha or delicata), peeled, seeded and cut into small dice OR if you don't have squash you can replace with 1 large sweet potato.

1 dried smoked chipotle chile

1 2-inch chunk of fresh ginger, cut into 3 slices

6 cups filtered water

Sea Salt

2 TB olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stalk, cut into small dice

1 TB mirin (Japanese rice wine)

1 TB mellow miso, dissolved in 2 TB warm water

1/2 cup fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, chopped

In medium pot combine spilt peas, chile, ginger and 5 cups water over high heat. Bring to boil. over heat. Lower to simmer and cook, covered, for 45 minutes or until the split peas are soft and have broken down. Add 1 tsp salt. Stir. Discard ginger and chile.

Warm oil in sauce pan and add onion, garlic, squash and celery. Saute about 10 minutes over medium heat until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown. Add vegetables to spilt peas. Add mirin to vegetable sauce pan along with 1 cup water and cook until all the brown goodness is cooked into the liquid. Add to spilt peas.

Dissolve miso in 2 TB warm water and add to spilt peas. Stir. Taste. Add more salt if necessary.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley.

Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup

2008-10-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Nothing says fall like butternut squash and chestnuts together, as one, in your mouth. Ahhh a little piece o' heaven.

Soup

1 medium butternut squash, about 2 ½ pounds, chopped, 6 cups

6 to 7 cups vegetable broth (homemade is best, but in a pinch I use Imagine organic no-chicken vegetable stock)

2 TB olive oil

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 tsp mined garlic

¼ cup white wine

10 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced, about 2 tsp

Chestnut Puree

½ pound vacuum-packed whole chestnuts, about 1 ½ cups

1 cup vegetable stock

Sea Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Place chestnuts in small saucepan with the stock and bring to boil. Lower heat, cover pan, and simmer until soft, about 20 minutes. Puree in blender until smooth, adding stock as needed to thin. And season with salt and pepper. Set aside until needed.

Place the chopped squash and 5 cups of the stock in a soup pot. Bring to boil, lower the heat, and simmer until squash is tender and starting to beak apart, about 30 minutes.

Heat the oil and butter in a sauté pan and add onion, ¼ tsp salt, and pinch of pepper. Cook over medium heat until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Pour in the wine and cook until pan is nearly dry, about 3 minutes.

Add Chestnut puree and reserve ½ cup for the garnish. Add the remaining puree to the squash, along with the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook together over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Place in blender and puree until smooth, adding stock as needed. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish each serving with a swirl of reserved Chestnut Puree and sprinkle with sage.

Japanese Autumn Quick Stew

2008-10-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite, quick (30 minutes or less) meals in a pot. Serve with your choice of cooked grain or add a cup of cooked beans to the stew at the end of cooking. Warming, satisfying and yummy!

Stew

½ kabocha squash, seeded, 1 inch thick cubes ( I leave skin on)

1 small onion, halved and thinly slices

6 sprigs fresh thyme, take herbs of 3 sprigs and leave others whole

2 large fresh sage leaves

1 piece kombu, cut into 4 - 2 in thick slices

2 TB wakame seaweed

½ napa cabbage, sliced

4 large fresh shitake mushroom, stemmed, caps left whole

6 coins fresh ginger, sliced

dash sea salt

2 TB mellow miso

2 scallions, white and green, thinly sliced

hot toasted sesame oil

In a medium pot add layer of sliced onion, sprinkle with half fresh thyme, add cubed squash, sprinkle kombu and wakame evenly around, sage, cabbage and mushrooms. Add enough filtered water to cover the squash. Sprinkle with pinch of salt and bring to boil. Turn heat down to simmer and cover, about 20 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and sage. Turn off heat and stir in miso. Add more if desired. Garnish with scallion if desired and dash of hot toasted sesame oil.

Kabocha Squash and Adzuki bean Stew

2008-10-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for warming, nourishing soups and stews. This is one of my favorites. Adzuki beans, according to traditional Chinese medicine, strengthen the kidneys and are very easy to digest. They are also one of the only beans that you don't need to soak so you can make this stew on the fly. This is a hearty bowl of all the wonderful highlights of the season. Yummy!

Stock

8 dried shitake mushrooms

1 4 inch piece kombu

2 scallions, white and green part, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 TB tamari

2 TB mirin

6 cups water

Soup

3 pound kabocha squash, scrubbed and cleaned

2 tsp sesame oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 hot red chili pepper (Serrano, jalapeno or thai), seeded and minced

1 ¼ tsp sea salt

¼ cup scallions, white and green part, thinly sliced

Adzuki Beans

1 TB sesame oil

1 TB fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cup cooked adzuki beans

2 TB mirin

1 tsp umeboshi vinegar

¼ tsp sea salt

Preheat oven 375.

Make stock: combine all ingredients into pot. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes. Strain the broth.

Wash squash and put into oven. Bake about 20 minutes. Take out with oven mits and carefully cut in half. (it’s easier to cut when a little warm) Put halved down on parchment lined baking sheet and rub in sesame oil onto skin. Roast, cut side down for about 25 minutes or until tender. Remove and let cool. Discard seeds and scoop out flesh into bowl. Set aside.

Warm 1 TB sesame oil in pot over medium heat. Add onions, and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. The add garlic and chili pepper and cook 1 minute.

Add squash, salt and 4 cups of stock. Cover and bring to boil. Lower heat and cook, partially cover for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Take off heat. Cool slightly. Transfer to blender and blend until smooth. Return soup to pot and taste. Add a few drops of hot toasted sesame oil (or regular toasted) and a pinch of cayenne if not to hot and more salt if necessary.

Make beans: in a medium skillet combine oil, ginger and garlic, Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes. Then add cooked beans, mirin, vinegar and sale. Stir to combine.

Serve soup with ¼ cup adzuki beans in each bowl and sprinkle sliced scallions on top.

Farmers Market Minestrone with basil pesto

2008-10-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

I got inspired my Martha Stewart again. I always read what new recipes she is cooking up. Then I take the basic recipe and put my spin on it. I think in color. Sometimes. Especially when making a soup. And this was definitely the case with this minestrone. Taking full advantage of the abundant fall produce at the santa monica farmers market. And don't even think about not making the pesto. It makes the soup. It does. The flavor. The color. The beauty. The deliciousness. Enjoy!

Soup

2 TB olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, scrubbed, halved and cut into half moons

1 large celery stalk, sliced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp fresh rosemary

1 tsp fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

2 tsp sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

4 pounds heirloom pineapple tomatoes, skin peeled and chopped or you can use 1 can (14.5 ounces) whole, peeled organic tomatoes, chopped (reserve juice)

10 purple baby potatoes, halved and cut

1/4 head savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

2 cups fresh shelled beans or 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 pound green beans

1 ear corn, kernels only

1 /4 cup parsley, chopped

1 bunch green kale, chopped

2 cups cooked quinoa, 1/3 cup on top of soup when serving in individual bowls.

In large pot heat oil and saute onions, garlic, carrot, celery, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and 1 tsp sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to turns golden, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, cook about 1 minute then add potato, cabbage, beans, 6 cups filtered water and reserved tomato juice.

Bring to boil then turn down to simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Add green beans, corn kernels, parsley and kale. Cook about 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Add 1 tsp sea salt (or more if needed) and fresh ground black pepper.

Pesto

2 cups green basil

2 cups purple basil

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 TB fresh lemon juice

4 TB olive oil

Put everything in food processor and chopped until combine.

To serve ladle soup into bowl with 1/3 cup cooked quinoa, fresh sliced basil leaves and large TB of pesto (bring pesto to the table so you can add more if desired). Oh and if you can eat dairy serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese! Toast some nice gluten free bread (or baguette) and serve on side. Yum Yum!

My Story. Food Story that is...

2008-09-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

I love to cook. Am obsessed with food. I really am. I admit it. Always have been. Obsessively tried every healthy diet there is, fervently read cookbooks, food magazines, researching recipes online, love watching cooking shows, could spend all day in a supermarket, only purchase organic produce, religiously shop at the local farmers market. (Very important to know where my food comes from.), only like to support restaurants/chefs that use seasonal, local, organic food and will travel to an obscure gourmet food shop to purchase one ingredient. Some would say I’m a bit of a food snob. Well, I am. An organic food snob. But I would also say it’s a passion. A passion to create and experience wonderful delicious bountiful meals.

Choosing what to make is the hardest thing. Makes me crazy. My OCD perfectionism comes out in full swing. All those wonderful options, choices, gotta make the perfect decision... In the kitchen I am in heaven. At peace. Happy. Creative. Expressive. I love it. I only cook healthy stuff. I forgot to mention that. Been into the healthy side of food for the past 10 years. Before that I was a whisky drinking, pill popping, baguette and Brie eating depressed young girl writing poetry and living in a warped dreamland of Hollywood thinking I was Dorothy Parker. You get the picture. It all came crashing down when I found out I was hypoglycemic. Oh yes and I had Candida. SO I did like any obsessive foodie does, I became fascinated with what I could and could not eat and got healthy. Through experimenting with different foods I began to make the connection between what I was eating and how it directly affected how I was feeling. With the limited food I was able to eat, I began creating recipes that where tasty--ish. The diet was extremely limited (anyone who has done the Candia diet knows) I did it for a year. I know. But I felt better and it seemed to rebuild my system. However my diet was bland and boring. I couldn’t eat this way for the rest of my life!!

Shortly thereafter I meet a raw food vegan who introduced me to his lifestyle. Juicing. Soaking nuts and seeds, avocados, fruits, coconuts – the complete opposite to what I was eating. So again I did like all good foodies and I became completely obsessed. I got to a point where I almost threw out my stove and I even vowed never to eat cooked food again. I was a raw fool. Making pies, pâtés, everything raw. I felt high on life. (Later I realized I was just high on all the sugar from the fruit and dried fruit and maple syrup -- yes this was back in the day when agave wasn’t all the rage). Oh yes and one more thing. Well two. I looked like shit. (at the time I was in denial) My skin was horrible (covered with red little irrated bumps), I had a grayish hue to my skin and I lost my period for 1 ½ years. Nobody openly talks about this and the raw and/or reformed raw women that I have spoken with all share the same imbalance. (The hardcore raw community thinks it means you’re clean and pure – I’m sorry but that is insane. I later understood it’s a loud wake up call for you to eat some meat darling. Some blood. Not regularly. Just when the need arises.) My naturopathic doctor and gynecologist were begging me to eat some meat. I refused, then tried, then cried. I just couldn’t bring myself to cook it, let alone eat it. Then one night, a full moon I believe, I was out to dinner with my family and I order the organic lamb. Everyone almost fell out of their chairs in shock. It came. I had a bite. I immediately felt the blood rush to my cheeks and my uterus. I’m not kidding. And it was delicious. I ate the whole thing and enjoyed every last bite. Many moons later I finally, in conjunction with other natural remedies, got my period. Now I eat organic meat when I crave it. About once a month. I view it as medicine.

Alright where was I, oh yes, so I’m in NYC and raw. I was eating at one of my favorite vegan restaurants (at the time) and I came across a flyer for a vegetarian cooking school called The Natural Gourmet Cookery School. They had a 6 month chef training program. I signed up immediately. (This is what really broke my raw diet; all the freaking soy products: tofu and tempeh and soy milk oh my!) I learned some good things. It was a great experience but preferred cooking in my own kitchen. In my own style without all the soy. Alone. I even created, distributed and sold my own line of nut milk ice creams. (I started with Almond milk ice cream, then went to Hemp milk. Now I do pistachio and hazelnut. Yum!) After graduating I began to experiment cooking and un-cooking gourmet vegan meals for my friends and family. Going through my own food journey’s I became a crazy food detective. If I was eating with someone and they got tired or their nose immediately became stuffed or they broke out in hives I knew it had to be from what they just put in their mouth. This was definitely the case with my husband. When I met him he was a skinny little vegan with a greenish hue to his skin. Now he’s a big burly man. I’m kidding. But he looks wonderful and is much healthier. When we first started living together I was cooking mostly macrobiotically and baking up a storm. My flours of choice were whole grain spelt, barley and oats. I began to notice that he would get tired, sometimes even fall asleep, after he ate my food. I finally convinced him to get a food allergy test. He reluctantly went to the doctor. We learned he was extremely gluten intolerant. Not celiac thankfully but if he continued eating this way he could very well become ill. I realized I was slowly killing him with my loving foods.

And so now, 6 years later and after innumerable gluten free recipes, here I am in the land of the blog documenting my seasonal, organic, biodynamic, local, rustic, dairy-free, mostly vegan (with the exception of eggs & a wee bit of goat cheese :), sometimes even haute cuisine creations. According to my husband, family and friends I “cook real good”. Hope you enjoy!