Before we get to the greatness that is Scotland, I’d like to thank all of you for your insightful comments in my last post about eating “real” food. I enjoyed reading about your food philosophies – a selection of comments (bold by me):

While I am a huge fan of many processed foods (ahem, peanut butter, canned beans, canned soups, etc) I thank my mom for getting me started young at taking whole and fresh ingredients and cooking with them and using them any recipe. I honestly think it’s lack of cooking skills that prevents so many people from buying fresh foods, and resorting to packaged pre-made foods. It’s tough when you’ve never learned how to even use a stove! (The Candid RD)

I heard [Michael Pollan] speak about two years ago, and I really liked that he was “real” and admitted to not being “perfect.” He also made a real big point about cooking real, healthy, and cheap foods like beans, etc. I think too often people say eating healthy foods is too expensive and too difficult. But it really doesn’t have to be. (Andrea’s Wellness Notes)

I have something more to add in the food philosophy question: eating while relaxed and calm is hugely important to me. I never have lunch in a hurry or standing or at my desk while working if I can avoid it (and I am planning my day in a way that I can), because the time pressure and stress make me not eat well at all. (Christa)

Keep the great comments coming!

On to today’s post: Many moons ago (and by “many”, I mean “three”), my family and I traveled to the west coat of Scotland, including the Outer Hebrides. Why did I wait three months to share my pictures with you, dear reader? I’d like to write that in the midst of various projects of dubious importance and uncertain relevance, I lacked time; but, the truth is … I forgot. Oops.

Let’s look at those pictures!

I didn’t realize that the knee-high leather boots I brought to hike in were so unusual until we were hiking down Ben Nevis (the tallest mountain in the British Isles) and a man who had passed us earlier in the day came up behind us and commented, “There’s the lady with the great boots!“  I thought I looked pretty snazzy myself – or, as my sister D said: “You look like a 1890s mountaineer.”

[source]

[source]

Yeah, okay, I guess I can see her point.

A few more highlights of western Scotland and the Outer Hebrides:

Gallan Head, Isle of Lewis:

Luskentyre Beach on the Isle of Harris (yes, Scotland has wonderful beaches!):

“Cave” on Uig Beach, Isle of Lewis:

Near the Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye:

On the Isle of Lewis:

Yes, I went inside the abandoned stone house – in retrospect, perhaps that was a poor idea (note the collapsing stone roof – I won’t post pictures from inside the house, because I want to preserve the illusion that I have some common sense (hint: see gallery below for evidence that I do lack sense)):

Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis – unlike Stonehenge, you can actually walk up to these (as evidenced below):

A gallery of more Scotland images (Note: The pictures should have captions, but apparently they don’t show up unless you click the “i” icon in the upper right corner of the gallery):

Around Scotland

Near Fort William.
Area around Fort William.
Around Fort William.
Around Fort William.
Waterfall near Ben Nevis.
View from Ben Nevis.
Waterfall near Ben Nevis.
On Ben Nevis.
On ferry from Ullapool to Stornaway.
Inside Arnol Blackhouse, Isle of Lewis.
Gallan Head, Isle of Lewis.
Gallan Head, Isle of Lewis.
Gallan Head, Isle of Lewis.
Gallan Head.
Sign on Galan Head.
Gallan Head.
Gallan Head.
Uig Beach, Isle of Lewis.
Uig Beach, Isle of Lewis.
Rocks on Uig Beach, Isle of Lewis.
Dunes on Uig Beach.
Near Uig Beach.
Cemetary near Uig Beach.
Sea urchin shells.
On Bernera, near Isle of Lewis.
Replication of Iron Age House on Bernera.
Bernera.
Heather-covered slopes.
Bernera.
Bernera.
Bernera.
Bernera.
Callanish.
Abandoned house.
Inside abandoned house. Perhaps I should not have gone inside.
Outside abandoned house.
Typical fence - animals can't cross, but people can.
Detail of typical fence.
Callanish standing stones.
Callanish standing stone.
Callanish standing stones.
Lichen-covered rock.
Lewis cows.
Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris.
Cuillins, Isle of Skye.
Old Man of Storr, Ise of Skye.
Hiking Old Man of Storr.
Talisker Distillery, Isle of Skye.
Eileen Donan, Isle of Skye.
Crannog Center, Rannoch Moor - reproduction lathe.
Crannog Center, Rannoch Moor - trying to start a fire with friction.
5000 year old yew tree, Fortingall.
Black sheep, Bunrannoch House.

Edradour Distillary.
Fermenting barley at Edradour Distillary.
Copper stills at Edradour Distillary.
Storage room at Edradour Distillary.
Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Castle.
Edinburgh.
A sidewalk performance during Edinburgh's Fringe Festival.
Edinburgh Castle.

And, a gallery of what I’m sure you’re most interested in: FOOD! I’ve noticed that whenever I travel to a new place, many of my travel plans revolve around trying local foods – what better way to learn about a new locale than to sample its delicacies? For more examples of eating my way through new locales, check out THIH’s Travel Page.

As seen in the album above, I sampled several Scotch whiskies at the Talisker and Edradour distilleries and found that after a dram or two, all whiskies taste pretty much the same. I also had the opportunity to try both black pudding and haggis (black pudding = delicious! haggis = okay). Recently, I acquired some canned haggis (yes, canned) so that I can cook it up over the holidays with some neeps and tatties (that’s rutabaga and potatoes, cooked and mashed separately). Stay tuned for my disastrous attempt at cooking haggis!

In the meantime, click through the album below for some delicious meals I enjoyed while in Scotland:

Eating Through Scotland

Typical Scottish Breakfast: Fried egg, fried tomato, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, sausage, black pudding.
Black pudding: oatmeal, spices, and ... blood. No, I'm not kidding.
Museli and milk.
Toast with ginger preserves.
Kippers and fried tomatoes.
The best scrambled eggs and smoked salmon I've ever tasted.
Triangle sandwiches. You can find them everywhere - even in the pharmacy.
Homemade fish pate.
Roasted vegetables.
Venison.
Blueberry roulade.
Typical shop in Edinburgh.
Yes, I ate (almost) this whole thing!

Finally, during our Scotland trip, I had the opportunity to swing down to London and meet a dear friend with whom I’ve corresponded for seven years, but never met in person until this past summer.  Hi, Christa!

Hugs!

Take care, gentle reader!

Q: Have you been to Scotland? (I know YOU have LeQuan ;) ) Have you ever tried black pudding or haggis?

AND

Where is your dream place to visit?

Related posts:

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2. The Great Wall Revisited

Note: A slightly-modified version of this post is also a guest post on guest post on Lazaro Cooks! … what can I say? I’m busy, swamped, ready to sell my favorite blender for a slow-paced afternoon – whatever you dear readers call having no free time nowadays. Gotta milk whatever I write, right? Thanks for having me as a guest poster on your admirable blog, Lazaro!

As many of you know, I became a registered dietitian last July and couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the nutrition profession. Upon introducing myself to others as a registered dietitian, people will typically ask me some version of the same question. What do you think that question is? Is it:

(a) “By golly, Jessie, how do you stand eating rabbit food all day long?”
(b) “What’s a registered dietitian? (Or, even better: “What’s a registered dianitian?” )
(c) “Will you avert your gaze from the fried chicken I am cradling in my hand?”
(d) “How should I eat?”

Okay, I need to confess: I’ve been asked versions of ALL these questions; however, what’s the question I’ve been asked the most? If you answered (d), a high-five and hearty pat on the back for you!

So, what’s my answer? A short version: eat real food. By real food, I mean unprocessed, perishable foods composing a diet that consists mostly of vegetables, fruits, lean protein, whole grains, and a small amount of healthy fats. Notice I said “perishable” – some packaged foods will have the word “fresh” emblazoned on the front, but you aren’t fooled, right? And, notice I said “mostly” – I subscribe to the “always, sometimes” diet.

…”Ah, ha!” you say, “This girl, RD is passing off Michael Pollan‘s words as her own!” True, Michael Pollan’s “Eat Food” mantra brought the current fixation with packaged and processed foods over fresh and unprocessed foods to public prominence. Yet, people have been thinking about – and, even better, unconsciously choosing – real foods for time immemorial. We have reached an age where people must turn to experts for guidance on how to eat. Strange, yes? I will do my part, of course, but I mourn the loss of unconsciously healthy food choices.

Luckily, we dietitians have people like Lazaro helping to spread the word! Think of Lazaro as my RD sidekick, if you will. His commitment to using fresh, sustainable ingredients in creative ways is part of a trend that I am thrilled to see across the blog world and into the real world.  With a little work, I believe we can return to making healthier food choices without a second thought.  The choice is OURS.

What can a hungry health- and eco-concious cook do right now? Why, make dishes like “I Choose YOU! Shrimp Scampi“, of course!

Unfortunately, most shrimp consumed in the U.S. are imported from other countries where regulations concerning production are poorly controlled. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want eat contaminated shrimp if I can help it. I choose U.S.-caught shrimp whenever possible – yes, domestic shrimp often is more expensive than imported shrimp, but I have made a conscious choice to enjoy foods that are better for my health and for the environment. For a good guide on ocean-friendly seafood, check out this link.

Shrimp Scampi
Serves 2

Ingredients:
8 oz. shrimp, domestic if possible
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter (omit if desired)
Red pepper flakes
Lemon
Fresh parsley
Whole wheat pasta or brown rice, cooked

Cook pasta or rice and arrange on warm plates. Defrost shrimp if necessary and make sure shrimp are very dry. Place flour on large plate and mix in smoked paprika if desired (I add the paprika when I want to give the shrimp a little kick). Lightly dredge shrimp in flour and place on another plate.

Place a frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add oil and butter and allow butter to melt. Add shrimp immediately and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning once halfway through. Don’t overcook! Remove shrimp to the plates with pasta or rice and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the frying pan if necessary and place over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for no more than 30 seconds. Drizzle garlic/oil mixture over shrimp and pasta/rice, sprinkle with red pepper flakes and torn fresh parsley. Squeeze lemon over all if desired.

Serve immediately and enjoy! I often eat this dish with grilled summer squash or sautéed Swiss chard.

To all you dear readers: keep it real! Peace.

Q: What’s your food philosophy?

Related posts:

1. Guest Post: Melinda of Nutrition, Food, Travel, and More
2. Food Service and the Dietitian
3. A Week with Marci Anderson, Eating Disorders Expert

Being married to Peter is an adventure. No, really.

I’ve had readers ask me how Peter can possibly find time for his many food-related hobbies, such as taste tests, making vanilla-extract (from specially-acquired vanilla beans, no less), constructing sous vide machines (and I do mean machineS in the plural), convincing his favorite restaurants that it would be a good idea to work in their kitchens … the list continues.

(Perhaps my mac ‘n’ cheez taste test was an attempt to model myself after the culinary adventurer that is Peter, and yet … mac ‘n’ cheese. How uncouth.)

How does he do it? Well, to offer a past example as an explanation: while I was slavishly devoting hours and hours to problem sets and studying for my single physics major at Amherst College, Peter picked up honors in his two majors (math and economics), as well as ranking in the top one percent (one percent!) of our class and joining Phi Beta Kappa during our junior year. All this while barely raising a finger except to throw a disc during an Ultimate frisbee game. In fact, I believe Peter’s fascination with the culinary world began during this time of boredom – despite having no kitchen to speak of, he managed to make me a chocolate cream cake for my birthday during our senior year of college (shortly before spilling a pint of cream all over his favorite chair – whoops, was I not supposed to say that? ;) ).

Needless to say, I’m in awe of Peter’s energetic pursuits. His latest project? Growing his own chili peppers, including rare species and varieties that are not imported to the US (but legal, nonetheless).

He began back in the spring, planting mail-order pepper seeds in pots (smack-dab in the middle of our kitchen, of course) and gently coaxing the seedlings from their comfortable shells into the florescent light of day. After months and a transplant into the ground at his parents’ house (thanks, Dad!), his little seedlings have borne … well, fruit.

These peppers are just a portion of his bumper crop. I see many spicy meals in my future.  The black chili in front is a chilhuacle negro, a very expensive chili that only grows in southern Mexico and is not available here in the U.S.

The little red chili on the left is an Inca Lost chili, a rare Mexican variety (incorrectly labeled as a piment d’espelette earlier).

A quick trip through the dehydrator (and the spicy, cough-inducing air that dehydrating entails) and the peppers are ready for grinding or storage.

Peter kept a few peppers back for making a classic mole sauce.

Rick Bayless’s Empanadas de Mole Amarillo
Adapted from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen
Serving size: 12 empanadas

Ingredients:
1 large garlic clove, unpeeled
4 dried guajillo chilies (Peter used 4 fresh chilhuacle amarillo chilies instead)
1 small ripe tomato
2 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 thick slice of white onion
One pinch ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp masa harina
Tortillas
Salt (optional)
3/4 tsp sugar
1 cup cooked chicken, coarsely shredded
24 cilantro sprigs (or is you’re lucky, 1 leaf hoja santa – you can bet this herb is on Peter’s shopping list)

To make the yellow mole: roast unpeeled garlic clove on an ungreased skillet (or right on the burner, like Peter did) over medium heat until soft and black in spots (about 15 minutes). Cool and peel.

If you are using dried chilies, toast the chilies in the same way as the garlic: open them flat and press down on hot surface with a spatula; turn after a few seconds and repeat. Cover the chilies with water in a small bowl and rehydrate for 30 minutes. Drain and discard water.

NOTE: Using gloves while handling chilies is a GOOD IDEA. Just ask Peter (but don’t shake his hand).

Place tomato, tomatillos, and onion on a baking sheet. If you are using fresh chilies, add them to the baking sheet. Place baking sheet about 4 inches below a very hot broiler. When they blister, darken, and soften on one side (5-6 minutes), turn and roast the other side. Cool and peel tomato and chilies (ahem, gloves). Transfer tomato, tomatillos, onion, chilies, and any juice on baking sheet to a food processor or blender. Add peeled garlic, cloves, and black pepper. Blend to a smooth puree. Add a little water if necessary. If you like a smooth sauce, press puree through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl.

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When it is hot enough to make a drop of puree sizzle, add puree all at once and stir for five minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup of the broth, partially cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine the remaining 1/4 cup broth with the 2 tablespoons hasa marina and strain it into the mole. Whisk to remove lumps. Add salt and sugar to taste.

Rick Bayless’s original recipe calls for making your own empanada dough. Contrary to form, we bought tortillas and made wraps instead. You can find a great guide for making empanadas from scratch here. Otherwise, grab your store-bought tortilla and follow along!

Hold your tortilla in one hand and layer shredded chicken, two cilantro sprigs (or a piece of hoja santa), and a tablespoon of yellow mole in the center.

I like cilantro.

Roll tightly. If so desired, you can place wrap on heated griddle for five minutes, flipping once halfway through. Enjoy! (For leftovers, yellow mole keeps several days in the fridge.)

Having Peter for a husband means never having to say your meals are too bland.

Q: Have you ever had mole? Do you like spicy foods?

P.S. I finally updated the FAQs page – go check it out! … I guess when I wrote “Coming soon!” as a placeholder on that page back in July, I really meant “Coming in a little over two months!”

Related posts:

1. Peter Picked a Peck of … Peaches??

Where in the world has Jessie been? Three weeks and nary a peep! As I wrote earlier, I knew I would be busy this summer with the registered dietitian exam, working on my Master’s research … and, swimming with the fishes!

You may remember last year’s post about our trip to one of my favorite places in the world: Bonaire. This Dutch island in the southern Caribbean has beautiful swaying palm trees and turquoise water – but, Bonaire is even more gorgeous UNDER the water:

Intrigued?

Rewind three weeks. I was scrambling to finish the rough draft of my Master’s literature review, while Peter was studying for the Bar. In the midst of reading papers about fatty acids, visions of gliding sea turtles and undulating schools of fish kept appearing in my mind (VERY distracting, I tell you). A few days later, we arrived to this:

Definitely worth waiting for.

If you travel to Bonaire, you are not looking to lie on the beach and sip mai tais – oh, no. You are looking to strap a tank of compressed air on your back and explore the underwater world – and what a world it is.

After last year’s post about Bonaire, I had a few reader questions about what exactly we DO on a scuba diving vacation. In this post, I’ll give a brief overview of what our days were like without slipping into “this is what I did on my vacation” mode. Scroll through the albums below for a quick look at what we saw – and what we ate!

Most days, we would get moving sometime between 6 am and 8 am (Hey, it’s vacation!  Consistent schedules are for workdays).  Breakfast (and often lunch) consisted of Dutch cheeses and fresh-baked bread, local eggs, fruit from the Venezuelan fruit sellers in town, yogurt, and copious amount of hazelnootpasta – a.k.a. the Dutch version of Nutella.

Sometimes, we picked up fresh pastries from one of the local supermarkets, Cultimara:

Kersenflap – cherry-filled pastry:

Most days, Peter and I would dive two or three times. We split our dives between shore dives and boat dives (a boat brings you to locations that may not be accessible from shore). Bonaire is famous for its easy shore diving, allowing you to dive where you want, when you want. And, when I say “easy” diving, I mean, as easy as “struggling into the water with many pounds of scuba gear on your back and with waves crashing into you while avoiding ankle-twisting holes in the surf” can be -

KIDDING! I have Peter carry my tank sometimes … ;)

Peter and I breathe enriched air nitrox while scuba diving, a compressed air mixture with a lower percentage of nitrogen that reduces the risk of getting the bends. Using nitrox means we get to use this handy dandy tool to test oxygen percentages:

How do I use this thing again??

We wear 5mm-thick wetsuits, which earn us a few guffaws from fellow divers in their skimpy swimsuits (women AND men). Even though the water is 82-84 degrees F this time of year, I get cold, yo. Our dives usually last about an hour, depending on how deep we go (usually 60-80 feet) and how fast we breathe. I’m working on slowing the rate of my breathing so that I can spend longer underwater.

And, what do we see underwater? A sampling (Peter took most of the pictures. I took a few, but I haven’t a clue which ones – probably not the one of myself):

Underwater Bonaire

Gear
Brain coral
Lettuce slug
Loggerhead turtle
Green turtle
Jessiefish
Grouper
Arrow crab
Lionfish (invasive species)
Propeller of Hilma Hooker
The Rock (one of fav dive sites!)
Flounder
French angelfish
Eel

Squirrelfish
Eel
Arrow crab


Frogfish
Frogfish
Squid
Squid

La Dania's Leap (ok, not underwater)
Green turtle
Slipper lobster
Seahorse
Seahorse
Grouper
Trumpetfish
Trumpetfish
Scorpionfish
Eel
Butterflyfish

Here is a short video of highlights from underwater:

(Music: Treasure Bay by Govi)

(Just for kicks, check out my other Bonaire video here.)

I have, like, 2.5 hours of footage and only edited though about an hour before giving up. Underwater Bonaire, Part II perhaps?

I spent plenty of time photographing beautiful Bonaire – check out some highlights in the album below:

Exploring Bonaire

Finally, what did we eat for dinner? Plenty! Check it:

Eating Through Bonaire

Smoked wahoo at Capriccio's
Bruschetta at Capriccio's
Italian cold cuts & Parmesan at Capriccio's
Walking Sticks, an appetizer at our favorite restaurant, Paradise Moon
The most sumptuous pasta I've ever tasted at Paradise Moon
Paradise Moon
Lionfish ceviche at Paradise Moon
Quesadillas at Paradise Moon
Mango-glazed shrimp at Paradise Moon
Peanut butter pie at Paradise Moon
Fried cheesecake bites at Paradise Moon

Needless to say, I love our scuba diving vacations in Bonaire.

See you all in a few weeks!

Q: Have you ever tried scuba diving? What’s your favorite kind of vacation?

Related posts:

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Thanks to everyone for their congratulations on my last post! I’m thrilled to be a registered dietitian and I can’t wait to get started in the field. BUT, first things first – finish that Master’s degree, Jessie!

Now, a subject dear to my heart: you! I’ve had many occasions to be inspired by the culinary talents of my fellow bloggers. One of my favorite posts on THIH is a post I wrote a year ago detailing a few of my favorite blogger recipes from Lazaro Cooks and Snacking Squirrel. I’ve made a few more blogger recipes since then, like Denise‘s Apple, Bacon, and Onion Galette and Joanne‘s Nigerian Baked Beans.

Now, I present to you some of the blog recipes I’ve made in recent months:

Beginning with: Steamed Eggs with Silken Tofu and Conpoy (dried scallops) from luvtoeat, as thoroughly enjoyed in my last post:

Next: Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce from PreventionRD, served with mouth-waterin’ grilled flatbread (why have I never thought of grilling flatbread before??).

The star of this dish is the marinated chicken – tender and flavorful, my dear reader.  I’m already dreaming of more grilled flatbread topped with this chicken.

Next: remember my attempt at preparing Faith‘s Rogan Josh way back when? With the recent hot weather, I decided to try a Cherry Cordial from Faith’s blog, An Edible Mosiac:

I didn’t strain the cordial before gulping it down slowly sipping it like a lady because … okay, I was lazy, I admit it! Geez.

I also used the syrup from Faith’s recipe to make raspberry cordial à la Anne of Green Gables (without Anne’s disastrous results!).  The cordials were light and not too sweet.  Mixed with a little water or seltzer, these cordials will definitely be a summertime regular.

Next up: Pear & Gouda Grilled Cheese from The Ardent Epicure:

We had four kinds of Gouda in our fridge, so naturally I had to use them all.  The Goudas ranged from a young Gouda on the lower right, counterclockwise to a crumbly, aged Gouda on the lower left (you never realize how weird the word “Gouda” looks until you use it three times in one sentence):

At first, I though I had messed up the cherry glaze. I mean, look at this!

However, upon tasting the dark, rich syrup, my first thought was, “WOW!”  Even Peter, who detests cherries, loved this glaze.

Crisp sweet pear, tart cherry, and creamy Gouda.  What a combo.

Finally: Chocolate Pecan Cookies from anecdotes and apple cores.

Obviously, I went a little crazy with chocolate chips in the front cookie.

Sorry, Tollhouse … you ain’t got nothin’ on this cookie! This cookie is hands-down the BEST chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever tasted. I don’t even know how to describe how they’re different – denser and gooey-er, if that makes sense? In any case, I was inhaling these as soon as I pulled them out of the oven. I made these as a fun treat for Peter while he’s studying for the bar, and now he thinks I’m the best wife ever!

(By the way, if you haven’t yet checked out Monet‘s blog, I urge you to do so: she writes some of the most beautiful posts I’ve ever read.)

Blogger recipes in the queue:
Cashew Nut Cookies from I Just Love My Apron
Hot Crossed Buns from A Canadian Foodie
Peach Cookie Pineapple No-Bake Cake from Foodessa (hmm, I can see a definitely dessert trend here … okay, okay, here are some non-dessert items I can’t WAIT to try:)
Yew char kway (a.k.a. you tiao) from Bread Expectations
Tumeric-Infused Quinoa Salad from Teczcape

Have a great week, everyone!

Q: Do you ever try blog recipes? What YOUR favorite blog recipe? I’m looking for even more to try!

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1. You Are My Inspiration!
2. The Judginator, Part Deux