Zen and Lentils

On stage at the Beacon Theater in New York City, Thich Nhat Hanh, the beloved Zen master, quietly and without fanfare, slips through the calm sea of brown robed monks and nuns. Sitting serenely on a pillow, front and center, he says nothing for a while. His peace of silence can be felt in this cavernous space, its two thousand plus people, hushed. When he finally speaks it is a flowing stream of consciousness. The topic is Building a Peaceful and Compassionate Society.

You have to really listen intently hear his soft words. I am truly excited, almost jumping out of my skin, to be in the presence of this small, elderly, yet powerful man. Sure, I've read some of his books and have listened to his talks on CD about a wide range of subjects - mindfulness, taking care of anger, cultivating peace, being free, joy, walking meditation, prayer, the Buddha, Jesus, love - but nothing compares to being up close and personal. "This guy is talking to me!" I think, or that's what it feels like. He's speaking directly to the heart from the heart.

Born in Vietnam, Thich, or 'Thay', as he is affectionately called, had early yearnings to be a Buddhist monk. When war and violence ensued in his country, he was exiled to France and started the community of Plum Village. People from all over the world flock there to receive teachings and trainings. There is no agenda here, no trying to convert people to a different religion, only compassionate teaching and that is why I'm so drawn to this.

In my own words, he says you cannot begin to really help others without first taking care of yourself. Your wholesome desires must be cultivated and cared for. Go to the sangha, or the community of people who practice and worship together, for support and encouragement. Nourish yourself in different ways. Avoid violence on TV, in movies, in the news. He points out in a non-judgmental way that the UN asks for a reduction of meat by one half in order to make a positive impact on our planet. Also he says many can cut out meat entirely. Take care of anger and other emotions by looking deeply into yourself, through mindful breathing and meditation.

Detailed instructions are given in his many books, my favorite, the pocket-sized book 'Be Free Where You Are.' This is a talk given at a correctional institute to more than one hundred inmates to show how mindfulness practice can cultivate freedom no matter where you are.

This is a full day of mindfulness. We eat together in silence, chew our food well and enjoy it fully, without distractions. It feels a bit strange. How often do we really eat that way?

Throughout the program the monks and nuns, who operate as a seamless whole, sing sweet songs akin to lullabies. There is some guitar playing and hand gesturing for the audience do so as well. I feel like a small child, happy and free, singing and allowing my hands to dance. Other people are doing the same. It feels liberating to let the guard down. I don't feel silly anymore. "Hey, this is fun!"

Thay instructs us on how to do walking meditation. Breathing in for two steps, mentally say I AM AWARE... breathing out for three steps, mentally say I HAVE ARRIVED. We, all two thousand of us, that is, on the traffic clogged streets of Manhattan, walk ever so slowly, serenely, and deliberately, interrupting the busy masses and drawing curiosity. Led by the little monk and his brown robed disciples we make our way around the four blocks of the theater. We are not disrupted by the honking horns.

We each receive a card with a quote by Thich Nhat Hanh:

"Whether we can wake up or not depends on whether we can take conscientious and mindful steps.
The future... of all of life on the earth, depends on our steps."

www.mindfulness.nyc.org
www.iamhome.org

And now a little about the ordinary brown lentil. How about that for a segue? Why lentils you ask? Because they are so often overlooked, easy to cook, delicious, and cheap! How often do you hear "Did you try that amazing lentil stew at that new restaurant that just opened up on the corner of Main and Dish Streets?" or "For my last meal I would like lentil soup."

These mini matte brown disks can be boiled up with onions, garlic, and root vegetables. Add a little spice, some salt and pepper and voila, an earthy and filling soup to take the chill off. They can be cooked a little more than al dente, dressed with a splash of vinaigrette and served as a glistening bed on which to showcase some grilled or roasted vegetables or whatever you like. Cooked to a savory, mushy, soft pudding, add some butter, salt and pepper and here you have some high protein comfort-in-a-bowl. Or throw a small fist full into the pot of rice you are cooking for a boost of taste and nutrition. I think they have the faintest taste of cinnamon, allspice, and clove and are a 'meaty' presence on the plate.

So, so many ways to prepare the humble, ordinary legume. Who would think that they may just save the world! Here's one mindful step... eat more lentils!

Here is my new favorite lentil soup I've concocted which I can't get enough of these days. It's got a Middle Eastern tart lemony taste balanced by sweet parsnips and fresh herbs. Don't be put off by the name though, there is no cream in this soup but some rice which cooks soft and creamy in the soup.

CREAMY LENTIL PARSNIP SOUP six to eight servings

6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water(or any combination of stock to water0
1 cup of lentils, washed and sorted(I like to soak them for two or more hours of hours, they cook faster and are more digestible that way)
2 medium parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 T jasmine, basmati, or other white rice
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp salt or to taste
2 T fresh lemon juice, seeds removed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped

2 T extra virgin olive oil(more or less as you like)
1 T butter or ghee, optional
salt and pepper to taste

Put the lentils, broth, parsnips, onion, carrot, and dried herbs into a medium saucepan, and on high heat, bring to a boil. Turn the flame to low and simmer with the lid on for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the lentils and rice are very soft.

Remove the saucepan from the stove and puree about half of the soup in the blender, or you could use an immersion hand blender. The idea is to get a creamy soup with some chunks in it.

Put the saucepan back on the stove over a high flame and stir in the salt, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Bring to a boil, then turn to low and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the fresh herbs have wilted and cooked somewhat.

Stir in the olive oil, optional butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with fresh herbs and a pinch of allspice if you wish.

This tastes even better the next day. You may need to add water if it thickens up too much. It tastes good even without the marjoram and sage. These little buggers are a very forgiving sort. Try them!

Kitchen Capers

Time whizzes by all too fast as the distraction monster's immense claws pull me away from my little kitchen kingdom. Such is life I suppose. But now that I am back I'm attempting to make up for lost time by putting all those miscellaneous thought bubbles into concrete forms. I got my six burner Thermador all fired up and humming again. I'm creating recipes, cooking and testing them, and while for me it's fun, fun, fun, it is fraught with potential disaster. Kitchen flops can be hilarious but I didn't think so at first when I pulled my gluten free chocolate chip gingerbread spice cake out of the oven, burned my hand, and flipped the whole pan upside down onto the floor. Lucky for me the floor was reasonably clean, and being an adherent of the much revered twenty second rule, I scooped the whole messy pile back into the pan with a spatula, at which time Olivia and I proceeded to eat the hot goo with our hands. I have to say I really didn't like it very much, way too much molasses for my taste. Both the recipe and the cake got chucked in the garbage can. Chalk it up to experience, have a chuckle and move on...

I am happy with this vegan and soy free version of moussaka though, and when I eat it I feel like I've just eaten at my favorite Greek restaurant without the obligatory heartburn. It's a homey and satisfying casserole of roasted veggies, a cinnamon-spiked chunky Greek tomato sauce, and a chickpea cashew cream topping. Let me admit that my recipe was inspired by the one in the Veganomicon, The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.


POTATO EGGPLANT MOUSSAKA WITH CHICKPEA CASHEW CREAM

Serves 6, or 4 very hungry people
Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Roast the Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly coat three baking sheets with olive oil.

2 1/2 pounds potatoes (I used three very large potatoes)
1 pound eggplant (I used two small to medium eggplants)
1 pound zucchini or yellow squash (I used two round yellow squashes a little bigger than tennis balls)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt

Wash the eggplant and zucchini and trim the ends. Scrub and peel the potatoes. Cut the eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Place them in a large bowl. Cover the vegetables with olive oil and mix with your clean hands, coating each piece. Sprinkle liberally with salt and mix again to coat evenly. Spread the vegetables out on the three baking sheets. It is OK to overlap. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetable are tender, not mushy, and some of the edges have browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool as you make the tomato sauce.

Soak 1/2 cup cashews in enough water to just cover. Set aside to use for the chickpea cashew cream.

Chunky Greek Tomato Sauce

2 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
Three generous T tomato paste
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 28 oz. can Muir Glenn whole tomatoes(I used the ones with basil)
A generous pinch of cinnamon

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium high. Add the garlic first and hear it sizzle, then add the onion and salt. Sir frequently until the onions are soft, about five minutes. Add the vegetable broth, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, and cinnamon. Stir frequently until the liquid reduces to a thick sauce. Add the canned tomatoes one by one, breaking them apart with your hands as you put them into the pot. Pour in the canned juices as well. On high heat, stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to medium-low heat, put the lid on, and simmer for about ten minutes. Remove from heat. Add a generous pinch of cinnamon, stir, and set aside.

Chickpea Cashew Cream


1 15 oz. can chickpeas and liquid
2 T tahini (I used Joyva brand)
1 T olive oil
1 T nutritional yeast (optional)
3 T fresh lemon juice, seeds removed
1 small clove garlic
2 T hot water
A generous grating of nutmeg, or a pinch
1 tsp. salt
A dash white pepper
1/2 cup raw cashew that have been soaking, drained

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor (I used a Vita-Mix) and blend until very smooth. Set aside.

Assemble the Moussaka

Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Oil a 9x13 inch pan. Spoon sauce with a soup ladle to coat the bottom of the pan. Layer half of the potatoes, half of the zucchini, and half of the eggplant as evenly as you can. Ladle half of the remaining sauce over the vegetables. Layer the remaining vegetables on top. Spoon and spread out the rest of the sauce. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the chickpea cashew cream over the top. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of nutritional yeast. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the edges slightly browned. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve.


I played a little trick on you. To make this photograph look more impressive, I layered one piece of moussaka on top of another. Try it! Since this dish is so rich, I recommend serving it with a simple salad.

Let this recipe do double duty for you. Make a batch of the sauce for pasta. (I really love this Bionaturae brand from Italy. It is by far the best gluten-free pasta I've ever tasted.) Heat up some of the sauce, add some fresh spinach, and cook until wilted. Serve it over the pasta with a generous amount of crumbled feta cheese.

I'll fill you in on my future escapades. And now to the business of washing dishes....

The Last Tastes Of Summer

Intuitve cooking involves using whatever fresh ingredients you've already got on hand. Or perhaps you've just gone to the farmer's market with your Little Red Riding Hood basket and picked up fruits and veggies that are so vibrant, beautiful, and sweet smelling that they cry out to you "Take me home!" Using your senses of sight, touch, and smell and your good common sense as a guide is a surefire approach to creating a deliciously honest and remarkable meal. Its sheer simplicity and freshness is the wonder and the magic of such cooking. Of course your own loving energy is the most important ingredient of all.

A Tisket-a-Tasket, a pretty brimming basket, and a skip-along-back to the kitchen. Let's play!

I have on hand the last tastes of summer. Organic cute little plum tomatoes, green beans, cauliflower, fresh corn, scallions, onions, and blueberries. Oh yes and a wrapped soft oval blob of fresh mozzarella cheese. Yum!

My menu is improvised as I go along. Very Zen, wouldn't you say?...Tomato and fresh mozzarella salad, green beans almondine, oven roasted cauliflower with olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice, steamed corn on the cob, and jasmine fried rice with onions, scallions, and peas. By the way, the rice was left over from yesterday and with me being thrifty and economical, I just had to transform it into a new tasty dish. Also a little sweetness, a lemon blueberry cornbread. I made it gluten and casein free* but it can be modified any which way you please. In fact, experiment and invent to your heart's content.

I've been toying (again) with different gluten free flours and have come up with this mix which I use for cakes, pancakes and more.


Gluten Free Flour Mix #2

1 cup white rice flour
!/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
2/3 cup potato starch
3 T cornstarch
2 T teff flour
3 tsp. xanthan gum

Mix ingredients with a spoon in a container that has a tight fitting lid to incorporate the flours. Then put the lid on the container and shake vigorously to ensure that all ingredients are well combined. Use as you would regular wheat flour in recipes.


Lemon Blueberry Cornbread

4 T ghee* or melted butter, melted and slightly cooled (or oil of your choice, I would try melted coconut oil)

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup gluten free flour (or regular wheat flour)
1 cup organic brown sugar
1 T polenta
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup Silk Vanilla soy milk (or milk of your choice)
1 T lemon juice
The zest of two lemons
2 large eggs

1 pint of fresh blueberries, washed, drained and stems removed (or two cups frozen blueberries, defrosted)

Adjust the oven rack to the center. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease and flour a large round pie plate or a 9 inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, polenta, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a glass liquid measuring cup add one cup of milk (of your choice), lemon juice, lemon zest, and two eggs, lightly beaten. Sir with a spoon to mix. It will curdle and that's good! Stir in the melted ghee or butter (or oil of your choice).

Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients in the bowl until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Pour the mixture into the greased and floured pan and bake for about 35 minutes. The top will become cracked and golden. If the top is still soft to touch and mushy, bake for another five minutes or until slightly firm to the touch. Careful not to burn yourself!

Cut the cornbread right in the pan after it has cooled a bit. It is delicious served warm. Some people, inclined towards decadence, slather it with butter.

*Let me mention that ghee is casein free (or low in casein). It is essentially clarified butter, with its whey (or most of its whey) removed. Ghee is not dairy free. I make my own ghee which is not really that difficult, and that is a topic for another entry.


My tasters act as if they have just won the lottery. Smiles from ear to ear. Second helpings all around. Some inner glowing and eye twinkling going on. And many thank yous.

"Would you like me to pack some food up for you to take home?" I ask.

And so it goes, that now, with the end of summer taste cravings satisfied, we can skip along and rightfully experience the wonders and delights of the approaching, blustery autumn. Yea!

Eat Your Greens!

When I'm craving my greens, I take notice that my body needs the dense nourishment of leafy vegetables. Spinach is loaded with Vitamins A,C,D and K, calcium, magnesium,folic acid and iron. Along with being a vitamin powerhouse, the phytochemicals in kale have been found to have a protective effect against breast, cervical and colon cancer. Kale, being high in sulphur, helps the body detox from other diseases too.

My Greek ancestors well into their eighties and nineties, while appearing somewhat shriveled from the hot sun like wrinkled prunes, had the agility of mountain goats trekking up those rocky, crumbly slopes in search of wild leaves and shoots. OK, I'm daydreaming, but I'm sure there is at least a kernel of truth to that.

The Mediterranean diet, the one patterned from the Island of Crete is credited for the longevity and health of its people. Liberal doses of fruity olive oil, barley rusks, beans and legumes, whole grains, small amounts and bits of cheese, meat and fish, thick whole milk yogurt, and an abundance of fruits and vegetables comprise this diet. Bitter greens in particular have healing properties for the body and when in season they wind up in the stew pot or a salad with olive oil, lemon juice and herbs. Wine in moderation, a drizzle of wild honey here and there and celebrations with lively Greek music and dancing keep people happy, fit and full of life. Oopa!

A small shot of liquorice flavored ouzo warms the throat and the body. When poured over ice the liquor turns cloudy. Oopa, Oopa...but I digress.(Watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding, then you'll understand).

Greens. Wild greens back in the day were not as squeaky clean as we are used to now. Small amounts of dirt and bacteria actually acted as medicine on the intestines. I'm guessing that they were used to a little crunch of grit and sand.

The religious fasting of the Greek Orthodox faith requires followers to eat vegetarian for long stretches at a time especially during Lent. Maybe this 'cleanse' contributes to longevity and health. I would bet on that, in fact.

Spinach and rice is the quintessential comfort food. It's what I enjoyed as a child while other children were eating their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I put my own spin on a marvelous recipe I found in Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cookbook, with the addition of dark 'dinosaur' kale and raisins. The raisins plump up in the tart sauce, sweet bursts of flavor in unctuous, tender greens. The kale, considered a superfood, is a great chewy contrast to the soft spinach.

Spinach With Rice

1 big bunch fresh organic spinach, leaves and stems left whole
1 bunch organic dinosaur kale, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 pounds of spinach and kale in total, I prefer to use more spinach than kale)
6 scallions cut crosswise into fine rings all the way up
3 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt
3 rounded T white rice (I used jasmine but Italian risotto rice would work here too)
1 1/2 T dried dill
2 heaping T raisins
The juice of a lemon

Trim the spinach ends and soak leaves with stems in a big bowl of water. Wash in several changes of water to remove sand and dirt. Drain. Trim ends off kale, wash well and drain. Chop kale into shreds.

Pour 2 cups of water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add scallions, olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, rice, dill and raisins to the pot. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring regularly, for about 12 minutes, or until the rice is done and the liquid in the pot is reduced to a little thick sauce. Put in kale and allow to cook with the lid on for about five minutes. Remove lid, stir and add the spinach with another 1/2 tsp. of salt. Raise the heat and stir until the spinach wilts. Lower the heat to medium-low again, stir and cook for about five minutes. Add the lemon juice and a drizzle of more olive oil if desired.

This recipe can be adapted. Feel free to use other available greens like collards, Swiss chard, cabbage and so on. I prefer to use spinach in the mix because this is the flavor I crave from way back.

I serve the greens with a big pot of stewed gigande beans. Yum! A little feta cheese doesn't hurt either.

This is the kind of food that keeps me healthy and happy.

I'm On The Mountain!

I'm not OK, you're not OK, but that's OK. While tossing and turning in my pseudo sleep this quote by Elizabeth Kubler Ross comes to me. My body feeling massive and heavy, about the weight and size of an elephant, is holding on to the trivial and the mundane. Feeling stuck here with life's little problems and dramas, the bundle of bright multi colored feathers on my alter reminds me that I can transport and transmute. Oh I forgot that the breath can carry one far, far away. In this dream vision which could also be reality I am tightly holding the tail feathers of a majestic eagle flying high where the sun and sky meet to a place I've been before, the little village of Peguche, in Ecuador. It is the home of Incas. And also where sacred waters, waterfalls, rocks, plants, animals, insects and birds speak clearly when you really listen. If you can't understand all this just ask the Shaman for interpretation. 'Hey Shairy, come on out. You got some 'xplainin' to do.' There is no other place I would rather be right now than the sacred mountain Imbabura, where inside dwells a civilization of little people. I can hear and feel the vibration of their drums, reassuring like a steady heartbeat. I play my flute to Grandfather sun while perched on a large smooth rock on the mountain. Sound and light waves speak ecstatic in the universal language of the heart. Everything is music, color and love. We have a long conversation which sounds like a song, the whole content I cannot remember.

We want to love and be loved. We want to heal and be healed. We want to know ourselves and The One True Light within us and walk in That Light. We want to touch what is beyond form and what is beyond all wrongdoing and rightdoing. We want to forgive and know we already are forgiven. We want to be connected to everyone and every thing. 'You guys are soooo demanding.' As all our wants fall away we feel the sweet peace and harmony that exists now and through eternity. The song is a lullaby.

Hey, just stop, look, and listen. Take pause cause things are a changing and you don't want to miss it. Come meet me on the mountain.

And so, thank You for this lightness of being. I swear I didn't eat magic mushrooms!

And now I'm getting very sleepy...sweet dreams...

Serendipity

Early morning cooking. A fist full of lentils, some okra, some jasmine rice, some onions and garlic. A little sauteing action. Still enchanted with the subtle spiced flavor of Ethiopian Nit'ir Qibe, I twirl out my jar of magic butter, pirouette over to the stove and somehow choreograph a most unconventional breakfast. And knock knock, my friend drops by unexpectedly. Probably smelled the food. That happens. And on this particular lazy Saturday, we eat our buttered lentils, jasmine rice with scallions, okra in a light tomato sauce and lemony and sweet red cabbage while watching a DVD called Maha Sadhana, or 'Great Practice'. Sri Dharma Mittra presents jewels of yoga wisdom. It is a discourse of sharing his more than 50 years of practicing yoga and a life in service of self realization. 'He looks alot like Ricardo Montelban,' I think, but then I am struck by his radiating love. I am totally absorbed in his discussion of yoga philosophy and practice, and am amazed by his pretzel poses.

Later, a spur of the moment trip to Omega Institute. We duck into the bookstore just in time to avoid the torrential rain. After the cooling off storm, we explore the winding paths all shimmer and glitter. Dark evergreen trees, heavy and soft drop delicate crystals along the way. The spider's webs, crocheted fantasies illuminated by the rays of the late afternoon sunlight. A rainbow in a grassy clearing. The people stop and admire. The flowers greet us with with their sweet scents and cheery faces. The crisp crunch of the wood chips below foot. Art in nature. Surely the fairies must be hard at play here. I am fully expecting to meet up with them. Miniature masterpieces tucked here and there. On a tree stump in the cool shade a tuft of moss, a ringlet of small stones and a clover flower erect in the teeniest vase. Each stone step opens and closes into a new experience and vista as we make our way up through the forest to a wooden sanctuary poised on a hilltop. Little zen stone pilings are perched on a wall of a pond. These sacred artistic expressions compelled me to create a small sculpture as well. We rest on a wooden bench listening to the sound of trickling water. Bright orange koi swimming happily. 'Am I Alice? Is this Wonderland?' I ask as I notice the colors and sounds of all of nature intensifying around me.

I see the walking meditators, the spiritual journey men and women, the yogis and yoginis. Oh yes, there is Rodney Yee, Seane Corn, and Gurmugh, three of the yogis that I recognize from my DVDs at home.

I feel as if I've found the key to some lost kingdom. I remember what I have been longing for. The beauty and peace of art and nature.

Hungry again. The cafeteria has some decent, wholesome veg food including salad fixings, veggies and pasta dishes, even gluten free pasta. As I pour myself some cool water at the beverage station I feel a loving presence to my right. I look up to notice it is none other than Sri Darma Mittra, The yogi from the DVD this morning!

A day like this cannot be planned but divinely ordered. Serendipity!

Magic Butter

Somehow, I go off on a tangent and get lost on a new path of discovery. Ethiopian food! In my desire to create an African inspired meal for my Kenyan friends, this path of twists and turns leads me to Borders where I find Marcus Samuelson's glorious book 'The Soul Of A New Cuisine'. Useful, practical and visually stunning, this African cookbook would fit comfortably on my smallish coffee table.('Oh gosh, do I really need another cookbook? I think not.') Feverishly copying recipes on coffee stained tattered papers, I am determined to actually follow through and cook some African food. 'If I place my hands on this book can I absorb the soul and essence of this vast continent by osmosis?' I wonder.

Back to the kitchen laboratory to make a fragrant neon yellow spiced butter called Nit'ir Qibe. Onions, ginger, garlic, basil, oregano, cardamom, cumin and fenugreek are simmered in freshly made ghee, or clarified butter, along with turmeric for color. OK, ghee alone is already magical, but this stuff is magical to the twentieth power. This is sllllllllooooooooowwwwwwwwwww cookin'. This is a test of patience. This is a meditation practice. A sadhana. A labor of love. When the flavors are sufficiently extracted, the golden liquid is strained and poured into an impeccably clean jar. Use it instead of butter for sauteing. Or drizzle over your cooked veggies, rice and grain dishes, or your beans and lentils. It's a subtle spice perfumed flavor that doesn't knock you over the head with a sledge hammer. This butter will last for up to three months in the fridge. Call me crazy but I'm likin' this Nit'ir Qibe thing a lot. Love the color yellow.


Then on to the Berbere, an Ethiopian spice mixture with some likeness to garam masala, but loaded with paprika and hot red chili powder. The aromatic spices, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, fenugreek and allspice, along with onion and garlic powder, with the heat of red pepper will please the fire eaters among us. When I use this in small quantities, say a pinch here or there on onions sauteing or sprinkled on the rice pilaf the dish is suddenly exotic. Too much of this stuff however could be lethal, especially to the intestinally challenged.

Using these Ethiopian pantry staples, I make a tomato based lamb curry with coconut milk and gingery garlic black eyed peas with collard greens. All packed away in neat little containers and ready to go in fridge and freezer, my friends practically jump up and down with delight and just plain relief that they don't have to cook. Having an infant and a toddler when you work outside the home all day, that is more than understandable.



Slow cooking has its many rewards. It's the gift that keeps giving. A slice of the NOW, that's remembered and treasured. When I find myself wondering 'What the heck am I doing with my time?' I think of how happy I am when I'm lost in creativity. Then I stop thinking and just breathe. Onward.

Gluten Free Flour Power

There is an art and science to gluten free baking. We rely on the 'gummy flours' like potato, tapioca, corn starch, or sweet rice to replace the glue factor in wheat flour. To counter the lack of nutrition in these, I try to add in as many whole grain, healthy flours, and nuts and seeds as I can. This is where the innovation and creativity comes in.

These days, this is my gluten free flour mix of choice. Mind you, it changes like the direction of the wind, but this is what makes life interesting.

A Good Gluten Free Flour Mix

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
2/3 cup potato starch
2 teaspoons xanthen gum

Mix thoroughly.

You can substitute brown rice flour for white rice flour, especially for dense cakes and baked goods such as banana bread, which doubles as a doorstop, or brownies. I sometimes use sorghum, or quinoa in place of the millet. Or I add a bit of garfava, or teff flour to baked goods as well. The above mix is great for pancakes(but with additional perks such as cornflour and polenta). Oh yes, and for cupcakes too. Heck, I use this mix to replace regular flour in most of my recipes. Often I need to add as much as two tablespoons more of this flour when following regular recipes. I've noticed that for cupcakes and cakes it is advisable to add more vanilla or flavor extract that the standard recipe calls for. One tablespoon of vanilla instead of a teaspoon. This is how we tweak and experiment with the layering of flavors and textures. Go get yourself a good zester and use those orange and lemon rinds for a flavor punch.

If all this sounds too confusing, don't worry, be happy. Don't think so much, or you'll burn out your fuses. Just do it as Nike says.

There are almost as many gluten free flour mixes as there are freckles on my arms. When I figure out the exact measurements I'll post my new favorite recipe for blueberry orange polenta pancakes, which Andrew and I ate heartily for breakfast. Served stacked and layered with toasted pumpkin seeds and drizzled golden honey they will satisfy your flapjack longings and turn your teeth and lips a stylish purple-blue.

So take a little, lazy trip to your local health food shop or Wholefoods and meander down the flour and baking aisle. Lots of organic choices are available. Look for Bob's Red Mill, Arrowhead Mills, and Ener-G products and have a grand old time. More flour power to ya!

Yes I can!

Hello out there in the cosmos, the realm of unlimited opportunities and possibilities. It's me. I am still floating around my kitchen, and I did accomplish something meaningful, something spectacular, yet so mediocre sounding. Now, you may not want to hear all this chit chat, but I bet you can definitely relate. Am I speaking to you? I cleaned out the fridge; we are finally rid of the rotten and useless condiments, the cling clanging jars on the door sitting in pools of sticky, sweet- sour syrup. Be gone, tired worn out gray-green celery stubs, flat cucumber sludge, and what I think may be cilantro. Yuk! The removal and recovery detail took just one day. All drawers, shelves in the frigid box scrubbed clean and organized. I wonder why I didn't do this sooner as I peruse about twenty five jars of rejected goods of various shapes and sizes sitting on the counter.

And just why is this so important to me? I want my refrigerator to be an honest reflection on how I want to eat. I would like to be more mindful about my food purchases. Is it healthy? I would like to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and less processed anything. Is this an impulse buy? Will we eat all of it? Most of all, I kept a promise that I made to myself. I valued my own feelings. Oh gosh, I just like puttsing around in the kitchen. It means that I just may follow through with other projects I have in mind.

OK, I saved myself a little pocket money this week too. That's good.

The gluten free flours like sorghum, millet, brown rice and such are in glass storage containers, along with their 'nutty and seedy friends', the walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, and the like. The fruits and vegetables are in clear view and less likely to get slimed.

With this small step I have changed a pattern. Now, as I open the fridge door for the thirty second time today, I breathe a happy smiling AAAAAAAhhhhhhhh. It's a feeling of contentment and new possibility (perhaps for a delectable Outer Mongolian feast or how 'bout a tropical fruit fest on the beach with watermelon mohitos?), rather than a wrestling match with the cold monster, to win a sub par, limp, but passable zucchini. A shift toward the positive in any facet of life and a renewed joyful outlook is most welcome...no blame or judgement towards oneself or others. Whew, I sure do feel lighter, freer!

Simple actions most certainly have far reaching effects throughout the galaxy. Really though, some ding dang good meals came out of that purge. I used up all the produce. No waste. Yea! I have renewed respect for the common little millet. Cooked and leftover, the yellow birdseed grain is transformed into a Middle Eastern millet pilaf. I am forever indebted to the earthy and rugged onions, which when fried are sublime. Did I even mention they are really healthy? They make you poop!

Saute a large finely chopped onion and some garlic, one or two minced cloves, in some extra virgin olive oil. Saute on low heat, add salt to onions and about a heaping teaspoon of dried dill. Cook the onions slowly. They will shrink and brown, but not burn. Stir occasionally. Add chopped greens such as kale, spinach and/or collards, and saute, stirring here and there until wilted. Add some cooked millet, or grain of your choice, like brown rice, quinoa... add handfuls of the following chopped herbs: parsley, scallions, mint. Heat everything thoroughly, stirring with a wooden spoon. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle generously with more olive oil and the juice of a lemon. Enjoy.

I served the greened up millet with a ratatouille, steamed string beans, some roasted potatoes, and a fresh salad with a dollop of garlicky hummus. So I do hope you will eat your food and have it too.


I encourage and celebrate all of your accomplishments. Three words...YES I CAN!!!

Sounds Like a Plan

Taxes are due tomorrow, and after I pay out that huge wad of money, (I'm not complaining, we have a great school system and good services here) I am left to my own devices, my own ingenuity, to brainstorm creative ways to save. In some warped way I find this fun. I love this kind of challenge. I just make believe that I'm in a reality TV show, a sort of tight wad iron chef Harry Potter family kind of PBS series. My mission: to cut down my food bill in half, without compromising the health or principles of the family. Food must be fresh and wholesome, local and mostly organic, health giving and life sustaining. The kitchen will remain a welcome and calming haven. A fun place to be where friends and family co mingle, dream, chat, make memories, eat marvelous peasanty, ethnic food , or just leisurely sip herbal tea.

Over the past few years, it is true, I have made a concerted effort to eliminate most boxed products such as breakfast cereals, cookies,and box mixes of any kind. We've moved over to the quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, millet, multi-bean and lentil faction, with some exceptions of course.

Those entering this warm cherry wood faced kitchen with painted walls of oriental silk (and yes , that is the name of this creamy yellow Benjamin Moore color), are struck by it quaintness and at the same time it's new agey feel. It's got the certain magical quality of a wizards laboratory with all the glass jars containing the various foodstuffs mentioned, along with a plethora of herbs, spices, pastes and potions.

I'd like to use up what I've got already. I'd like to waste less. I'd like to be less tempted to buy the ever convenient organic hot dogs, or smoked turkey at Trader Joe's, that my kids so love. Or how 'bout those fancy potato chips or those new fangled, tex mex, gluten free, rice crisps. All these quick open and serve, processed items add up, kaching, kaching. So what is wrong with making your own organic popcorn, I ask?

So back to basics it is, and I'm sure I will learn and share a lot in the process.

Today, I'm dumping old, tired and gray, or greening(yuk) condiments. You know, the year old chutneys and Indian pickles, sorry looking relishes, and bacteria growing fruit jams. Sometimes, I think they're just for show. I'll wash and reuse the jars or recycle them.

Before I go food shopping again, I'm using up those veggies I bought at the farmers market. I'm rescuing those green beans, Asian eggplant, yellow patty pan squash, and carrots before they become unidentifiable slime in the veggie bin. Yesterday's cooked, leftover millet will become something glorious. I am exaggerating just a tad.

If you want inspiration for eating well on a low budget, and some good entertainment, read or listen to Jacques Pepin's, The Apprentice. I am sure you will love it as much as my little six year old nephew Emmett does. Learn how his family survived and ate in wartime France. Sometimes there just wasn't any food at all and they went hungry. No cheap fast food to fall back on. Some of it was unsavory, just plain nasty tasting, but persist this family did to seek out good food. Jacques became the famous french chef and master culinary teacher he is today.

Put in this perspective, paring down the food budget doesn't seem so daunting, so I'm pressing onward. I keep you posted.

I Just Lost My Head!

Today, I was a bookworm. Also, I wrote, I cooked, I ate, I went for a walk, I weeded in my garden, I meditated. A simple and beautiful day!

I started to read Eat Pray Love for the second time.

Here is the question that Elizabeth Gilbert, in her book, poses to the Indonesian medicine man named Ketut. Mind you, she is only allowed to ask one question.

Liz: "...I guess what I want to learn is how to live in the world and enjoy it's delights, but also devote my life to God?"

He showed her a sketch, 'It was an androgynous human figure, standing up, hands clasped in prayer. But the figure had four legs, and no head. Where the head should have been, there was a foliage of ferns and flowers. There was a small smiling face over the heart.'

Ketut: "To find the balance you want, this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the Earth that it's like you had four legs instead of two. That way you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way you will know God."

I just love this book. Liz is, as she herself admits, transparent. She hides nothing. Sometimes I feel a little embarrassed to know so much about her, but at the same time thankful that she lets us in, up close and personal, to her process of transformation. Not to mention that she is a gifted and talented writer.

I am now going to walk these tired four legs and happy heart to bed.

Let It Go!

Oh no, I looked in the dryer this morning and found the sheets that were supposed to go in Olivia's suitcase to Greece! "What kind of Mother am I?," and "What is she going to do?," were my first thoughts. "Will she tell anyone, will she suffer?" And then I remind myself that she is not a toddler, but a seventeen year old. She will have to 'fix' the situation on her own and figure something out. She can and she will. How else will she learn?

As I take deliberate, deep, calming breaths, I feel this tightness in my chest opening. I relax into the knowing that I am not perfect and neither is she. Olivia must develop responsibility and self reliance. How can she do this when I baby her so? We need to live with the consequences of our own actions.

And so I let it go, or at least I try. This is not easy, but at least I'm still breathing.

There's No Place Like Home

New York City, the village, was hopping last night. Strolling around and looking in the funky shops inspires the artist in me. I had to take a peek inside the famed Magnolia Bakery, that teeny space filled with nostalgic, old fashioned desserts, like red velvet cake, german chocolate cake, pies, cupcakes, icebox cakes and much more. My mouth was watering, while I mentally planned out gluten free versions of these tasty treats. It was so crowded, that I managed to practically bump into Patricia Arquette, the talented actress of my favorite show, Medium! She very graciously said "Thank you so much," as I stumbled over my words of praise. I don't usually ogle over celebrities.

Risotteria, is exceptional for it's pizza, pasta, paninis, and creamy risottos, all available in the gluten free variety. My pizza with tomato, mozzarella and anchovy was just what I had been craving, with it's crunchy, crisp crust, gooey cheese, and salty punch of big anchovies. This was a special treat, a walk on the wild side, and oh, it made my taste buds very happy, but now I'm back on the dairy free wagon. I'm not complaining about that either; I eat well.

Next stop, the startling movie Food, Inc. As I watched factory farm animals, standing deep in their own feces with no room to even turn around, miserable, with eyes pleading "help," I felt like hurling my pizza. This is a good movie, thought provoking, though uncomfortable. I highly recommend it if you care about your food, humanity and the fate of the world. People are getting sick and dying from the food they eat. It's about big business, the food commodity, and 'it' preys on the poor, those who live on fast food because they can't afford the healthy stuff. Let's face it, 'it' preys on us all with fancy enticing labels, artificial flavorings that get us hooked...Is that soy based, genetically modified fake meat safe? And about corn...learn how evil big business and politicians are in power with genetically modified monster versions of natures gift to us, corn. We don't yet know the effects of genetically modified food on the human body. And on it goes. The moral is we need to be educated and vigilant about the food we eat and care where it comes from. I spend a lot of time being a discriminating shopper, buying organic and local, but still, there is room for improvement. On the other hand, I don't want become an overly obsessed food nazi either.

After that, to soothe my frayed nerves, a quick stop to the bakery Babycakes for a yummy vanilla cupcake with an ever so creamy butter cream frosting that contains no butter at all, but a high quality coconut oil. Their sweet treats are all organic, vegan, many are gluten free, though some are made with spelt. They are sweetened with agave nectar. I am concerned about cross contamination because all of the cupcakes are in the same case. I ate the cupcake happily, frosting on my nose.

It was good but after a while it sat in my stomach like a lead brick and all I could think about was my lovingly baked loaf of chocolate chunk banana bread with toasted pumpkin seeds cooling on a rack on the kitchen counter. I had sliced off a hot, large end hunk hastily and gobbled it down with my friend in the car on the way to New York. He declared it the best banana bread he had ever eaten. It was full of seeds, oozy artisan dark chocolate and chunks of four extremely ripe bananas. Oh yea! Hot from the oven, nothing can beat that. "Will any of it be left when I get home or will Andrew have attacked it?" I thought.

I love New York and sampling the great foods and restaurants, but nothing beats homemade. There really is no place like home.

The Importance of Soup

It's been a whirlwind of shopping frenzies, hormonally charged arguments, and nostalgic sweetness as my teenage daughter and I pack her bags for camp in Greece! "Olivia is independent and capable. She'll be just fine," I remind myself as I make her favorite soup. Yes, soup, even in the summer. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Love charged and full of nourishment this turkey broth is the basis of many a flavorful meal in a bowl. It's what she craves and misses most when she's away at camp. It's my instinctual mommy ritual. It's love. As I stir up this pot of goodness, tears well up in my eyes, "my baby, God I love her so..."

Roast the turkey...
Four turkey thighs, or a combination of legs, thighs, and wings in a roasting pan. One large onion, cut up, two or three cloves of garlic, sliced and tucked under the skin, herbs, salt and pepper, perhaps some butter, ghee or olive oil drizzled on top, a drizzle of lemon or balsamic vinegar. Cover the whole thing with foil and into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for one hour covered. Remove foil and bake an additional thirty to forty minutes.

Making the broth...
So, what you have here is golden. It's turkey which you have cooled down and removed from the bones for a myriad of meals and sandwiches. I save some of the meat to put into soup.Plop the bones, skin, roasted onions, and all the pan drippings into a pot. Cover with water. Put on high heat and start rummaging the fridge for veggies and flavorings. Here's what I commonly use: A large onion, two carrots, five or so cloves of garlic, smashed and skins removed, some celery leaves,the end and core of a sweet red or yellow bell pepper, a handful of fresh parsley with stems, a handful of cilantro with stems, some kale stems, a chunk of cabbage core, a couple of whole scallions, an inch or so of sliced smashed fresh ginger, a few black peppercorns, a dried red hot pepper. Cut up the onions and carrots in large chunks. Add all or whatever you have on hand to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour and a half or so with the lid ajar to let steam escape. Salt it to your taste. Here is an ancient Asian secret. Adding vinegar, a teaspoon or two of rice or apple cider vinegar to the pot during simmering, extracts the calcium from the bones and what you have left is quite vitamin enriched. Cool broth and pour through a strainer into another pot.

OK, while soup making isn't fast food, it is therapeutic in the whole thoughtful process. It is good for the soul. I make a pot of brown basmati rice for it's chewy texture and aroma to compliment the smooth, liquid richness. The broth is simmering and I have gathered some fresh veggies, sliced carrots, kale, broccoli trees, and scallions thinly sliced. Three big bowls next to the stove, a little, or alot of turkey meat, and a generous portion of rice in each. The fresh veggies, tossed into the pot, intensify in color. They are gathered up with a slotted spoon and added to the bowls, then the golden broth is ladled over all. Fresh scallions to garnish. Some condiments perhaps like gluten free tamari, toasted sesame oil, chili garlic paste, and organic kim chi, make it even better.

My children, Andrew and Olivia, don't think it unusual in the least to have soup for breakfast, but roll their eyes when I declare this meal to be economical. The cost of the turkey, is about five dollars. As boring as it is for them to put up with my cost breakdowns of each meal, I get a thrill that I can feed us for less than ten dollars and it is healthy and mostly organic with the freshest ingredients. I get a bigger thrill when they say it's the most delicious soup ever and then there is silence, except for happy slurping. Yes!

Food and life update...
Andrew took some turkey sandwiches on gluten free bread and off he went to his summer job. It was hard to tear myself away from Olivia at the airport and by that time all the mother daughter spats about what to pack, what not to pack...were gone with the soup bones. "She is a perfectly capable girl, young lady; at least she was well fed," I thought. Kissing and hugging we got lost in the love that sustains us above every thing else. What a beautiful soul. "Have a great trip Olivia! I love you!!!" Gosh, I am so proud of her. Gosh, I admire her independent, free spirit. God bless her.

More turkey broth remains in the fridge for another bowl or two of soup. Stir fried with some orange sweet pepper, onions, and zucchini, the brown basmati rice became a dang good impromptu meal when a friend came to visit. Fried rice and a cucumber and fresh tomato salad. How easy, how delicious, and how economical! We packed it up, brought along the jar of beloved kim chi and off to the park we went at dusk to enjoy our food in the company of the green grass and trees, the chirping birds and the babbling water.

I miss Olivia. She must be in Greece by now. Did I mention it's the same camp that I went to when I was her age? It was one of the best experiences of my life and I cherish those memories. My Grandmother sent me as olivia's Grandparents are sending her. I'm thinking of my Pop-pop who always made my favorite beef vegetable soup for me. I'm feeling connected to the nourishers and nurturers, my ancestors, who taught me to feed, parent, heal, and love, even if it hurts sometimes. Like making soup it requires patience and awareness and a whole lot of love.

Have a blessed day!

Just Peachy!

Farmers markets are way better than candy stores. They make me giddy with excitement! Did you take a look at the produce? This week I bought a bunch of kale, some bright red ripe tomatoes, teeny baby zucchini, sunny yellow patty pan squash (love the name patty pan, sounds like nursery talk), just picked string beans, a gigundo head of cabbage, a container of blueberries, and a bag of peaches. I settled on the smaller peaches because everyone was hovering around the stand with the colossal ones. Good choice, they turned out to be sweet and juicy.

Surveying my new cache and what Ive already got in the fridge, my head starts buzzing with food ideas and possibilities. Summer food is fresh and easy, uncomplicated. The less ingredients, the better. Healthy too, eating more raw food is just natural this time of year.

The peaches ripened in a bowl on the counter, their sweet perfume permeating the air. I settled on Peach Cobbler. Raw, that's right, uncooked. My inspiration for this dish came from Ani's Raw Food Desserts.

I set out on my mission. Determined not to spend all my money at Whole Foods, I made a quick stop to the bulk food bins. Dried, unsulphered, organic apricots were moist and plump. I picked about a cup of the best ones along with organic walnut halves. The agave nectar, the vanilla, and the cinnamon can be found at Trader Joe's for less money.

This was a snap to make and so yummy it didn't last long. Less time cooking and more time enjoying my kids and the beautiful summer day.

Peach Cobbler

Crumble:
3/4 cup organic unsulfured dried apricots, packed tightly
3/4 cup organic walnuts
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Filling:
5 cups sliced ripe peaches
1 tbs. alcohol free vanilla
2 tbs. agave nectar

To make crumble, combine the apricots, walnuts, sea salt, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture looks crumbly. To make the filling, combine the peaches, vanilla, and agave nectar in a bowl and mix well. Place peach filling in a serving dish and top with crumble. Serve. This will keep in the fridge for one day. The crumble alone will keep for a couple of weeks, tightly covered in the fridge, and is good to serve on other types of fruit as well.

Enjoy the tastes and smells of summer! Have a beautiful day!

Angels in our Midst

Twice, while trying to write a post about selfless service, my computer shut down. How frustrating. 'Why is this happening?', I thought. In retrospect, it was for good reason. What I wrote about loving kindness was too contrived and cliche, too forced. I labored over the words to get a point across, and when I smugly declared the piece to be viewer-ready and perfect, I lost it. I put it to rest. So while driving in the car today running some errands, the ideas flowed in a more natural way. Who has touched me with his kindness and presence in a lasting way? The answer is surprising....

I was in my early twenties and just out of college when I landed a job as a landscape architect for the city of Trenton. I looked like I was about fifteen years old, and boy was I in over my head. There was a freelance engineer, an older, rosy-cheeked, gray-haired man named Willis. I would have guessed him to be in his seventies. Not many people wore a seer-sucker suit and a flat-topped gentleman's straw hat, but Willis did. He looked like a throwback from the roaring 20's. He was understated and sweet, and had a quiet demeanor. There was a calming energy about him. Willis came in to make engineering changes and stamp and seal my work. The funny thing is, he was present in my life at the most crucial times. It was a difficult five years for me due to a crummy relationship and a mugging. Willis was a constant. He was supportive, with no agenda whatsoever. We made conversation, small talk, but never about our personal problems.

When I had my artwork on display in a local store, the owner said that the only person who had come to see my work was a cute man with a straw hat. I immediately knew it was Willis. I was surprised and thankful that he cared enough to take such an interest.

I left the job, got married, had kids, and moved away from Trenton. Willis was long forgotten - or so I thought. One night, it had to have been almost twenty years after I first met Willis, I had a dream which left me with a euphoric feeling. Willis appeared, very handsome with black hair. I would have guessed him to be in his mid-thirties... and he was glowing. "Willis, is that you?" I asked. "Joy, I've come to tell you that I love you," he answered. Time stopped. It was such a heart-opening experience that I did not doubt for one moment that it was Willis. I reflect on how important his presence in my life was and still is. I still think about him a lot. To me he represents unconditional love.

Here are some thoughts:

• Never underestimate the kindness of others.
• Imagine the impact that we have on other people's lives by our quiet presence and small acts of kindness.
• Reaching out in a small way is a huge gift.

Thank you to all of the angels in my life.

Summer Delicious

It's July 4th! Strangely enough the people have disappeared. Maybe they're all on vacation. No smokey barbecue smells wafting through the air here. None of the recognizable sounds associated with the holiday; the pssst of the flip top beer can, the squealing of contented children running through the sprinkler, the undulating humm of adult conversation. And you know what? I do miss it; getting together for an old fashioned family gathering. Anyway Happy Independence Day...freedom is a beautiful thing!

So today, I cook, I create and I taste in my favorite room in the house, the kitchen, where the magic happens. The black-eyed peas have soaked and sprouted and are now highly nutritious. The peaches, from the farmers market are ripe and fragrant. How about Black-eyed Pea pancakes(my take on an Indian favorite and adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking)and a minty peach salsa(similar to a chutney but more refreshing)?


Black-Eyed Pea Pancakes

1 cup black-eyed peas, picked over, rinsed, and drained
1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into quarters
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled
2 dried red chili peppers or 1 green chili pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup scallions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
About 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Soak the black-eyed peas in water overnight. Rinse, replace water, and soak again for twelve to twenty-four hours. Drain and pick off as many loose skins as you can. In a food processor with a metal blade, process black-eyed peas, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers, removing lid and scraping down sides periodically until the mixture is paste-like. (It will still have lumps in it.) Add water and remaining ingredients except oil. Process into a thick batter. Empty the batter into a bowl. Have oil handy with a small spoon next to the stove. Pour one teaspoon of oil into an eight-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, scoop 1/3 cup of the batter into the center of the skillet. After three to four seconds, spread away from the center of the batter with the back of a large metal spoon, forming a thin pancake. Spread one teaspoon of oil over the top. Let the pancake cook for about two minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Flip over with a plastic spatula and cook for about another two minutes. Remove to a plate with the first side up. (Stir the batter before you make each pancake.) Wrap pancakes in foil if not serving immediately.


Minty Peach Salsa

2 cups peaches, skinned and chopped
1/2 cup Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup sweet red bell pepper
2 pinches sea salt
Zest of 1 lime

2 tablespoons agave nectar
Juice of 1 lime
Reserved juice from peaches
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 or 2 pinches cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

In a bowl, combine peaches, onion, bell pepper, salt, and lime zest. Allow to sit for fifteen minutes and reserve the juice in a small bowl.

In a small saucepan, combine agave nectar, lime juice, reserved peach juice, and powdered ginger. Simmer over medium to low heat until mixture is reduced to less than half, becoming a light syrup. Remove from heat. Cool.

When syrup is cool, pour over peach mixture. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and fresh mint and stir. Serve at room temperature. Best eaten same day. Enjoy with black-eyed pea pancakes.

The Journaling Journey

A little over a year and a half ago I embarked on a journey. A journaling journey. I was never one to keep a journal for an extended period of time, and even recoiled at what I wrote. Did I really write that whiny, insignificant stuff? It was downright embarrassing. I was having difficulty expressing my innermost thoughts and most of all fearful that someone would read them.

I now write in my journal almost every day, frequenting little cafes where I can blend into the woodwork. Without thinking too much now, I pour out my feelings onto the page, and pose questions to God, the infinite universe, and myself. It seems much like a dialogue and often the answers appear soon after the questions! As much as it helps to complain about how I've been hurt by this or that person by getting out all the muck on the page, it's much more valuable to ask a question, like "What have I learned from this situation?" Or, "How can I be at peace with this situation?" Or, "Am I being true to myself?" The answers come. Not always in our time frame though. Patience.

So now I have nine beautiful journals. My inspiration to write comes from books, my life, and great food too. And what have I learned from all this? That I am, as probably most people are, by and large, fickle. Our problems one day are suddenly gone another. And there's always a new problem to take its place! Happy one day, sad the next. Frustrated one day, at peace the next. It all matters very little. But what does matter is our ability to see beyond all this chatter to a place of peace, love, and non judgement of ourselves and others. Be kind to yourself. Continue on your journey and express gratitude for all blessings.


The question is, "Who am I?"






Here are nine journal gems.

1. I am the place that God shines through.
He and I are one not two.
He needs me where and as I am.
I need not doubt, nor fear , nor plan.
If I but be relaxed and free,
He'll work His play and love through me.

2. Be kind, for everyone is fighting a great battle.

3. Happiness is from within, a state of being. It's not from something you get, material or relationship. It exists already.

4. Someday when someone finds these wacky books, they're going to think, "This is some crazy, messed-up woman." Aren't I writing what most people think? We're all human with human struggles, right?

5. Trying to live. Forcing life into everything I do, like a gasping asthmatic trying desperately to draw in a stream of polluted air, just to live. Forcing a smile is a chore, and being pleasant to strangers is all I can muster. Those parts that were just my nature have taken a vacation.

6. It's all good. Everything is possible.

7. I'm coming to the end of book seven. If I look back, it was during this time that I spent my darkest days, but willingly went through that 'dark night of soul' fully conscious. I am seeking personal growth and self realization.

8. No medicine can replace your own. Life is simple. We've made it complex by adding massive amounts of material appendages to it, living in a state of overstress, exaggerating our needs, believing that more is better... Swami Mayatitinanda

9. So here I am with Mother's blessing, feeling my own connection, a sense of newness, and a confidence I had never known was possible! If that makes any sense at all.

Whew, Ive just let my hair down a little and it feels good if I do say so myself. I do hope you will try journaling and appreciate your own unique path. Don't take it too seriously. Have fun!


Much love and Satanam, Joy

Here it is!

I am so excited to be sitting here at my desk writing this blog for the first time. Looking out of the window, pink gauzy curtains flowing, I see the leaves and branches of the old chestnut tree gently swaying in the welcomed cool morning breeze. The tree has an indescribable scent which is offensive to some people, the pungent aroma making its way throughout the entire neighborhood. It's a smell which I have come to accept as the official announcement that summer is here in full throttle. And I'm thinking, 'this is fun, this blogging thing.' Serenity now!

After admiring the multitude of gorgeous, superbly written blogs, I had this inner desire to try one myself, and being the Gemini I am, wanted it to be perfect and all encompassing. So I'm sure that I drove a few people crazy with my ramblings, and ideas about what it should look like, what it should say, and all sorts of questions about the mechanics of blogging (I am an admitted novice). So first off, I want to thank Duane and Olivia for their patience and help. Second, give up this idea of perfection and just let it flow; let it be sincere and as natural as a happily swaying tree.

My name is Joy and I would like to share with you my insights and thoughts about health, happiness, and spirituality. I have this passion for food, always have, as far back as I can remember. Oh, those days in my youth rolling out homemade pasta with a wine bottle. I no longer eat wheat or gluten, for that matter, but I love what I can eat and relish the challenge of creating new gluten free recipes which most people don't realize are gluten free. I love to cook and feed my family and friends.

I have a confession. I'm also doing this blog so that I can stir up the creative juices within myself. I may just be inspired to make music, paint, sew, draw, or create something wild and unique. I'll keep you posted.

All of it in the spirit of compassion. Hopefully I can touch, or inspire someone, be of help in even a small way by sharing.

Inner harmony is most important. It is moving toward a simpler life, less stuff and all the trappings. It is a greater awareness of our words, thoughts, and actions. A conscious step in this direction makes us feel more connected to everyone and everything, even to that old tree in my backyard. A slower pace, a breather from the craziness. Happiness. Take a long, deep breath now.

There is no way to happiness,
happiness is the way.
You should be happy right in the here and now.
There is no way to enlightenment.
Enlightenment should be right here and right now.
The moment when you come back to yourself, mind and body together,
fully present, fully alive, that is already enlightenment.
You are no longer a sleepwalker.
You are no longer in a dream.
You are fully alive.
You are awake.
Enlightenment is there.
And if you continue each moment like that,
enlightenment becomes deeper.
More powerful.
There is no way to enlightenment,
enlightenment is the way.

-Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk