Dinner inspiration, anyone?

CNN shares its "World's 50 Most Delicious Foods". Singapore made the list twice (yay). I'd sub out a few foods here, but that aside, I'm hungry! Happy reading!

http://bit.ly/r9FZYY

"To Make A Prairie"

What a beautiful weekend. In honor of being out of the city, enjoying nature, and daydreaming in the sun, here is one of my favorite poems.

To Make A Prairie
by Emily Dickinson

To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee. One clover, and a bee, and revery. The revery alone will do, If bees are few.

Attraversiamo

I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on "Eat, Pray, Love" in light of its recent book-to-screen adaptation. Okay, so yes, I read the memoir. And like probably millions of others, I liked it. I really did. It was about a year and a half ago that I was at the Baltimore-Washington Airport, standing in one of the compact (or shall we call them travel-sized) bookstores conveniently nestled near my gate. Staring at the paperback section, my well-traveled carry-on (deserving of its own frequent flier miles) at my side, I was on a mission to find something tolerable to read on my flight to Seattle. "Eat, Pray, Love." If the seductive simplicity of the title didn't draw me in, the description on the back cover sure did. "A meditation on love in its many forms—love of food, language, humanity...love of self..." to quote the Los Angeles Times. A story set amidst the cultural beauty of Italy, India and Bali. If there's one thing I love, it's traveling and the personal growth that can occur from it. So as I paid the cashier, I had the creeping suspicion that I was about to embark on a journey beyond the obvious westbound flight I was about to board. That like it or not, this book and I were gonna be on the same wavelength, simpatico.

A lot can happen in one year. This was a theme that had been resounding in my mind at the time, as I felt myself at the precipice of my own soul-searching. It was one that set the stage for the overall "I totally get this" sentiment that echoed as I took in the accounts of self-exploration, pleasure-seeking, and a sheer personal time out that the story of "Eat, Pray, Love" depicts. So yes, I appreciate this book and think that it has been so successful because Elizabeth Gilbert was willing to relay her experiences—painful, pleasurable and in-between—with a voice of honesty and humility. My guess is that the process of writing the book (when it wasn't a painful or challenging endeavor) was a cathartic one for the author. And I think it has become something of the same for some of its readers.

Let me say here that I am well aware that books have been written about far more serious issues, and that personal lives have been cast into upheaval by things like poverty, disease, and social injustice. I am not placing "Eat, Pray, Love" into that literary bucket. Rather, I appreciate it for what it is. A story of a woman's personal path to forgiveness, healing, and ultimately, the love within herself. Here's to finding our own self-truths. Attraversiamo.

Manuka Honey

I've loved the taste of honey as long as I can remember. My first known experience with it was as a four year old in Oregon, when my grandmother would make me toast with crunchy peanut butter and honey in the morning. I can honestly say I've had an affection for bees since watching them dance around the clover-covered grass at my childhood playground. As an adult, honey is always my preferred choice of sweetener for drinks, cooking and baking. There are, of course, many options when it comes to perusing the grocery store shelf. Orange blossom, clover, alfalfa, blended, raw, filtered...the options go on. Which brings me to manuka honey.

Manuka honey is not currently a mainstream product, yet its benefits abound and can aid us all. While the typical honey varietals have many uses outside the kitchen, manuka honey is considered by many to be the bees' knees. Active manuka honey is pure, raw, natural, unpasteurized, and naturally organic. It is collected from the manuka flower in only a few places in New Zealand. Manuka honey has been cold slung (extracted from the comb without heating), and is creamy and delicious. In addition to its use in tea, cooking and beauty regimens, manuka honey can help increase energy levels and general well-being. It is also used to help soothe and heal...

• sore throat
• cold or cough
• sinus infection
• flu symptoms
  
• infection from a cut or scrape
• canker sore
• cold sore
• fever blister
• stomach ulcer

Perhaps the most important thing to consider when buying manuka honey for therapeutic uses is its UMF, or Unique Manuka Factor. UMF is the name of the beneficial antibacterial property found in some strains of manuka honey, and indicates its high antibacterial potency and healing power. The UMF is the only standard worldwide that identifies and measures the antibacterial strength of honey. Look for manuka honey with a UMF of 10 or higher on the label.

As responsible consumers, we must be mindful that colony collapse disorder has become a worldwide crisis, and it's vitally important now more than ever to buy organic when possible, and to support local beekeeping and bee products. Go bees!

Salty. Sweet. I'm In.

During my morning stint at my local coffee shop today, I read about these delicious-sounding chocolate bars from Eldersburg, MD based outfit, Salazon Chocolate Co. If you're like me and you love the mouth-watering combo of salty and sweet, give these a try! Salazon currently makes three varieties including Dark Chocolate with Natural Sea Salt, and Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper. Their website says they view chocolate as "an energy food not candy, so we simply stay away from offering sweeter, more candy-like milk chocolate." For those with a hankering for something slightly sweeter, check out the Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Turbinado Sugar bar. All products are organic and kosher. Salazon Chocolate Co. is a member of 1% For The Planet, donating at least 1% of their yearly revenues to organizations that help protect the environment. I can get down with that. You can find Salazon chocolate at most Whole Foods stores, or to buy online, visit http://www.veganstore.com/.

Chocolate. Souffle.

I love chocolate souffle. To be honest, love isn't a strong enough word. It is my hands-down, all-time favorite dessert. There is just something about its cloud-like cakeiness and molten gooiness that causes me to revel in each warm, oozing morsel. I recently went to Paris over the new year and had THE BEST chocolate souffle of my life. It's really not surprising that the pinnacle of my dessert-eating experiences thus far was realized in the City of Lights; it's just that the souffle I had was so good, I feel the need to share the love. This recipe from Atelier Guy Martin is labeled as easy. The mixture can be made in advance and kept in the fridge. Final baking time is approximately 10 minutes. Bon appetit!

Chocolate Soufflé Atelier Guy Martin

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

150g (5.35 oz) granulated sugar
275 g (10 oz) egg whites
120 g (4.3 oz) butter
225 g (8 oz) chocolate (60-70%)
20 cl (.85 cups) raspberry coulis (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 410º F.

Soften butter. Generously butter and sugar 4 individual soufflé dishes.

Melt chocolate and remaining butter together in a bain-marie.

Beat egg whites until frothy. Add 75g (2.7 oz) sugar and beat until firm peaks. Gently fold the whites into the melted chocolate.

Fill the soufflé dishes and level by running a spatula across the tops.

Bake the soufflés for 8 minutes. Check for doneness with a skewer or cake tester and return to oven for a couple more minutes if necessary.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and open the soufflés with a spoon and add raspberry coulis (optional).

October = Chili (Even When Not Chilly)

So. Despite the fact that it was a summer-like 72 degrees today, I decided that a lazy Sunday in October called for making chili. A nice, big batch that would allow leftovers for the next couple of days. I like that it can be made in one pot, with little clean-up. (Dirty dishes and I are long-time foes.) Here is the recipe I followed. For vegetarians or those feeling the urge to go meatless, you can use a variety of beans and it would be just as tasty. I recommend using as many organic ingredients as you can. To be enjoyed with or without your woolens. :)

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey (for this type of dish, I like to use the darker thigh meat as it has deeper flavor than breast)

28 oz. can diced tomatoes

15 oz. can black beans

15. oz. can pinto beans

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4" dice

4 cloves minced garlic (use more if you are crazy for garlic)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

Salt & pepper (to taste)

Grated cheddar cheese

Sour cream (optional)

1 lime

Serve with corn bread

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and let cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and let cook for 1 minute - until onions and garlic are soft but not brown. Add the ground turkey, breaking up the meat as you go.

Increase heat to medium-high and add cumin, chili powder and oregano. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add all beans and tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and let simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve.

I like topping mine with some grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime juice. A slice of corn bread on the side and, voila!

Happy fall...