Lavender Shortbread

This year for our annual holiday luncheon with my writing group, we all made recipes from Kathy Gehrt's fabulous cookbook Discover Cooking with Lavender.  This book is a great introduction to cooking with this undervalued culinary herb.

 I remember when  Kathy's  book first came out in 2010.   

We all brought our books to the writing group one week and took this photo.

Kathy and I  are the "foodies" in the group and we did a number of cooking events together.  We each attended the others demos and talks.  We had lots of fun and I learned a lot about cooking with lavender from Kathy. But my favorite stories were always the ones from history.  FYI--Lavender was Cleopatra's secret weapon for luring suitors.  And in the Middle Ages lavender was used as a disinfectant, and the most intriguing bit of folklore: lavender has its own fairy.  Who knew?

For cooking, you should always select culinary lavender because some varieties of lavender are very pungent.  And when you use the wrong variety of lavender in cooking, your cookies could taste soapy. 

Grosso lavender is a more fragrant variety and is best for fragrances and bouquets.  It is also used to make essential oils. 

Ask whether the lavender you're buying is a culinary variety. 

I got bundles of dried lavender at the Lavender Festival in Sequim when I assisted Kathy with a cooking class one year.  Kathy also taught an herb container garden class at Sky Nursery.  

Lavender can also help you relax and get to sleep at night.  I keep a lavender sachet handy for anytime I need to chill out.   I'm sure if more holiday shoppers and drivers stopped to sniff the lavender, we'd all stress less.

Here is the recipe I picked. Overall all this recipe was easy but it turned out better with butter than Earth Balance.  I think if you used a coconut based spread the cookies would hold their shape better. And whatever you do, don't let them overbake!

Lavender Shortbread

(Makes about 20 cookies)

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dried lavender buds, crushed

1 cup unsalted butter [or use 1 cup vegan butter substitute like Earth Balance

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Whisk flour, salt and lavender together in a bowl.  In another bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter until it is smooth.  Add sugar and heat until mixture is light and fluffy.  Beat in the lemon zest and juice and gradually add the flour mixture, beating until it is blended in with the other ingredients.

2. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least one hour.  

3. Preheat oven to 350F.

4. Roll cookie dough on a lightly floured board, until dough is about 1/4-inch thick.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Use cookie cutters to cut dough into individual cookies.

5. Place cookies on cookie sheets and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. (This helps the cookies hold their shape as they bake.)

6. Bake shortbread on the middle rack of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown.

Allowing the cookies to firm up in the refrigerator first is an important step.  Don't skip this step.

Celebrate the holidays your way!

My Cooking Assistant is grateful  for any mistakes that come his way.

Balzac's Omelette and locavore fare

A guest post by Finn the Cooking Assistant (aka the dog picker)

I used to wonder why we didn't have eggs more often around here. Then one day I overhead the Lady scolding the Man saying, "They're like buying gold. At $7. a dozen, you don't need to eat them every day." The Man is like me. When he likes something he can't stop eating it. He eats an egg almost every morning, and aside from chile rellenos in the summer, an omelet is the only thing that the Man cooks. The Lady humors him but never calls him a one-trick pony.

I not a fan of special occasion food because there isn't anything left on the plate when the feast is over. I know because one of my chores is plate cleaning. Sister Chloe and I wait in our crates until Management finishes eating. I lay on my side as if I could care less, but as soon as the door opens, I become a race horse. I fly to the kitchen, slide across the floor and quickly devour the treasures on the plate. On the day Management has eggs, I get a plate but the Lady tries to fool me with raw carrots and last nights cold dinner.

I'm not a whiner but could I at least have a bite of eggs?

Speaking of eggs, I found this book this past weekend and here's a news flash: there isn't a recipe in the entire book.

I tried to hide my disappointment as the shutter snapped. Let's just say I wouldn't make a great poker player. The Lady said, "Let's take a picture." I have learned exactly where to sit, and I can strike a pose for anything edible, even those delicacies from the yard beyond the human palate. But this was neither. I say we canine food assistants need a union. And FYI I did read this book, but I'm not over sharing my thoughts about it like a human.

What is the point of a review, except to brag that you read a book? Let me just say, aside from the food descriptions, my favorite sentence in the book was this: "At the end of a meal the butler became a stage manager looking after the sets for his play." A butler, that's what I must be because looking after the remains of a meal is what I do. I am a serious food model and am insulted when Management comes up with crazy props like books.

Speaking of modeling, some dogs have asked, "How did I learn such a profession?" I'm sharp, for one thing. Also it helps that people have low expectations of me. Who can't live up to "oh well, they aren't the brightest dogs on the block," kinds of comments. As for modeling, I went to school as a puppy and I learned my one trick so quickly we left before graduation.

Life is a breeze when expectations are low.

I'll tell you the story of how I learned my "trick."

Dog School and the One Trick Pony

I was doing just fine as a pup in this house, the geezer dogs in residence taught me the basics. My mentor Abe taught me to check every last cupboard door, pocket and bag until I find something edible. Sweatshirts with pockets are often streaked with my inquiries. And when someone leaves a plate unattended, Abe taught me to quickly clean it. Badger showed me how to make off with food from market bags and reminded me to eat as fast as I can so I can check another dog's plate. I also learned to be an emotional sponge for the Lady who over shares every problem, and let me just say it appears she has a boatload with all the hugs I get.

You'd think that's plenty, but humans are difficult to satisfy, and years ago the Lady insisted I attend something called "dog school." I had no say in the matter, so I went along with the program.

We drove to the dog school, which was a building in a park. I had no idea the humiliation that was coming my way as I hung my head out the window, letting the wind whip my ears back. When we arrived, the Lady and I joined a group of humans and dogs all attached to each other with leashes. I'd thought it was some kind of party, but I was forced to sit on a little towel, waiting for biscuits to be doled out. I wondered when we'd get to the "fun" part the Lady had promised but we never did.

We returned the next few weeks and it was always the same. The treats were excellent but the Lady was always very stingy. I was afraid the Lady wasn't learning anything and then one day the instructor came over said something to me. She held a biscuit over my nose and I leaped for it. She wasn't a good sport. She jerked my leash hard and snapped the biscuit away and she said, "Wait."

I leaped again. The same thing happened. I finally gave up, and wouldn't you know, the woman suddenly handed me a biscuit and said, "Good boy!" It was an epiphany for the lady. She'd finally learned something.

We didn't go back to the class again. Instead, we practiced "Wait." It was a great game, and I say, if you learn one good trick in life, it's enough. And it's more than enough when people have low expectations. I learned if I put my nose on the food, no one else was likely to claim it, either. Don't get me wrong, this is no easy skill, and Management reviewed it with me frequently. I got so good at it, I can now balance and hold a biscuit on my nose and snatch it in mid air. We didn't finish dog school, but we were only there for one trick.

I prefer to stare at food and wait, but I can wait anywhere, and here is what I've learned about humans in just one word--inconsistent.

For example, sometimes the location selection is puzzling. And I wonder what is the point of photos without food? Check this one: It's unsafe to roam the streets unattached to a human and a leash, but it's okay to pose for a touristy shot on the railroad tracks? Seriously, it's not just the politicians in this country who are inconsistent. (to be continued)

I digress. Back to the omelet and the recipe.

This one takes inspiration from Whatcom Locavore Nancy Ging. I read through all the recipes here. Oh how I'd love lick the crumbs from Nancy Ging's kitchen floor!

Her recipes come with a stand and a little calendar and each month has a recipe that features foods from Whatcom Country, Washington.

This was the recipe for January. The two main ingredients are eggs and shiitake mushrooms, from Cascadia Mushrooms. All I found in the market bags this week were greens, potatoes, eggs and shiitake mushrooms. Where were the carrots? It's a good thing spring is just around the corner.

It's sad when I'm the one considered slow and not very bright, yet I'm always waiting for someone who is chronically late with whatever food she mentions. Where is the food for this shot?

Also it isn't fair that I'm the labeled a one-trick pony when look who only cooks one thing in the kitchen. Plus everyone must leave the kitchen while the Man concentrates on his one trick. If I had thumbs I'd have more tricks than he does.

Tom's Mushroom Omelet (adapted from Whatcom Locavore)

(Serves 2)

2 cups sliced mushrooms, for shiitaki remove stems if large and save for stock

1to 2 tablespoons canola or extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 to 3 cloves peeled garlic, sliced

4 extra large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons water or milk

Chopped Mama Lil's Peppers to taste, or a pinch of ground chile powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

Salsa

Chopped cilantro (optional)

Chopped avocado (optional)

1. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Dry fry the shiitaki mushrooms until they soften. The mushrooms won't lose as much moisture as button or crimini mushrooms.

2. Add half the oil, onion, red pepper and garlic. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until onions and garlic are lightly browned--6 to 7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. Beat eggs with water or milk. Stir in the Mama Lil's Peppers and sea salt. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and cook until the bottom begins to set. Using the spatula, gently lift the edges and tip the pan to allow the egg for pour underneath. Continue until there is no runny egg left. Stop moving the eggs and continue to cook until they are nearly done, but the top is not set and still looks moist.

4. Spoon the mushroom mixture on one half of the eggs. Gently run a spatula under the other half of the eggs and fold over the filling. Cook until the eggs are done, remove from heat. Garnish with salsa. Sprinkle with cilantro and avocado, if desired.

Toast bones again. Who was that jerk who coined the phrase 'beggers can't be choosy"?

Spring Reads: Three Food Memoirs and One Cookbook

Book Reviews

This photo could be called shameless product placement. Check out all the books from my writing group and my two favorite farmer memoirs, but I'm always on the lookout for the next page-turner memoir or inspiring cookbook.

I'd like to share my take on three food memoirs and one cookbook that recently crossed my path.

One caveat for those new to this blog: I'm a vegetarian and before I get a chef or farmer memoir, I usually check it out from the library first. Most these books were written with the average carnivore in mind, and ever since Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential dissed vegetarians and raised the bar for in-your-face how-to-kill-and-cut-up-animal descriptions, I find it's best to check food memoirs out of the library before investing money. In other words, try not to get caught up in the buzz; think before you buy.

I still have visions of Bourdain shooting machine guns with wacko, right-wing, has-been rocker Ted Nugent on YouTube and after he referred to Nugent with his wall of deer heads as an "environmentalist," I chucked my used copy of Kitchen Confidential in the Goodwill pile. But Bourdain doesn't court the vegetarian crowd, and neither did these three memoir writers.

That said, I'll do my best to be impartial in my reviews, but you know which side of the river I'm standing on.

Growing a Farmer: How I learned to Live off the Land by Kurt Timmermeister (2011, W.W. Norton and Co.)

I learned about Kurtwood Farms just last year when the buzz for the book started. The buzz turned into a roar and that combined with the fact Kurtwood Farms is on Vashion Island. I knew, I wouldn't be number one on the library waiting list. I signed on anyway and patiently waited while 38 people read the book first. When the book came in, I couldn't wait to dig in.

Kurt was previously a Seattle restaurateur with dreams of escaping the city, buying a farm and making a living off the land. Through on-the-farm-trial-and-error learning Timmermeister discovered that dream jobs can also disappoint. He documented his failure of raising bees and growing vegetables for market and I admired his perservance as he tried out various farm-business models that would pay the bills. He settled on farmstead cheese and hosting farm dinners.

I skimmed the main chapter on butchering and I took umbrage at the author's contention that pigs "are not capable of anything more complex than trying to get more food and water." Is that a lame excuse for eating meat? If that's what he really thinks, maybe he should talk to Jonathan Balcome who wrote Second Nature, a book that details fascinating studies that reveal many intriguing mental capacities of animals. Turns out, even fruit flies and fish have more complex capabilities than we'd ever imagined Mr. Timmermeister.

The real disappointment of this book was Timmermeister's overwhelminly passive narrative voice that lulled me to sleep every time I started reading. And chapters as categories? Is this a-how- to-farm book or food memoir? I wanted to be inspired but a memoir without story floats along like a dead body. (Try Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken or Seabiscuit and you'll be sucked in by narrative that won't let you put the book down.) Okay maybe I expected too much, after all Timmermeister is a farmer first. At one point, I found myself resisting the urge to count how many times the word "are" appeared on page after page and I wanted to shout--what happened to copy editors? The really shocking part about this is his publishing company publishes college textbooks. Good luck inspiring the next generation.

A Wall Street Journal reviewer also noted that Timmermeister went into too much detail. "We may not all need to know how to cure bloat in a cow's digestive tract." (TMI Mr. Timmermeister) So pick this book up if you like, but I'll return my copy to the sea of library books and let the next person on the list have a go at it.

The Year of the Goat: 40,000 Miles and the Quest for the Perfect Cheese by Margaret Hathaway (2007 Lyons Press)

I discovered this book on the shelf when I got Growing a Farmer and I like a good quest story, it sounded like a fun read and I checked it out. I love the library!

The story is about Margaret Hathaway and her fiance who tire of city life and decide to try their hand at goat farming but before they commit to this life change, they immerse themselves in the world of goats.

I'd hoped was that the authors wouldn't graphically describe dismembering a goat or stop at goat stockyards, but they did, and at just about every stop across the country, they sampled some recipe laden with goat meat. In fact, there was so much goat meat served up in this book, I was relieved when Hathaway finally described the omelettes instead of goat burgers.

This book was mostly funny. Who knew there was such a quirky goat subculture lurking around us? Like obsessed dog or cat show people, goat people ponied up money for goat-themed jewelery, novelty t-shirt, belt buckles, bumper stickers, gift bags and totes at the Annual Dairy and Goat Association Conference. On the last evening of the conference Hathaway and her fiance attended a goat-themed costume ball. Odd ball and obsessive, yet strangly entertaining.

They traveled the country visiting goat farms and auctions, but the most surprising and best part of the book was when Hathaway and her fiance visited Quillisacut Farm School in eastern Washington. You know the Chefs on the Farm book from a few years ago. They were so impressed with the sustainable approach of this farm, they decided to model their own farm after it. The numerous goat meat descriptions were tedious; seriously do people really care about goat meat? If you skim the meat sections, this book can be a fun journey. Check it out (at the library.)

Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton (2011, Random House)

The title alone said "this is a carnivore party; vegetarians stay home," but the buzz for this book was so loud and everyone said the narrative was so compelling, I lost my head and impulsively ordered a copy before I realized I'd just purchased a carnivore memoir that I wouldn't keep. I convinced myself I could skim the meat-centric parts, but little did I know they'd turn up like cow patties in a pasture.

I'd wanted to like this book and initially Hamilton's story pulled me in. Turns out this chef/owner of a small critically acclaimed New York restaurant Prune is also a gifted writer. She begins her story with the annual party her parents threw when she was a child, but at age 12, her parents split up and the "hero's quest story begins." I found her prose enchanting, but like Bourdain she wedges in slings for vegetarians, most of whom probably won't read this book anyway. Check this one:

"The only person from the co-op who's been with us from the beginning and still with us today is a renter; an elderly woman who looks like she's been avoiding animal protein for so long that her skin is now tissue paper and her hair is a brittle as shredded wheat."

Come on, is this woman's brittle hair because she ate too many vegetables and not enough burgers?

The second half of the book flew off course. It disappointed and puzzled me, but now as I read reviews like this one from the Wall Street Journal that says the last word in the title should be "bitter not butter," I realize halfway through the book Hamilton shifted into a self-absorbed mode talking about her loveless "complex" marriage to an Italian man and the summers she spent with her Italian in-laws.

My suggestion: peruse the over 400 reviews at Good Reads and decide for yourself whether this book is worth putting on your "must read" list.

All these reviews put my Assistant to sleep, but stay awake dear reader, the best book I saved for last.
Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson (2011, Ten Speed Press)

A year ago when I started to market my book and began looking at blogs, I found 101 Cookbooks, Heidi Swanson's popular food blog. I became enchanted with the pictures, compelling stories and vegetarian recipes. Her posts inspire many comments and sometimes I even find myself joining the chorus of comments along with this farmer blogger from Vashon Island.

I put her cookbook on my wish list, and then one day I passed the book in a store, thumbed through it and put it in my cart. I wasn't disappointed with this purchase. The recipes are clever and health oriented, and even though some recipes contain cheese, she offers plenty of ideas for inspiration. I mean really, roasted strawberries? I've got to try these as soon as local strawberries arrive. Super Natural Every Day is divided like my book, into sections--breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, drinks, treats and accompaniments. And my only disappointment with this book was there weren't enough soup recipes. Luckily her blog fills that gap.

And when I'm searching for online inspiration, Swanson's blog is one of the first places I look. Here is one recipe for multigrain waffles that intrigued my Cooking Assistant. I don't buy that many cookbooks, maybe one or two a year. This book definitely gets 4 paws up.

Winners and Losers--7 Cookbooks Voted off the Island

I got two new cookbooks recently. I mentioned The New Fast Food by Jill Nussinow in this post; well, one of the great things about Jill's book is it's an ebook and it doesn't take up shelf space. Jill's book also has lots of great recipes that will inspire me with my new pressure cooker. The other cookbook I got recently was Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson. I haven't studied the recipes yet, but right now, it looks like this book may also remain on my cookbook shelf five years from now.

With limited shelf space, I frequently weed out books that I no longer useful or find inspiring. And ever since I started reading this blog about pairing down 7 things each week, I decided to find seven cookbooks to send packing.

Here's the list:

1.Low Cost Main Dishes

I bought this book at a library sale for 50 cents. The words "low-cost" initially caught my eye, but just about every recipe contains meat, fish or poultry and many recipes list processed ingredients like Campbell's soup. I'm not sure why I took a chance on this book because the food photography makes savory dishes look like dog food, and I can't remember ever finding a decent recipe in Family Circle, not any recipe I'd ever make anyway.

2. Vegetarian Burgers

If I want a vegetarian burger, it means I didn't really have anything planned for dinner. I usually reach for some version of Amy's burgers. I haven't opened this little book in years, partly because the recipes seem to fussy.

3. Taste of Nations

Note to organizations: when you compile recipes from your "talented staff" please invite folks to come up with something better than Best Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich and American Plains Oatmeal--if you need those kinds of recipes, you seriously need some cooking classes. Never used and uninspiring--maybe it was one of those "free" cookbooks, I can't remember purchasing it.

4. The Book of Vegetarian Cooking

5. The Heritage Collection of Home Tested Recipes

I got both of these books at book sales. I'm sure people let them go the first time around because they have mediocre recipes and not very many tips to qualify them as "keepers."

6. Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook

This cookbook was on the edge, I couldn't decide--stay or go--it could have gone either way. I might copy a few of the recipes I actually liked before I donate this book. One of the recipes that intrigued me was Deborah Madison's Garden Dressing with pie cherries, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pistachios, mint, onion, and maple syrup--anything with pie cherries has my attention. But many of the recipes seemed aimed at new vegetarians (too much tofu and seitan not enough vegetables) and sometimes it seemed a little preachy about animal rights issues.

7. Sunset Gifts from Your Kitchen

It's been a long time since I've opened this book for inspiration. I used to use to pass this one around for the "Gifts from Your Kitchen" cooking classes I taught back in the 90s, but since I haven't opened it since the 90s, I say "Sianara."

I'll donate all the books to the Friends of Edmonds Library book sale. I've gotten lots of books from this annual sale in the past; come to think of it, a few on this came from that annual sale.

Which books survived the cut?

Which are still shelf worthy? Of course the Joy of Cooking and the old Better Homes and Gardens that I've carted around for years have a lifttime pass, but here are seven books that I've looked to repeatedly in this past year for inspiration or information.

1. Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka

2. How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

3. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

4. The South American Table by Maria Baez Kijac

5. The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash

6. Oven-Baked Vegetarian Dishes by Gabriele Redden

But wait there's more.

7. The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook by Debra Daniels-Zeller (2010, Timber Press), and Local Vegetarian Cooking (2004, LOC Press). I know, a shameless product placement maybe you weren't expecting, right? But the truth is I often look at my recipes for inspiration because these are the ones I use everyday whether it's soup or cobbler. I like my versions as it and I also like to tweak my own recipes and create something new.

What would you get rid of on your cookbook shelf? What cookbook really inspires you?

The Soup Project: Yellow Split Pea Dal, Pressure Cooking, and The New Fast Food

Pressure cooking

I'd been thinking about getting a new pressure cooker for some time now, and when I read Jill Nussinow's The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Meals in Minutes, it was just the nudge I needed to get a new pressure cooker.

Fast meals in minutes? What could be more inspiring? If I wanted to use a pressure cooker more often, it was time for old jiggle top to go. Unreliable, burns foods, and can be scary when steam hisses out--if jiggle top was on Celebrity Apprentice it would be fired.

After I read Jill's recommendations, I ordered a Fangor pressure cooker. While I waited for it to arrive, I used my old Presto pressure cooker to make recipes like this soup from Jill's new book.

Sleek, inviting and surprisingly affordable, this Fagor pressure cooker is easy to use, and though I feel a little down about abandoning my old Presto pressure cooker, I wondered just how useful it was when so many things burned? I'm sure someone can put the old pot to use and maybe be better at it than I was. Out with the old; in with the new.

The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Meals in Minutes

by Jill Nussinow

This is my first ecookbook, and what a cool idea an ecookbook is because it doesn't take up space on my bookshelf where the occupants are subjected to shelf worthiness reviews.

I'm excited to post a review of this book. I've done other cookbook reviews, and some cookbooks are keepers while others eventually lose their allure. It's more about the information they contain or leave out, not the recipes. I can tell already Jill's book is a keeper in the tradition of Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka. A treasure trove of useful pressure cooker information and lots of inspiring recipes that I can tweak over and over again.

5 things I like about Jill's book:

1. Lists the basics of pressure cooking. My first pressure cooking inspiration, Lorna Sass's classic cookbooks come with so much information; I thought no one could come close, but Jill covers every question you have about pressure cooking, even if you've used a pressure cooker for years. Jill's recommendation: every well-stocked kitchen should include one or two pressure cookers.

2. Incorporates a brief history of pressure cooking in America. I love it when a cookbook offers a section on background and history of whatever topic it covers. This is what turns a book into a keeper at my house. Jill also compares old with modern pressure cookers and writes about the quietness and safety of new models--an important reassurance for anyone who has been afraid of pressure cooker explosions. I don't miss the hissing noise of my old jiggle top one bit.

3. Discusses how to choose a pressure cooker--important information for both newbie with no experience and old school cook with an old fashioned pressure cooker. Size, material construction and reliability are important features to consider. This book also contains a chart on pressure cooker size recommendations for various family sizes. She also discusses electric pressure cookers.

4. Includes charts for cooking times for beans, grains and vegetables. "Timing is everything," Jill writes. It's all about getting food to the table faster. The charts included give this book a place in my library for a long time, and the tips for cooking grains are especially helpful. It was interesting to read cooking times for 5 minutes or less for many vegetables and about 10 minutes for beans. People we all need to adopt the skills of pressure cooking. The time you save in the kitchen pencils out as no excuses for dinner at home. The New Fast Food is fast food at its finest.

5. Features inspiring, heart-healthy, plant-based delicious vegan recipes. Whether you follow the recipe as it was written or improvise and branch out on your own, it's easy to do with this book. Just check the cooking time guides for main ingredients. I love recipes that feature surprising ingredients as a springboard for my own inspirations. Read how I did this with my recipe below.

A pressure cooker saves time, energy and cooking plant based foods in it is good-for-the-planet. If my Cooking Assistant was as impressed by books and cooking appliances as he is by carrots, he'd give Jill's book a four paws up.

What does Vincent Van Gogh have to do with this soup?

Color

The idea for this recipe came to me after we talked about the use of color in my photography class last week. I thought about color and food, and how plates and bowls become frames for food. After I watched a documentary about Vincent Van Gogh and his use of brilliant contrasting colors in painting, I imagined a yellow soup in a blue or green bowl.

Ingredients

What food is naturally yellow besides egg yolks? Yellow split peas came to mind. Definitely not as bright as Van Gogh's paintings, but they would have to do.

I searched Jill's book for a split pea recipe and didn't find exactly what I was looking for, but under lentils, I found Indian Dal. At first glance, this was just a curried lentil soup but the addition of an apple intrigued me. If had been lemon like many recipes include, I might have passed the recipe by, but the apple surprised me. That's what an inspiring recipe should do. It was a selling point that made me want to try it.

I used yellow split peas instead of lentils, and instead of mustard seeds of fresh ginger, so I used the spice blend for a curried lentil soup in my book. Then I added an onion and some potatoes for Tom, and by that time I realized I'd changed just about everything in the soup but the apple.

Here's the recipe.

Yellow Split Pea Dal

(Serves 4 to 6)

1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon each: coriander, turmeric, cumin, chili powder

1/4 teaspoon each cardamom, cinnamon, cayenne

1/8 teaspoon cloves

2 medium red potatoes, diced

5 cups stock or water

1 1/2 cups yellow split peas

1 large apple, cored and cut into small dice

Salt to taste

Chopped cilantro or parsley

1. Saute onions in oil on low until they become transparent. Blend in coriander, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, cardamom, cinnamon, cayenne and cloves. Add potatoes and cook for about a minute before adding water, split peas and apple. Stir the pot.

2. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and over high heat bring to pressure. Reduce heat to maintain pressure for 6 minutes. Allow pressure to come down naturally. Remove lid, tilting it away from you.

3. Stir well, add cilantro or parsley. Serve with an amazing crusty bread like this baguette from Tall Grass Bakery.

The only downside is this bread has such an amazing scent my Cooking Assistant no longer cares about the soup and wants a slice of bread pronto.

The History of Food in Two Books

Most of us tend to have a macro lens when it comes to food. People talk about the importance of knowing where our food comes from and who grows it, but we don't usually look at food through the long lens of history. That's exactly what Devra Gartenstein does in her new book, Cavemen, Monks and Slow Food (available on Kendel).

When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued. Decades ago, I got a degree in anthropology and history from Western Washington University in Bellingham. I love reading about details from the past and speculating about the future, and I hone in on food history in the early 20th century, the 19th century and way back to the beginning of time. What foodie isn't secretly fascinated by food in history and fascinated with old photographs and even cave paintings of food? Vegetable, bean, grain, meat and fish, I like reading about foods in the past, how it was obtained, cooked and who ate it.

Before I ordered Cavemen, Monks and Slow Food, I got out this compendium from the 1990s that I picked up at a book sale a few years ago. I'd read a few chapters and returned again and again to look at photos, but since I was getting Devra's book, I thought it would be fun to compare these two books that purport to be about the history of food.

The History of Food by Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat (1987; translated by Anthea Bell in 1992) has been described as quirky, inclusive and encyclopedic on one hand and also criticized for being overly French-orientated and not covering everything. I liked the book's chapters devoted to subjects such as "gathering," "hunting," "bread and cereals," "treasures of the forest," "sugar, "chocolate." At first glance this book seemed fairly comprehensive, but really, when you think about it, even in 800 plus pages, how can you possibly write the entire world history of food?

Still this book has so much useful information, you should check it out. (Look for it at used book sales or the library because it's out of print.) It's easy to look up facts about honey, vegetables, or even kitchen gardens. And I'm a fool for old pictures; and okay maybe it's a little shallow, but I never get tired of seeing drawings of how sugar was made in the nineteenth century or checking out reproductions of famous food hunting and gathering etchings, drawings and paintings.

After reading Cavemen, Monks and Slow Food, I realized the huge gap and downfall of Toussaint-Samat's book was that lame last chapter with discussion of calories, enzymes and vitamins in food. Really? What about the industrial food system? And what about the future of food? I want speculations.

That's where Cavemen, Monks, and Slow Food satisfied my curiosity.

Gartensteins's tome brings other historical books up to speed and puts a uniquely American slant on food history with our current industrial food system as well as sustainable farm alternatives that speak to shaping the future of food supply.

Don't try to rush though this book like some cheap novel though; savor the text slowly, think about our long-time hunger for "rare and expensive foods," and our current celebration of peasant or "artisan" foods today. And compare this book to other books on food history or any books that claim to have the last word on food history and you'll see how much this book has to offer. Cavemen, Monks and Slow Food, shares stories of food history and it also deals with the reasons for the deterioration of our current diets.

From the opening chapter with Jacques Pepin talking about good bread and butter, readers are invited into this amazing world history of food from hunters and gatherers, to our world of cheap grocery store food that currently looks a lot like an economic bubble feeding our illusions that cheap imported food will continue forever like our stock market convictions in the early 21st century.

I think at the heart of it, we're all curious about where our food supply came from and where it's going. The only thing that really I wanted from this book (besides some of those photos from Toussaint-Samat's book) was to learn more about how our dwindling water resources world wide will impact the future of farms and food. Maybe that's in the next volume; if so I'll be the first on my block to get that book, too. I loved the hopeful ending of this book that seemed to be a celebration of our sustainable food system. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's worth taking the time to read it to the end. Check it out on Kindle and read this book!!!

Deborah Madison, Rhubarb, and Kitchen Assistants

Only a few cookbooks inspire me in unexpected ways and Seasonal Fruit Desserts from Orchard, Farm and Market (2010) by Deborah Madison is another gem to add to that list. Madison's recipes are treasure trove of inspiration for combining ingredients in new delicious ways. And it doesn't hurt that she's a local food advocate and a compelling food writer who has honed her cooking on local foods for decades.

Founder of the famous Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, Deborah Madison is a longtime market shopper, gardener, food writer and popular cookbook author. Her seasonally-infused food writing and flavor pairings have been a large influence in my kitchen over the years.

Nearly two decades ago in Madison's The Savory Way (1990), I discovered acidic flavors were the secret link shared by all salads. When Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (1997) came out, I turned to Deborah's comprehensive soup chapter for inspiration again and again. And when I got Local Flavors (2002) her simple seasonings and use of oils, citrus and vinegars, helped shape the flavors of local foods in my kitchen. Madison's newest book, Seasonal Fruit Desserts, is also a great kitchen reference that I will turn to again and again.

However, if you read this book before dozing off, you're likely to have sweet, delectable dreams.

I wanted to pick one of Deborah's recipes and write about it, but here's what happened. I had rhubarb on hand and after a quick glance at the recipes, I zeroed in on "Baked Rhubarb with Vanilla, Orange and Clove."

It was the vanilla that sucked me in. Here are the ingredients for Madison's recipe:

rhubarb

sugar

juice and zest of 1 orange

vanilla bean

cloves

The ingredients are combined and baked for 30 minutes, which Deborah says helps rhubarb maintain its shape.

I didn't feel like heating an oven just for a rhubarb dessert and I didn't have an orange, so I'd simmer instead of bake and add coconut milk to replace the orange. Here are my ingredients for the recipe:

4 cups rhubarb, washed cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

sugar, enough to sweeten (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

small can of coconut milk

2 vanilla beans

handful of dried North Star pie cherries

I slit the vanilla beans down the middle and simmered them in them for 5 minutes coconut milk and water (a can of milk, a can of water) to infuse the milk with vanilla. The delicate aroma of vanilla wafted through the kitchen as I added the sugar, rhubarb and pie cherries. The amount of sweetener depends on the cook, add what you like.

I simmered everything until rhubarb was soft. Some had fallen apart into a puree just like Deborah Madison had mentioned in her rhubarb information section. The flavors of vanilla, rhubarb and cherries mingling in a decadent coconut milk base--what's with the flavor of coconut? It's a good thing I really don't eat a lot of coconut milk much because I might seriously love it in everything.

I topped my dessert with coconut sorbet, because it just seemed right and I ate it warm--the tart tones of rhubarb, flavor of cherries and a blast of real vanilla tasted so good, I'm still dreaming about it. That's what you get when you go crazy and use two whole vanilla beans.

When I was finished I realized my rhubarb dessert wasn't exactly the trio of flavors of Madison's recipe, but like I said, her recipes inspire cooking in unexpected ways. And isn't that the true joy of cooking?

Who is your kitchen muse?

Food Trends: Hot Tips about Hop Tips

Even though I come to the market with a list, sometimes a farmer brings something new to the market, and I just can't pass it by. A few weeks ago it was hop tips from Rockridge Orchards.

I know about hops because when I visited Rockridge Orchards a few years ago, Wade Bennett pointed out hop vines growing near one of his greenhouses. "I grow them for local microbreweries," he'd told me.

I hadn't thought about hop tips as vegetables, but as I gazed at them in the sun, Wade mentioned they tasted a little like asparagus and all you had to do was saute them in olive oil with garlic. (Sounds like just like this recipe. Easy--that's just what I wanted.)

My "trusty" kitchen assistant hopped up on his bench for a photo, but I must have taken too long because the hungry hound got carried away and started munching. I hope this isn't the beginning of "bad dog assistant."

I wondered how Wade knew about cooking hops and then last Friday, I stumbled upon and bought The Locavore's Handbook by Leda Meredith and she mentioned eating hops and the asparagus flavor they impart. She also had this recipe in a post about a year ago. (By the way, Leda's blog is incredibly inspiring and filled with great local eating and gardening tips.)

I investigated hops further and discovered in Barron's Food Lover's Companion that hops shoots are widely available in Europe. Who knew?

Anyway, when I bought the tips, I went home and made Wade's simple recipe with oil, garlic, salt and pepper. I couldn't resist adding my favorite Mama Lil's Peppers and spinach from Willie Green's Organic Farm.

Tom took a bite and paused. "It's chewy and doesn't really taste like asparagus," he'd said.

I took a bite was immediately dismayed because the stems were tough and the peppers drowned out any asparagus flavor. The recipe needed tweaking but how?

Many first time recipes flop, but the good thing about my kitchen assistant is he's always waiting for an opportunity like this because my kitchen flops are his treasures.

Here's what it looked like:

I told Wade last Saturday the hops were tough and asked if they should be blanched first, he said, "You cooked them too long. They need a high heat for just a few minutes." Next time, I reminded myself, I wouldn't be in so much of a hurry and I'd get all the instructions for the recipe.

Wade says chefs are snapping the hop tips up before he can bring them to market and to phone the farm ahead if I want some. That's how it is at the market if you want great treasures.

I'm putting in my order for hop tips this week before they're gone for the season. What's on your market list this week?