urbanfoodie

driftlessinthecity:

brownroundboi:

CALL for participants 
Recipes for the People: Documentary seeking contributors
Summer 2011   

(please circulate widely)
 

Looking for QTPGNCTSPOCs and of mixed ancestry passionate about food and social change!  (Transgender, Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Queer, Gender Non-Conforming, Two-Spirit, People of Color, Mixed Ancestry) Due to lack of financial and physical access, participants must be located in the NYC area!

From colonizers & grandmothers
To body image & food deserts
Of health & history
For blessings & community
Sharing our tables & stories Recipes for the People
COMING SOON A people of color’s history of food

We’re looking for new contributors to work with    Recipes for the People (RFP). If you care about food, how it shifts you, your communities, and this world, consider a contribution. If you grow food, passionately make food, write about food, and if food is intrinsically part of your collective/political/artistic/spiritual practice, part of a liberation process, then we would love to talk with you!
  
Recipes for the People (RFP) is in the process of working on a documentary that focuses on POC/native/two-spirit/mixed mostly* queer ans trans people, and their relationship to food—- making, growing, eating, culture, action.
 

we will be shooting end of AUGUST 2011- SEPT 2011. if you or someone you know is interested, please have them email: recipesforthepeople@gmail.com   or call: (773) 814-6503 no later than 8/22/2011.

Priority will be for QTGNCTSPOC people who understand the intersections of ability, race, sexuality, size, class, gender, religious/spiritual affiliation, nation of origin, age, citizenship status, and many other identities.

I’d love to see some friends in here so reblog, get involved if you fall within the community defined.

Gluten-Free Spaghetti and Meatballs

“Impossible!” you must be thinking. Traditionally, spaghetti and meatballs are a gluten fest from the semolina flour of the pasta to the breadcrumbs in the meatballs. As I’m learning, with some flexibility, ingenuity, and (unfortunately) a little bit of $, it’s possible to modify the recipes for a number of dishes that contain big and small amounts of gluten. 

Last week, my friend was telling me about some homemade meatballs she made, and I was struck with a craving. This recipe here is inspired by this one from Epicurious. Instead of using regular bread for the fresh breadcrumbs in this recipe, I toasted up and then processed a few slices of gluten-free bread that were starting to get moldy and relegated to the freezer. I also didn’t have milk or pine nuts on hand, so I used almond milk and walnuts. For the meat, I used a mix of 2:1 beef to pork. My co-op sells convenient 1.5 lb “meatloaf” packages of beef and pork together. In the sauce, I added anchovies and tomato paste to really amplify that savory umami flavor. For the pasta, I’ve found that quinoa pasta holds a better al dente like chew when compared to rice/soy pasta which tends towards mushy. Of course, you can always use regular pasta, which is way cheaper. I also ate the rest of the meatballs and sauce with quinoa and then the plain meatballs themselves in a salad. If you have some rolls around and cheese, this would make a tasty meatball sandwich too! I grew up in a culture and house where it is not cool to toot your own horn, but I have to say - these meatballs and this sauce are freakin’ amazing. I ate some combination of them for a full week with no complaints.

Oh, and Happy Meatball Day!

Gluten-Free Spaghetti and Meatballs

Sauce

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-28 oz cans of diced or whole tomatoes
• 4 Tbs chopped fresh basil, or if you’re being frugal and basil is out of season, using Muir Glen’s canned tomatoes with Basil work well
• 1-2 anchovies
• 1/2 Tbs. tomato paste

Meatballs

• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (make it gluten-free w/ GF bread)
• 4 Tbs. milk (or soy or almond milk)
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1-2 cloves fresh garlic
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1 lb. ground beef, 1/2 lb. pork
• 2 Tbs. walnuts
• 1/2 tsp. salt

1 lb. spaghetti (I recommend quinoa pasta for gluten-free options)

To make the sauce: Saute onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add anchoves and tomato paste, breaking up the anchovies. Add tomatoes, bring to a boil and then let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add herbs. To get a nice slightly chunky sauce, use a hand blender, food processor, or regular upright blender to work the sauce to desired consistency. Return to sauce pan until ready for the meatballs.

To make the meatballs: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine milk with the breadcrumbs and let absorb for 5 minutes. While that is absorbing, either finely chop the onions and garlic and chop walnuts and parsley. Or make use of kitchen gadgets if you have them and combine the first two in the food processor to make a minced mixture and then chop the walnuts and parsley in the processor separately. Combine all the ingredients together with the meat and mix with wet hands until just thoroughly mixed (but not overworked). Form 1-1/2 in. diameter meatballs with your hands, careful not to pack them too tightly (no one likes a too-tight meatball, right?). In a parchment lined or lightly greased baking pan or baking sheet (warning, the oil will ooze out, which could be a mess on a flat sheet), lay out the meatballs. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes until lightly browned.

If you want to use the meatballs for different dishes in the week, lay some aside so that they are separate from the sauce. Add the rest of the meatballs to the sauce and bring to a boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve over pasta with some sprinkled cheese on top.  

Hoppin’ with John* into 2011

At around noon on New Year’s Day, I came across the tradition of eating black-eyed peas (which are legumes, not peas, and of course the name of a pop music group of such literary hits as “My Humps” and the Tagalog track “Bebot”). Good luck in the new year comes by way of Hoppin’ John, a dish that is popular in the southern United States. It appears that the rice-and-beans meal was eaten by enslaved West Africans on Carolina rice plantations, resembling some of their native dishes. Traditionally, a coin was placed in the pot of beans, and whoever found it would have luck all year. Why the name of hoppin’ John? No one seems to know for sure.

As is true for many peasant meals, cheap ingredients and meat scraps were resourcefully transformed into meals worthy of celebrations.  Field peas or black eyed peas and rice provided long-lasting sustenance while pork bits such as smoked ham hocks, jowl, or bacon imparted satisfying flavor. Traditionally, hoppin’ john is served with collard greens. The bitter, tough leaves of the greens were cooked down, low and slow (often with pork scraps), resulting in a side of soft leaves and juices (called “pot likker”) to be sopped up by the rice or cornbread. 

Hoppin’ John felt like the perfect New Year’s Day meal for me, not just because I need the luck after a less-than-stellar 2010, but also because I hope to be more mindful of my resources by spending less, cooking more, and living more simply. It was also a good reason for me to use the cast-iron casserole/dutch oven that I got over the holidays! I created my own version of the dish, using fresh pork chorizo sausage from my local co-op (at less than $3 for two sausages, a cheap way to incorporate strong, smoky flavor), canned black-eyed peas, and adding the collard greens directly to the pot. Other recipes I have seen include a range of meats and vegetables (e.g., celery, carrots, green pepper). I didn’t have any flavored broth on hand, so I cheated with some instant chicken boullion and hot water. Like most folk cooking, the ingredients and the directions are imprecise but the yield and the satisfaction are substantial. Although hoppin’ John is a meal traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day, this is an easy one-pot meal that would warm any cold winter day.

Hoppin’ John with Chorizo Sausage and Collard Greens

4-6 servings

• 2 fresh ground chorizo sausages (or some other meat that will lend deep flavor to the stew, such as bacon, smoked ham hock, pork jowl)
• 1 medium to large onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and chopped into strips
• 1 can black-eyed peas
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 2-3 cups chicken broth
• Several sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Salt, to taste

1. In a large pot, dutch oven, or casserole, sautee onions, garlic, and thyme in olive oil over medium heat. 

2. Remove the casing from the sausage and add to the onions and garlic. Break meat apart into smaller chunks as it cooks.

3. Add chopped collard greens to the pot and mix. Cook greens down about 10-15 minutes.

4. Add black-eyed peas, rice, and broth. How much broth you will use will depend on the texture you want for the rice, with less broth for more firm rice. When I made this, I used 4 cups and it ended up being a too mushy and the leftovers were even mushier as more water was absorbed by the rice. You may want to start with 2 cups and check after 10-15 minutes whether the mixture is getting too dry (you don’t want it to stick to the bottom). Cook at a low simmer for 20-30 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt.

Serve with hot sauce, a dash of vinegar, or a squirt of lemon juice. Or if you’re feeling adventurous like me, kim-chi.

p.s. This could easily be a gluten-free dish. However, note that some commercial sausages contain bread or wheat protein as filler and artisan sausage makers often use bread to clean out their meat grinders which may result in small flecks of bread in the sausage.

*Technically, I hopped with Essbee.

Gluten-Free Coconut Sugar Cookies

Over the weekend we got a little bit of snow (ahem, 17 inches in 24 hours and the collapse of the Metrodome) here in the Twin Cities. Lots of folks were abuzz on Twitter and Facebook about plans to camp in and bake through the storm. These cookies were baked on Friday evening before the snow started falling, and I had them ready when Snowmageddon was in full force on Saturday. And yes, I took a photo of the cookies out on the fresh snow. I adapted this recipe to accommodate for some of the textural differences with the Namaste Perfect Blend gluten-free flour mix, which swaps out 1:1 with all-purpose flour. I added an extra egg to help it bind better, and the shredded coconut was added for some chewy textural contrast to the crumbly cookie, plus additional subtle flavor. Lemon zest counteracts what I often find is a borderline cloying quality of sugar cookies. Even when the cookies get harder, they are great when briefly dipped in some tea.

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups flour 
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 c. butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon (optional)
• Turbinado sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and shredded coconut. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. For best results, chill the dough for at least 20-30 min. before working into balls.
3. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and roll in the turbinado sugar. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Chocolate Silk Pie with Almond-Date Crust

Here’s a no-bake, gluten-free pie for you to enjoy this Thanksgiving or later this holiday season. I was inspired by the Almonds and Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate bar by Chocolove (found at your local co-op or fancy grocer). My roommate, Sara, told me about this no-bake crust recipe that she uses in a raw, vegan pumpkin pie. I adapted the chocolate filling recipe from the internets. Next time, I’m going to try this crust with a chocolate torte filling.

Crust:

• 1-1/2 to 2 cups pitted dates, roughly chopped
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups almonds  (other nuts such as pecans, walnuts)
• A few tablespoons of water

Filling:

• 3/4 c.  (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• Coarse sea salt, crushed

Separately process the dates and the almonds in a food processor; do not over process almonds. Mix dates and ground almonds in a bowl, add water a tablespooon at a time to help the dates and almonds stick together. Press the date-almond mix into the bottom of a pie dish, all the way up the sides. (Crust can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge).

With the paddle attachment of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well each time. Add vanilla and melted chocolate.  Pour chocolate filling into crust and smooth out. Sprinkle with extra chopped almonds and sea salt flakes (sparingly with the salt!). Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Tabbouleh / Tab(b)ouli Salad

Among the many treasures of my new neighborhood in Northeast Minneapolis is the tabbouleh from Emily’s Lebanese Deli (not to be confused with a lesbian deli). A traditional Lebanese dish, tabbouleh is a salad made with bulgur wheat (warning: not gluten free), a LOT of parsley, mint, tomato, lemon, green onions, olive oil, and salt. Emily’s version plays up the lemon quite a bit and is a light but punchy accompaniment to any of the other meatier main dishes. Or it could stand as the star with some pita or rice. 

I have made tabbouleh a few times at home, and it is a great recipe in the summer time. Light, easy to transport to picnics, and makes use of a lot of items that are in-season at the farmer’s market. Like many other salads, the beauty lies in its abundant returns with respect to flavor and satisfaction, especially given the ease of execution. If you are trying to watch your gluten intake, you can substitute quinoa or brown rice, prepared according to the proper water:grain ratio.

Tabbouleh, from the Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook

(serves 8)

• 1 c. bulgar wheat (or quinoa)
• 1-1/2 c. boiling water (2:1 ratio of water:quinoa, if you’re subbing)
• 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1/4 c. olive oil 
• 3-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 c. minced green onions/scallions, white and green parts 
• 1 c. chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium diced
• 2 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Place the bulgar in a large bowl, pour in boiling water, add lemon juice, olive oil, and 1-1/2 tsp. salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour.

Add the green onions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 tsp. salt and the pepper. Mix well. Season to taste and serve, or cover and refrigerate. It really tastes best after a few hours in the fridge.

Carrot-and-Chickpea Salad

Hello, June! Picnic potluck season has officially begun, and let’s face it - you probably don’t want to be spending a lot of time in the hot kitchen preparing your contribution. I always turn to salads because they’re usually easy, fast, and can make use of ingredients that are cheap or in season. Here’s a recipe for a carrot and chickpea salad that I brought to a potluck a while back. Smoky paprika and cumin get a punch with cayenne, and the whole thing is leveled out with fresh cilantro. This will be even more awesome when carrots come back into season in a couple of months.

Carrot-and-Chickpea Salad

Recipe from Food & Wine magazine, May 2010

• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds
• 2 packed cups cilantro leaves and stems
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. sweet smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
• 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Two 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used 1 c. dried chickpeas, soaked overnight then boiled)
• 1 lb. carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded

1. In a food processor, combine lemon juice with minced garlic and let stand for 15 minutes. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the almonds and toast over moderate heat, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Drain the toasted almonds on paper towels and let cool.

2. Transfer half of the almonds to the food processor. Add the cilantro, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper and pulse until chopped. Add the olive oil and process to a chunky paste. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a large bowl. Add the chickpeas and carrots and toss. Garnish with the remaining almonds and serve. 

This can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight. Garnish with toasted almonds before serving.

The Science of Why Brussels Sprouts Get a Bad Rap

When I was a high school sophomore learning French, I remember Mme. Simon explaining the term “mon petit chou.” It was hard for a 16-year-old American girl to see the endearing quality of Pierre telling Marie that she is “my little cabbage.” All I could think of were brussels sprouts, even though I had never really seen or experienced them before. Brussels sprouts were like some kind of mythological or prehistoric figure, a unicorn or wooly mammoth of the vegetable world. I could only conjure up what I thought they were supposed to look and taste like based on second hand experience via television shows and young adult fiction. Little heads of cabbage, bland, bitter, gross.

It turns out that the bad rap has a scientific basis. Brussels sprouts belong to the Brassica oleracea genus of the Cruciferae family. Along with relatives broccoli, cauliflower, and kale, the Brassicas are blessed with a high dosage of glucosinolates - a class of organic compounds that produce the much maligned bitter taste. McGee (2004) notes in On Food and Cooking that the sprouts’ tightly bound leaf structure results in a concentration of glucosinolates in the center of the sprout head. Therefore, the best way to leach out the culprit is to halve and blanch the suckers. Furthermore, a study by Goodrich, Anderson, and Stoewsand (2007) found that water blanching was more effective than steam blanching in reducing the glucosinolate content in both broccoli and brussels sprouts. Even more interesting: the reduction was significantly greater in the broccoli, posited to be due to the aforementioned differences in physical structure. McGee also points out that two of the glucosinolates in brussels sprouts act in opposite directions - one moving rapidly from sweet to bitter and another moving slowly from bitter to sweet. This may be why the classic preparation of slow-roasted, halved brussels sprouts results in the perfect equilibrium of sweetness. (Isn’t science awesome?)

Anyway, so I didn’t know all of this fun science before I made this pasta dish you see pictured above - which means that it was on the bitter side, with an extra side of bitterness via the radicchio. (I think that’s what I was going for…I can’t remember, it’s been so long). You could certainly try blanching the sprouts before sautéing.

Now that I have some real-world experience avec les petits chous, I find that they are indeed charming in their own way. I charge you, reader, to give brussels sprouts a fair shot - armed with science and a desire to find the good in every vegetable!

Brussels Sprouts and Radicchio Pasta Salad

• Shaved brussels sprouts
• Finely chopped radicchio
• Slivered, unsalted roasted almonds
• Dried cranberries
• Parm-Reg to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil and butter for sautéing 
• Whole wheat pasta

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I also included some awesome Italian sausage from Clancy’s that I decased.