Happy Halloween

Hope this makes someone out there smile! This gave me a much needed laugh. These poor pumpkins make the ultimate sacrifice to make our holidays festive. Don't they ?

Eating Mud Pies in Haiti

I was making dinner for Foti and had MSNBC in the background. I heard the most disturbing story about Haitians eating mud for daily sustenance. Upon hearing this, I immediately stopped what I was doing to watch the story. 

The reporter explained that high fuel prices have increased transportation and food costs on wheat, corn and rice. In fact, food prices have spiked over 40% in the last year in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Since most Haitians can't afford rice, they eat cookies made of dried yellow dirt as their daily nutrition. 

In the past, pregnant women and children would eat the dirt cookies as a source of calcium or as an antacid. Now, they're eating these hard disks made of mud, salt, and vegetable shortening, as daily meals. This is what most poor families eat 3 times a day.

To make matters worse, several hurricanes this year have flooded crop fields in several Caribbean countries.   Haiti must import most of its food and that means higher prices at the markets.  A $5 bag of 100 mud cookies is the only affordable option for most. 

This upsets me to the core. There is no reason why anyone on this planet should have to eat dried mud. Besides parasites and the fowl taste of dirt, I'm sure there's a myriad of more unpleasantries that are associated with eating these "dirt cookies". Cookies should be made of flour, sugar, eggs and should have some yummy chip, chocolate or nut. Maybe all three if you're lucky.

This is a crisis; it's an epidemic that's plaguing this world we all share. With the abundance of food in our country, I can't help but feel guilty every time I throw something away that "went stale" or "expired". Why did I overbuy ? Maybe I was hungry when I went shopping for food-- a common problem I have. Just because we can spend , doesn't mean we should spend. Maybe I could have sent $20 to Haiti or the Philippines, and made a REAL difference in someone's life ?

When I went to Greece, I saw a few homeless people and no one begging for food. Maybe it was the towns I stayed in, but the abundance of food was all around. Birds and stray animals feasted on grapes, figs and pomegranates. In almost 1 month, I saw no one begging for food. So why can't it be this way in all countries with declining markets and temperate climates? Corporate greed, lack of caring or maybe both. There is always a positive role we can play on this earth. We are so ignorant to the way most people in third world countries live and the measures they take for daily survival. I have bigger future plans to address this hunger issue, but I can only help what's going on now. I do my part whenever I can. There's just always something we can do for less fortunate people; PERIOD.

The Beet Goes On...

I think beets get a bad rap. I'm already working on cooking class proposals for Spring 2009, and had beets on the brain. I was considering sprinkling in some of my favorite beet recipes into my curriculum, but then suddenly paused. Why ? 

Beets are fantastic! They are full of flavor, color and great nutrition. Beets are the sweetest vegetable I know, next to carrots. Eh. What's so cool about carrots? You can mash, pickle, roast, saute, drink and puree beets. Not to mention, you can dye other foods with beets and even make interesting stamps with them.

Hesitation to adding beets into my cooking classes derives from most people having an utter disdain for them. A canned beet taste NOTHING like a fresh beet. It's like comparing a fresh pineapple to a canned one. They are from 2 totally different planets and there's simply no comparison. It's just that most people can stomach a canned pineapple, but not a canned beet.

Beets just don't translate into anything appealing to the average joe. All I am saying is, give beets a chance. If you totally hate them.... just give them a second, third, or fourth chance until you like them!

Top 5 Reasons I LOVE BEETS:

1. Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Ravioli with White Truffle Oil atop Sunflower Sprouts.(My  personal recipe that I'm extremely proud of,  and I try make this as often as possible.)

2. Fresh beet juice blended with a few slices of honey crisp apple and organic honey.

3. Beets are low in fat, but high in Vitamins A & C.

4. Beets are an excellent food for pregnant women. (I have 5 friends that are preggers so this is right up their alley.)

5. Here is my educational tid-bit: Research in Hungary indicated that beet juice and its powdered form slowed the development of tumors. A Dr. Alexander Ferenczi observed beets aiding cancer patients. He also concluded that beets seems to help animals fight cancer too!

Lemon Kissed Shrimp a la Whole Wheat Spaghetti

I think the foodie bug has officially bitten my best girl friend from college, Chelsea. 

Chelsea is going through a challenging time right now. She's giving up her, "Eat Everything in Sight" card, just in time for the holiday season. This is arguably, the best time of the year for food lovers alike. Does she honestly think she'll be able to resist my coconut cream cheesecake or gingersnap-pumpkin trifle at my uncle's yearly, christmas bash? Poor girl. I will support her until she cracks.

First, she wanted to learn about spices. Now, she's moving on to actual recipes. She asked me for a sample of some healthy recipes to hold her over until my cookbook comes out. So I left a packet of recipes from my last cooking class at Central Market in Houston.  There were at least 5 delicious fall recipes, which included personal tips and handwritten notes from my class. Nevertheless, she left the packet on her bedroom floor. Did I mention, she adopted a new dog named Jackson who isn't potty trained? I'm sure you see where this is going. She's now high and dry. No recipe packet to get her started. 

 

So like the true friend that I am, I'm posting this recipe for Chelsea and those like her. 

Bon Appetite!

Lemon Kissed Shrimp a la Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Lemon Oil: 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil & 1 medium lemon-zested (combine and set aside)

Pasta Ingredients: 

1 pound of Whole Wheat Spaghetti

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 tsp of chili flakes

1 small shallot-minced

1-3 cloves of garlic-minced

1 pound of fresh jumbo shrimp(raw, peeled and deviened)

3 cups of baby arugula or spinach

3 tablespoons of flat-leaf parsley

1.First cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. (7-9 minutes)

2.Drain and reserve 1/3 cup of starchy liquid.

3.In a large, stainless steel skillet warm the lemon oil over medium-high heat.

4.Next add shallots, and garlic and cook for 1 minute.

5.Then season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet.

6.Cook for 3-5 minutes or just until shrimp is pink on all sides. DO NOT OVER COOK!!!

7.Mix cooked spaghetti, lemon juice, lemon zest, chili flakes and season with additional salt and pepper.

8.Turn the heat off and add arugula or spinach and toss until evenly combined.

9.Add chopped parsley at the end. 

10.Serve immediately.

OPTIONAL: ( ADD :freshly grated parmesan cheese and/or 1/3 cup of heavy cream for the real version!)

There you have it. A healthy and tasty meal for 2 in under 20 minutes!

Paula Deen. Freaky or Funny lady ?

I just got my cable back. I lived without it for awhile, but missed shows like No Reservations, Jon and Kate Plus 8, Project Runway and a few other guilty pleasures. After finishing a fall cooking class at Lake Austin Spa, I decided to plop on my comfy couch with a Miller Chill and peruse the channels. 

A loud cackling laugh caught my attention and there she was, Paula Deen. Everyone knows she loves butter and all things fattening. She definitely isn't afraid to show it either! I love that she has fun and find her less annoying than several other people on the food network. That being said, I continued to watch her show, "Paula's Party" in a coma-like state of exhaustion. She was making chocolate covered peanut brittle and it didn't look half bad. In fact, it looked pretty good! She was saying "ya'll" a lot and just looked like she was having fun. Until I saw her have a little too much fun...

I'm definitely not a prude by any means and have no desire to be a nun, but that woman has totally lost her marbles. She put her arms around this sweet, old southern man who made candy for a living. She dipped some candy in a big chocolate machine with gloves and then put chocolate on this man's face. Paula kissed him right on the lips twice! Afterwards she began licking the chocolate off both sides of his cheeks and this man's face was as red as a turnip. She then sat on another guy's lap and fed him chocolate dipped peanut logs. By the way, the last guy seemed to be WAY into to it.

Am I crazy for thinking grandmas shouldn't be acting like this or what ?! Maybe she can get away with this because she is older? If Giada or Sandra Lee acted like this I definitely think they would called out nationally. They would be accused of using their looks or sexy image to sell their show, but I guess when you're over 50 you can go bananas. People will just think, "That Paula is so silly!"

It seems to be working, so more power to her !

College Students on Food Stamps

According to collegefinder.com, some Florida State students are getting food stamps because they can't afford their basic food groups. The website goes on to say that over 54,000 students have benefited from food stamps, which is a 44% increase over this past year. 

This seems to be trend that's happening at universities and colleges all around the country. It seems families aren't the only ones struggling with rising grocery prices and a downward economy.

On abcnews.go.com that there was a student from Benedict College in South Carolina named Terry Capleton. He started a facebook group called, "I Ain't Afraid to be on Food Stamps" and there other groups on facebook with similar names.

This is astonishing! I delved into this subject more with research via the web and discovered students from New York, New Hampshire, California, Washington and Texas are all applying for food stamps. Regardless of the negative connotation, I think it's sad that so many students are working to improve their life and can't afford food. They should be concerned with their class subject, homework and graduation. I think this is a reason dumpster diving is becoming so popular. People are going to great lengths to survive in this tragic economic crisis. Without proper nutrition, how can students concentrate on their education ? We all can do our part, even if our part is small. Small parts do collectively make a whole.

I've volunteered teaching cooking classes for local food banks. I taught people how to get creative with less expensive ingredients, but there is always more to do! Donating food year-round is a great way to address the epidemic. Everyone I know, thankfully, has so much food. I will definitely donate to my local food bank every month and not just on holidays. People are hungry year-round and not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Besides, how long could a turkey and mashed potatoes possibly last? DONATE TO YOUR FOOD BANK TODAY!!!

Murder Mystery Dinner Party

Tonight I catered a Murder Mystery dinner. It was raining cats and dogs, which made it extremely challenging shopping for special ingredients. I don't particularly enjoy shopping last minute, but I insist that food is always fresh for my clients; so I deal with it.

There was much thought and care put into my dishes in order to enhance this party. Being creative is something I take pride in. I even seasoned many dishes with smoked black sea salt and purple salt to add that spooky edge to the meal. It's those little details that no one does, but everyone remembers after a fabulous evening with friends.

Most people dressed up in character, but there were a few who didn't. This troubled me. Why attend a murder mystery if you aren't really into it 100%. Another thing that troubled me was the coordinator. She lacked enthusiasm for her own event.  Here's where I'm going to get on my soap box:  The hostess had cheesy clues. She didn't require people to dress their part. The decor for the part was minimal. And there was no prize or photographer. The most exciting thing about the party was my food.

Maybe no one ever taught her how to throw her own party?

7 STEPS to throwing a GREAT Murder Mystery Party :

1. Have a fabulous theme, story and engaging characters.

2. Decorate like you mean it! There is a Party Pig, Party City, Michael's, Target and Wal-mart in every town (unless you live in Iowa like my Aunt, but even she is a great decorator), so there is no excuse not to get into the spirit of things for your own darn party.

3. Make OR order memorable, playful and delicious food for your guests. Trying to solve a murder can work up an appetite and life is too short to eat junk.

4. Clues that make sense are a "good thing." ( Care of Martha Stewart.)

5. On that note, maybe even go to her website :www.marthastewart.com. She definitely doesn't need a plug from lil ole me, but she got one. She has all kinds of crafty, seasonal ideas that you can water down and make your own.

6. Have a photographer or someone to take photos. You're making memories people ! Who doesn't need a good blackmail picture of your friend dressed in character?

7. Everyone loves prizes. Get a prize for your winner. What prize? A great bottle of wine is a great prize. Need a recommendation from a chef ? OK, I love Inheritance, Syrah. It's amazing with steak or equally enjoyable with a chocolate truffle. It's a versatile wine. 

Now, I'm trying to plan a murder mystery party for myself and some friends.  I'll definitely follow my own 7 step program to insure a successful event! 

Herb vs. Spice -What's the difference?

                     Herbs      VS    Spices

Herbs(Herbaceous) are from the leaves of non-woody plants. Generally they have some medicinal value and are used primarily in savory cooking; however,they can be used in some sweet dishes as well. Herbs grow well in temperate climates. Some have no culinary value to them at all. A good rule of thumb is to use fresh herbs at the end of cooking. If you don't, herbs often turn black from oxidation or lose their flavor, especially when high heat is involved. 

Examples of popular herbs:

Thyme, Sage, Oregano, Parsley, Marjoram, Basil, Chives, Rosemary and Mint.

_________________________________________________________________

Spices are from roots, flowers, seeds, fruits or bark. Spices were traded and used as currency in the 15th century, thanks to Mr. Christopher Columbus. Spices come whole or ground and can loose their intensity if left to sit in your cupboards too long. I throw spices out after 3-6 months of not using them. Their flavor is too dull and stale for my taste. (See previous blog on spices!) A good rule of thumb is to use spices when start cooking to give depth to your dish. 

Examples of popular spices:

Cinnamon(Bark of Cinnamon Tree), Ginger(root), Cloves(Flower bud), Saffron(Stigma;female reproductive part of saffron crocus), Nutmeg(seed), Cumin(seed) and Vanilla Bean(undeveloped fruit of an orchid) 

Spice up your life!

It never ceases to amaze me why people don't cook! One of my closest friends, Chelsea, seen in the picture above, used to hate to cook. With me as a friend, why should she, right? To my utter delight, she's finally taking an interest in cooking. I insist that she does most of her cooking from scratch. She needs to learn the right way. My way!

So what's preventing this smart, busy sales executive in her late twenties from cooking on a regular basis? I thought for sure it would be hassle of having to do all the dishes or just being tired from work. I was wrong! It was spices? How? What? Why?

Chelsea called me on her way home from work last night and asked me if I had any dishes with the same 4-5 spices. I was puzzled. Why would anyone want to make dishes with the same 4 spices?  It's like going to your Grandma's house and having all the dishes taste like thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Even worse, it's like eating Indian everyday. Too much of a good thing can bore any pallet. It's not just chefs who like variety!

I asked her, " Why do you want to learn how to cook with the same spices?"

She went on to explain that she finds recipes to make (better all be mine) and then buys jars of  spices that range from $4-$8. The problem is that she doesn't cook enough to use them before they turn bad or forgets she even bought them. Chels would spend $30-$40 on making a meal for two. Which raises a valid point, "Why not just eat out for that amount?"

I won't get on my chef pedestal and explain why we should be conscious of what we eat and spend time talking around a table. I could go on, but I won't. Is overspending on spices a significant reason why many people don't cook and/or experiment in their own kitchens? I always assumed it was sheer laziness, exhaustion, lack of interest or addiction to fast food. I thought everyone knew about the bulk isle of the grocery stores like Central Market, Whole Foods, Wild Oats or Fiesta? I guess I was wrong.

As a chef, I make crazy adventurous things ALL the time. I guess it's my job, but it's also my passion. Making the same thing in the same week or two would be career suicide for me. Plus, Foti is accustomed to not knowing what to expect to eat when he comes home. It's our thing. That's how we roll in Casa de Kallergis. I would spend a small fortune on spices if I got a jar of every single new spice I used. 

The beauty about the bulk isle is that you get what you need. Plain and simple. Just because there is a large scoop, doesn't mean you have to fill your zip bag to the tippy top. As a general rule, spices are usually fresher in the bulk isle.  Also, you can get what you need without breaking the bank. It's also a great way to try a new or unfamiliar spice without investing a lot of money. So cook and bake away!  One less excuse not to meet and eat around your table. Happy Cooking Chelsers =)

The bestest Pumpkin Bread

With Halloween fast approaching, who doesn't enjoy a nice slice of pumpkin bread with a nice slab of butter brushed across it? Whether you enjoy this favorite fall treat alone, with butter(wink, wink) or in a bread pudding...it's sure to be a hit!

I just made this at a cooking class in Houston and was happy to hear that some people will be making this for their neighbors. Do any of us even know our neighbors, let alone bake for them? It makes me mushy all inside just thinking about it =)

So instead of giving your kids those nasty, sugar filled, rot your teeth, hurt your tummy candies that are artificially made to resemble Halloween colors, make them something wholesome and delicious. Of course, I mean my pumpkin bread.  I'm sharing my recipe, so enjoy. 

1 1/4 cup finely granulated sugar

1 cup turbinado sugar

3 tablespoons of molasses

1 cup of organic canola oil

3 large brown eggs

1 lb of freshly roasted pumpkin, mashed

1 teaspoon each of mace, allspice, nutmeg & cinnamon

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

Optional:dried apricots or cranberries and/or walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Mix all your sifted dry ingredients and spices together.

3. Mix eggs, molasses and pumpkin thoroughly in a separate bowl.

4. Combine dry and wet ingredients together.

5. Add dried fruit and/or nuts at the end.

6. Divide batter into 2 regular side loaf pans that have been buttered and floured.

7. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick come clean from the center.

8. Turn loaves on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

9. Enjoy ...yes, that is an actual step!

Sacrificing for Food

It was another restless night, packing before I made my monthly trek from Austin to Houston. I was stressing over memorizing all the recipes I was going to teach at my 2 cooking classes at Central Market. (For those of you who don't live in Texas, CM is a food lover's paradise and Whole Foods' major local competitor.) 

That being said, I had just canceled our cable while Foti(my husband) and I were in Greece for nearly 3 weeks. I had forgotten to turn it back on so I didn't have the option of catching up on my usual favs which include Project Runway, Heroes, Jon & Kate Plus 8 and No Reservations. I was stuck with local news and PBS. Good ole PBS. I get my news in sound bite increments from my husband, a local TV reporter throughout the day. Therefore, I have no desire to watch stale, regurgitated information. I decided to bore myself to sleep with a monotone, 5th grade history illustration of some animal in need of my money/help. I love PBS but they have some sorry fillers at 1 a.m. Just saying...

To my delight, surprise and dismay there was a poignant story of a 16-year-old girl named Yu Shui, who struggled to help her poor farm family survive. I started watching as I saw her tears and then stopped packing my things to read the sub captions of what was going on in her life.

Her mom, dad and young siblings were huddled around a candle having a family meeting of sorts. Their home consisted of mud, a few broken boards above them, a small table for eating and a few thin blankets. "Modest means" is a drastic understatement in this case. Yu Shui was upset that she was leaving her family to work on a ship. She had to leave because her parents could no longer provide food for the family. She was their only hope. Her father held his head down in shame and her mom apologized for not knowing how to read and provide for the family. There was no more food to farm she explained. 

Yu Shui packed one small plastic bag of clothes and was on her way. She was going to be a dishwasher on a cruise ship in China. There was a bunch of teenagers from ages 15-19. They were all trying to improve their social-economic situation for themselves and their families. Some were greeters, bell men, karaoke singers, cooks and servers. Dishwasher was at the bottom of the totem pole.Yu Shui worked all day and night. Her only "time off" was when the ship docked for guests. Sometimes the boat would dock for the workers to their families for a few  hours. Those moments were rare.

In one scene, Yu Shui burst into tears. It was all too overwhelming. She was being told to work harder, quicker and do a better job or she would be replaced. No one consoled her. A coworker advised her,"Work harder. This is easy work. Focus. Maybe one day you could move up to be a server? Upstairs is where they make the tips."

Yu Shui gained composure then began scrubbing cups and plates again. She wiped her tears and kept on going. 

The next scene is where she greets her family for the first time. The first questions they asked were, "How often do you eat? How often do they serve you meat?"

My heart sank. Not even a "How are you?" They wanted to know her food situation.

She answered, "I eat meat and vegetables everyday." Her parents' eyes were filled with sadness and maybe envy, but they were also happy for her. The ship manager tells Yu Shui's parents that she can fulfill all their broken dreams. She can make a difference in all their lives.

She gave most of her money to her parents to buy food and eventually she was able to move them all into a small, square, concrete apartment, in a slum part of the city. They were elated. She only kept enough money for her food. It was such a tremendous sacrifice for a girl of her age.

The next morning when I went to Houston, I had newfound humility. I remember when I washed seemingly endless piles of dishes in culinary school and even after. My incentive was that one day I could work all the stations and become a chef that owns my own company. I had incentive to move on to bigger things. Did Yu Shui? Was it just her means to an end ? Either way, I taught both of my classes with Yu Shui in the corner of my mind. 

I respect the food I work with, the people who help prepare it, serve it and clean up after all of us. Because food is a necessity, it has created millions of jobs over the years. All are honorable. All are respectable. This show was a reminder of that and how much gratitude I have for being a part of my local food community.

 

Why blog about food?

There are so many reasons people blog nowadays. Some peeps write to vent, talk about their travels or shake off boredom at their job. But in my case, it's to write about food in my life.

Who doesn't love food ? I guess those suffering from anorexia, bulimia or the occasional stomach flu; however, they still have some sort of relationship with food. Everyone must eat in order to survive. Since we all need food to live, why not learn more about it ? I try to learn something about food everyday. Yet, I can't ever know enough.

Food is my most pleasurable necessity, and at times, it's my consoler. It unifies all people.

Each week, I plan to serve up my adventures with food, exploration in the food world and maybe an occasional recipe. I predict some entries will be serious, some silly and others might just be thought provoking. Definitely anything food related is fair game! "Food for Thought" will be chicken soup for your "foodie" soul.