Raw Zucchini Walnut Bread

When I used to be Raw Vegan, this recipe was a staple in my diet. It's a recipe that has questionable ingredients since it's raw, but is definitely something worthy of saying, "the end justifies the means."

I had been Raw for almost a year without a dehydrator and remember begging and begging my parents for an Excalibur for Christmas. On Christmas morning I was the lucky one that got exactly what she wanted (never happened again), and had to test out the good immediately. I had seen a recipe in Cafe Gratitude's cookbook for some raw onion bread and that sounded so bizarre to me. How could a raw onion not be extremely overpowering, even if it's in the dehydrator for a long period of time? Although the recipe only consisted of two ingredients--onions and walnuts--and required a food processor instead of a high-speed blender, the results were amazing. The onion is slow cooked--just as if you had done a confit--and had a sweet, milder flavor. The nuttiness of the walnut was a perfect compliment as well--my only problem with everything was the weak consistency of the bread. Since it was full of onion slices only held together by ground walnuts, it was a floppy substitute for anything I would want to use it for, except eating it by itself. This is when I started to adapt and improve upon the recipe.

The adaptation I created has been successful dozens of times. It's most definitely a kitchen sink recipe because the ingredients are just a suggestion as long as you stay with the base, onions and walnuts. Sometimes if the moisture ratio is off, the bread will dehydrate with cracks or holes, which is simple to improvise with--just dehydrate longer and make crackers! I will soon included my favorite recipe to make with the raw bread, which makes for an enormous amount of flavor.


Materials:

• Dehydrator
• High-Speed Blender

Ingredients: (makes 1 dehydrator tray)

• 1 medium onion
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 zucchini
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fennel powder
• About 1/2 cup water

*I omit pepper from this recipe because it tends to make the mixture bitter.

Directions:

• Place all of the ingredients into the blender and add a little water to loosen up everything to make for an even texture. Blend until it's a smooth consistency. (You can make the mixture as smooth or chunky as you would like, it's purely based on personal taste.)
• Pour the contents of the blender over the mesh sheet of the dehydrator tray that has been lined with a Teflex sheet. If you don't have a Teflex sheet, just use a fitted sheet of waxed paper. You want to use a non-stick sheet over the mesh sheet so that the liquid doesn't seep through the little holes. Score the wet batter however you would like your bread or crackers to break. I usually just divide the mixture into 4. 
• Replace the rack back into the dehydrator and set the temperature between 110-120ºF. 
• The next part is the hard part: the waiting game. This could take anywhere between 18 hours to 2 days, depending on if you want this recipe to set into bread or crackers. After about 12 hours, or when the mixture has properly solidified, I flip the sheet upside down to evenly dehydrate the other side of the bread. I do this by placing another trace with the mesh sheet (without the Teflex sheet) on top of the bread and quickly flipping it upside down. 
• At this point dehydrate for as long as it takes to make the bread sturdy enough to hold and break along the divisions easily. 
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeps for about a week. Warm up in the dehydrator to freshen up!

Pickled Radishes

It may have been one of those unusual foods to grow up with, but I can't think of my childhood without the memory of my grandma's pickles. She pickled everything from regular cucumbers to cauliflower to carrots to jalapeño peppers. My entire family has the highest tolerance to heat so she would make them extremely spicy. I have fond memories of my grandpa eating her spicy pickles peppers and using the handkerchief he always carried around to wipe the beads of sweat off of his forehead. There was never a moment in my childhood where I would go to my Mama's house and there wouldn't be a row of pickle jars with an array of fermenting veggies. They were famous amongst my friends--nothing could beat that balance of sour and salty that so many of us crave.

My version is definitely different from my Mama's easy, out-of-sight version of pickling. I've recently become obsessed with the book Wild Fermentation and was inspired by his kimchi recipe using any kind of vegetables. He mentioned using root vegetables, so instead of using an assortment, I decided to use the 3 beautiful bunches of red radishes I already had laying around in my fridge. All of the remaining ingredients were already in my fridge as well and I realized how simple it was to make something that seriously intimidated me for years!

Just like miso, this recipe takes a bit more patience, but the end results are absolutely fantastic. That fermented effervescence--the bubbly sensation--that the radishes emit after lounging in their brine is so eye-opening. It's a very different mouth-feel to a regular pickle and the flavor that this particular recipe provides is a much bolder flavor too.

Materials:

• Crock, 2+ gallons
• Plate
• Heavy weight

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups of radishes, or other root veggies of choice
• 1/2 onion
• 4-5 garlic gloves
• 2 green chilis
• 2+ tbsp ginger
• 1/4-1/3 cup salt
• 1/4 cup sugar (optional)

Directions:

• Wash the radishes very thoroughly. Trim off the limp green stems, but be sure to leave some of the green showing instead of shaving it off the entire radish. 
• Place the radishes in the crock and fill with enough water to cover. Add about 1/4 cup salt and agitate water so it all dissolves. If the water tastes like the sea, success, if not, add a few more tablespoons and repeat. 
• Using a plate that's smaller than the diameter of the crock, or anything else that can keep the radishes completely submerged under the water. Leave overnight or up to 24 hours in the salt brine. 
• After time has elapsed, drain water into bowl in order to save brine for later. 
• Mince the onion, garlic, ginger and chili very finely or crush with a mortar and pestle. Mix together with the radishes then reincorporate some of the brine liquid to just barely cover the mixture. Reinsert the plate and weigh down with a heavy jar or can. 



The Finished Product.

• Day after day check on the radishes, and every so often taste them to see how they transform over time. You'll find they have changed after at least a week. After a few weeks the effervescence becomes noticeable, and from there you can take the kimchi as far as you want to go. I left mine to ferment for about a month, using the actual vessel to weight down my miso. Once they pickle to your liking, you can either jar them and halt the fermentation process in the refrigerator, or keep them jarred on the counter where they will continue to bubble and pickle.  

Bartavelle: The Start of Every Day

Considering that this is the place I go to with my boyfriend religiously every single day, you'd think there would be a post about it a lot earlier.

When I first moved to Berkeley there was a cafe literally 3 blocks from us called Café Fanny that served amazing espresso drinks and simple bites. I was ecstatic that there was a place so close to us serving extraordinary coffee because I am, admittedly and embarrassingly, an espresso snob. I'm so ashamed but it's the truth; I am a straight up bitch when it comes to how my coffee is made, and there's no telling what I will do, or have done, when it's done improperly. With the proper care and attention to detail, it's so simple to make the perfect espresso drink so when it's completely ruined it's the most disappointing thing ever, which sadly stays with me throughout the whole day.

Anyways, right when I got settled in Berkeley, Café Fanny closed. I was devastated to say the very least. But when this small sign with a bird saying a coffee and wine bar was soon to be opened instead, my hopes rose once more. Just based on the cute sign alone (pictured above) I knew that this was going to be a place I would frequent and a place that cared. It was a coffee and wine bar, two things that make life better--it had to be awesome.

Before the opening of the new cafe, outside they would set up a small espresso cart every morning and serve strictly espresso drinks from Sightglass beans. I'm a giant Blue Bottle fan and wasn't extremely familiar with Sightglass, but the moment I had my first soy cappuccino here, they converted me into a firm believer.

Months later with a cute storefront open for business, this is where my boyfriend and I choose to start each and every day with 2 soy lattes--or if we're feeling decadent, 2 soy mochas. I've had a lot of soy lattes, cappuccinos, and sometimes americanos here and every single time it is perfect. Perfectly pulled espresso, perfectly hot (not luke warm like most gourmet coffee joints) steamed soymilk, perfectly crafted latte art. Consistently. There's been a lot of places throughout the East Bay, Peninsula, and South Bay that I've been to serving an incredible espresso drink, but I haven't yet been to a place that delivers an extremely satisfying drink 100% of the time--except Bartavelle.

My most recent soy latte from this morning.

On top of serving up the most delicious drinks I could ever ask for, the people serving them are the nicest, warmest people who we definitely look forward to seeing just as much as we look forward to sipping our drinks. I love walking in and receiving a hug from Morgan, the girl my age who works the register, and talking about our obsession with cats; then catching up with the manager Sam, and the barista, Cameron about what we did during the holidays or just catching up on the week's events. Sam's mom not only owns the new nook, but is frequently working there, beautifully arranging pickles on a wooden board or meticulously chopping hazelnuts. Nick's family friend also can be found behind the counter preparing the small bites as we interrupt her to catch up as well.  

We're always in there super early before our Berkeley Bowl run and always say we're going to come back for wine and something to eat. The menu sounds and looks absolutely mouth watering. So simple,  yet so pristine and perfect looking. Everything Bartavelle puts on a wooden board looks so thoughtfully and carefully placed, from their housemade pickles to their wonderfully thought out crostini. Of course there are non-vegan items on the menu, but there are definitely vegan noms available like their avocado on Acme levain with salt and pepper. Probably one of my favorite dishes that I STILL haven't tried! They also have a beautiful assortment of brought in pastries that are by far the best I've ever had at any bakery hands down. I tried them when I wasn't vegan and they are definitely filled with butter, and are melt-in-your-mouth delectable treats.

Today was just another lazy day, even though we of course already had our early morning Bartavelle and Berkeley Bowl run. The day was full of reading and cooking and relaxing, but when 5pm rolled around, Nick and I felt we should go out--after all it is Friday evening. So finally FINALLY we made our way over to Bartavelle with the intention of having a glass of wine. We trekked the 3 blocks and greeted the friendly faces upon our arrival. We were not there for our typical soy lattes, but instead ordered a red wine and a rosé (the rosé for me, I was feeling the lighter side of wine tonight). Needless to say both choices were delicious, and it was pleasant and peaceful to finally sit down on the benches and enjoy what we've ordered. I was definitely happy to have visited for the second time in a day, which wasn't the first time either. Okay, next time we'll order food and then I'll have to report again...

Kitchari

A couple years ago my boyfriend went to Albuquerque, New Mexico to study Ayurvedic medicine. Lots of it involved yoga, chart reading, and learning about food and Ayurvedic cooking. When he came home, all of his newfound cooking knowledge rubbed off on me and in return I learned a few new dishes that were completely unheard of to me--one of them being the rice dish, kitchari.

In Ayurveda, each person is understood by their dosha, which describes 3 different kinds of body compositions as well as a state of being. Pita, Kapha, and Vata. Each has something the other doesn't and describes a person from their physical self, to their behavior, and most definitely their diet. Kitchari is considered a very satvik food, which is to say it's balancing and pure in the Ayurvedic diet. It helps everyone, regardless of their dosha. I think if my boyfriend read this, there would be a lot more he would want to expand on. :)

Anyways, I really do like the recipe because it's an extremely tasty and hearty dish that warms your tummy and leaves you full and perfectly satisfied. It's definitely an excellent dish for anyone who likes the taste of Indian food, but not overpowering flavors. There are many spices in this dish, but nothing too eccentric or hard to find. Traditionally the spices are toasted with Ghee, which is just clarified butter, but since I wanted to keep it vegan, coconut oil is a great substitute. When I had this particular dish served to me in a popular Indian vegan restaurant in New Mexico, it had a softer consistency, so I decided to alter the way I make it for this purpose. Lastly, there are many variations to this dish, some traditional and some not. Mine is a take on tradition with a few extra ingredients thrown into the mix.

Toasting the Spices

Serves 2 hungry people, or 4 as a side dish.

Ingredients: (measurements are approximate and can totally be adjusted to taste)

• 1 cup white Basmati rice or short grain rice
• 1/2 cup split yellow Mung daal (found at specialty stores or Indian markets)
• Few garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tbsp turmeric
• 1/2 tbsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tbsp ginger powder
• 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tbsp fennel powder
• 1/2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
• Very generous amount of salt
• 1/2 tsp Hing (aka Asafoetida: unusual ingredient commonly found in Indian markets, optional)

Directions:

• Start by heating the oil in a medium saucepan until viscous. Add all of the spices and garlic. Toast on medium high heat--just make sure you're watching very closely so they don't burn.
• Next, add both the rice and mung daal and coat with all of the oily spices. When the mixture is fragrant and toasty, add 4 cups of water. This may seem like a large ratio for a total of 1 1/2 cups of rice and beans, but you want the end result to be a bit mushier than traditionally fluffy Basmati rice. If you really do love this texture in rice, feel free to stick with 3 cups of water. It still is very tasty, it just results in a drier product. 
• Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Put a secure top on and LEAVE IT ALONE. Taking the top of mid-cooking will release all of the steam which is NO GOOD. This will result in unevenly cooked rice. My internal clock tells me when it's just the right time to lift the lid, but I would say its about 15-20 minutes. (Yes, white rice takes no time to cook!)
• That's it, super easy! Serve while it's hot! I like mine best with some wilted greens or other steamed veggies. Something simple that doesn't compete with all of the potent flavors of the kitchari. 

Strata: Vegan Savory Bread Pudding

I'm kind of a sucker for a good casserole. It's undoubtedly a guilty pleasure and something I hate to love because a traditional casserole is so artificial. Re-doing the dish in a healthy vegan manner isn't much different though and actually tastes just as satisfying.

This particular casserole is a strata, which means a savory bread pudding. As if having a casserole wasn't enough, bread pudding takes it to the next level. It gets better though.

When making a bread pudding it's always best to go with a stale or crusty bread so it better absorbs all of the creamy goodness that goes in the mixture. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I recently went to the Vital Vittles bread bakery, and since my discovery I've made frequent visits there. This week I had some leftover sliced corn bread that was phenomenal just by itself and stale. Then with the addition of whatever was left in my fridge, I decided to throw everything together and hope for the best. Any veggie would do just fine; I've successfully used cauliflower and broccoli, as well as sweet potatoes and squash. Lastly, the secret to this dish is to season during every step of the process, or else you'll end up with a bland mess.


Ingredients:

• 1 small loaf of stale bread or 8-10 pieces of old sliced bread of your choice
• 1 package firm tofu
• 1/2 white onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 bunch of dino kale
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp (aprox.) olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3+ cups of unsweetened nut/soymilk 
• 3 tbsp egg replacer (I may have used more)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF
• Start the prep-work by chopping all of the ingredients. I diced the tofu and bread into 1/2 inch cubes; the carrots into 1/4 inch dices; the onion into thin slices; and the kale roughly chopped. 
• In a bowl combine the nut milk of you choice, herbs, nutritional yeast, egg replacer, salt and pepper. Mix well then add the cubed bread. Set aside.
• Place the carrots, garlic, onions and kale stems with oil in a large sautée pan on high and season well. Once browned and softened add the rest of the kale with the apple cider vinegar to deglaze. Once well wilted, pour the mixture into the bowl and start to sautée the tofu cubes. Season well and keep in pan until browned. Add to the bowl. 
• Now that all of the ingredients are cooked and combined, stir well until it's an homogenized mixture, but not too much as to break apart the bread. 
• Grease a casserole dish lightly with oil, then pour in contents of bowl. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until completely warmed through and browned on top. 
• Make sure to let the dish rest for at least 5 minutes before serving so everything can set into place. Then eat!

Before (left) and After (right)

Roasted Baby Beets

Beautiful Candy Cane and Golden Beets

It seems simple. Maybe because it is simple...But I don't know anything better than a perfectly roasted vegetable. Roasting the little gems brings out all of the sugars in the veggies and concentrates all of the flavor. Simple seasoning allows for the vegetable to shine and be extra delicious.

I don't know anyone who roasts a vegetable better than my mother. No matter what veggie it is (and it can be literally anything) she never fails to deliver a perfectly browned cauliflower, broccoli, or bean that has reached a soft tenderness, but still maintains a bite as to not be overcooked. No timer necessary, just her internal clock that beckons her at the right moment for each and every different vegetable.

At Berkeley Bowl I commonly frequent the 99¢ section where there are lots of pre-bagged, discounted fruits and veggies. It's an unbelievably good deal because most of the time all of the produce is in impeccable condition. In fact, I get most of my groceries from this section and am usually faced with a great selection because I go super early. Today there was a big bag of assorted baby root veggies, particularly baby beets. Red beets, candy cane beets, golden beets, round carrots, and radishes. An overdose of color and completely flawless with their greens still intact--so I had to nab them.


Ingredients:

• Any vegetable your heart desires (my personal favorites consist of cauliflower, broccoli, beets, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, squash)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• Minced rosemary or parsley (optional)
• Garlic (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425ºF
• Make sure to clean the vegetables really well, scrubbing all of the dirt from small crevices, especially if you're using root veggies. 
• Cut into uniform pieces. Even though I was using baby root veggies, there were a few oversized ones that I had to slice in half--it ended up looking beautiful because it showed the stripes in the candy cane beets. 
• Place in a large baking dish and add enough olive oil, salt and pepper so everything is well coated. 
• Roast in the oven and check on them every 10 minutes, using tongs to mix and rotate the veggies for even browning until 30-40 minutes have elapsed (depends of the size of veggies). When browned and slightly shriveled, take a small piece out and taste for doneness. Either they're ready or need a few more minutes in the oven! 
• Serve over green salads, with rice, or enjoy alone!

Creamy Kale

Kale is undoubtedly my favorite green.  I've loved it for years, and it just so happens that it's extremely healthy too--but I think that's something half the world knows by now. Kale is super trendy...

Regardless, it's my favorite green not because its trendy, but because of how versatile it is and how the taste transforms throughout all of the different cooking methods. When I'm in a jam, a kale salad is the way to go and there's nothing more crunchy and satisfying. When cooked alone until nice and soft, it's the best alternative to spinach, providing much more flavor and dimension (not to bash spinach, it's a really really close runner up). And when you need a little more kick of greens, it can be added to literally anything. Just throw some kale in a soup, in an oven, a casserole, your rice, some pasta--effortlessly delicious.

I'll probably have many more kale recipes in the future, as it's a common staple item in the fridge (my boyfriend religiously drinks green smoothies with kale), but this particular one was inspired by one of my favorite kale dishes ever. It is actually a side dish I first discovered at Palo Alto's Calafia restaurant that serves lots of yummy organic offerings and even features a vegan/vegetarian menu. I've had a ton of different things on both sides of the menu, but these greens are the reason I keep coming back. I condensed my version to just feature the greens, but the recipe can be easily adjusted to accommodate dried fruits and nuts or even substituted with whatever greens are seasonally available!

Materials:

• Medium saucepan
• High-speed blender (optional)

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch or 2 small bunches of dino (Lacinato) kale
• 1/2-3/4 cup almond butter or almonds
• 1/2 lemon or 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic clove
• Couple tbsp neutral oil
• Handful of nutritional yeast

Direction:

• Chop up all of the kale very finely, but be sure to separate the thick stem pieces from the leafy greens.
• Heat the saucepan with the oil and first add all of the stem parts along with some salt. Sautée on medium for about 10 minutes until the stems are softened. If the mixture looks a little dry, add 1/4 cup water to hydrate. 
• In the blender, add the almonds and 1/4-1/2 cup water, salt, and garlic and blend until smooth. 
• If using almond butter, just blend or stir with water, salt, and garlic until smooth.
• Add the rest of the kale with the vinegar or lemon juice and continue to sautée until tender. 
• Add the almond mixture and nutritional yeast, stir well and continue over low heat for a few minutes. (If too thick, thin out with some more water) Taste a make sure it's well seasoned with salt and pepper then serve! 

Do Chua--Vietnamese Pickles

When I first had Vietnamese food, it was an excellent and resonating first impression. Now it's my favorite food that I could eat every day and never grow tired of any of the dishes. I'm a great fan of Asian food altogether, and what I love the most about Vietnamese food is how it embodies everything that Asian food should have. It's extremely flavorful, while still maintaining a perfect balance--there's sweet, salty, crunchy, sour, bitter, and spicy components. In my opinion, it's definitely one of the healthiest of Asian cuisines, but I don't feel like I'm deprived of any indulgences. You can have a hearty pho dish with a rich broth and filling noodles, or opt for light, yet satisfying spring rolls. 

Surprisingly the item I crave the most, which may be the most simple, overlooked pleasure, is the pickled daikon radish and carrot that are served on the side of most dishes. They once again emphasize the balance of flavors that all Vietnamese dishes succeed in capturing. These radishes have an amazing tangy, spicy, sweetness to them, driving me to make them over and over again. You can easily buy them in stores, but it's just too easy to pass up making them at home. 

Materials:

• Mason jar
• Cheese grater or food processor with grating blade

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized daikon radish (about 12 inches long)
• 2 medium sized carrots
• Chili paste or 1 Thai chili
• Garlic clove
• Cilantro (optional)
• 1/4 cup distilled vinegar 
• 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
• Salt
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

• Using the grater or the food processor, shred both the carrots and the daikon. Sprinkle the pile with an extremely generous handful of salt throughout the vegetables. Let sit. 
• Meanwhile, chop the chili and garlic and mix with the vinegar, water, sugar, and cilantro in the jar. 
• By this time, the vegetables have had enough time to sit and let the salt extract excess water from them. Over the sink, take a handful at a time of the shredded veggies and squeeze them as hard as you possibly can to get rid of all of the brine moisture. Continue until all of the veggies are squeezed dry. 
• Coat the veggies with the liquid mix then pack everything into the jar. Tightly secure the lid and either refrigerate or let sit on the counter for a few days then put in the fridge. 

I like to enjoy these plain, over my sushi rice, or even in a sandwich of avocado and sprouts. They're extremely versatile, last awhile in the fridge, and the possibilities are seriously endless. 

Sweet White Miso

I'm completely obsessed with Miso. Not the typical miso soup you find in Japanese restaurants that they serve you with your meal. Sure, that's really good, but I prefer the homemade stuff without all of the fix-ins. I make it religiously every single day/night and enjoy it like I would a cup of tea. As a matter of fact I'm drinking it right now.

Sometimes it can be really difficult to find the organic, non-GMO miso with no MSG, and if you do, it can be pretty expensive--$5-9 for an 8 oz container. I'm super lucky to have Berkeley Bowl where there's a brand I absolutely adore called Kanemasa miso, which is a little more that $5 for 32 oz! It's a delicious, sweet, and subtle miso that's not as strong and overpowering as the darker versions. It's not too salty either compared to other Shiro (white) misos.

When I feel like I have some time on my hands, however, I do enjoy making my own miso. It's extremely gratifying and honestly tastes so much better. It's sweeter, more complex and has a more pleasant saltiness. It is a little more time-consuming, but every step is extremely easy.

The mashed up soybeans

Ingredients: 

• Koji*
• Approximately 1 1/2 cups dried organic soybeans 
• Water
• Salt

Directions:

Using a mason jar filled with barley to weigh
down my kimchi radishes to weigh
down my miso...

• Start by soaking the soybeans in a giant bowl of water overnight. They absorb a lot of water and take awhile to fully soften before cooking. 
• The next day, boil water in a medium sized stockpot with some salt. Add the soybeans, reduce to simmer, then put the top on. Leave it alone for about an hour, or until the soybeans have completely softened. 
• Drain the soybeans while making sure to reserve the cooking liquid. Place soybeans into bowl and coarsely mash along with 1-2 tablespoons of salt (you want the mixture to be noticeably over-salted). This can either be done with a fork or in a food processor, whatever you prefer since this will determine the consistency of your finished product. 
• Add about a cup of the cooking liquid as well as the full package of Koji and incorporate well. 
• Either top with cheesecloth and/or a plate that fits the inside of the bowl and weigh down with cans or other clean, heavy items. 
• The next step is the hardest: patience. Depending on what time of year you decide to make the miso, it takes between a week to a month for Shiro miso. In the warmer months the fermentation process speeds up (bacteria loves summer too!) resulting in a miso that requires less waiting. When I made my miso in the winter it took about a month for it to reach a desired fermentation. Regardless of the season, make sure to keep it in a warm, undisturbed part in the kitchen. Every day check on it by stirring the contents and maybe even tasting it to experience all of the different stages of the fermentation permeating the rice and soybeans. 
• Whenever the taste appeals to you most, its time to enjoy! What I like to do is put the mixture through the blender to create a smooth consistency then store in the refrigerator.

To make miso soup:

• Boil water. Take a tablespoon of the paste and add a couple tablespoons of water to dissolve the paste. Fill the rest of an 8 oz cup and enjoy!

*Koji is rice that has been treated with a special mold (koji-kin) that causes the rice and soybeans to begin fermenting. It may be a bit difficult to find. This is the brand I use that I get from Berkeley bowl, but I know you can also find it online. I always trust the brand Cold Mountain, but if you're super crafty you can even buy the spores and cure the rice yourself to make homemade Koji!  

Vital Vittles--A Not So Far Field-Trip

I used to work at a natural foods store, Earthbeam Natural Foods on the Peninsula in high school, which is how I first came to fall in love with my current lifestyle. I commonly could be found restocking the shelves, and this was my opportunity to learn about the products we sold. I read the labels of countless items, and noticed that a lot of organic and natural goodies were based in Berkeley, specifically on San Pablo Ave. The more products I saw that were located here, the more I thought how I must take a field trip and visit all of these places that deliver the things I grew to love. One of these items included the incredible sliced bread from Vital Vittles.

Years later I moved to Berkeley with my boyfriend and thought it was the craziest coincidence that we were on San Pablo Ave--the very place I wanted to venture to for so long! Sure enough, as we drove on that main street every day, we passed some of the landmarks that had made themselves famous to me back to when I was a natural foods store cashier. Some you couldn't really visit since they weren't store fronts, however I noticed that we would pass the Vital Vittles mill and bakery EVERY day on our way to our daily visit to the Berkeley Bowl grocery store (aka B-Bowl).  We always said we were going to go, and when we never did, it kind of turned into a joke every time we passed it on the way to B-Bowl. Finally one day I had a irresistible craving for bread that Acme Bread wasn't going to fill. I wanted my Sesame-Millet bread from Vital Vittles and it just so happened that they were open at that very moment. 

We walked through the gates and before we even went through the door, the smell was intoxicating. I have never smelled such a fresh scent of bread baking, along with fresh grains being milled. It was a such a warm, welcoming smell, which was also what we felt as soon as we walked into the bakery. The staff was also really welcoming and greeted us with samples of the Sesame-Millet rolls. They're no way to fully describe the perfectly chewy, nutty bread and the crunchy whole millet grains that stud the roll. Obviously I had to get some. And the Russian Sourdough because I needed a sourdough after I had just started reading about fermented breads in Wild Fermentation. Oh, and the lady also convinced us we needed a fresh fresh fresh cinnamon roll that just came out of the oven. She really had to pull my leg on that one. 

We had to leave so I wouldn't pick out more. There is just so much to choose from, I already know what I want on my next visit. There's cookies, Honey Challah, Corn Bread, just to name a few.  They're feel good breads, inside and out--completely 100% whole grain and organic from the beginning in 1976. They mill their grains every day; things couldn't be fresher, trust me I saw! I can't believe I finally had my Vital Vittles adventure just now, even though I literally live down the street. There's no doubt that I'm going to constantly be making field trips here for my regular dose of delicious bread. 

Pan Roasted Garlic Paste

I am a garlic fanatic. I can't get enough of it and I'm even guilty of popping raw cloves by themselves. I have always been like this too; my Mama (grandma) would make me breakfast every morning and instead of the traditional pancakes or cereal, it would be eggs and garlic. The smell would linger on me for the whole day and every one of my family members would always know what Mama had fed me that morning. We would even go out to the garden together after and pick fresh bulbs out of the ground and eat the green stems as we picked weeds. 

I like garlic in everything. Raw or cooked. I make this pan-roasted garlic whenever I get those big 5 lb bags and can't use it all before it goes bad. I don't like to roast garlic with the skin on anyways because I feel like you waste too much of the garlic trying to squeeze it out of its inedible shell. This way you get the full roasted garlic flavor with maximum yield!

Materials:

• Cast-iron skillet, or large not-stick skillet
• blender

Ingredients:

• 3 (ish) pounds of fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Healthy pinch of salt

Directions

• Heat the oven to 200º F
• Place all of the ingredients into pan and coat all of the cloves before placing in oven.
• Leave in the oven for a few hours, stirring the cloves around periodically, but keeping a watchful eye so they don't brown too much. 
• When cloves are soft to the touch they are ready. 
• Place in blender and pulse until its a smooth, homogenized mixture. You may need to add more oil for it to blend smoothly. 
• Store in a air-tight container in the fridge and put in everything!

Vegan Loaf

I've recently been experimenting with TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) and have had some pretty delicious results. I don't normally try to make vegan alternatives to conventional meat dishes, but I thought TVP would make a really good 'meat' loaf. It just made sense to me. It surprisingly had that texture similar to ground beef and proved to be a hearty meal served over basmati rice.







Ingredients: 

• 1 cup TVP
• 1/2 cup onions
• 1/2 cup carrots
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1 cup mushrooms 
• Garlic cloves
• Parsley
• Dried Italian herbs
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp egg replacer with couple tbsp water added
• Cooking oil and some for lining the casserole dish
• 8oz can of tomato sauce

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350º F 
• Mince the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery and sautée on high heat with some oil, salt, and pepper until almost tender. Add the finely chopped mushrooms (you may need to add some more cooking oil to keep the mixture moist). 
• When the mixture starts to brown, add the apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to deglaze the pan. 
• Prepare the egg replacer mixture and set aside. 
• Add the TVP and nutritional yeast to the pan. Once incorporated turn off the heat and add half of the tomato sauce, the cup of water, parsley, and the egg replacer mixture. 
• Mix well and place into a casserole dish. If there is any leftover mixture, enjoy it as is--its delicious at this point too!
• Pour the remainder of the tomato sauce on top of the loaf and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. 
• Let cool and enjoy!!

Pink Peppercorns

The finished product, dried and jarred.

I was hand picking satsuma and clementine tangerines in Brentwood, CA last weekend with my boyfriend, and as we were leaving I noticed a row of pink peppercorn trees. The beautiful bright pink cluster of orbs hid behind the long draping leaves, but I knew exactly what they were. I try to forage fruits and vegetables every change I get. When driving in the car, I always make my boyfriend immediately pull over the car so I can pick the goods. Its the most rewarding feeling of picking your own food, and I'm convinced that food you gather yourself somehow tastes better.

I know it may be a little difficult to randomly come by, but if you ever do see a tree that looks like this, then definitely take advantage of its offerings. I picked enough to fill a plastic bag and had a smile on my face all the way home because of this unexpected treat I encountered.

Once you pick them, you can't just start to use them immediately, event though they're definitely flavorful at this point. Using a dehydrator or an oven on the lowest temperature, place what you've harvested on the dehydrator tray or a pan on the oven rack and wait. Since I used the dehydrator on about a 110-115 degree setting, I waited almost all day until everything was completely dry. It's a good idea to use the "low and slow" method so you're not risking too much heat causing the peppercorns to roast (even though come to think of it, wouldn't be a terrible idea either).

The next part was the most tedious and time-consuming. Once every peppercorn was dry, I plucked each and every one off the tiny individual branches. It was difficult because they were constantly snapping off and creating a mess, but well worth the effort. Good luck!

Mixed Veggie Salad

I'm a salad fanatic. But it can't just be greens and dressing. I'm not into boring, monotonous salads. They have to be colorful and full of ingredients and flavor. I think a good salad should have a balance of flavors, not just the savory aspect. Sweet, salty, sour, rich, bitter. Texture is a key element as well; its important to have a soft avocado complement crunchy seeds. It's a bit more time consuming than just throwing a bag of greens in a bowl and covering them in bottled dressing, but I try to incorporate all of these ideas into salad because it's definitely worth it. 

Ingredients:

(makes as much as you'd like, adjust amounts to your preference) 

• Kale, dino or curly
• Shredded carrots
• Shredded zucchini 
• Avocado
• Watermelon radish, or any radish of your choice
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Button mushrooms
• Satsuma tangerines or clementines
• Diced celery
• Shredded golden beets 
• Shredded red cabbage
• Pumpkin seeds

   

  Dressing: *

• Lemon or Lime
• Cashews
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Chili paste
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Agave Syrup 
• Garlic
• Nutritional Yeast (optional)

Directions

• Place the kale and cabbage into a big mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt and olive oil and begin to squish the kale in your hands, while simultaneously coating all of the leaves with the oil/salt. Squeeze the greens until they look wilted--this process helps the leaves be a little more palatable and softer to eat. 
• Add the remaining sliced and shredded ingredients and toss together. 
• In a blender (preferably a vita-mix so it can really pulverize the ingredients) mix the dressing ingredients (including more oil) and adjust the ratios to taste. 
• Pour enough dressing on the veggies to coat and enjoy!

*If you're in a time crunch, or in the mood for a lighter dressing, I'm also a fan of a simple vinaigrette, which consists of: Extra virgin olive oil, Balsamic Vinegar (or any other acid), honey, salt and pepper, and dijon mustard.

Note:  What I love most about this salad is its versatility. I'm all about eating with the seasons and this is the perfect example of a meal that adapts to whatever time of the year it is. A combination of root veggies and dried fruit make a delicious, hearty salad in the winter, while more fruits, squash, and tomatoes would make a refreshing summer dish.

Kombucha

I've been consistently making Kombucha for about 5 years now, and it's one of the recipes I'm most comfortable with because it's extremely easy and low-maintenance. I'm a firm believer that homemade Kombucha beats out any store bought brand, any day of any week. There are so many benefits, other than the health ones, from making your own, too. First and foremost, its costs a fraction of a fraction of the price of a single bottle you buy in stores. Admittedly, I kind of feel gross when I spend $4 on a bottle at the grocery store that I don't even like. It's an expensive reminder of what I can do better when I put in the time and care. Not to mention, when you make it at home, it yields a remarkable amount (depending on the jar you have), and you can flavor it any way your heart desires. I didn't even stop making it when I got to college. People did think I was a little weird for having an alien like culture floating in a jar on my desk next to my books and laptop, but it paid off when I later started selling it to my dorm mates if they brought their own bottle.

Note: It may be somewhat difficult to come across a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast)--I was lucky enough to inherit mine, but I know you can also get them on the internet, craigslist, or make your own using GT's Kombucha original flavor. 

Materials:

• 2-3 gallon glass jar with a wide mouth
• cheese cloth or tea towel or paper towel
• large rubber band
• medium pot

Ingredients (for a 2.5 gallon jar):

• filtered water
• a piece of SCOBY aka Kombucha mother
• 4 cups of plain, white sugar*
• 4 black or green tea bags (must be a caffeinated tea)
• 8oz. of fresh juice of your choice
• patience!

*It's important to use regular white granulated sugar or brown sugar instead of a sugar substitute. Even something like honey drastically affects how the SCOBY reacts to the ingredients. Since the culture's diet consists of caffeine and sugar, a sweet supplement will not create the desired outcome.  

Directions:

• Clean your jar. It must be free of any residual bacterial and sterile enough so the SCOBY won't be contaminated.
• In a medium pot bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil. Add your four tea bags and reduce to simmer. What I like to do is tie all 4 tea bags into a knot so they stay together and are easy to fish out later. Let them steep in the simmering water for an hour, then you can leave them there indefinitely. I've let them stay as a little as an hour or if I was lazy that time, overnight (after I turned off the heat). Just make sure that you keep the lid on while the heat is on because you don't want the water level to drop because of condensation.
• If you turned off the heat, turn it back on because the sugar is next. Add the four cups of sugar (I know it seems like a lot, but think about the sugar and caffeine as the only sustenance for the SCOBY for the next few weeks) and leave on stove until all of the granules have dissolved. 
• Wait to cool, then pour mixture into jar carefully. Fill the remainder of the jar (leaving a couple inches of room for the SCOBY) with filtered water, then place SCOBY gently on top. It should float there. 
• Place cheesecloth or other towel on the mouth of the jar and secure with a tie or rubber band. 
• Place jar in a warm place anywhere in the house. 
• Time for the waiting! This part could take anywhere between 2-6 weeks. It's crucial to periodically check on the mixture and taste with a wooden spoon to see if its to your liking yet. You can, but don't have to, stir it around. I like to just to get things moving, but if you don't, leaving the SCOBY alone will gradually cause it to create another culture on top of him! I can't begin to explain how many I have...

When you're ready to enjoy your Kombucha, you have a couple of options. You can allow it to ferment in its jar as you scoop cups out of it to enjoy a little bit at a time, or you can bottle the entire batch. I have done both and they each yield a different and equally rewarding experience. If you allow it to continue to ferment, the flavor will deepen every extra day its there and the effervescence of the beverage becomes incredible. Bottling it is fun because you can create your own flavorings and enjoy your Kombucha whenever you want.

Bottling it requires sealable bottles/containers that are completely sterile. A strong cap top like the one pictured is really convenience because it keeps the effervescence of the Kombucha intact. If you decide to add flavoring to the beverage, YOU MUST DO SO AFTER REMOVING THE SCOBY. Putting a foreign juice with the SCOBY will destroy the yeast and bacteria. 

Because I worked so hard to create my own Kombucha from scratch, I also enjoy making the flavoring juice from scratch. Popular flavors amongst my family and friends have been freshly squeezed ginger and lemon, apple juice, or chai. 8-16 oz. of whatever flavoring you should choose should be more than enough (unless your using fresh ginger juice, much less should suffice). 

As for your SCOBY, place him in a sealed container or plastic bag and store in the refrigerator. There he will last forever. I just found one in my parents fridge that I had completely forgot about and he's completely fine! Enjoy and feel free to contact with any troubleshooting questions or comments!