The first week of December was another whirlwind trip to Michigan for events, book signings and talks.  It has been three years since my feet felt the cold pavement of a Detroit winter.  I bit my lip and braced for the cold as I dashed into the Cacao Tree Cafe where I found warmth, refuge and good energy.

Former employee and friend, Amber Poupore, has recently begun her adventure as a restaurateur.  Her emphasis is raw and vegan; the food was delicious and energizing.

My initial book-signing appearance was at the Birmingham Winter Markt, their first annual German-style holiday festival.

Cousin Don Hobson, farmer and market-master for the Birmingham Farmers Market, invited me to share a booth with him.  His homemade jams and kettle corn were on one side and my books on the other.

When I suggested space heaters, he said he was country and wouldn’t need them.  The morning following an evening of selling in the 19 degree cold, Cousin Don arrived with two space heaters under his arms.  The Markt turned out to be a charming event in spite of the colder than usual weather.  Stalwart and hardy Michiganders, inspired with Holiday spirit, flocked to the outdoor Markt.  As twilight approached, the park became magical with the beautiful lights, music and good cheer.

The next day I left signed books with my son, Spyros, and headed to a book-signing at the warm and cozy Borders Bookstore, just a few blocks away.  At both events, I saw many old friends and met new ones.

Monday morning started with an interview on the Craig Fahle show on the local NPR station, WDET.  As I drove to the studio in Detroit, I marveled at the renewed energy in the area.  I had a strong sense that people were not lying down and accepting their fate in these tough economic times.  Nowhere was this more visible (and audible) than when I entered the studio of WDET.  The positive energy they all seemed to have about Detroit was contagious–it felt as if I was participating in a grand experiment of urban renewal.

My next stop was Whole Foods Market in Troy.  They sponsored my events, providing me with the food I needed to teach my classes and gave me brochures for the inspiring healthy-food program created by Dr. Joel Furhman.

Tuesday was lunch with Halim and Lamia of Oasis Mart in Royal Oak.  We have been business associates and friends since Inn Season Cafe opened in 1981.  Lamia is a fantastic cook–a real neighborhood treasure.  She served a delicious crushed lentil soup, biryani rice, majdara, hummus, babaghanoush, lentil salad and baklava.  They invited friends and customers to come by for a meet and greet.  It was a joyous affair with great food and company.

In the evening, at the Wayne County Community College (WCCC), 76 people showed up for my cooking demonstration and talk about vegetarian food for the holidays.

I taught the enthusiastic crowd how to make Quinoa-Corn Arepas and Cranberry Chocolate Salsa with Toasted Pepita and Fire-Roasted Poblano Chile Pesto.

Inn Season Cafe provided Cashew Vegetable Chili and their house bread.  The food and book were big hits and we discussed a repeat in the Spring.

The next afternoon  was spent in Grosse Pointe at the TV5 studio in the War Memorial, a grand old estate built by Russell Alger Jr.  Robert Taylor and his wife, Pamela Hill Taylor, hosted me on their show Out of the Ordinary and into the Extraordinary.  It gave me a chance to talk about the hard-working farmers and bountiful farmers markets in Michigan, as well as the impact they have on the community.  We discussed how to enjoy the holidays while making healthy food choices and where to start with those New Years resolutions.  The fun and informative show is now available in eight Michigan counties in the public access area of ATT and Comcast cable services.

Wednesday evening was the sold-out event Food is Medicine at the Wellness Training Institute with cardiologist Dr. Michael Dangovian.

We took turns discussing how food is not only the key to nourishing the body, but also one of the key factors for reducing stress in life.

In addition to demonstrating the same dishes from WCCC, I also prepared the Shiitake Mushroom Saute recipe from my book.  Inn Season Cafe provided Budapest Mushroom Soup and their house bread as well as a delicious Bengali Rice Salad.

We’re already planning our next event for March 30, 2011.  If you are interested, please contact the Wellness Training Institute.

Overall, my Michigan visit was personally very satisfying as I saw progress in the food/health ideals that I worked for during my restaurant years.

Inn Season Cafe is thriving, The Cacao Tree is just simply amazing and the Wellness Training Institute represents the future of medicine.  I’m gratified to be part of this movement in Detroit.

Thursday Night:  I was full of anticipation as my evening flight from San Diego landed in Detroit.  A week of touring and catching up with old friends and family lay ahead.   As the plane taxied, I was thinking of the many ways one can benefit from my cookbook, Vegetarian Traditions, and the best way to communicate that at the numerous events.

The first thing I did after picking up my rental vehicle was load 1200 pounds of books from the shipping terminal into the car.  Good thing the Chevrolet Traverse had substantial shock-absorbers! It was hot and humid and after that workout, I was eager to get to the hotel.

Friday:  A meeting with Dr. Michael Dangovian of the Wellness Training Institute kicked off the day.  We discussed my participation at Saturday’s celebration of the first anniversary of his institute. We see this event as the first step in a Food as Medicine program.

Later that day, I made my way to Stephan Brink’s Health Oasis in Royal Oak to teach the art of spicing, namely, how to make masala.

The class was a benefit for the local chapter of Women For Women, a group which helps women deal with health and social crisis situations.  It was held outdoors in a courtyard; the balmy Michigan evening added to the intimacy and culinary magic.

Masalas are provocative spice mixtures which are the basis for Indian cuisine.  I demonstrated, to the twenty or so attendees, how to toast, grind and mix three masalas and provided spicing techniques for making a large variety of Indian dishes with the authentic flavors achieved only through the freshly ground spices.  The intoxicating scents of toasting urad dal, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and a multitude of other whole spices wafted through the quiet neighborhood.

Inn Season Cafe provided a delicious Bengali Rice Salad which satiated the wetted appetites. Most of the guests took my cookbook home with them.

Saturday:  At 7:30am I arrived at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, the bustling 81 year-old indoor market.  Don, Donna and Anthony Cinzori welcomed me as if I were long lost family.  They have one of the largest certified organic farms in Michigan and tirelessly provide some of the best produce I have seen anywhere.  The Cinzori family is warm, generous and knowledgeable.  I always look forward to discussing the latest in produce and organic trends with Don.

There wasn’t much time for that this day.  The market started to buzz and customers hummed around the colorful Cinzori stall like bees looking for sweet nectar.  The market is like a second home and I was able to speak with one person after another about the cookbook and the Don’s produce, which had inspired many of the recipes.

At about one o’clock, my son Spyros and I headed over to the Wellness Training Institute in Sterling Heights.  Dr. Michael Dangovian was celebrating the first anniversary of his new clinic and I was honored to be the featured speaker. Over two-hundred people attended the event which included food from Inn Season Cafe, talks by Dr. Dangovian and various teachers who participate in his program of integrative medicine and preventative cardiology.

My lecture was organized around the importance of connecting the dots with your food–knowing where it comes from and supporting your local farmers. I also spoke about food and community, food being not only the primary nourishing element in life, but the primary nurturing element.  All the great food cultures of the world weave food into the daily fabric of life and see it as a measure of life’s quality.  Without it, there is no benefit to longevity.

Most of the questions fielded were about specific ingredients I recommended and the health benefits they provide.  The afternoon was a success and as a result, Dr. Dangovian and I are planning future events with targeted information for attendees to gain specific tools they can apply toward a healthier life. This was just the beginning and we are excited by the possibilities.  If there is one thing I have missed about running the restaurant, it was seeing the fulfillment in the faces of our guests.  This Saturday afternoon, I saw the same looks.

Sunday: I arrived early at the Birmingham Farmers Market,  an empty parking lot with a few tents going up. As I set up my booth, the market began to take shape;  trucks pulled up with bushels of fresh corn, potatoes, zucchinis, pumpkins and fresh flowers.  A number of organic farmers came together on the south side of the lot with their splendid hand-picked vegetables.

Cousin Donny Hobson, the market master, is not just a farmer, he is a showman.  This day he planned to attract shoppers with Hay-Day.   Antique tractors, farm implements and bales of hay decorated the market with a festive county fair-like atmosphere.

Two of my favorite farms at the Birmingham market are Natures Pace Organics and Blue Water Organics.  Natures Pace is family-operated with a core dedication to sustainable foods.

Lee Chaput of Blue Water Organics is not a farmer by trade, but has the passion of one. She discovered Elmer and Edna Slabaugh’s certified organic Amish farm in Brown City, Michigan.  Living a dedicated Amish lifestyle, the Slabaughs use neither electricity or automobiles, so Lee brings the vegetables and the feel of the Amish farm to the Birmingham Market.  Look for a post down the road for a story about the farm.

 

Each week there is something new at the market.  I loved being in Michigan at the beginning of the harvest with the trees displaying the vivid colors of autumn.

Vegetarian traditions are found in cultures around the world, with India being the most prominent.  As a young man, I journeyed there four times and experienced the marvelous cuisine first-hand in homes, temples restaurants and street cafes.  I learned the value of treating every meal and each morsel with respect and appreciation.  I also discovered a rich heritage of compassion toward fellow humans and animals.

The art of Indian spicing is legendary.  My kitchen arsenal for preparing sub-continent cuisine contains a number of masala dabars * and other vessels to hold over forty spices.  In addition, there are grinders, mortar & pestles, grinding stones and tawas* for roasting the various masalas*; however, there are many simple dishes from India which do not require elaborate combinations of spices, hard-to-find ingredients and equipment.  Simple, fresh and sattvic*,  Indian food can be a delightful and exciting addition to any home cook’s repertoire.

Alu methi tikki  is one of the flavorful, yet easy-to-prepare, dishes from the Gujarat region of India.  The recipe calls for fresh fenugreek, one of India’s wonder spices and well known for substantial health benefits;  the fenugreek leaves impart a rich flavor into whatever dish they are used in.  This vegetarian traditional recipe adds depth to any repertoire.

Makes 10 cakes

1 1/2 cups creamy new potatoes, chopped and steamed until tender

1 cup packed fresh fenugreek sprouts or leaves, chopped if leaves

1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped

1/2 cup garbanzo flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons coconut oil

Mash all ingredients together, except coconut oil, and work into a dough. Form into 12 patties.  In a griddle or saute pan on medium heat, add a small amount of oil.  Place several patties onto griddle.  Turn when golden brown and cook until second side is golden.  Use remaining oil as needed.  Keep warm.  Serve hot with lemon or your favorite chutney.

*Masala dabar is a covered round metal container, most often made of stainless steel, which usually has six  little vessels inside for holding spices and an inside cover tray to keep the spices from spilling

*Tawas is a flat iron skillet used for toasting spices or making flat breads like chapatis

*Masala is a mixture of spices, powdered, whole or toasted and freshly ground, which is used as a flavor base for Indian dishes.

*Sattvic means goodness.  According to Ayurveda principles, every food item falls under the influence of a mode, or combination of modes of nature.  There are three modes: Goodness, Passion and Ignorance (Sattvic, Rajarsic and Tamasic).  For optimum health, they advise eating sattvic foods as much as possible.  Sattvic foods are often defined as fresh, juicy, balanced in taste and energizing.

Vegetarian Traditions is about connecting the dots with our food. Knowing what we are eating, respecting where the food comes from and incorporating it into our daily routine are three important elements in the book. More than a cookbook, this is a master-key to unlock the secrets of the cuisine which has made Inn Season Cafe the go-to source for delicious and healthy food in the Metropolitan Detroit area. The restaurant was at the forefront of a culinary revival and still stands out with their dedication to using the best local and organic ingredients. Without microwave ovens and other modern shortcuts, we cooked using only traditional methods of preparation, respecting the story behind each dish and using only fresh ingredients. Health is much more than just a recipe, it is a lifestyle.

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Life is good in San Diego, especially for those who participate in the local farmers market communities. Every day of the week there is a market to attend where I immerse my thoughts in the wonderfully creative possibilities of food. I make it a point getting to know each farmer I shop with and they rarely disappoint. Phil Noble of Sage Mountain Farms is one of those hard-working farmers whose dedication to the community he services is apparent in everything he does. Over the last few weeks he has invited me into his stall at the Hillcrest Farmers Market to present and sell my book and share cooking expertise with his customers. This coming Sunday, May 30th, will be a special event where I share samples of my organic Hot Fudge Sauce over Phil’s certified organic strawberries (you will never know it’s vegan!) . If you are in San Diego, join me as we decadently enjoy the bounty in one of the best markets in San Diego!

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I will be back in Michigan for one week only between June 5th and the 13th. I am looking forward to seeing and speaking with the people I shared so many years with conversing in the beautiful language of food. In addition to the bookstore events where I sign books and then talk about the food and the journey, I am especially excited at being in Inn Season Cafe, at the Royal Oak Farmers Market (with Don Cinzori of Cinzori Farms) and at the Birmingham Farmers Market (with Donny Hobson, market-master and farmer.)

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Here is the Michigan event schedule:

Saturday, June 5

Royal Oak Farmers Market 8 to 12

Barnes & Noble Royal Oak 2pm

Sunday, June 6

Birmingham Farmers Market 9 to 11:30

Inn Season Cafe 12 to 3

Friday June 11

Inn Season Cafe 4-8

Saturday, June 12

Royal Oak Farmers Market 8 to 12

Borders Books Beverly Hills 2pm

Sunday, June 13

Birmingham Farmers Market 9 to 1

Bookbeat Bookstore Oakpark 2pm

In one of his daily shows, Dr. Mehmet Oz talked about super foods and explained the benefits.   One of the super foods he mentioned was “Greek greens,” otherwise known as horta.  On the island of Crete, the tradition of foraging for wild greens can be traced back to Neolithic times.  It is one of the nutritional secrets of the Mediterranean diet.

The weed-like greens are hardy and have extra-potent sources of vitamins and minerals.  In San Diego, we have the benefit of having local seasonal Greek greens always available, such as spinach, Swiss chard, curly endive, lacinato kale, mustard greens and beet, turnip and radish tops.  Often some of the greens such as Lamb’s Quarters show up at farmer’s markets because they sprout like weeds amongst other crops and the farmers have learned there is a market for them.

According to Dr. Oz, Greek greens are a superfood and should be consumed as much as possible, if not daily.

Traditionally they are prepared by boiling in a small amount of water until they are tender, then dressed with a little extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.  In Crete, they serve horta with the nutrient-rich broth which then becomes “salsa” for dipping bread into.  It is a common lunch item or side dish for dinner and features whatever edible green item is available from the fields or gardens.

As a child visiting my Greek grandparent’s house in Ohio, I remember seeing the horta on the table at almost every meal.

In the Spring, they would frequently enlist the whole family to gather dandelion greens, sometimes walking miles to an undeveloped field with the coveted weeds jutting up from the nutrient-rich soil.

Their search for Greek greens served as a link to the old country and culture of Crete while providing their family a highly nutritious super food.

After an organic process encompassing eight years, my cookbook Vegetarian Traditions: Favorite Recipes From My Years at the Legendary Inn Season Cafe is at last available.  While writing the book, I realized the story is much larger than just the favorite recipes from the restaurant.  In addition to my own culinary journey, it is a tale of an entire community which ultimately honed their definition of good food by what we served.   The secret behind our success turned out to be the local organic farmers and artisan vendors who made the delicious, energizing food possible.  They are the life-blood of the ongoing food revolution in this country, of which we have been eager participants.

Every year as spring progresses toward summer, the Royal Oak Farmers Market starts to fill the stalls with the bounty of Michigan’s fertile land; has been a ritual shared by the residents of South Oakland County since 1929.  I started going to the market in 1981 when we first opened the doors of Inn Season Cafe.  Over the years, the farmers and I came to know each other; we shared family stories, cooking tips and arduous tales of the fickle Michigan weather. this

Frequently, if there was something special grown or found, they would save it for me knowing how much I appreciated the rare gems of the Michigan soil.  When George Uhlianuk discovered a giant puff ball mushroom in the woods behind his farm, he would bring it to the market for me.  Those mushrooms were not a commercial variety and could grow eight or nine inches in a day.  They had to be consumed right away while still white or they would begin to age and develop a yellow hue around the edges, no longer fit to eat.  When prepared at the peak of freshness, these mushrooms are a delicacy.  Sliced and sauteed in olive oil with a touch of tamari, balsamic vinegar and fresh ground white pepper, puff balls satisfy a vegetarian’s rogue cravings for rich and meaty flavors.

In addition to fresh produce, the market was my primary source for planting and gardening materials.  I would fill my earthen plots with perennials from farmers and growers who found new and unusual varieties every year.  One spring, a farmer dove into his pond to gather Michigan irises for me.  They still show their bright yellow blooms in the secret garden pond at my old house across the street from Inn Season Cafe.

Saturday mornings at the market were a weekly festival of shopping, talking, sharing and laughing.  I developed many friendships over the years with like-minded folks who shared my passion for fresh food and market-inspired cooking.

After selling the restaurant, I began shopping at various markets throughout North America and found many of the experiences I had in Royal Oak to be part of a common thread.  Aside from the tremendous difference in quality between produce purchased from local farmers and that purchased in a grocery or warehouse, we benefit on a societal and economic level by renewing the connection between farmers and communities. This is the magic of farmers markets.

I now live in San Diego enjoying the year-round harvest in the farmers markets. Yet, I still miss the excitement and anticipation of spring at the Royal Oak Farmers Market.  Memories of full sensual immersion–the spring garlic shoots at Cinzori Farms, Randy Hampshire’s freshly-ground corn meal, Jim Burda’s succulent raspberries, Jim VanDenBerg’s sweet carrots, Don Van Houtte’s candy-like sugar snap peas, Maple Creek Farm’s nutrient-rich kale and Kate & Al Weilnau’s organic, hand-snipped asparagus.  I think of those crisp and cool mornings at the market and I can feel the cooking inspiration swell inside of me.

My desire to share my feelings about the connection between the earth, farm and table was one of my motivations in writing Vegetarian Traditions: Favorite Recipes From My Years At The Legendary Inn Season Cafe.  The book identifies the real heroes behind every great chef’s cuisine–the farmers.

The book has over 150 vegan recipes.  Elegant entrees, soups, salads and melt-in-your-mouth desserts are in an easy-to-follow format accompanied by beautiful color photos.

Each dish is packed with “super-foods”–energizing, healthy and delicious.  Signed copies are now available for a limited time through my store.   Just click on the “order now” button on this site.