Alu Methi Tikki

Vegetarian Traditions Video

Quotes from Amazon.com reviews:

All “secrets” are shared in this book. I believe this based on the quality of his recipes and the thoroughness of his descriptions. Also, if you get to meet him in person, you’ll get a sense that George is down to earth and one of those sincere, full of integrity, and patient individuals we don’t get to meet often enough. He poured everything he has in this book and it shows.

~CM

He’s holding up a beautiful fresh vegetable for you to admire, inspiring you to make the most of it in the recipe. He’s sharing memories, history, and wonderful photographs, all so engaging that you’ll read through it like a novel!  The layout of one recipe per page with the ingredients listed on the side, makes it user-friendly. The recipes are cleary written and simple to follow. The seasonings perfect. Move over Moosewood!

~JB

This has become one of my favorite cookbooks and I’m not even vegetarian. The recipes are written in such a way that they are very easy to follow, and the author has included a brief description of each recipe that is both interesting and informative.

~JG

It is a crowd pleaser for sure and i have even turned some self defined die hard meat eaters onto it at dinner parties. Highly recommended!!!

~NB

As Detroit natives, my family and I had been Inn Season Cafe fans for years. Needless to say, we were ecstatic when a friend informed us that the cookbook had just come out. This is not just a book for Inn Season fans, it’s a great cookbook for anyone who is vegan or looking to eat healthier — or just looking to expand their culinary horizons, for that matter (many of the recipes feature international cuisines and flavors). I am also gluten-free and many of the recipes are gluten-free or easily adaptable. The brown rice salad (p. 73) was a huge hit with the whole fam (veg and non-veg alike). This is a wonderful all-around cookbook, and one that I’m sure I will cherish for years to come.

~Beth

Superfoods for better living!

I prepare food based on culinary traditions from around the world.  The dishes are healthy, full of flavor and enriched with the vitality of the freshest local ingredients.

Springtime is an ideal time to jump start your health by adding the wonders of the early Spring “super foods” to your diet.  At local markets across the country, the farmers are bringing in their bounties–a reflection of the powerful, regenerative energy of the earth. Every Sunday I marvel at the variety of freshly harvested produce at my local farmer’s market in San Diego–the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market.  One of my spring favorites, organic asparagus, disappears early, so I try to arrive before the large crowds and am always thrilled to find I haven’t missed them.

Asparagus, one of the healthiest vegetables,  acts as a diuretic and is full of vitamin K and folates.  It helps to lower blood pressure, reduces arthritic inflamation, promotes cellular rejuvenation and has anti-cancer properties.  The perfect resume for a vegetable.

Otherwise known as “baked-in-parchment,” en papillote is a wonderful method for cooking vegetables quickly while infusing flavor and retaining nutrients.  I thought we would cook my treasured asparagus en papillote for a quick lunch. The entire process took 30 minutes and that included preheating my Wolf oven to 400 degrees convection.  If you do not have a convection oven, preheat it to 425 degrees.

Barry Koral, one of the farmers at the Hillcrest Farmers Market in San Diego, and I wax poetically every Sunday as shoppers clamor for his avocados, chermoyas, guavas, sapotes, passion fruit, Persian limes, kumquats, blood oranges, Meyer lemons and local macadamia nuts. Although he is not “certified” organic, he describes everything he does at the farm as “beyond organic.” He is a “fixture” at the market, proclaiming to all who pass by the value of his avocados, the life-giving properties of his figs or the “passion” in his passion fruits.

A few weeks ago, he invited my wife and me to an event at his home and orchard in Vista, a community within San Diego County. It was a live-food celebration with about fifty people in attendance. When we arrived, I immediately sensed that this was a “connected” domicile, reminding me of similar homes where the energy of the residents seem to be “one” with the living cycles of the planet. Barry seemed to take enormous pleasure entertaining his guests with his wit, creative spirit and love of life. It was a marvel to see him work the room and share quality moments with each person in attendance. After he delivered a spirited talk and shared poetry with all of us, the crowd took to the raw food buffet like wheat-grass to a juicer. The food was fresh and vitalizing, and everyone seemed re-energized by the association and community spirit.

Raw Ginger-Beet Salad

6 cups raw beets, peeled and grated

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice

1/4 cup sweet onions, minced

Mix all ingredients in a bowl fifteen minutes before serving.

Quesadillas, as most people know them, are a study in cheese.  A white flour tortilla with a few onions, a sprinkle of jalapeños and perhaps a a few tomatoes, kernels of corn or fresh cilantro held together with oozing melted cheese. As an occasional culinary distraction this may sound good, but it is not something to eat everyday–perhaps something to eat when stranded on an island without anything else.

My Amaranth Quesadillas have provocative flavors and a creamy texture–without the dairy. They make excellent appetizers, party snacks or light meals. I made this recipe for lunch recently after a Hillcrest Farmers Market shopping trip.  All the vegetables I used for the quesadillas were what I had just purchased, fresh and fragrant.  The tortillas I choose are locally-made, par-cooked Mama Cesana Wheat Tortillas.  A quick heat on the grill cooks them up nicely and adds a favorable carbon flavor.  It is possible to do the same grill treatment with pre-cooked tortillas, but only to bring them back to a fresh-cooked state.

Amaranth is considered one of nature’s super-foods and is used in tropical and temperate climates around the world, especially India.  I first experienced it during an early summer trip to Crete as a green called “vleeta,” used by the Greeks in Horta (boiled greens).  The variety commonly used there is a green one.

Similar to buckwheat and quinoa, the Amaranth seed grains are without gluten and have unusually complete proteins. Like spinach, it has a high oxalic acid content Hopi Indians used red color-producing plant as a clothes dye.  If red amaranth is not available, spinach, lacinato kale, lamb’s quarters or mache would work well for this recipe.

Makes 4 quesadillas

Amaranth
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sweet onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 bunch red amaranth, large stems removed, chopped (3 cups)
Using a 10 to 12 inch skillet on medium heat, cook oil, onion and garlic until the onions are clear around the edges.  Add the amaranth and cook until the stems are tender.  Reserve.
Peppers
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sweet onions, finely diced
1 cup green bell peppers, finely diced
1 tablespoon jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Using a 12 inch skillet on medium heat, cook oil, onions, bell peppers and jalapenos until the onions are clear around the edges. Add sea salt, transfer and reserve.

Pesto
3/4 cup cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teapoon garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until a coarse pesto consistency. Reserve.

Salsa

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sweet onion, minced
1 tablespoon jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1 cup fresh tomato, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
In a small sauce pan on medium heat, cook oil, garlic, onion and jalapeño.  Cook until the onion is turning clear around the edges, then add the tomato, sea salt and vinegar.  Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tomatoes are cooked, then stir in the cilantro and turn off.  Reserve.
Garnish
1 avocado sliced into small cubes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 whole wheat tortilla flat breads, 10 to 12 inches in diameter
3 tablespoons olive oil
Lay a tortilla on a flat and clean surface and spread 2 tablespoons pesto mixture on one half of the tortilla.  Spread 1/4 cup amaranth mixture evenly on top of the pesto.  Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons pepper mixture evenly across the amaranth.  Fold the tortilla to a half moon shape.  Repeat with three more tortillas. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12 inch skillet on medium heat.  Cook two quesadillas at a time and add more oil as necessary.  Lightly brown on one side and turn over to brown the other side. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into triangles.  Serve with salsa and avocado garnish.

“Iconic cuisine” could describe the food of Bengal. Among their many influential dishes, sweets are perhaps the most famous.  Yet, there are many preparations which have come to shape Indian cuisine as a whole.  Charchari is not merely a single dish, but a cooking style unique to Bengal.  Essentially, vegetables are cooked in a pan and covered without stirring until a close-to-burnt caramelized crust forms on the bottom of the pan, which is stirred in to finish the dish.  Unlike many vegetable dishes in India, spicing is simple, often only turmeric, chillies, salt and hing (onion-like asafetida powder).  The result is a deliciously rich tasting subji (vegetable) which can be used as an appetizer with crackers and bread, or as a show-stopping part of a bigger Indian meal.

One of my favorite cookbooks is The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Jamuna devi. She is to Indian vegetarian cuisine what Julia Child was to French home-cooked cuisine.  Her book is an easy-to-understand look at Indian kitchens.  It was written a number of years ago and is a timeless must-have resource for those who wish to cook and enjoy Indian food as it is supposed to be.  Jamuna presents a number of charcharis in the book and her description and recipe is excerpted as follows:

“Charcharis are Bengali vegetable dishes that combine three cooking procedures: boiling, steaming and frying.  Though other cuisines of the world use the same procedures, and in a similar sequence, to my knowledge only charcharis are brought to the point of charring.  During the entire procedure, the vegetable is never stirred—not even once! They are succulent vegetables, often rich and served as side dishes, but take little attention while cooking and are really delicious.

The dividing line between the cooking procedures is blurry.  In the first stage, large pieces of vegetable are gently boiled in a seasoned liquid.  Sometimes sugar, tomatoes or lemon juice is added to provide a glaze, flavor or zest in the finished dish.  In the second stage, the vegetables are steamed by the concentrated liquids barely boiling in the bottom of the pan.  Srila Prabhupad described the final stages of cooking: ‘When the liquid is absorbed, there will be a little noise, a hhhzzzz sound, and then, just as the bottom crust browns, turn off the heat and it is done.’ The pan is covered and allowed to sit off the heat for a few minutes, until the crust softens and can be easily folded into the moist vegetables.

Since this final stage of cooking delicately borders on burning, it is important to convey that it should not come to that.  No one wants to serve or eat burned vegetables.  It is essential to use a very heavy, thick bottom pan such as enamel on steel, stainless steel or, better still, non-stick Silverstone on heavy aluminum.  With good non-stick cookware and attention to heat control, perfect charcharis are possible even the first time around.”

Here is a recipe I adapted from Jamuna’s cookbook by mixing it with my own experiences of charchari.  Many years ago I was able to sample some of her cooking and the exquisite flavors of her beautifully crafted dishes have inspired me ever since. I dedicate this recipe to her and the amazing foods that roll out of her kitchen.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

2 finger hot green chilies, minced

1/4 teaspoon hing (yellow asafoetida powder)

6-8 fresh neem leaves

5 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch cubes

1 medium sized eggplant, cut into one inch cubes

1 2/3 cups water

1 cup spinach leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 inch piece of cinnamon stick

3 cloves

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, freshly ground

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh ground

1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed 4 quart pan over moderate heat.  When it is hot, but not smoking, add the black mustard seeds, ginger and chilies and fry until the mustard seeds sputter and turn gray.  Sprinkle in the hing and neem leaves and within 5 seconds, stir in the potatoes, tossing with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 30 minutes.  From time to time, check to see if the vegetables are drying up, and adjust the heat or liquid accordingly.  When the vegetables are fork-tender, all of the liquid should be absorbed and the vegetables left sizzling.

Raise the heat to moderately high and fry, without stirring, until a slightly charred crust forms on the bottom of the pan.  Turn off the heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.  Stir the crust into the soft vegetables before serving.

As I sat at my computer completely lost in cyberspace, I felt a cold nose on my arm.  Our faithful-to-her-stomach German Shorthaired Pointer Tea-Bird, who tells time better than anyone I know, was letting me know it was time for lunch.  She usually begins the ritual with a long stare, moving into heavy sighs and impatient breathing and finally the ”nudge,” making it is clear that I have gone way beyond the acceptable time-frame.  Into the kitchen we go, Tea at my heels, and we confer about what to do.  As I survey the contents of the refrigerator, she takes on the serious task of examining every shelf and together we agree on tofu, onion, carrot, celery, red cabbage, broccoli and red bell pepper. We decided on a stir fry, quick and nourishing.  My wok is in the process of re-seasoning (a 2-day affair) so I break out two 12 inch skillets and a 6 quart sauce pan for the noodles.  I cook the tofu in one skillet, the vegetables in the second and boil water in the sauce pan all at the same time.  The result is a meal-in-one dish finished within 20 minutes.  Everyone is happy, especially Tea-Bird, who can’t get enough of the mugwort Soba noodles!

Tofu Stir Fry with Red Miso Sauce

Serves 6
Tofu

1 1/2 teaspoons organic expeller-pressed canola oil

1 fourteen ounce block medium firm tofu, cut into 2 inch wide by 1/2 inch thick triangles

3 teaspoons tamari

In a 12 inch skillet on medium-high heat, cook the oil and tofu until it starts to brown.  Turn the tofu, cook for 45 seconds to a minute and add the tamari tamari.  Turn down to a simmer and cook four to five minutes until the tamari is absorbed.

Sauce

1 cup miso, Kyoto red (low sodium, unpasteurized)
1/4 cup mirin

2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
2 cups hot water from noodles (see noodles)

Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl and then add to the tofu, allowing it to simmer and thicken for a few minutes.  Turn off heat, cover and reserve.

Vegetables

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 1/2 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and minced

8 cups chopped vegetables: onion, carrot, celery, red cabbage, broccoli and red bell pepper

1 tablespoon tamari

Heat a 12 inch skillet on high heat, add the ginger root and, ten second later, add the vegetables and tamari.  Cook for 10 minutes stirring, turning or flipping until the vegetables have a seared edge and are cooked “al dente.”  Reserve.

Noodles

8 to 10 cups water

1 package Eden Foods mugwort soba noodles

Boil water in the sauce pan and add the entire package of noodles.  Cook for 6 to 7 minutes “al dente,” set aside 2 cups of water for the sauce (see sauce) and drain the noodles.  Toss with the vegetables.  May be served individually in large soup bowls with the tofu-miso sauce on top or, as I did this time, in one large dish with the tofu-miso sauce on top.

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At the Hillcrest Market, Barry Koral shares his booth with a seasoned organic farmer named Dennis Stowell of Tom King Farms.  He is dedicated, understated and the salt of the earth–the kind of guy you can trust your food to.  As I walked up to his side of the stand, he was in the process of showing one of his fans how to cut and eat a pomegranate, potentially one of the messier jobs in the kitchen.  Here is what he showed…(the only additional recommendation to add is that I would cut the pomegranate on a cutting board, or table to avoid any accidents in the hand).

First, you hold the pomegranate in one hand and core the stem out of each side.

Then, you cut the skin on four sides (in quarters)

Next, placing the pomegranate in a bowl of water peel the skin off and the juicy red arils will be released, floating to the top of the water.  Like a cranberry bog, “harvest” them from the water and enjoy.  The mess stays in the water.

He picked up a Persian-style melon next to him and cut a generous wedge for me and the infatuated bystander.  Dennis said the best melons in the world come from Uzbekistan and Tajikastan and the seeds from this melon came directly from there.  It was slightly underipe, but still had a candy-like melt in the mouth experience with a perfect flavor.  Can’t wait for the ripe ones!

A quick and easy recipe that is perfect for a light appetizer, a sushi side, as an international side dish or even alone as a snack.

Serves 4

1 cup water

2 cups pea pods, trimmed and strings removed

1 tablespoon tamari

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon brown rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon mirin

Heat water in a 2 quart saucepan at medium high heat.  Add pea pods and cover.  Cook for 30 to 45 seconds, blanching the pea pods.  Turn off the burner and drain water.  Add remaining ingredients.  Toss pea pods together and serve immediately