Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 23rd Century Table

***I will not be blogging for about 1 1/2 weeks-- I'm going to Whitehorse, Yukon!***


Our Thanksgiving meal: (clockwise from top L) roasted butternut squash slices with orange juice and spices; Garlic and Herb Crusted Soy and Seitan "Pork Tenderloin" Roast (from the Vegan Feast newsletter); my vegan brown gravy with sauteed chanterelles; Succotash from my vegan holiday cookbook (green beans, lima beans, corn, red peppers, and green onions); Orange and Rosemary Cranberry sauce (from my upcoming issue of the Vegan Feast); Traditional vegan bread stuffing; and mashed potatoes.

Dessert-- recipe below!

We celebrated last night with three vegan friends. We didn't have our usual big family dinner this year, due to various circumstances (but we'll get together next month for my mother's 90th birthday!). It was a spur of the moment dinner, because we were going to (perish the thought!) skip it altogether, since I'm down to the crunch getting the new issue of the Vegan Feast newsletter done and my house was less than tidy, shall we say. But I couldn't NOT have a harvest dinner, and I had one of my Soy and Seitan "Pork Tenderloin" roasts in the freezer (the one from the Everyday Dish DVD), a nice squash, some chanterelles, and some cranberries, so, I invited some close vegan friends who don't have family nearby and whose company we always enjoy.

The meal was ready from start to finish in 3 hours, and we stuffed ourselves with good food and great conversation! The main dish was made with my (thawed) frozen seitan "pork tenderloin", covered in a garlicky crust:



Leftover "pork tenderloin" is great in sandwiches with leftover cranberry sauce and vegan mayo! Crusty bread or rolls is the best, but it's good with any good bread;





We ended the meal with the following Ginger Apple Crumb Pie, topped by a creamy dessert sauce.

Hope all you fellow Canadians had a great weekend!



Printable Recipe (both recipes)
GINGER APPLE CRUMB PIE

This is my version of a recipe by Wendy Kalen from the Nov. 2004 issue of Fine Cooking magazine. I used my Lowfat Wholewheat Oil Pastry, which is in all of my books, I think. I used wholewheat pastry flour and a little less sugar in the crumb topping, and substituted vegan buttery spread for the butter called for (and half as much!). My guests ate every ginger-y crumb! We ate it with the Creamy Cashew-Pear sauce on top, but a vanilla vegan "ice cream" would be good, too. (I calculated the Nutrition Facts using my Lowfat Wholewheat Oil pastry crust.)

1/ 9" pie crust (your favorite)
Filling:
6 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly-sliced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbs unbleached white flour
Ginger Topping:
1 cup wholewheat pastry flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup vegan buttery spread (try my homemade vegan palm-oil-free Buttah)

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Make the crust and place it in the refrigerator until ready to fill.

Mix the sliced apples with the other filling ingredients and pile into the pie crust.

Mix the Topping ingredients with a pastry cutter, in a food processor, or with your fingers, until like crumbs. Top the apples evenly with the Crumb Topping.

Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet (to catch any drips!) and bake at 425°F for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 375°F and bake another 30-35 minutes, or until the apples are tender and teh top is nicely browned.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 342.9 calories; 30% calories from fat; 11.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 192.9mg sodium; 255.0mg potassium; 58.4g carbohydrates; 4.3g fiber; 31.3g sugar; 54.1g net carbs; 4.6g protein; 7.0 points.


BRYANNA'S CREAMY CASHEW-PEAR DESSERT SAUCE (WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HOLLY!)

We couldn't get any vegan vanilla "ice cream" on the island yesterday, so I decided to make a sauce to go with the apple pie. I started adding cashews to soymilk in the Vita-Mix, and my friend Holly, who is a third-generation vegetarian (!!), mentioned that her mother used to make a similar sauce, but she added pears to it. So, since I had two large ripe pears that needed using, here is my version, which she said tasted very similar to her mother's. It is luscious, and would be good on steamed pudding, chocolate cake, or anything else you can think of!

3/4 cup soymilk (or other nondairy milk)
1/4 cup organic cashew pieces
2 large ripe pears, peeled and cored and cut up (the pears should not be firm or hard, and should be sweet)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or Vita-Mix and blend until VERY smooth. Place in a covered bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Servings: 8
Yield: 2 cups

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 61.5 calories; 30% calories from fat; 2.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 47.6mg sodium; 118.5mg potassium; 10.0g carbohydrates; 1.9g fiber; 6.0g sugar; 8.2g net carbs; 1.5g protein; 1.0 points.

Enjoy!

photo by John Kelly

I was making a quick saute for dinner the other night with my crispy Marinated tofu (Breast of Tofu) and a simple sauce of sauteed chanterelle mushrooms, garlic, herbs, broth, and dry white wine, when it entered my mind that many vegan recipes I see don't utilize wine. Interesting, I thought-- I use it all the time! I thought about this more while I enjoyed the dish with some orzo pilaf-- full-bodied and absolutely smashingly delicious in spite of its simplicity.

I lived in a winery in central California from age four to eleven. My mother had unlimited amounts of excellent wine to cook with, so I developed a taste for the rich flavor that wine lends to food. Later, when I became a vegan, I realized that wine was a powerful flavor enhancer, giving many meatless dishes a character and body that they lacked without it. But I didn’t know why that was so.

I used to think that it was perhaps the fruity flavor and the acidity of wine that worked the magic. But it’s more than that. It's the "fifth flavor"-- umami. (Read all about it here. And about recent umami discoveries further down.) Wine contains umami compounds because it is a fermented substance, and umami is a flavor enhancer. But, beyond umami, wine contains alcohol, and alcohol is a powerful flavor extractor. Some flavor components dissolve in water, and others in fat. But alcohol dissolves not only water-soluble and fat-soluble flavors, but also flavors that dissolve in neither water nor fat.

This capacity is a wonderful boon to low-fat cooks, because, without it, we lose the fat-soluble flavors (which is why fat-free foods often taste boring). No wonder I reach for a wine bottle when a dish is missing that special something!

When you splash some wine into the pan to scrape up the browned bits, you are not only getting the flavors of the wine and the caramelized bits (double umami—8 times the flavor!), but you are also releasing some extra flavors that only alcohol can extract! How neat is that?

What about when the alcohol boils off? Well, take the case of the famous pasta sauce made with tomatoes and vodka. This liquor is rather tasteless, but it does contain a lot of alcohol. The alcohol probably releases some flavor component in the tomatoes (more umami compounds), which releases into the sauce. Then it doesn’t matter if most of it boils off.

Worried about alcohol in your food? I have to tell you that I am not a drinker! I have a very low capacity for alcohol (1 glass of wine is about my limit)-- it makes me sleepy. I have never been drunk, I confess it! And this is in spite of the fact that my mother's California-French-Italian fusion cooking almost always contained wine! We even had sherry in our creamed tuna on toast (a favorite dish in the 1950's-- I'm dating myself...oh, well!). So, obviously, this didn't turn me into a wino!

The rate of alcohol evaporation depends on several factors: the intensity of heat; the length of cooking time; the pot or pan (greater surface area exposed means greater evaporation— for instance, the same dish cooked in a 10-inch skillet will retain more alcohol than that cooked in a 12-inch skillet); exposure to air; other ingredients in the recipe (breadcrumbs, for example, may absorb alcohol and protect it from the heat); and the stage at which the alcohol is added during cooking. In most cases, some alcohol is retained in the dish. Flambéing removes about 25% of the alcohol; simmering on a stovetop for 1/2 an hour evaporates about 65%; 2 and 1/2 hours of simmering removes about 95%.


photo by John Kelly

MORE ABOUT UMAMI IN WINE AND OTHER PLANT FOODS:

Since I wrote the article I linked to above, there has been a lot more research on umami. We get umami compounds (which means “delicious” combined with “essence”, and is used in Japan to describe a food that reaches a state of perfection) in many food-born substances.

From the 1950’s on, umami-triggering nucleotides have been found. In 1998, two leading Japanese researchers, Yamaguchi and Ninomiya, published a list of 39 substances they believed to trigger umami, including amino acids, ibotenic and tricolomic acids, succinic acid, theanine, and an octopeptide (compound of 8 amino acids).

Dr. Shintaro Kodama was the first researcher to discover a quality called synergy in some nucleotides, which dramatically intensified the qualities of umami compounds, thus explaining the “flavor explosion” I mentioned in the article. And we know now that browning protein-rich foods, such as a golden-brown crust on bread, or the aging of wine or vinegar, the brewing of beer, the reducing of stock, the fermenting of a bread starter, etc., etc., produce hundreds of compounds that enhance umami even further, producing complex tastes and aromas. Aged wines, sake and distilled spirits develop more umami compounds and can contribute more than flavor to foods—they contribute balance and enhancement of other flavors.

Some plant foods that are rich in free amino acids and have lots of umami taste when raw are: sea vegetables, corn, peas, tomatoes, mature potatoes, bell peppers, winter squash, nuts and seeds. Other plant foods benefit from cooking or fermenting (such as making cabbage into sauerkraut, or pickling vegetables), which increases the umami taste, or can be paired with stronger umami foods, such as a salad dressing. Soy foods increase in umami taste when they are roasted, cooked, or fermented, because they are one of the most protein-rich foods around. Soy sauce, roasted soy beans, miso and, various other fermented Asian bean pastes, and fermented tofu deliver a great umami punch even when used in small amounts.

Mushrooms and fungi are a great source of synergizing umami, and, generally speaking, the darker the color, the more umami. Dried mushrooms pack an even greater punch. Yeasts (both active and non-active nutritional yeast and yeast extract, such as Marmite), which is also a fungi (and includes sourdough, a natural yeast), have umami compounds. They also act as synergizers. For instance, in a live yeast or sourdough starter, the enzymic action develops the umami in wheat flour to “ripen” the dough and develop its flavor.

I'm sure that there will be more discoveries to come! In the meantime, we can use this knowledge to expandf the flavor possibilities of vegan foods! (Can you tell I get excited about this?)

SUBSTITUTES:
Absolutely can't use wine or other alcohol, even in cooking?  I would recommend using a non-alcoholic wine, because it is fermented before the alcohol is removed. It won't have the flavor-releasing qualities of alcohol, but it will contain umami compounds. See http://nypost.com/2015/01/10/non-alcoholic-beer-and-wine-are-hot-but-do-they-taste-good/ But you'll have to contact the manufacturer to find out if any animal products are used in the wine-making process. http://nypost.com/2015/01/10/non-alcoholic-beer-and-wine-are-hot-but-do-they-taste-good/

VEGAN WINE?
For brands, check out http://www.barnivore.com/wine, "Your vegan wine, beer, and liquor guide"



I made this soup for lunch today in a big hurry. It combines umami compounds in mushrooms, bouillon, and white wine for a delicious meal!

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CREAMY POTATO, MUSHROOM AND SPINACH BISQUE (WW CORE PLAN-COMPATIBLE)
Servings: 4 
This is something I created on the spur of the moment with things I needed to use up, and I needed lunch FAST. It's delicious with wholewheat sourdough toast. The mushroom broth and wine make this quick soup very flavorful.

2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chopped cremini or portobello mushrooms (scrape the gills out of portobellos with the side of a spoon)
1/2 cup dry white wine (can be non-alcoholic) OR white vermouth
1 cup homemade mushroom broth OR use vegetarian bouillon with 1/2 Tbs. Pistol River Porcini Mushroom Powder added
2 cups non-dairy milk (use a nice, creamy one, or use half non-dairy milk and half vegan creamer)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup mashed potato flakes (You can buy organic vegan flakes in some HF stores, or from amazon or veganessentials.com [which ships to Canada at a reasonable price].) (1/2 cup makes quite a thick soup) OR, if you have no potato flakes, use 1/2 to 3/4 cup plain mashed potatoes
1/4 cup squeezed, thawed frozen or cooked, chopped spinach OR chard
(I had some home-cooked spinach in the freezer that I used, so I can't tell you how many ounces it was raw, unfortunately. I measured it squeezed quite dry.)

In a small soup pot, heat the oil, and then add the onions and garlic. Stir-fry until the onion starts to soften, and add the mushrooms.

Stir-fry briefly, then add half of the wine and let it cook off. Add the remaining wine, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir in the soymilk, and then the potato flakes, the smaller amount first. Remember that this soup will thicken as it stands. Stir in the spinach, heat through, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 118.3 calories; 25% calories from fat; 3.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 552.9mg sodium; 450.4mg potassium; 13.1g carbohydrates; 2.3g fiber; 5.3g sugar; 10.8g net carbs; 5.6g protein; 2.2 points.

Salud!

For Canadians out there, whose Thanksgiving celebration occurs in only two weeks (!) (and Americans who are thinking well ahead!)), here is the recipe for the harvest bread that I pictured on last year's Thanksgiving blog:

Photo by Fireweed

Bread has had a spiritual significance throughout the ages, and is a potent symbol of the harvest. In the Anglican (Episcopalian) church, for instance, a pretty harvest bread such as this one might be part of the "Harvest Home" service. It certainly makes a lovely centerpiece for a Thanksgiving celebration. This recipe makes two, so you can keep one for the centerpiece and eat one!

Printable Recipe
BRYANNA’S MAPLE WALNUT SHEAF OF WHEAT BREAD

Makes 2 loaves

This bread is not only nutritious and delicious, but it also makes a spectacular centerpiece! It's not hard to make-- honestly! This can be made ahead and frozen, well wrapped. You can shape the dough as I have suggested, or do it your own way and get creative!

1 1/2 cups soymilk or other nondairy milk
1/3 cup vegan buttery spread-- try my homemade palm-oil-free recipe (or you can use oil instead)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup medium bulgur wheat
1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp. dry active baking yeast (or 1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast)
1 cup walnut pieces, toasted and chopped fine (you don’t want big chunks because that makes the dough hard to roll into thin “ropes”)
2 cups whole wheat flour
3-4 cups unbleached white flour
(NOTE: Use the all-purpose version of both if Canadian; bread flour if American-- Canadian AP flour contains a higher level of gluten than US AP flour)
cornmeal to sprinkle on baking sheet
soy or nut milk for glazing

Scald the soymilk (you can do this in the microwave, in a Pyrex measuring beaker or glass bowl, for 1 minute on 100% power) and then add the vegan buttery spread or oil, syrup, salt, and bulgur wheat, mixing it in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Allow this to cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, dissolve yeast in the warm water in a cup until bubbly. Add the dissolved yeast, walnuts, and the whole wheat flour to the milk-bulgur-etc. mixture. Beat until smooth. Add the wheat germ, and then add unbleached flour to make a knead-able dough (it can be a little sticky—that’s better than too dry).

Kneading and Rising-- you have 4 options:
1.) If kneading by hand: Turn out the dough onto a large square of baking parchment and let it rest (covered by a clean damp towel) while you clean the bowl. Knead vigorously, adding a little more white flour as necessary, but use as little as possible to avoid making an overly-stiff dough, for about 10 minutes, until you have a smooth, elastic and relatively non-sticky, but moist, dough. Oil the bowl and return the dough to it. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

2.) If kneading by stand-mixer with dough hook: Add unbleached flour until the dough pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl while it kneads. Knead for 8-10 minutes. Turn the machine off. If your bowl is big enough (a Bosch, for instance), you can just place the cover over it and let it rise in the same bowl. If there is not room for it to rise, place it in a larger oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

3.)You mix and knead and rise the dough in an automatic bread machine according to your machine's directions(use the Dough Cycle), but you’ll have to use only half the recipe.

4.) You can also make the dough in a food processor, but again, unless you have a large processor, you’ll have to make only half the recipe, or do it in two batches. After the dough forms a ball on the blade, process for 30 seconds. Place the dough in an oiled bowl (with room to double), cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Shaping:
Punch the dough down and divide it in half . Keep the half you are not working with covered with a damp cloth or a plastic bag while you work on the other half. Avoid handling the dough too much prior to rolling it out— that may make it tough and hard to handle. If this happens, just cover it and let it rest for 10 minutes or so to “relax” the gluten.

Dough rolling technique: I use an unfloured kitchen counter top and form the ball of dough into a rough sort of cigar-shape. Then a I roll with splayed fingers from the middle outwards. If the dough breaks, just pinch it back together. If one end is thicker than the other, gently hold the middle of the rope down with the splayed fingers of one hand and roll the thicker end with the splayed fingers of the other.

Photo by Fireweed

To make one loaf, turn one half of the dough out onto a large working surface sprinkled with flour. Divide into 18 equal pieces. Roll two pieces into 12” long ropes. (I use a small retractable carpenter’s measuring tape for measuring .) Twist the two ropes together (starting in the center) and set them aside, covered by a damp tea towel or plastic wrap.
Roll 4 pieces into 18” ropes. Place one 18” rope lengthwise on the center of a greased baking sheet, which has been sprinkled with cornmeal, bending the top third of the rope off to the left at a 45 degree angle. Place the other 18” rope on the sheet next to and touching the first rope, but bend the top third off to the right. Repeat this using the other two 18” ropes, placing them so that they are touching.

Roll the remaining dough (from the half you are working with) into 15” ropes. Arrange them on top of and around the 18” ropes. Spread out the ropes a little at the bottom to form the base of the “sheaf”. Drape the twisted 12” ropes around the center of the loaf by “tying” the sheaf together, tucking the ends under gently on either side.

Cover loosely with a large plastic bag and let the dough rise again for about 40 minutes, or until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Turn the baking sheet so that the top section faces you. On each rope (or “stalk”), use kitchen shears or scissors to snip the dough above the “tied” part of the “sheaf” and give it the appearance of wheat. Snip 2/3 of the way through the dough at a 45 degree angle to the top of the dough. Repeat at 1/2” intervals. This will create little pointy shapes that make it look like wheat.

Photo by Fireweed

(This picture is just to illustrate the method-- obviously, I am snipping a "wheat stalk" on its own, not as part of the formed loaf.)
Paint the entire surface with the soy or nut milk and bake for 25 minutes. If the ends of the stalks seem to be browning too much, cover them with foil. Remove from the baking sheet, using spatulas, while still warm. Cool on a rack.

NOTE: you can make "wheat stalk" breadsticks with this dough, if you like-- bake separated by an inch or two until golden brown, which will only take about 15 minutes. You can stand the "stalks" up in a glass vase.

Photo by Fireweed

  Enjoy!

Vegan "Katsu"(crispy breaded cutlet-- the recipe for the cutlet is in my book World Vegan Feast) with Lemon, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Jam, and rice with chanterelles

I like to blog twice a week, but it hasn't been happening lately! Not only am I testing recipes for the upcoming Vegan Feast newsletter (and I don't like to reveal too much ahead of time and spoil the surprise for subscribers!) AND a book I'm co-authoring, so that doesn't leave alot of time for blog recipes!

The following unusual but delectable "jam" recipe was inspired by one in Sally Schneider's wonderful book "The Improvisational Cook", which was inspired by a recipe from Mario Batali-- "Lemon Oregano Jam". It attracted me right away because I love just about anything lemony, and I thought it would make an unusual accompaniment to a simple dish such as the Japanese dish "Tonkatsu" (crispy, thin, breaded cutlets), an example of "yohshuko", or Japanese-style Western dishes.

I just call it "Katsu", which means "cutlet", because the "ton" part of "tonkatsu" means "pork"!  (I just dredged my vegan cutlets in flour, then soymilk curdled with a little lemon juice, then panko [Japanese breadcrumbs] and pan-fried them in a little oil.)

Ms. Schneider used a little more oil in the jam recipe and about 1/3 of the salt that Mr. Batali did, as did I. They both used pepper, but I omitted it-- it just didn't appeal to me in this recipe. I replaced the oregano with fresh sage, rosemary and thyme (recalling the Simon and Garfunkel song). It was really easy to make, and did indeed emulsify into a creamy, but not oily, mixture. I had it on a Tofurkey slice sandwich with my Italian Plum Jam (I didn't have any vegan mayo made!), and it was delicious. I also had it on steamed potatoes-- equally yummy! Ms. Schneider also suggest folding into mayonnaise for a cold sauce for meatloaf, spreading it on hazelnut-butter sandwiches, stirring into yogurt, stirring into warm potato salad...

"The Improvisational Cook" is an interesting volume (NOT vegetarian, but that never deters me!) , well worth at least checking out of your library for a perusal:




Amy Sherman writes on the KQED Food Blog, "Bay Area Bites",:

"...You have a better chance of successful improvisation and creativity if you have a very firm grasp of the basics. Creativity can be inspired in many ways, a meal in a restaurant, a new cookbook, a trip to the market, etc. But improvisation is a different matter.

Improvisation is "a performance given without planning or preparation". So basically you are relying on your brain for inspiration. Sally Schneider's new book, The Improvisational Cook is an exploration into the concept of improvisation in the kitchen and provides some wonderful recipes and ideas along the way. Schneider explains how recipes work in a section called "Understanding", and then various riffs on a single recipe.

How does it work? Here is an example of an idea and recipe--the author begins with a Lemon Oregano Jam that she first tasted at Mario Batali's restaurant Babbo. She explains that the technique of pureeing the whole lemon is crucial and that the addition of oil helps to round out the flavor and creates an emulsion. In addition to the original recipe, her variations include Lemon Lavender Jam, Tangelo Jam, Tangerinesicle Parfaits, and Meyer Lemon Dessert Sauce and Filling.

Just as in jazz, the best improvisations come from the best musicians and Schneider is an accomplished cook who you can trust and will in all likelihood inspire you as well." (KQED is a well-known San Francisco public broadcasting station, with which I am quite familiar, since I grew up there.)

For my first improv on her recipe (I didn't want to get too far from the original the first time-- I wanted to get a sense of the original before branching out further) I just changed the herbs, using what I had in my garden. This is the result:



Printable Recipe
LEMON, SAGE, ROSEMARY, AND THYME JAM

3 medium lemons (preferably with thin rinds)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 Tbs finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 Tbs finely chopped fresh thyme

Scrub the lemons with 3 parts water plus 1 part white vinegar, then pat dry with paper towels. Cut each lemon into thin slices and remove and discard the seeds.



Place the lemon pieces, sugar and salt in a food processor and process to a coarse puree. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream; the mixture should emulsify, becoming honey-like in consistency. Add the herbs, pulsing to mix.

The jam can be prepared up to this stage and kept, refrigerated, for several weeks. Transfer it to a clean glass jar, placing a piece of plastic wrap between the top of the jar and the lid to keep the lid from corroding. Bring to room temperature before serving (it solidifies), stir to re-combine.

Yield: about 1 1/3 cup

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 2 Tbs. serving): 56.6 calories; 58% calories from fat; 3.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 86.5mg sodium; 45.6mg potassium; 7.8g carbohydrates; 1.4g fiber; 4.5g sugar; 6.4g net carbs; 0.4g protein; 1.2 points.

Enjoy!

I'm crazy for artichokes. I grew up in California and in May, artichoke season, my mother would often just cook a platter of artichokes for dinner and we would just eat artichokes until we were full! We dipped the "meaty" part of the leaves and hearts (after scraping the "fuzz" away with the side of a spoon) in melted butter if they were hot, or mayonnaise if they were cold-- nothing fancy. By the time we were all satisfied, each of us would have a heaping bowl of artichoke leaves, scraped clean by our teeth, beside our plate. Heaven!

Yesterday I was admiring my jar of Kirkland Artichoke Hearts (PS: they have water-packed ones, too):



I had purchased two 65 oz. jars last time I made one of my very infrequent trips to Costco. They are so good--the marinade is delicious(not overly-acidic), and there are halves and quarters, nice and plump. I was trying to figure out a dinner to use up some things, a fennel bulb among them. So I came up with the following, in which I could make use of some of those nice marinated artichoke hearts that I was craving. We loved sopping up the tart juices with crusty bread!



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S ARTICHOKE, POTATO, AND FENNEL STEW

1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
32 marinated artichoke heart quarters in oil (or 16 halves), rinsed and drained
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
1/2 lb small red, white or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
1 Tbs flour
1 spring fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 cups vegetarian "chicken-style" broth (or use my homemade broth powder)
1/2 lemon, sliced (with peel)
salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a small stew pot. Add the onions and garlic and stir-fry until the onions wilt. Add the artichoke hearts, fennel and potatoes, and stir-fry briefly. Sprinkle with the flour and stir. Add the herbs, and then stir in the broth. Add the lemon slices.

Bring to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lemon slices and cook 30 minutes more, or until the potatoes are tender. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with crusty bread.

Servings: 3

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 198.9 calories; 21% calories from fat; 5.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 127.2mg sodium; 1126.4mg potassium; 37.4g carbohydrates; 9.7g fiber; 1.8g sugar; 27.7g net carbs; 6.4g protein; 3.6 points.

Enjoy!

Italian plum jam with some of the tiny plums and the leaves of the tree

I'm not big on canning or jam-making anymore, but I recently made a small batch of beautiful, tangy Italian plum jam.

We have a volunteer plum tree with little tiny plums. This is only the second year that we've had any plums from it. Last year we had lots and I made Chinese plum sauce and plum chutney. This year we only got a few. The racoons, new to Denman Is. in the last few years, got alot of them I think-- at least we chased off two fighting in the tree early one morning! I happened to see a recipe from vegetarian cookbook author Anna Thomas for an Italian jam using tiny plums, so I had the perfect material for this recipe!

You can see how small the plums are in this picture

I think the kind we have are "Hardy Plums". See this page for information on plum varieties. It says: "these are selections of native American species of wild plums, or hybrids between these species. These plums are hardy, late blooming, usually small or very small plums adapted to the rigors of northern continental climates where most of even the more winter hardy European plum are not successful."

I changed Ms. Thomas' cooking method a little. My method eliminates the time-consuming task of pitting all those little plums by cooking them whole for a few minutes with the other ingredients, and then running them through a food mill.

The Food Dictionary at epicurious.com describes a food mill as: "A kitchen utensil that can be best described as a mechanical SIEVE. It has a hand-turned paddle that forces food through a strainer plate at the bottom, thereby removing skin, seeds and fiber. Some food mills come equipped with several interchangeable plates with small, medium and large holes."
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.


This is the one I have, a 2 qt. capacity model.

Kitchen and cookware shops carry them, and they are handy for applesauce, tomato sauce, and many other kitchen tasks.

As another vendor states: "This timeless, hand-operated, kitchen tool is a multi-function wonder that removes objectionables, like tiny seeds, skins, fiber and cores from almost any fruit or vegetable." And: "Outstanding for homemade sauces, purees, jams, soups and natural baby foods."

I've had this one for many years, and, though I don't use it often, I wouldn't be without it. Besides the obvious advantage of being able to cook fruits and veggies without first removing the skins, seeds, stems, etc, and then being able to remove them with a few cranks of the handle, if you want to puree something without causing alot of bubbles (as electric machines do),this is the way to go. (I'm thinking, for instance, of the Italian pureed soup called "passati", or, literally, "passed through"-- in other words, passed through the mill.)

Printable Recipe
Anna Thomas's ITALIAN PRUNE PLUM JAM (small batch, with my variation in technique)

"This is made from the plums that become prunes when they are dried. In some markets I've seen them called prunes, and in others Italian plums, or prune plums, but they are the very small plums with the egg-like shape and the dusky purple skin." Anna Thomas

Note from Bryanna: My jam was not really thick, but spreadable.

1 1/2 lbs small dark plums or Italian prune plums (see Cooking Tips)
3/4 cups organic unbleached granulated sugar
3 Tbs fresh (or bottled organic) lemon juice

Wash the plums well, and combine them with the sugar and lemon juice in a medium stainless steel pot. Stir slowly over very low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Raise the heat and boil the plums gently for about 5 minutes, or until the plums soften and split, skimming off any foam that forms on top. Pour the plums into your food mill (balanced over a pot) and turn until all of the pulp goes through and only the pits and a few skins are left behind. (Scrape all the pulp off the bottom of the food mill into the pot with the rest.)

Return the strained mixture to the heat and bring to a gently simmer again. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes more. When the fruit seems to be thickening slightly, turn off the heat and put a tablespoon or two of the jam on a small plate, then put the plate in the freezer. After a couple of minutes, check the test batch. If it has a jam-like consistancy, you're done. If it's too runny, boil the jam for a few more minutes and test again.

Ladle the jam into clean half-pint jars and keep it in the refrigerator. It should last for a couple of weeks, but it will be eaten before then.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 2 Tbs.): 75.4 calories; 1% calories from fat; 0.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 0.0mg sodium; 94.0mg potassium; 19.3g carbohydrates; 0.8g fiber; 18.2g sugar; 18.5g net carbs; 0.4g protein; 1.4 points.


Enjoy!

Fresh chanterelles picked on Denman Island.

Since this has been a mixed-bag of a summer, with lots of rain interspersed with heat, chanterelle mushrooms are popping up all over, except in our area (some years we get some, and other years, nothing). Our friends Jane and Matzuki have the "motherlode" of chanterelle patches and, fortunately for us, pick more than they can use! They share lots of their bounty with us! (I saw them for sale online for $25 a lb.!) I use them in risotto and sautes, and I slice mounds of them and cook them in oil in a hot oven in a large baking pan to freeze for later use. But one of our favorite uses for chanterelle mushrooms is in classic Mushroom and Barley Soup, which we had last night for dinner, and again for lunch today.

(BTW, 5 medium chanterelles, or about 3 oz., contains only 25 calories and 3 g of protein.)

My sister and brother-in-law were visiting for a couple of days. They are vegans (well, he is almost!) and they like lots of veggies, fruits and grains. Luckily, this is the time of year when we have a vegetable bounty on Denman Is.! The corn is ready, and there are zucchinis, tomatoes, green beans, etc.. So here is a dinner we had:


Fresh green beans braised with browned onions, sauteed mushrooms and mushroom broth; fresh corn on the cob (or "corn on the nob" as my 3 yr-old grandson says!); and a rice and black bean salad I threw together with leftovers.




rice salad; rosemary roasted potatoes; and roasted beets with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and parsley.

It was yummy!

Sauteed green and yellow zucchini

This is the time when zucchini shows up everywhere. I don't grow it because my neighbors and patrons at the library where I work give it to me! Personally, I like zucchini as a vegetable, so I don't generally use it in cakes, muffins, and the like. I'd like to share a couple of really delicious zucchini recipes with you (plus a cucumber recipe) that we've enjoyed lately.

Does zucchini have any real nutrients? They have a high water content (more than 95 percent), so zucchini are very low in calories. There are only 13 calories in a half-cup of raw zucchini, with a slight increase to 18 calories in the same quantity cooked. Nutritionally, zucchini offers valuable antioxidants. They also provide some beta-carotene, trace quantities of the B vitamins, folic acid, small amounts of vitamin C and calcium, and a healthy content of potassium.



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S DELICIOUS ZUCCHINI BISQUE (can be soy-free)

From my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook".
This is abslolutely delicious and it uses up lots of zucchini-- try it! PS: There's a new version I did with roasted zucchini at this link-- the flavor is a bit different!  Both are delish.

2 1/2 lbs zucchini (unpeeled), cubed (any size, but with tender skin, that you can scrape easily with your fingernail)
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 3/4 cups vegetarian broth
3 Tbs nondairy milk blended with
3 Tbs silken tofu or raw cashews (soak cashews in hot water for 10 minutes)
salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
vegan parmesan substitute (we like GoVeggie! vegan brand)

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot. Add the zucchini cubes and garlic and saute over medium heat for 10 minutes. Don't brown it.

Add the broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Puree 2/3 of the mixture in a blender (take the middle part of the lid off to allow hot steam to escape and cover it loosley with a folded tea towel) and then add back to the pot. OR you can puree it right in the pot with a hand immersion blender, leaving it slightly coarse.
Add the "cream" made from the blended milk and tofu or cashews, and taste for salt and pepper. Heat briefly. Serve with vegan parmesan sprinkled on each serving.

Servings: 6

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 121.9 calories; 52% calories from fat; 7.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 50.6mg sodium; 523.6mg potassium; 12.9g carbohydrates; 3.1g fiber; 3.5g sugar; 9.8g net carbs; 3.6g protein; 2.4 points.
***************************************************************

Next come two recipes adapted from my latest cookbook purchase, "Arab Cooking on a Saskatchewan Homestead", by one of my favorite cookbook authors, Habeeb Salloum.



It's a fascinating book, a combination of Canadian history and Arab cooking! Mr. Salloum's parents emigrated to the Canadian Prairies from Syria in the 1920's, as did many thousands from that part of the world. We never hear anything of this, so it is a fascinating story! He relates how they grew chickpeas and lentils and fava beans, unknown to Canadians then, but now grown extensively in the Prairie Provinces, and made their own bulgur wheat. Most of the recipes are ones that his mother made, which sustained them well during the Great Depression. It's not a vegetarian cookbook, but the largest proportion of recipes is vegetarian.

BTW, I don't (obviously) just read vegetarian and vegan cookbooks! I think you miss out on alot when you confine yourself in that way, especially when it comes to ethnic cooking.


Warm Zucchini Salad and Vegan Garlic-Cucumber-"Yogurt" Salad


Printable Recipe

HABEEB SALLOUM'S WARM ZUCCHINI SALAD (WW CORE PLAN-COMPATIBLE)

From the book "Arab Cooking on a Saskatchewan Homestead" by Habeeb Salloum (see above). (I made only a few slight changes.) This is a fantastic way to enjoy fresh zucchini!

2/ 8"-long zucchini, diced 1/2"
2 Tbs olive oil (Mr. Salloum called for 4 Tbs.)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground fennel (grind seeds in a coffee/spice mill)
2 Tbs chopped cilantro (I used parsley and mint)
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 medium ripe tomato, chopped

Mr. Salloum said to peel the zucchini, but I didn't. It is pretty with a combination of green and yellow zucchini.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and stir-fry until they start to soften a bit (but don't let them cook through and don't brown them!).

Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the tomato. Toss well.
Spread on a platter and sprinkle with the tomato. Serve at room temperature.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 87.1 calories; 71% calories from fat; 7.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 248.5mg sodium; 365.0mg potassium; 6.0g carbohydrates; 1.7g fiber; 2.7g sugar; 4.3g net carbs; 1.7g protein; 2.0 points.


Printable Recipe (Includes recipe for Cashew Sour Creme or Yogurt)

VEGAN CUCUMBER-GARLIC-"YOGURT" SALAD (pictured above with the zucchini salad)

This is a veganized version of a delicious, creamy Middle Eastern salad. This is adapted from a dairy-based recipe in Habeeb Salloum's book, "Arab Cooking on a Saskatchewan Homestead".

2 cucumbers, about 8" long each (see NOTE below)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs fresh mint, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1 cup Tofu Sour Creme (homemade or commercial)
(Cashew Sour Crème [recipe below] is also excellent in this recipe-- see below for Nutrition Facts using Cashew Sour Creme.)

(NOTE: Peel and seed the cucumbers only if necessary. I use English cucumber, or the type you don't have to peel and seed-they are sometimes called "seedless", though they do have tiny, edible, seeds, or "burpless", or "European"or "greenhouse", or "hothouse", or "gourmet" cucumbers,. You could also use "Armenian cucumbers", or"snake cucumbers".)

Slice the cucumber into thin rounds, then slice them in half (or you can dice them small, if you prefer). Combine the remaining incredients and then toss them with the cucumbers in a serving dish. Chill before serving.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 55.7 calories; 57% calories from fat; 3.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 187.2mg sodium; 141.0mg potassium; 4.1g carbohydrates; 0.4g fiber; 1.7g sugar; 3.6g net carbs; 2.6g protein; 1.3 points.

NUTRITION FACTS USING CASHEW SOUR CREME:
76.7 calories; 69% calories from fat; 6.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 162.6mg sodium; 163.4mg potassium; 5.2g carbohydrates; 0.6g fiber; 1.8g sugar; 4.5g net carbs; 1.6g protein; 1.9 points.

Printable Recipe (just the Cashew Sour Creme recipe)

BRYANNA'S CASHEW SOUR CRÈME (OR "YOGURT") (wheat-free and soy-free)

This is a delicious dairy AND soy-free vegan product.

1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup original nondairy milk
2-3 Tbs lemon juice

Blend the cashews, water and salt in a blender for several minutes, or until VERY smooth. Pour the mixture into a heavy medium saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until the mixture thickens considerably. DO NOT ALLOW TO BURN or the taste will be awful!

MICROWAVE OPTION:
Pour the mixture into a microwave-safe bowl and cook on HIGH for 2 minutes, or until quite thick.

With a wire whisk, whisk in the lemon juice (to taste) and the milk until smooth. Place in a covered container and chill. If it's too thick after chilling, add a little water or more non-dairy milk.

For the "yogurt"variation, use just a pinch of salt and use water to thin the mixture to the consistency you want. Add a little more lemon juice if you want more "tang". If you like, you can add some dairy-free acidopholis powder.

Servings: 6
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 67.3 calories; 67% calories from fat; 5.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 86.3mg sodium; 87.5mg potassium; 3.8g carbohydrates; 0.4g fiber; 1.1g sugar; 3.4g net carbs; 2.1g protein; 1.7 points.

Enjoy!

Potato Kibbi hot out of the oven (a corner missing because I just had to try it!)

I had to make some finger food for a fundraising event I organized last week and I didn't want to just make the usual things. I have been wanting to try this kibbeh/kibbi recipe for a long time, so I made two pans of it, and it was so superior to any other vegetarian kibbeh I have ever tried. We loved it, and everything I brought sold out, even though most people had no idea what it was! It's the large amount of onions, cooked in the olive oil, that makes it so tasty and moist, I'm positive!

I often serve this recipe at big family gatherings and everyone loves it-- even if they don't know what it is!

An Easter dinner with Potato Kibbeh in the foreground

ABOUT KIBBEH/KIBBI:
The Arabic word kubbeh means a ball. The name has been widely borrowed, with various spelling variations: in English, the spellings kibbe and kibbeh are both common; also kubbah and kibbi. In Brazil, it is called quibe or kibe; elsewhere in Latin America, kipe or quipe. In Turkey, it is called içli köfte. In Armenian, it is called kufteh.

PRONUNCIATION: There is a little hesitation between the two b’s, and the second syllable is pronounced with a short e. It should look like this: kib’beh.

Kibbeh is defined as a dish of minced meat with bulgur and spices with many variants, both raw and cooked. However, there are several popular vegetarian versions (Lenten versions for Christians, usually) made with potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, etc, with plenty of onions for flavor. Many chefs are experimenting with stuffed vegetarian kibbi, utilizing greens, pomegranate molasses, nuts, herbs., etc.

It is a popular dish in the Levant, sometimes considered the national dish of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq. It is also a common food in North Africa, Turkey, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of the Caucasus, such as Armenia and Georgia. Like hummus, everyone’s mom does it best.

In its most common form, it consists of minced meat mixed with bulgur and spices, stuffed inside a bulgur crust. The shape, size and ingredients vary between different types of kibbeh and between the recipes traditional in different areas. Recipes can include pine nuts, and green herbs, among other things. It can be baked, fried, boiled, stuffed, or served raw. The mix of spices changes as does the composition of the crust. Kubbat Halab is an Iraqi version made with a rice crust, though apparently not originating in the Syrian city of Halab (Aleppo) as its name suggests. Kubbat Mosul is another Iraqi version originally from Mosul where a bulgur crust is used, but the shape is flat and round, like a disc. Finally, Kubbat Shorwa is an Assyrian-Iraqi version where kibbeh is mixed in a stew, usually cooked with tomato sauce and spices.

It is traditionally served with a tahina dip which is made with sesame seed paste.

Besides being found in the Middle East and in Middle Eastern restaurants world-wide, it has also become a popular dish in South America, where it was introduced by Lebanese and Palestinian immigrants.

Information sources:
http://toughtimesbeirut.blogspot.com/2007/01/kibbeh.html (link no longer works)
http://www.answers.com/topic/kibbeh-1?cat=health

Printable Recipe

POTATO KIBBI (KIBBIT BATATA BIS-SAYNIYYI)
Serves 8

This is adapted from a recipe in the excellent book "Lebanese Cuisine" by Madelain Farah.





I have tried other potato kibbi recipes, but this one is absolutely the best! Good hot or at room temperature, plain, or with vegan Taheena Sauce.

1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat (#2 or medium-fine)
2 tsp salt
1 Tbs chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried) (NOTE: mint or cilantro or oregano can also be used)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 small onion, grated
4 medium (4 oz. each) potatoes (I used Yukon Gold), cooked tender, then peeled and mashed (NOTE: To peel the hot cooked potatoes, hold under running cold water and the skin will peel off easily.)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2/3 cup oil (I used olive oil), divided

Rinse the dry bulgur in cold water, squeeze, sprinkle with salt and let stand for 20 minutes.

Work seasonings with grated onion and add the mashed potatoes, mixing well. Add the bulgur and knead into soft dough. Moisten hands in cold water while kneading to prevent sticking. ( If mixture doesn't stick together, add 1/4 cup of flour-- but I didn't have to add any.)

Place the sliced onions in the bottom of a 9" square baking pan (spray the sides with oil). Cover with 1/3 cup of the oil.

Place the potato mixture evenly on top of the onions, smooth down, and cut into diamond shapes about 1/2" deep. Pour the remaining oil on top and bake at 400° until golden brown - about 50-60 minutes.

Let cool until you can handle it and cut the diamond shapes all the way down.

Variation:
Use above recipe omitting oil and sliced onions. Form the mixture into patties and fry in 1/2" of oil or place on a well-oiled pan and bake.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 315.8 calories; 51% calories from fat; 18.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 478.5mg sodium; 381.5mg potassium; 35.4g carbohydrates; 6.4g fiber; 2.3g sugar; 29.0g net carbs; 4.7g protein; 7.1 points.

Enjoy!

Today, this story was making the headlines: "NEW YORK - So you thought that water in your Aquafina bottle came from some far-away spring bubbling deep in a glen? Try the same place as the water in your tap.

PepsiCo Inc. is the latest company to offer some clarity about the source of its top-selling bottled water as it announced on Friday it would change the label on Aquafina water bottles to spell out that the drink comes from the same source as tap water."



Want to know more about this important issue? Watch the video below, an interview with Brian C. Howard, author of the article "Message in a Bottle".

Here is the report mentioned in the video, by the Natural Resources Defense Council, "on the results of our four-year study of the bottled water industry, including its bacterial and chemical contamination problems. The petition and report find major gaps in bottled water regulation and conclude that bottled water is not necessarily safer than tap water."

AND, WATCH THIS HUMOROUS, YET VERY REVEALING, VIDEO. (Caution-- swearing in this second video, but it's worth watching; I'm just warning you in case it might offend you.)

We are being duped, something I've believed for a long time. This video shows the extreme to which this has gone.

More articles:

Bottled Water Isn't Healthier Than Tap, Report Reveals

Bottled Water and Snake Oil

Pouring Resources Down the Drain

Please remember that we in North America and Europe are blessed with an abundance of clean water. Let's be thankful that we are not in Baghdad, where some neighborhoods have been dry for a week, and those that have it risk illness if they drink it. The electricity grids are so strained that they can't be used for water purification! So, let's get some perspective.



However, I know that not everyone has good water. Some of the water here on Denman Island, where most of us have wells, is delicious (like ours) and some has such a strong smell of sulphur that you can't drink it. What do you do? Consider Earth Water. (Hat Tip: my good friend Fireweed)



"Did you know...

...that globally, there are 6000 deaths daily, and 2.2 million annually - all due to the lack of clean drinking water?

...In the past 10 years, water related diseases have amounted to more deaths among children than the combination of all the deaths attributed to armed conflict since the Second World War.

Earth Water International is a bottled water company; a new type of corporation whose bottom line is to help save the lives of people in the most desperate of situations.

Earth Water works in support of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) by donating 100% of it's net profits to be used in water aid programmes in developing countries.

Unlike other corporations, Earth Water's shareholders are every man, woman and child living in the most desperate of situations. Earth Water makes all of its corporate decisions by considering how our policies will impact our world and the people around us.

...our profitability is gauged by how well our corporation is able to positivley impact the lives of citizens around the world and by maintaining sustainable economic practices."



"Access to water is a basic human right. Ensuring refugees have an adequate supply of clean fresh water is the UNHCR’s top priority. Water is brought immediately to refugee camps by using trucks. Over long periods of time, UNHCR sets up permanent, sustainable and cost-effective water supply systems.

The UNHCR cares for 20.8 million people in 117 countries.

Of that 20.8 million people:

8.4 million are refugees

6.6 million are internally displaced persons

5.8 million are stateless, refugees who have returned home but need assistance, asylum seekers, or are others of concern"

UN "Water for life" website and their "Kids' Corner" with lots of resouces for students. This site has information on all of the issues around water, including gender issues.

Check the Earth Water website for where you can find it all over the world. They have cooler systems, as well as bottles.

So, if we MUST use bottled water (and we all do from time to time-- on trips, etc.), let's make sure the profits are not going to a big soft drink conglomerate like Pepsi (sells "Aquafina") or CocaCola (sells "Dasani"), or HUGE big business like Nestle, which sells "Pure Life"! Let's make the profits work for those who have no access to clean water!

ALTERNATIVES TO BOTTLED WATER?

Of course, the ideal would be for everyone to have access to free, clean, safe tap water for drinking. Even non-profit bottled water is not the answer! The Natural Resources Defense Council (their report on bottled water is the subject of the video below) has an excellent page on water, and issues such as activism, fighting and preventing pollution, and water conservation and restoration. They have a page called "Consumer Guide to Water Filters: How to find the right water filter for your home". "NRDC is working toward the day when all Americans can drink and shower in tap water without worry, but if you have immediate concerns about the water in your home, an independently certified water filter can be a good temporary fix for your kitchen faucet. Some filters aim to produce clearer, better-tasting water, while others work to remove contaminants that could affect your health. This guide will help you determine what type of filter might be right for your home."

They also have a page on "How to Clean Up Our Water: Twelve simple ways you can help stem the tide of polluted runoff" (These are available in Spanish and English.)

Peace/Shalom/Salaam



"MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE" VIDEO:



NOTE: My vegan Peruvian recipes are featured on a blog post at the wonderful blog Peru Food! It's a real honor to be featured there!