Mushroom Foraging: What a Trip

Despite the allusion in the title, no, I did not go foraging for magic mushrooms. Rather, I drove out to San Bernadino in search of fresh morels during the brief period which they are in season. Morels are not like your typical cap mushroom, instead of having an umbrella shape these are oval-shaped with a honeycomb-like upper portion consisting of a network of ridges with pits between them. These unique mushrooms have a delicate, meaty, nutty, and earthy flavor and are prized in the culinary world.

This was my very first mushroom foraging trip and what a thrill! Foraging is hard work, you have to know the conditions in which morels thrive, find areas that meet those conditions, look for tell-tale signs (e.g. shade, pine needles, snow plants), and continuously scan the ground around you. It’s also key to not overlook any morels in the midst of pine cones since they can look surprisingly similar at times.

The growing conditions of the snow plant match those of the morel. So when you see a bright red artichoke-looking plant you know that some delicious morels are not far off.

A large morel looks quite similar to a pinecone.

Despite hiking for hours in what seemed an aimless fashion the wonder and excitement in finding a patch of morels made the sweat and aching muscles all worth it. It takes a sharp eye to spot a fungus the color of the earth amidst the forest floor and each find feels like gold. We also found a few different types of mushrooms on our hike including one called a “hole in the ground,” which grows in a way similar to the truffle, albeit without the flavor. It starts under the surface and grows out and up to form a circle so that it’s hollow inside, quite literally a hole in the ground.

The first morels I found on the trip.

I noticed that the hole in the ground often grows in the same area as morels.

At the end of a 7 hour hike my friend and I had found almost 40 morels; which is not bad for first-timers. We returned to our camp and met up with the group of mycological society members who also had been out hiking that day. We traded stories, described the spots where we had found our morels, and displayed our treasure. It sounds a bit nerdy, but I love people who are enthusiastic about their food and hunting for mushrooms is definitely that; marrying science with field experience. I can’t wait to go foraging for chanterelles next!

Our camp at the lovely Alpine Meadows Retreat was lovely; while the cabins were pretty basic the chef tailored our meals to our event and even made my meals vegan and gluten free for me. Dinner was chalk full of mushrooms, even some of the ones we found on our hike. In a word, scrumptious. I definitely ate a bit more than my body required, but it tasted so delicious: mushroom risotto, sautéed mushrooms, and pasta with a mushroom ragout. It was heavenly.

In order not to waste all that effort I started cooking some of the morels as soon as I got home. I didn’t want to overpower them with anything so I just made a simple sauté with sliced morels, butter and garlic. Before you start in with the contradiction, I used Earth Balance butter substitute, which is vegan. The dish was clean and really brought out the earthy and delicate flavor of the morels. As a bonus, the ridges on the morels made the meal look like I was eating an octopus, which I found amusing.

Dinner at Alpine Meadows was delectable.

I love morels this much!

Morel Sauté

*The handy thing about soaking mushrooms is that not only does it clean the fungi but it infuses the water to make mushroom stock. After removing the morels you can strain the liquid through a cheesecloth (or a paper towel in a pinch) and you’re left with a mushroom stock you can use pretty much in any recipe that calls for water.

Makes 1-2 servings

Ingredients:

2 large or 4-5 small fresh morels  (you can find them at Whole Foods)

1 tablespoon Earth Balance butter

3 garlic cloves, sliced or minced

Directions:

Place the morels in a bowl of water so that they are fully submerged. These mushrooms have lots of little crevices in which dirt can get trapped so you want to swish them around in the water a bit and let soak for 20 minutes.

Place the morels on a cutting board and I recommend that you set aside the water for mushroom stock that you can use it at a later point in time* (see asterisk above for details). Then slice each morel in half lengthwise, take each half and thinly slice horizontally. If you mess up the slices it is perfectly fine, it all tastes the same in the end.

Add the Earth Balance to a pan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, add the garlic and stir for one minute. Then add the morels and stir for 6-8 minutes until the mushrooms start to release their juices.

Plate and serve.

Exposure: The Meat Industry’s Biggest Fear

Pink Slime: Why the Meat Industry is Freaking Out

Do ethics come into play for the meat industry or is the focus solely on profit margins?

What other additives are we eating that don’t have to be labeled?

The health-conscious community has been questioning the meat industry for ages. The revelation of the widespread use of ammonia-treated beef, otherwise know as pink slime, in ground beef has reached mainstream media despite the efforts of the meat industry to keep their methods quiet. The secretive methods of meat production makes you wonder what else they might be hiding. The production of food should be transparent to the public. People should be able to easily find out what is in the food they are eating, and food production should be ethical to the point where methods and ingredients do not need to be hidden. Unfortunately, the USDA does not require ingredients such as ammonia, which is harmful in high amounts and a household cleaning product to boot, to be included on ground beef labeling because it is considered a process and not an ingredient.

The USDA essentially cares about whether or not food or its additives are harmful for human consumption. Don’t get me wrong, that is absolutely an important and essential role, food should not make you sick. But what about food additives that are just fillers? Even if they are not harmful they are not essential. People are being tricked into buying food they think is wholesome when it’s really been stretched to the point of just meeting basic requirements. Pink slime, wood pulp, and even silicon dioxide, better known as sand, are all USDA-allowed food additives that are used by the food industry to stretch their product in order increase profits. Much like a drug dealer who adds flour or baking soda to his coke, the food industry is delivering inferior products to its consumers and the USDA allows it because the fillers used are not harmful, often not even requiring the ingredients be listed on the label. Case in point: pink slime.

Balela: Another Word For Simple Bean Salad

I always enjoy the cool flavors of Mediterranean food. So when Trader Joe’s came out with a tantalizing Balela salad I snapped it right up; however, when I glanced at the ingredient list the salad went back on the shelf. Garbanzo and black beans with herbs and spices, easy peasy. Most of the ingredients are staples in my pantry so I rushed home and threw together a lovely protein-rich salad.

Eat your heart out Trader Joes!

Mediterranean Bean Salad

Makes 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 can black beans, drained

3 carrots, shredded

1 1/2 tablespoons dill

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon no salt seasoning

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Directions:

Toss all ingredients together and serve!

Santa Fe Kale Salad

Yes, kale is the ‘it’ health food everyone is blabbing about these days and even though I love it and have been eating kale for the past few years I still sometimes feel like a hipster bandwagoner when I talk about it. However, those health nuts have good reason for euphoria. Kale is low in calories (33 in one cup), low in carbohydrates, it gives you fiber and well-rounded protein as well as tons of vitamins and nutrients. It’s packed with calcium, potassium, and vitamins A, B6, C, and K.

Ignoring all the health aspects of this leafy green kale has shown to be highly filling per calorie, according to Nutrition Data. This means that you can eat a large salad and actually feel full; it’s cost effective and helps with weight loss since you’ll be full for a longer period of time on fewer calories/carbohydrates.

I used to shy away from kale because the first few times I tried it the leaves were rather tough. It can be an intimidating vegetable to try; however, with the right approach anyone can easily incorporate kale into their meal and actually enjoy it. One easy way to enjoy kale is to cook it in a saute, soup or with pasta. Cooking kale helps break down some of the cell walls so it’s no longer tough but resembles steamed spinach. Kale also takes on flavor really well; seasoning your food right before it’s done cooking then letting it sit for a minute or two amplifies the taste.

Eating raw kale is my favorite method; the cool thing about making a kale salad is that you can and should toss the dressing when you make the salad rather than waiting until the very last second. Most salad greens turn limp and slimy if you let the dressing sit; however, leaving the dressing on kale helps make the leaves more pliable and flavorful. The important factor you can’t forget in your dressing for this to work is an acid, usually lemon juice or vinegar. Whatever acid you choose will be the component that covers the leaves and will beat the toughness out of them.

I have a few standby dressings that I often use depending on what flavors I’m craving at the moment. The one I’m going to show you is my Mexican dressing. It’s a very simple recipe; a little cumin, lemon juice, and olive oil is all it takes to bring out a spicy and earthy flavored salad. I love this salad recipe because it doesn’t take much effort, there are endless topping combinations, and it’s quite filling. In the summer I pile on fresh tomatoes and avocados and in cooler months I rely on pantry staples like quinoa and black beans. Anything goes with this salad; assess what you have on hand or what produce is in season and go nuts!

Makes 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped kale

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup soy chorizo (I use the Trader Joe’s version)

1 avocado, diced

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 medium lemon usually yields this amount)

1 tablespoon cumin

6 tablespoons olive oil

pepper to taste

Directions:

To make the dressing: combine the olive oil, lemon juice,  cumin, and pepper (I usually use just a pinch) in a bowl and whisk.

Toss the kale with the dressing so that the leaves are well coated. For best results, place dressed kale in the fridge for an hour or overnight (I make my lunch the night before and this works wonderfully); however, no wait time is necessary if you’re really hungry. Add the quinoa and soy chorizo. Be sure to add the avocado just before you’re about to eat or it will turn brown.

A Mediterranean Vegetarian Tagine

I like to bring easy self-serve dishes to a party; anything that can fit into a bowl usually does the trick. This strategy pays off since it doesn’t require a lot of space or dirty lots of dishes, it’s not as fancy as tiers of complicated little bites but if the flavors are good and hearty people will go for it.

One of my favorite choices is a simple, uncomplicated Moroccan dish; I first tried this with a recipe from Bon Appetit; however I found a few elements to be too time consuming as well as a hinderance to the clean flavors of the dish. After reworking the recipe I ended up with a real crowd pleaser and the best part is that after you chop a few vegetables the hard part is over. The vibrant orange hues of this dish really stand out; the brightness matches the flavor perfectly. The rustic flavor of the turnips plays into the soft sweetness of the potatoes and carrots, balanced out by the zing of sun-dried tomatoes and olives. And my absolute favorite part of a good stew is the texture; it gives your mouth a break so you can play with your food a bit and don’t have to worry about getting anything stuck in your teeth.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

For a quick version, you can use store bought ground spices instead of toasting and grinding the spices yourself. An interesting fact about coriander: it’s the same thing as cilantro and in the UK the seeds and the fresh herb both go by the proper title, coriander, whereas in here in the U.S. the fresh herb/leaves are called by their Spanish name, cilantro.

If you want to make some of this ahead of time you can make the spice mixture a up to 1 week ahead and store in a plastic bag or container. You can prep the vegetables 1 day ahead and store in plastic bags or containers, just be sure to keep the sweet potatoes and turnips submerged in water to keep them from browning. You can make the couscous 1 or 2 days ahead.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled carrots

1 celery stalk, chopped

4 cups water

1 1/4 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound turnips (about 2 medium), peeled, cut into 3/4-inch wedges

3/4 cup brine-cured green olives, pitted, coarsely chopped (I would advise against using canned olives as they can be quite bland)

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (about 1 ounce; not oil-packed), thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon dried or chopped fresh mint (optional)

10 ounces couscous

3 cups vegetable stock

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat toast the coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds until they start to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Transfer seeds to a spice mill (or if you’re more low tech use a mortar and pestle) and process until finely ground. Add red pepper flakes, turmeric, and salt and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in spice blend, garlic, and tomato paste for 1 minute. Stir in carrots and celery for 2 minutes. Add water, sweet potatoes, turnips, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes and simmer for 35 minutes with lid ajar; stirring occasionally. Add parsley, cilantro, and mint; season with salt and pepper. Close lid, remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

While the vegetables are simmering you can make the couscous, or you can make it beforehand. Add vegetable stock to a small pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add couscous, put on the lid, and let sit for 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spoon onto plates, placing the stewed vegetables on top.

St. Patrick’s Day in SF

Ironically the only place California where it didn’t rain on March 17th was San Francisco; it was icy cold though. I wandered the streets of San Francisco with some friends enjoying the citywide celebration and Irish pride all over the city. The temperature caused everyone to stand a little closer to each other among the crowds.

Our first stop was the park with a quick vista of the Golden Gate Bridge, I don’t care how many times I’ve seen it or how familiar I get with this city; whenever I see that bridge a part of me thinks of all the tourists and photographs that are devoted to this one particular view. It will never be commonplace.

For lunch we stopped at Patxi’s for some exquisite Chicago deep dish pizza. It did not disappoint. The crisp red ale we ordered paired perfectly with the deep, cheesy layered goodness of the pizza. It’s a 30 minute wait for the deep dish style but it’s well worth it when you sink your teeth into such a huge pie. The spinach, onions, cheese and sauce bring out the best in each other especially when loaded on top of the thick crust with the right amount of crunch; it was perfectly satisfying especially on such a cold day.

In true St. Patrick’s Day spirit we then traveled to O’Reilly’s Pub for some guinness and real holiday celebration. An afternoon full of green lighting, leprechauns, and a few Irish themed drinks definitely set the mood. Did you know that Guinness Extra Stout is a vegan beer? That made me quite happy.

The cap of the day was The Creator’s Project at Fort Mason. Walking through a giant illuminated cube that seemed to produce music spurred by the wind immediately engulfed us in the 3-dimensional experience. Then being packed in a warehouse with tons of people to see Squarepusher with his entrancing artwork moving across screens all over the stage paired with his fluid, rolling sounds as well as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with their contrasting energy and vibrant performance. It was truly unforgettable. I’ve been to some memorable shows, but this one seemed magical, the raw, experimental aspect of this definitely left an impression.

The cost of silence

Last month Mercy For Animals released undercover footage of severe cases of animal abuse at a Butterball turkey farm in North Carolina. Five Butterball employees are now facing felony and misdemeanor charges for torturing turkeys at their facility, all thanks to the efforts of Mercy For Animals undercover investigators who gathered evidence to prove animal abuse was going on in a big corporation factory farm.

Butterball is a namebrand that most poultry-eating households purchase, and yet it has deniability in this case since the company has set regulations as to the treatment of its livestock. However, what good are regulations when they aren’t enforced? In this case, the regulations seem to be a cop out to avoid corporate punishment and to let things blow over with the public. There have been arguments that undercover investigators should take more immediate action than spending months gathering evidence. However, Mercy For Animals has stated that their investigators always report animal abuse to their supervisors and are repeatedly ignored when they do speak up. This proves that corporate enforcement doesn’t exist; the big agriculture companies running these farms are just as much to blame as the employees who have been indicted.

The irony is that now these corporations are publicly outraged at their violated privacy. Just recently Iowa has passed a law declaring it a crime to falsely gain access to farms; therefore making it a misdemeanor for undercover investigators to expose the abuse going on in many factory farms. Not only does this dampen animal rights groups’ ability to investigate the treatment of farm animals but it sets a legal precedent that it’s alright for factory farms, or any farms for that matter, to keep their practices hidden and unavailable to the public eye.

This is the opposite direction we should be going. We live in an age of hyper-exposure: twitter, facebook, news outlets, etc. all can release information at the blink of an eye and gain widespread exposure within hours or even minutes. Yet the food we eat, the food that is supposed to nourish our bodies is developed in secret. Our bodies deserve respect, we deserve the respect to know what’s affecting our own well being as well as the well being of the animals slaughtered for our consumption.

If you couldn’t tell already I fully support Mercy For Animals and I believe that any company that needs to keep it’s methods secret is probably hiding something outrageous or illegal. I cry every time I see a dead animal on the side of the road, I can’t imagine how anyone could harm an innocent creature for the sake of production and profit.

What do vegans eat?

what the hell _does_ a vegan eat anyway?: King Trumpet Mushroom “Scallops” with Barbecue Miso Glaze, Parsnip Noodles with Cilantro Walnut Pesto

What the hell do vegans eat anyway? It’s an intriguing and amusing question; but more importantly, it’s a great blog for ideas. The couple that runs this blog are big on variety, experimentation and parties. They don’t always post recipes but they give enough description accompanied by lovely photos that it doesn’t take long to scrounge up your own recipe and plating ideas.

One particular post of theirs (look at the link above) I am dying to recreate, or break down and buy Matthew Kenney’s book for the recipe they used. King trumpet mushroom “scallops,” what a beautiful idea. Of any meat that I’ve eaten in the past, scallops are by far my favorite; light and buttery, like little savory pillows. Mushrooms contain an umami flavor that can hold up to a vegan scallop concoction. I can’t say that I’ve tasted the king trumpet variety, but if it’s anything like chanterelle or oyster mushrooms I can imagine how perfect this recipe will be.

Since this recipe is only at the planning stage there will be lots of kinks to work out before perfection is attained. Stay tuned and I’ll keep you posted as this goes along.

Why I’m glad I don’t eat hambrugers

Chains Stop Use of Chemical Beef

Ammoniated beef. What’s that you ask?

It’s the fatty, almost unusable parts of the cow that are treated with an ammonia and water mixture in order to kill bacteria. It’s been used in up to 70% of all ground beef sold in the U.S.

Why didn’t you know about this before?

The FDA doesn’t require the ground beef that contains this “pink slime,” as it has come to be called, to include ammonia in the list of ingredients since it’s considered a process for treating the beef. This “process” is so widespread because it allows beef producers to use otherwise inedible meat as a cheap filler for most ground beef products. And being absent from the label means that any ground beef products you purchase could potentially contain this sneaky disgusting stuff, unless you have a really good butcher whose word you trust.

I first learned about this from popular British chef, Jamie Oliver, about a year ago when he was crusading for healthier school meals in the LAUSD. He showed the process that goes into ammonia-treated beef; using an ingredient common in household cleaning products, that’s toxic nonetheless, and once the beef goes through a meat grinder it’s indistinguishable from regular ground beef. A quick and dirty way to get people to eat subpar food but charge the same price. Needless to say, if I did eat meat, ground beef would be the first thing to go.

McDonald’s has announced that it has not used ammoniated beef in it’s restaurants for the past 5 months. Which is great, but it makes you think about all that fast food you ate as a kid…

New USDA school lunch guidelines: Michelle Obama pushes for better nutrition

USDA school lunch rules best ever — though pizza is still a vegetable – latimes.com.

Lady Obama rocks; starting a vegetable garden and now advocating for better nutrition in school lunches. Kids deserve food that will keep them healthy, help them grow, and help them develop. They’re kids, for goodness sake, they aren’t aware or concerned with what’s best for themselves. They’ll go for what tastes and looks good.

When I was 11 I took a summer math class in order to get ahead and I ate curly fries and an It’s It ice cream bar every day for lunch; it tasted good and hit my savory and sweet desires, but nutritionally, it provided nothing but starch, sodium, and sugar.

The USDA, with a push from Michelle Obama, has announced new guidelines for the food that schools serve. Including whole grains, vegetables and calorie and sodium limits designed for specific age groups

Ideally, I believe that parents should be the owners of their children’s diet. Sending their children to school with a belly full of breakfast and a packed lunch is pretty much the only way to ensure your child eats healthy while at school. But that’s not always possible due to a myriad of factors, so in the meantime, we can be glad of the USDA’s changes to school lunches and hope for more health-based revisions in the future.

Hopefully the corporate food lobbyists will eventually fail and there can be a serving size limit for starchy vegetables (mainly, potatoes) and the tomato sauce on pizza won’t count as a serving of vegetables.