Going Green

Everyone knows the phrase "Going Green", and I only mean it here in a half "Going Green" way. More on that in a second.

Today, I decided I wanted something bright, light and, well, green! I have been holding onto Alton's Edamame Dip for quite some time now without ever really trying it before. Most of the time when I post about something, I usually give it multiple goes before I actually commit to blogging about it. In this case, I made an exception because it was so simple, and in most cases you already have what you need if you are an edamame fan.

First, a brief interlude about the importance of soy protein. I am lactose intolerant, and I swear by soy milk. If you haven't tried it (even if you're not lactose intolerant) give it a go. It's so good for your body. It's one of life's few complete plant proteins with all the essential amino acids your body needs. Amino acids have oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen, all of which are super important building blocks for maintaining your body. Soy also contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential to your diet because your body can't make them! I won't bore you with more detail than that, but bottom line is that you need amino acids and omegas in your diet, and soy has it! 

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Alton (and Kristin's) Edamame Dip

14 oz (two 16oz bags in-the-shell) of edamame

1/4 cup roughly diced onion

1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro or parsley leaves

1 large sliced garlic clove

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon of brown miso (optional, really, I don't even taste it in mine)

1 teaspoon (minimum) of kosher salt or to taste

1 teaspoon red chili paste (this just brings heat, so feel free to use red pepper flake if you don't have this)

Freshly ground pepper
A couple drops of sesame oil (optional, don't go overboard! It's strong stuff!)

5 tablespoons (minimum) of olive oil

Our journey begins with two frozen 16 oz (1lb) bags of in-the-shell edamame, which ends up being just over 14 oz of shelled soy beans (we'll get to why we're using in the shell in a minute). Start by following the instructions on the bag for thawing. I put two bags in the microwave for 6 minutes on high, or until they were warm enough to handle without being too hot. Some parts of the bag were still frozen, this is not a big deal.

Put a pot of water on to boil (enough to handle all the deshelled edamame you've got, I used a 2.5 quart saucepan filled 2/3 of the way up with water) and add about a tablespoon or so of salt. De-shell your edamame, and do not discard the shells! (I'm getting to it, I swear!) Once they're de-shelled, drop them into the boiling water and bring back to a boil. Allow to boil for 2-3 minutes, then drain and dump the green gems into a food processor.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the olive oil, and pulse for several seconds. Scrape down the sides. Then, turn the food processor on and drizzle in the olive oil. Let it go until it's thick and just slightly chunky (but not big chunks). Give it a taste. I added more lime juice and salt to mine, but your's may be good as it is. Its a great recipe for this time of year because I am starting to desperately miss warm weather, and this is a nice, bright reminder that it's not too far off. Plus, it's like, ridiculously healthy for you. 

As for those shells...well, you got a compost pile don'tcha? Don't throw them out, they are gardening gold! Same goes for the papery stuff that came off the onion you just chopped, and those limes! Get them into your compost pile for the upcoming planting season. You'll be rewarded with wormy, composty goodness for your little plants. Its just the nutritional boost they need to get started, and you'll feel better because you're not contributing so much waste to your local landfill, right? Go green! =)

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For more information on the nutritional benefits, and warnings (because some people may be allergic to soy products), visit the following websites:
National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine
Mayo Clinic
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network

Also, here's Alton's original recipe in case you're interested in seeing the difference (there's also a video for how to make the recipe): Edamame Dip



Thanks to clinuvel.com for the lovely picture of the soybeans in a bowl! Grazie!

Apple Picking - Edward's Orchard

Ahh fall...what a perfect season. Crisp air, bright beautiful leaves, pumpkins, hayrides, and perfect red orbs of culinary deliciousness known as apples.

Yesterday was the first day of fall, and I thought it would only be right to ring in the season with some apple picking. My close buddies and I drove out to Edward's Orchard in Poplar Grove, Illinois. It was my first time apple picking as every year something else got in the way. This year I was determined, and despite a rather large fire drill from work that forced me to spend some time checking my e-mails and making phone calls, I was able to enjoy myself and the beautiful weather we had yesterday.

The way this orchard works is by driving your car around the orchard following the signs until you get to where you see the bushel baskets. This is where you can pick apples.For those of you who love apples, you will be in apple heaven because they only sell apples by the bushel (unless you buy them in the store, but they are much more expensive). There is a $30.00 minimum (sounds like a lot, but you wouldn't believe how many apples you get for that price), and they make great gifts for family and friends. There were a couple friends of ours who couldn't make it, so I set some apples aside for them to have.

It's sort of a magical place there. Everything feels like it moves a lot slower, the area is just so beautiful, and the air is so fragrant with the smell of perfect fruit. It's amazing. The store is very country and they carry some pretty unique items. I found organic chili spiced pumpkin seeds which were total heaven (sprinkle them on your salad sometime), delicious squeaky cheese curds, pumpkin fudge (oh yes I did) and pure, unfiltered honey. Oh. Em. Gee. You could spend hours looking around that shop and you still wouldn't see everything in it.

Now, I am pretty sure that you don't need any culinary suggestions from me as far as what to make with apples (Dutch Apple Pie with Oatmeal Streusel, 10 Minute Apple Sauce, Apple Cider Doughnuts, Apple Cobbler...), however, I am going to suggest one snacky-style dish that I can't get enough of:

Cut up apple into slices, removing the core. Cut thin slices of brie cheese. Lay the brie on top of the sliced apple and drizzle with honey. At this point you can bake it (or nuke it, but I'd nuke it before putting on the honey) if you'd like it to be slightly warm and the cheese to be gorgeously runny, or you can eat it as is, nice and cold and crisp. Your call, but my only suggestion is that you should slice the brie when it's cold, you'll find the going is much easier. Also, if you're planning on making this for a party, squeeze a little lemon juice on the apple slices to keep them from turning brown. Oooh, you could also pile the goodness on top of some pre-toasted crostini for a little bit more crunch. Either way, it's a big hit, and I honestly can't imagine a better snack. So freakin' good.

As they have particular seasons, not every apple at Edward's Orchard is available for picking at the same time. So, if you're looking to pick a certain variety give the nice folks at the orchard a call (815.765.2234) to find out the pick of the day. They also have blackberry and raspberry bushes you can pick yourself too. YUM!!!

P.S. I planned to take a picture of the snack I made, but I ate it too fast...sorry...

Sneaky Sneaky

I didn't see it coming.

It snuck up on me, creeping in with ninja-esque skill. Last time I checked I hadn't quite decided, but now I am sure. This jedi-mind trick quietly changed my subconscious before leaking slowly into regular consciousness.

I don't think I can tell you exactly when it happened. One minute I have my night all planned out, and the next...I'm autotuning Bitchin' Kitchen.

Yeah. I know. If you are a fan of this blog, you will remember that I had touched on this subject before (Not Sure How I Feel About That...). Tonight, I actually scoured the program guide specifically for Bitchin' Kitchen.

Yes, it totally weirded me out at first, and I still think that sometimes it sounds like Nadia is trying to talk around a brick in her throat. But for some reason, this has become one of the most entertaining food shows on TV today.

While I am terrified of putting this in writing because I fear this will come back to haunt me someday...I will say that I am currently enjoying this show more than Good Eats.

Wait, do you hear that? Must be the sound of hell freezing over.

We all know of my ridiculous crush on Alton Brown, but the trouble is...he's not as entertaining as he was when he was still, you know...fluffy.

Anyway, I said currently, because CURRENTLY, I am enjoying B.K. more. AB's shows just don't have that Monty Pythonish humor that I so adored when I first began watching him. If you look at my favorite tv chef personalities, they are mostly people who haven't changed styles over the years. Take Jamie Oliver. His show has been earthy and rustic from the get go. Something I absolutely loved about him. No fussing around, just great simple stuff. But Alton...I'm beginning to fear that all the weight you lost was in that brilliant brain of yours...

So, Nadia is sorta filling in that need for now. Her ridiculous sets, psychotic cast of characters, questionable wardrobe choices (like some of her shoes...o.m.g), and her break-the-mold approach to a cooking show, she's got something going on. Not sure that I can put my finger on what it is, but I like it. Don't get me wrong, I am still holding out hope that Alton will pack on a few pounds and return to being that lovable dork complete with puppets, quick dry humor and visual aids that made me swoon my swooners off. He better get off this tangent he's on quickly, because Nadia is a chick, and frankly, this is weirding me out.

If you haven't watched her show yet, give her a gander. She's on most nights at 9:00 central. I haven't tried her recipes yet, but dadgummit, sometimes I just want to be entertained! Sheesh!

(Side story, I love my blog's spellcheck. I went with "dadgummit" because I wanted to tone down the swearing, but it doesn't like the spelling. So I right click to check how it wanted me to spell it, and it came up with "dammit". So, I laughed to my literary self, knowing that truthfully there is no escape from swearing, as in the effort to not swear, I found it important enough to tell this little anecdote which involved me putting the swear in anyway. Insert heavy sigh.)

Check out Bitchin' Kitchen on Cooking Channel!

Thanks to i2.squidoocdn.com for the picture of Nadia and the voodoo doll. I think this sums her up, don't you?

I Heart Bees

Yep. Bees.

That's all. What? Yes, bees! It's not enough to just love bees because they're awesome? There has to be some reason I'm writing this blog other than the fact that I just love them? Oh, you want an explanation? Ok, fine, I'll give you an explanation:

Let's start with facts, shall we?

1. The U.S Forest Service Website (fs.fed.us) states that "bees, beetles, and butterflies POLLINATE our gardens and crops, making possible such foods as chocolate, nuts, and most fruits."

2. "Almost 80% of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products require pollination by animals." (fs.fed.us)

3. Flowering plants provide oxygen, and help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (fs.fed.us). No pollination, no flowering plants, no oxygen. 

4. "Today 1,000 of the 1,330 plants grown for food, beverages, fibers, condiments, [spices], and medicines depend on pollinators to help them reproduce and develop healthy, viable seeds and fruits" (fs.fed.us).

5. More than 150 food crops in the U.S. depend on pollinators, including almost all fruit and grain crops (fs.fed.us).

Should I keep going? Fine!

6. "The abundance of four common species of bumblebee in the US has dropped by 96% in just the past few decades, according to the most comprehensive national census of the insects." (guardian.co.uk)

7. "Factors which could contribute to declines include: improper use of pesticides and herbicides; habitat fragmentation, loss, and degradation causing a reduction of food sources and sites for mating, nesting, roosting, and migration; aggressive competition from non-native species; disease, predators, and parasites; climate change; and lack of floral diversity." (pollinator.org)

8. "The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about one-third of the human diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants and that the honey bee is responsible for 80 percent of this pollination." (ebeehoney.com)

9. When two different species coexist in a mutually beneficial way (such as plants providing fruits that give animals vitamins in exchange for an animal brushing up against it, gathering pollen, and transferring it to another plant to fertilize), this is called mutualism. This harmonized relationship has existed for centuries, and is one we should be nurturing.

10. Honey helps burns heal faster, helps suppress a cough from that cold that just won't go away, local honey has been proven to help with local allergies, and "Manuka honey is surprisingly adept at killing the [Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus] bug." (health.usnews.com)

So why am I pointing them out? Because they aren't doing so hot. Several of the factors listed in 7. are causing bees to die out in rapid fashion. This is bad news Bears. Can you imaging what would happen to the U.S. food crops without a strong pollinator like bees? What about the Staph bug running amok in major cities? Not. Cool.

I love them. And you should too if you know what's good for ya. Whether it's related to our food supply, fighting disease, or just plain enjoying the honey they produce, bees are as important to our ecosystem as oxygen.

So the next time you decide to spray Raid into the nearest hive or call a pest control specialist, contact your local beekeeper and ask whether or not these bees are essential to our ecosystem.

Charlie Wenk and Clyde Eggett are local beekeepers in the Chicago suburbs. Charlie harvests honey from his back yard and from several locations in the suburbs, and knows a thing or two about the benefits of bees. He is friends with my parents and has told them whenever they need help with bees he'd come out and give it a gander. Get yourself a Charlie or a Clyde to help you figure out whether or not your little buzzer buddies are friends or foes before you decide to run them out.

For more about Charlie and Clyde, check out this article from mysuburbanlife.com.
Check out this list of beekeepers in Illinois: Illinois beekeepers

Or if you REALLY want to make a difference:

Get acquainted with the folks over at 2 Let It Bee, the Honey Bee Revitalization Project. This has got to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. If you have extra land that you're not doing much with, contact these guys. They will use your land to play host to some honey bees. It's a small way to help do your part in revitalizing the worrisome drop of the bee population.

SAVE THE BEES!!

"Sensitive to Bees" - Marzipan

Thanks to i.treehugger.com and townipproject09.wikispaces.com for the bee pictures! Thanks to acreagelife.com for the walnut photo. Thanks to lifetimefitness.mylt.com for the spice shot. Thanks to whataretheywaitingfor.com for the burning earth picture. And thanks to scienceblogs.com for the gorgeous honey shot! Grazie mille!

one fish, two fish. red fish, Big Fish

SURPRISE! I'm not dead! Yeah yeah I know. It's been a while. I just started a new job a couple months ago, plus I've been swamped by holidays and family things and birthdays, my best friend just got married (congrats Booty Doo!) so, yeah. A little nuts.

I have LOTS of things I want to talk about this summer, and I promise to be more proactive about posting them! For reals!

First I want to start with one of the most unique, fresh, and flavorful restaurants I have had the pleasure of eating at. It's called Big Fish Grille, and it's located in the Geneva Commons (1602 Commons Drive, Geneva, IL). We were there for my parent's birthdays last week (they were born 4 days apart...awww).

What's so great about it? How about the fact that they print their menus...DAILY. I know! Isn't that awesome!? It's awesome because it means that whatever is freshest is what goes on the menu. Notice the date located at the top of the page. Our waiter told us that most of the seafood on their menu has been out of the water for a maximum period of 32 hours, which for us Illinoisians is about as fresh as we're likely to get without driving 1,000 miles in either direction with hopes of hitting a beach. Giggidy!

Our family went a little nuts with the menu. We ordered a couple maki rolls which were really great, but my dad and I opted to try the Large Oyster Sampler which offered us two of each of the four oysters they offer at this bar. Yeah, four!! These tasty morsels were nestled on a plate of ice with cocktail sauce and vinegar sauce in the center. The four choices were Blue Point (Connecticut, by far my favorite), Kumamoto (British Columbia), Malpeque (Prince Edward Island), and Wellfleet (Cape Cod). Dad and I each tried one and they were all pretty spectacular. Clean and briny, plump and juicy. Perfectly oysterly delicious. Unfortunately, we scarfed them down so fast I didn't get a chance to snap the photo before they were gone. Trust me when I say they were flippin' good.

Now...don't go judging me for choosing the dinner I picked. I realize I was at a fish place, but honestly, this sounded so good I seriously couldn't help myself. I love going to restaurants that have more options than just what they specialize in. You know that they aren't just a one trick dog, knowwhatImean? So, I had the New Zealand Lamb Shank, which was the most incredible, fall-off-the-bone, pot roast style heaven on a plate. Seriously. So. Good. It had a real wine-y flavor and a super amount of sweetness. There were also bright sparks of lemon explosions that helped lighten this super rich dish. Complete with a bed of garlic smashed potatoes. Notice the photo on the left. That bone is cleaner than a bar of soap!! Oh, and there was a little bit of marrow peaking out from the end of that bone which was almost better than the meat itself, so if you get this don't you go throwing it out or I'ma have to come teach you a lesson. 

We also noticed that before the dinner rush hit, we saw the head chef peeking out from time to time to check on how all the tables were doing. We were right by the kitchen door, so he was watching us. My dad mentioned that he saw us sharing our dinners with each other and commenting on how amazing everything was. We ordered desserts (try the key lime pie, but only if you're a fan of the super tart because it is TARTY!) and the Chef stopped by to talk to our table. My parents informed him that I graduated culinary school last year and spent two weeks in Italy, so of course I was completely shy and awkward talking to the man who successfully created a restaurant I am sure to have as a favorite for a very long time.

OH! I almost forgot!!! Check out these amazing bar specials and deals straight from their menu:

Brewers Night Monday's - Enjoy any of our craft beers, bottles or 16oz. draft, for only $3
Tropical Tuesday's - Sail into any specialty Rum drink for $4
Wine down Wednesday's - Enjoy any bottle of wine from our list at 1/2 price!
Martini Madness Thursday's - Any of our specialty martinis for only $5.
Sunday Bloody Sunday (um, ok, any restaurant that references U2 is officially phantasmagorical) - Enjoy our signature Big Fish Bloody Mary's made with Absolute Peppar, our spicy mix and a jumbo shrimp $6
AND
Oysters, Oysters and MORE OYSTERS! $.50 oysters or 1/2 dozen oysters rockefeller $6 (in the bar only)

Big Fish Grille

SO yeah, go. GO NOW!! It's monday night, so get a beer! Go tomorrow and get some rum! OMG GO ON SUNDAY AND GET A BLOODY MARY AND SOME RAW OYSTERS!

Seriously. Get there. Immediately.