Photo: Basia Sikorski

 It constantly amazes me how much our culinary imaginations are influenced by cultural context. In our globalized world, the same ingredients often appear in different regions, but are used in completely different ways.

A great example of this is Tapioca, a starch derived from the manioc root. Tapioca pearls. Photo: Wikipedia

 In the United States, tapioca is nothing more than a pudding flavor (by "pudding" I mean a custard-like dessert). But in Brazil, it is a staple food, used in both sweet and savory dishes.

Here I've been blown away by the versatility of manioc as an ingredient. It shows up in stews (bobó), sides (pirão), breads (pão de queijo), barbecue toppings (farofa), desserts (too many to name), snacks (povilho, beiju), and all sorts of bar foods (escondidinho), including killer manioc fries. It's also one of my favorite flavors of ice cream.

Cassava or manioc, known as mandioca or aipim in Brazil. Photo: Wikipedia

Beiju de folha, photo: Wikipedia
Pão de queijo. Photo: Wikipedia.

 Aipim frito (Manioc fries)

Manioc also makes occasional appearances in Thai cuisine, usually in the form of tapioca pearls or flour. Since Southeast Asia shares a similar climate to northeastern Brazil they actually have a lot of agricultural products in common, but the flavors, preparation methods and presentation style are worlds apart.

Thai food happens to be one of my favorites, and lately I've been craving it. I knew that a couple of my Ozzie friends had been too, and thus, a dinner party idea was born: A menu displaying tapioca as the key ingredient, prepared with Southeast Asian flair.

If you've every had "boba" (Taiwanese milk tea), then you've chewed big round balls of tapioca. Here I made mango-mint cocktails and added tiny tapioca pearls.

Photo: Basia Sikorski

In Thailand, small tapioca pearls are used to make dumplings. Tapioca flour is also used to make some types of noodles. 

The dough can be really tricky to work with. Basia wowed everyone with her expert pierogi-making skills...

 Ginger, shrimp and coconut-filled tapioca dumplings, fried garlic on top.

Photo: Basia Sikorski

From the Philippines to Malaysia, tapioca pearls are used to make sago, a dessert with fruit, coconut milk, or sweetened condensed milk. I made this one with green melon, coconut milk and mint.

Photo: Basia Sikorski

I started off my first day in Sao Paulo with a rich and satisfying lunch at my friend's home. Her mom was enthusiastic about sharing her cuisine, and we were able to communicate in a mix of Portuguese, Spanish and Italian. As she taught me how to make this dish, I also got my first Portuguese lesson: I seem to pick up food vocabulary quickly in any language. ;-)

The dish is made first by roasting the pumpkin whole for 40 minutes to an hour. The seeds and stringy pulp are then discarded, and the orange flesh is scooped into another bowl and reserved to make the sauce. It is should be soft enough to eat with a spoon at this point, almost like a puree.

Next, some chopped onion is sauteed in a large pan with olive oil, green scallion, parsley, salt and black pepper. Peeled shrimp are then added, and once they are pink, the pumpkin is added to the pan with a tablespoon of cachaça, a Brazilian liquor made from fermented sugar cane, and about a tablespoon of a spice mixture called tempero baiano (there are different recipes, but this one included turmeric, cumin, red pepper and coriander seed).

The mixture is cooked on low for a few minutes, and then some coconut milk is poured in. After a few more minutes of simmering, the dish is finished off with a generous dousing of double cream.

Serve in the pumpkin shell with Brazilian-style rice (sauteed with onion and salt).

Muito gustoso! 

No other trade show of its kind on the west coast of North America can claim the size or power of influence of the annual Natural Products Expo. All the big brands were there representing, showcasing and testing out their latest products at the Anaheim Convention Center, and I was there to catch a glimpse.

Some exhibitors had impressive artwork, some had models, and some had celebrities. Ziggy Marley sang, Cat Cora cooked, and Fabio struck a pose in between nutrition discussions with a small, but loyal group of fawning middle-aged women.

I sampled oodles of food and beauty products, spoke to the artisans behind them, and picked their brains about nutrition, product creation and sustainability. I brought home a tote of samples as heavy as any trick-or-treat bag I remember wielding as a kid. It was pretty much Disneyland for the natural health junky.

But the most important thing that I gained from the experience was a macrocosmic view of the industry itself: This was no hippy-dippy lovefest, nor did I expect it to be. It was a trade show, like any trade show, complete with the inevitable mark of the beast ($$$).

Forgive me for being melodramatic, but this exhibition served to further reinforced my pessimism about the natural products industry. I want to remind everyone to exercise caution when buying anything "natural," "ethical" or "healthy", because frankly, those terms don't mean a damn thing.

As Michael Pollan so aptly put it, "If you're concerned about your health, you should probably avoid products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a strong indication it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat.” 

Pollan is dead-on. "Natural food product" is almost always an oxymoron as far as I'm concerned.

And yet, there was plenty of good mixed in with the repulsive this weekend.

I was fortunate to meet a gentleman named Art who has been a personal trainer and life coach to the stars for a number of years. He shared with me his experiences and stories working in the natural health industry and how it has grown and changed. He's gotten to know some prominent public figures who have gone from  to nobodys to natural health superstars over the decades.

Together we attended a seminar called "Spontaneous Happiness" by Dr. Andrew Weil, whom Art knew in his younger years. He called him "one of the pioneers of natural health", or at least as we know it today in the mainstream.

"To give you some idea, I was here with Andrew at the first Expo in 1983," he said. "Back then nobody knew who he was. There were only 1,000 people at the show. We were just a bunch of hippies."

This year there were approximately 2,000 exhibitors and over 56,000 attendees. Dr. Weil has gone from unknown hippie to household name, and recently became the spokesperson for Megafood vitamins. 

Despite the sheer size and diversity represented at the event, I've concluded 

Five Truths about the Natural Products Industry

  1) "Naturals", as it is called by insiders, is a hot, growing market that supports a lot of positive change and innovation. 

 I saw a myriad of inspirational things happening based on cutting-edge scientific research, purity of ethics, desire for social change, superb artistry, and culinary passion. I'm happy that all the buzz is giving some very talented individuals the opportunity to thrive.

2) It's still a market.

The flip side of the coin was a lot of business people in suits, wheeling and dealing over drinks in the Hilton lounge, Mad Men-style. On the floor, it was all about sales and promotion, glitz and glam, with very few reliable facts about the products' health claims.

That said, you could easily pick out the genuine vendors from the bunch--They were usually the small guys, dressed in normal clothes. They were the ones promoting their own products, without bells, whistles, or body glitter. And they weren't selling supplements. They were selling whole foods, and body care or lifestyle product

3) People are generally really confused about what is healthy--Even the ones who buy, sell, and market health products as a career. 

It's possible that they don't even care about health at all, but I prefer to be optimistic.

Almost everything on the floor this year was gluten-free. There were also quite a few vegan products, but not nearly as many as gluten-free baked goods.

While I was happy to sample all of these foods, it seems that a TON of producers are just jumping on the bandwagon, and I'm not sure how many of them really know what gluten is. Plus, they were full of starches, refined flours and weird gums--Not my idea of healthy, natural or nutritious.

There were also too many energy bars, with WAY too much added sugar. 

4) "Natural" is a nebulous term which means something different to everyone.

 There were too many of what I consider to be unnnatural products to even name, but my opinion is just one of many. The best example I have to share with you is an energy bar called Sight Bites that was designed (or marketed) to improve eyesight. It contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which are supposed to promote sharper vision. However, the first ingredient listed on the package is corn syrup. I don't think that any product which contains corn syrup deserves to be called "natural," even if it contains certified organic corn syrup (which does exist, by the way).

Besides that, the amount of "natural" colorings and flavorings that I encountered was appalling. The companies that make the natural colorings and flavorings were also at the show, with some of the most costly and appealing exhibits. Out of all the products being promoted on the floor, these took me the longest to figure out what they were. And from the descriptions of how they process their products they are FAR from natural. I hope to do a full post on this topic in the future.

 5) "Eco-conscious", "green", "sustainable", "fair trade" and "organic" are also hard to define, and often conflict with one another.

A great example of this is the debut of the "first USDA-certifed organic sake". A representative from the company explained to me the lengthy travels that each bottle takes as he poured me a glass.

The rice is grown and certified in California, then it's shipped to Japan to be processed, and shipped back to the US where it is bottled and sold.

Is it really worth the extra trip? Or is the organic label doing more ecological harm than good? What's your opinion on this?

Mushy strawberries. Bananas gone brown. A pantry full of 3/4 empty bags of nuts, dried coconut, rolled oats, candied ginger, and big ol' jug of honey. What to do with all these random odds and ends?

Make a big batch of granola. You heard me-- All of these ingredients can be tossed together, thrown in the oven and baked to golden perfection. Then they can be put in Ziplock bags and left in the pantry for up to a month, or kept in the freezer for even longer. They can also be used to fill mason jars, and given as gifts. The best part is that your house will smell like toasted oats and honey for days.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this particular granola is the use of fruit puree: It not only sweetens and flavors the granola, but the moisture also helps to make it stick together. So the next time you find yourself with rotting bananas, know that you're not necessarily confined to baking banana bread.

This also works with peaches, pears, and just about any fruit. In fact, there was a recipe by Nigella Lawson that sparked a granola with fruit puree craze in the blogosphere a couple of years ago, and the original apparently used applesauce. 

The following recipe is basically a hodge podge of random ingredients that I needed to use up before leaving for Brazil. So you can see how adaptable this template is: No need to go out and buy things that you don't have; substitute to your heart's content. Just watch the ratios of dry ingredients to wet, and adjust the amount of sweetness to your liking.

 Floor Sweep Granola

5 cups rolled oats

3 cups chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds)

1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup uncooked amaranth

1/2 cup candied ginger, diced

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup strawberry puree (made in a blender)

1/2 cup banana puree (about one large banana)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons coconut cream (substitute coconut oil or any other oil)

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Heat the wet ingredients in a small saucepan.
• Combine the dry ingredients with the wet.
• Spread the granola over two baking sheets or jelly roll pans.
• Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so to prevent the bottom from burning.
• Allow the granola to cool at least 10 minutes--It will continue to crispen.

I catered a Mexican-themed dinner party last week. The menu included four different types of fresh salsas, guacamole, chicken and vegetable fajitas, rice, and black beans--Nothing too fancy, just standard healthy Mexican fare. Where I did take some creative license was with the dessert:  Tamales dulces, in two flavors.

I love tamales, but it's been a while since I've made them. They can be time-consuming so there is no sense in making them in small batches; There better be a crowd ready and waiting to enjoy them. 

Most people in the US think of tamales as a savory food, but according to Rick Bayless (Mexican food expert, cookbook author, former PBS host and chef extraordinaire), tamales dulces are wildly popular throughout Mexico. Flavors range from rich and decadent (chocolate) to colorful and bright (strawberry) to textured and simple (sweet corn and sugar cane).

I took the opportunity to expiriment with a couple of new fillings utilizing cupboard ingredients that I'm trying to get rid of before I leave for Brazil: a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, rum, mejool dates, and finely ground coconut. 

They turned out fantastic. The chocolate chip resembles chocolate cookie dough in texture and would be great with vanilla ice cream. The rum-date combination, however, has a much darker, more sophisticated flavor.

If you're interested in trying a breakfast tamale, I suggest adding nothing but unsweetened blueberries , or any berry for that matter. Even the frozen kind work great. If you don't have a lot of mouths to feed I highly recommend freezing these once cooked and cooled.

 Dessert Tamales

 The first step is to soak your corn husks in boiling hot water for about 20 minutes. You can buy corn husks from any Latin American grocer.

Traditional masa-making is quite a process. I opted for the short-cut version.

Masa dough:

2 cups instant masa

1 cup yellow corn meal

1 1/2 cups hot water

1 stick of butter or 1/2 cup coconut oil

2 tablespoons of sugar (any kind)

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (or regular milk)

First, mix the masa and corn meal with the hot water and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Next, cream the butter, sugar, salt and baking powder together. Then add the corn masa mixture. A food processor will help to combine these two but is not necessary. Finally, mix in the coconut milk until the mass is homogenized.

Rum-date filling:

1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup rum

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons finely-ground dried coconut (optional)

Simmer all ingredients in a small saucepan until the dates have begun to dissolve and release their sugars into the liquid. Add more water if necessary, then allow the mixture to reduce, and cool before adding to the tamales.

Fill your steamer with enough water, then line the bottom with smaller, less desireable corn husks.

Spread a couple of tablespoons the masa mixture over one third of the corn husk. Ideally, you will use the smoothest husks first, avoiding those with deep ridges. I was at the end of my bag with these...

Put a tablespoon or less of the filling in the center of the dough (There is too much on the tamle pictured above.). Fold one edge over horizontally, enclosing the filling in the wrapper. Then fold the bottom, facing the seam.

Place the tamales in the steamer so that they hold their shape. To help with this, you can tie them with twine, but it isn't necessary. It can make them look more decorative though.

Steam for 10 minutes. Wait for them to cool sufficiently before serving, otherwise they'll be nothing but a gooey mess!

A lot of visitors have been stumbling upon my site while looking for beet recipes. I guess I should have expected that would happen. I'm ok with it, but while I do appreciate beets, it's not like I'm some sort of fanatic who puts them in everything that I make.

A Google + user named Daro seems to think so. He called my phone several times last month to share with me "exciting information about the God-almighty beet!" At that point I thought, a) I should be careful when putting information about myself on the internet and b) some people really don't get what this site is about.

When I came up with the name for my personal chef and nutrition business, I was looking for a logo. A beet with a heart in it seemed cute, and I later decided that it fit my personality rather well, so the name stuck.

Beets are colorful and quirky. They're sweet and spunky. They're really good, but can take some convincing. Most people stear clear of them in supermarkets because they haven't a clue what to do with them. Poor, misunderstood little things!

Of course, beets are also nutritious. They're great for your heart, your blood, your bowels, and contain a potent anti-cancer compound called betanin; though I can't say the same for myself. 

But really, from a culinary perspective, the best thing about beets is that they stain everything magenta. This makes for great fun--and a great mess. If I ever have a choice in the color of my kitchen it will have to be magenta and yellow to match the stains on my dish towels (I also go wild with tumeric). 

Ok, I'm starting to sound like a beetnik (beet + fanatik)...

But really? In a cake? 

The idea dawned on me after pondering the origins of red velvet cake. I've never actually understood the point of that dessert. All of the standard recipes are basically vanilla cake with a ton of red food coloring added. I know my great grandma didn't have the ingredients to bake that cake...Or did she?

I figured that somewhere down the line beets must have been the primary coloring agent. Sure enough, my research revealed that boiled beets were sometimes added to red velvet cakes during World War II.

But I was surprised to learn that the original red velvet cakes didn't contain beets at all: A chemical reaction occurs when cocoa powder is exposed to acid, revealing a natural red compound called anthocyanin. Vinegar or buttermilk, and cocoa powder are all that's needed to give cakes a red tint.

Of course, this color is actually more of a reddish brown than the firetruck red we're used to. Some bakers discovered later that beets intensified the hue, and lent moisture, so they added them with discretion. Then "food scientists" came along, invented red #5, and made a mockery of culinary traditions. Booo!!

I'd like to think of these cupcakes as my own invention, but as you can see, they are actually quite retro. In case you're wondering, you can't really taste the beets in them. But beets being beets, they do leave their mark--Your cupcake liners will be stained a lovely shade of pink. ;-)

I cut back on butter and opted for yogurt instead, so they're not greasy--Just moist and deep with chocolate flavor. Here they're topped with a savory goat cheese frosting, and for the sake of passion, a sprinkling of red volcanic salt. 

"Red Velvet" Beet Cakes

2 cups beet puree (about a pound of beets)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup butter

6 oz dark chocolate, chopped (I used Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72% dark)

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup yogurt (full fat)

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 tbsp molasses

11/2 cup all-purpose gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1. Boil the beets until tender. Peel them, then puree them in a food processor with the balsamic vinegar until smooth.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler.
3. Combine the eggs, sugar, molasses, vanilla and yogurt. Then fold in the beets.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and fold in the egg mixture.
6. Fold in the chocolate, but don't overmix.
7. Divide the batter among cupcake liners and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until they are firm in the center.

Goat Cheese Frosting:

 8 oz goat cheese

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Combine all ingredients until smooth.
2. Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with something pretty (it doesn't have to be salt, but Trader Joe's pink salt would do nicely)
3. Refrigerate the cakes if you won't be serving them immediately. 

My dad was born on February 2, also known as Groundhog's Day. He is obviously a grown man now, but I imagine that when he was a kid it must have been annoying to have his birthday overshadowed by a rodent (pun intended). I'm not sure that animal is deserving of all the attention he gets.

To let my dad know that he's far more important than a burrowing animal, I made him this rich, decadent dessert. I also managed to use a few ingredients in my pantry that I need to get rid of before I leave next month.

My dad has simple tastes when it comes to food, but it's hard to go wrong with desserts. He likes chocolate, and he likes nuts, and that's what this tart is all about. The rum is an added bonus. The end result came out looking fancier than intended, but the flavors are straight-forward. One bite clearly says "Hello, chocolate! Hello, nuts!" and "Hellooooooo, rum!" 

I used this recipe by David Lebovitz as a guide, though he uses espresso instead of rum, and a traditional French tart dough. My dad doesn't like coffee, and I had all that dark rum stowed away in my cupboard. If I'd had amaretto on hand, I'd have gone with that--Next time.

Pantry Ingredients to use up: 3-lb bag of pecans (Costco got me), 1L bottle of dark rum, 8 oz. package of gluten-free ginger cookies (stocking stuffer from Christmas--don't worry, they were still good).

I could have made my own crust with alternative flours or more nuts instead of cookies; It would have been equally as simple. But these added a nice touch. I just threw them in the food processor with some toasted pecans, half a teaspoon of sea salt and a couple tablespoons of butter. You could use any cookie imaginable--Amaretti work nicely if you don't mind their overt sweetness. The ginger cookies were also very sweet, so I made the filling intentionally on the bitter side.

Here you can see how I just pressed the crust into 10.5-inch tart pan with my fingers. No need to pre-bake.

The first step in making the filling is caramelizing some sugar in a saucepan. Next you add the liquid (rum, espresso, vanilla, amaretto, etc.) and it bubbles up with excitement. Finally, the butter and dark chocolate are melted, and eggs are added to the mixture.

The tart only needs 20-25 minutes to bake at 350 degrees. I added the raw pecans on top halfway through the baking so they wouldn't burn.

Dark Chocolate Rum Tart with Ginger-Pecan Crust

Crust:

8 oz. package of gluten-free ginger cookies 

1 cup toasted pecans (or nut of choice; hazelnuts, anyone?)

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tablespoons cold butter

1. Toast the pecans either in the oven or on the stove top.
2. Crumble the cookies and give them a whirl in the food processor.
3. Add the salt and toasted pecans, pulsing until the pecans are finely chopped.
4. Pulse in the butter.
5. Press the mixture into a tart pan.

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar (any kind)

6 tablespoons of dark rum

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

3 oz. butter

a pinch of salt

8 oz. 72% dark chocolate (Trader Joe's Pound Plus) or better quality, chopped

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup good cocoa powder

1 more tablespoon of vanilla extract

About 20 whole, raw pecans

1. Heat the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden.
2. Turn off the heat and add the rum and vanilla, stirring.
3. Add in the butter immediately afterward, then the chocolate.
4. Once the chocolate is melted, fold in the eggs.
5. After the eggs are well-incorporated, fold in the cocoa powder and the additional vanilla. 
6. Pour the mixture into the pre-prepared tart crust.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove it and add whole raw pecans as decoration.
8. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes. The center should still be a bit wobbly--It will firm up as at cools.
9. Leave the tart at room temperature, otherwise it will get too firm and ruin the silky texture.

Pantry Ingredients: Sweet black rice, kaffir lime

I made this dish in an effort to use two ingredients that I have way too much of at the moment: Sweet "forbidden" black rice, and kaffir lime.

Kaffir lime is one of those specialty Asian ingredients that I absolutely love--I buy them fresh at Ranch 99 for about $1.50. One package probably contains about 50 leaves, and I only typically need 3 to 6 to flavor a dish. I don't make Thai green curry all that often, so I end up freezing the rest of the leaves for later use. 

The thing is, kaffir lime imparts such a bright, fresh flavor on its own, that it really should be used more often outside the curry paradigm. Try adding a few leaves to your next stir-fry--It will add a southeast asian twist to whatever you're cooking. I especially like it with seafood, but it also pairs well with chicken and beef. 

Sweet black rice is another southeast Asian ingredient. Apparently it was once forbidden in the east--Only royalty were permitted to enjoy it, as it was considered superior to all other rice.

Black rice really is superior to other rice in terms of nutritional value. Its dark pigment is due to high content of anthocyanin, the same antioxidant that is found in blue corn. A spoonful of black rice actually has more antioxidants than a spoonful of blueberries.

 Highlights: This rice is very sticky, and holds its shape well. That makes it great for dessert recipes....Stay tuned!

Shrimp Stir-Fry with Kaffir Lime and Forbidden Rice

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1.5 pounds peeled shrimp (the smaller the better)

1 inch of ginger, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, smashed with the back of a knife

3 or 4 thai bird chilies

6-8 frozen kaffir lime leaves

2 cups green beans, cleaned and cut

1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips

2 cups red cabbage, sliced thin

1 small orange sweet potato, sliced into thin coins (use a mandoline)

2 or 3 tablespoons of water

Salt or tamari, to taste

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (brown or black)

Black rice, cooked in a rice cooker

1) Heat one tablespoon of coconut oil in a large wok. Add half of the ginger, garlic, diced chilies and kaffir lime leaves. Stir-fry for one minute, then add the shrimp. Heat them until they are just barely pink, then remove them from the wok.

2) Heat the second tablespoon of coconut oil in the wok with the remainder of the ginger, garlic, chilies and lime leaves. Stir-fry for on minute, then add the green beans. Shortly after, add the sweet potatoes and some salt. 

3) Once the sweet potatoes have begun to sear, add the water, one tablespoon at a time as needed to soften the vegetables to the point where you can just pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork. Once that has evaporated, add another tablespoon of coconut oil, then the peppers and the cabbage.

4) Finish with the tamari, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Add the shrimp back into the mixture and turn off the heat.

5) Serve hot with the black rice.

Pantry Ingredient: Nori strips.

Every time I go to Ranch 99 I stock up on these. They're great to have on hand when I get a craving for a salty, crunchy snack. The following recipe is healthier than potato chips, every bit as tasty, and a lot quicker to make. 

Crispy Toasted Nori Strips

1 oz (30g) nori strips

1 tbsp light sesame oil

1 tbsp tamari

a squeeze of lemon

a pinch of wasabi powder, or chili powder

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Spread the nori on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often so they don't burn. Once they are good and crispy they are ready to enjoy.

You'd think this would be easy for someone with a kitchen the size of a shoe box. A skinny, pink shoe box, to be exact. Truth be told, my kitchen is so minuscule that I can neither open the door to the fridge nor the door of the oven completely without one ramming into the other. Don't even try to grab a beer while I'm cooking--It's likely you'll be guillotined. 

My kitchen really is that small, and yet I have made many a fantastic meal in it. I've also managed to cram all the spices, flours, dried beans, seaweeds and packaged ethnic ingredients my gluttonous imagination desired into its tiny cupboards. I've crouched, crawled, and scaled counter tops to reach them, and not once did I complain. Well, almost.

I rarely use my mixer, crockpot, steamer, or other heavy appliances because they're too much of a hassle to pull down from the linen closet. That's right, my linen closet houses 80% cooking equipment and 20% linens--I do laundry often.

The point is, you don't need a lot of fancy equipment to make a great meal. Nor do you need a state of the art kitchen with all the bells and whistles. A couple of good, sharp knives, a sturdy cutting board, and a few good pots and pans should be enough.

Actually, I lied--That wasn't my main point. The real point that I wanted to make is that despite having a teeny kitchen, I've still managed to accumulate a ton of crap in a year and a half. This crap has a lot of potential, mind you. If only I ever used it...

The Purge

 The bottom line is this: I have one month left in this apartment before I leave for South America. My goal is to use up as many ingredients as possible so they don't go to waste. I might as well document it for all of you to see--It should be a real freak show. ;-) (And don't worry, I will be checking expiration dates.)

When all is done, the plot should go something like this: Chef breaks free from pink shoe box, leaves her Cuisinart behind to live out of a backpack as she sustains herself from one coconut to the next.

Seriously.

I assure you, I am not crazy. I have done this before, and for the past six months or so I have been dying to do it again. It's an incredibly liberating experience. In essence I am downsizing my life; exchanging comfort (and crap) for adventure, freedom, and simpliciy.

All the while, I will continue counseling my nutrition clients. That's the beauty of the internet.

The Problem with Stuff

For the first six months that I lived in San Diego after returning from Europe, my walls remained white. I suffered from what I call "traveler's thrift", an OCD-like anxiety over buying anything that I can't take with me on the road. 

If I leave again, where will it go? Every purchase made me ask, "Is this a necessary investment? Or is it a short-term frill?" This is how people are able to travel when they don't make a lot of money--They save by cutting down on useless purchases. 

After a while I found it necessary to purchase a piece of cooking equiptment or two, and I had my chef business to justify it. Even then, I was conservative. 

At a certain point I realized that I wasn't going anywhere, so I decorated my apartment. I bought a mirror in the shape of a mandala. It was inexpensive, but beautiful. I like it so much that it pains me to think of taking it down. I worry that something will happen to it in my father's garage (Last time I left it became infested with rats, and they pooped, peed, and gnawed all over my stuff. Shit happens.)

No matter how well I organize things, there are forgotten, unused items lurking around every corner. Many of them are gifts that just seem to pile up after every holiday. Cupboards filled with stuff, closets filled with stuff, the trunk of my car filled with stuff--All stuff that that I can't take with me on my travels; nor would I want to.

And then there are some things that I really would take with me if I could. I will miss my cast iron pans dearly. I'll miss them even more when I see a fisherman in Peru dragging scallops onto the shore. I'll think "Oh how I'd like to sear those babies in my...Oh. Yeah. The pan's back in Orange County, where the seafood sucks." Tragic.

So here I go again. Onward with the ritual task of downsizing my life, eliminating the superfluous, and storing what I absolutely can't part with in my parents' garage. The feeling is one of relief; like shedding layers of old, tattered skin. And yet, there's something painful about this stage of the process.

I know that I'll miss some things: dinners with friends, daily yoga practice, and a variety of creature comforts. The key is concentrating less on what will be missed, and more on what will be gained: All the experiences, new friendships, memories, photographs, recipes, and creative inspiration that come from travel add immense richness to my life.

Now I'm off to clean out my cupboards so you can see what's been hiding in there...