Chai Baby Chai

Photo: Dawn Adams

I have what turns out to be a not-so-guilty pleasure to share with you … I am completely addicted to Chai and consume it on an almost daily basis. This love affair first started for me about 15 years ago during my travels, and I enjoy it even more today than when I first discovered it exploring the back alleys and hawker stalls of South East Asia. On chilly fall mornings nothing calls to me or is quite as seductive or satisfying as a warm and frothy cuppa chai. It’s the perfect blend of sweetness and spice that warms and balances and gives me just a little kick start when I need it too!

The word chai is used generically for tea in many parts of the world and has recently become synonymous in the west with masala chai, a spiced milk tea originating in India that is still an important part of Indian culture and daily life. In Hindi, chai means tea and masala means spice, so the term ‘chai tea’ is actually a redundant term which leaves out the defining element, the spice. The most commonly used spices are a combination of ginger and cardamom, the two most predominant notes, as well as clove, cinnamon and black pepper. The tea is typically a strong black tea such as Assam or Darjeeling, but a green version using Gunpowder tea is also common and is known as Kashmiri Chai.

Photo: onelifetoeat.com

Although not difficult, there is definitely an art to making good chai. It requires no special equipment, only a little knowledge and in my opinion, a combination of love and devotion being infused into every cup. Being a Chai Wala (tea maker) is one of the most common ways to make a living in the streets of India and they can be found just about anywhere you go, all claiming to make the best chai available anywhere. During my travels I enjoyed masala chai daily if not several times a day. It was often purchased for just a few American cents from an endearing Chai Wala with little more than a pot, a flame and a spoon with which he skillfully and lovingly prepared cup after cup. In preparing to write this I so wanted to be able to share with you the experience of chai as I know it. The magical feeling beyond the recipes and technical information which is part of the experience and appreciation of this special tea. I found this video recently and I invite you to take a moment to enjoy it, preferable with a steamy cup in hand!

                                                                Morning-Cuppa-Chai; New Delhi.

Today, great chai is readily available in many forms in response to increased consumer interest and its growing popularity. Your favorite Indian restaurant is always a good bet but it is also increasingly common to see it on the menu as ‘Chai Tea Latte’ in many specialty beverage shops, even your local Starbucks. Most grocery and specialty food shops are also responding to the increased demand and are making available various prepackaged consumer products as well. But be aware that the quality of what you get as well as the actual ingredients used can vary greatly. This chai lover for one gets immense satisfaction out of making my own. Not only does it make my house smell great, it also allows me to choose the quality of ingredients as well as the source of sweetener used. Traditional chai is typically very sweet and contains lots of refined sugar. Sweetness is an important element in the preparation as it enhances the robustness of the spices, but there are alternatives to refined sugar. What’s my secret? Coconut palm sugar – a subtly sweet, unrefined and low-glycemic sweetener which comes from the coconut palm tree. What used to be my guilty pleasure is suddenly not-so-guilty and is surprisingly easy and fun to make once you know how, not to mention a little relief for the pocket book. The Starbucks super sweet watered down version can easily set you back close to $5 bucks last time I checked.

Photo: Dawn Adams

Wondering if chai is actually good for you? While there is definitely some caffeine to take into consideration, the amount in tea is significantly less than the amount found in a cup of coffee. The generally accepted ratio is that black tea contains approximately half the caffeine of coffee and green tea contains half again the amount in black tea. This is a very generalized as there can be many determining factors, but it’s easy to agree that  switching to any form of tea will significantly reduce your caffeine consumption if you are currently drinking coffee on a daily basis. In addition, the spices used have been a part of both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine throughout the ages and have many health benefits. According to teabenefits.com, the benefits of chai tea are the result of the individual benefits of its component herbs and spices. For instance cinnamon improves blood circulation and helps lower the bad cholesterol levels in the body, while both cardamom and ginger are powerful digestive aids. In addition, both black and green teas are now being recognized for their antioxidant qualities. In an article published this month by web.md, it was stated that both black and green tea may provide as much as ten times the amount of antioxidants as found in many fruits and vegetables. For me, particularly when prepared at home using high quality organic tea and spices and a low glycemic sugar alternative, there is no better way to start the day then with my cuppa chai!

After much experimenting I finally came up with my own recipe that is free of refined sugar and dairy products, and is one of the best I’ve ever tasted. I'm going to share it with you but want to begin with some general notes and tips first. As is true for any tea, it’s important to always start with a good quality filtered or reverse osmosis water as well as fresh, preferably organic ingredients. Try several different black and green teas and adjust the ratio of sweetener and spice until you find the perfect combination for you. Indian markets can be a good source for tea and spices as well as the bulk section of your local natural foods store. Please note that my recipe includes a small amount of vanilla bean and nutmeg which is not usually found in traditional chai recipes and can easily be omitted if you prefer it without. I use whole nutmeg and shave a small amount with a lemon zester or grater, but ground nutmeg is just fine too. My version is dairy-free, but you can also use regular whole milk if you prefer. Keep in mind though that reduced fat milk as well as rice milk tend to be a little too thin. I prefer the flavor and richness of coconut milk and Trader Joe's now has an excellent unsweetened version available in cartons. This recipe will make 2 to 4 servings (depending on size) and keeps quite nicely in the refrigerator for several days.

Dawn’s Chai Baby Chai Recipe

 Ingredients:

   2 cups filtered water

   ¼ cup ginger, peeled, sliced and roughly chopped

   1 cinnamon stick

   ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom

   ½ teaspoon whole cloves

   ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns

   1” piece vanilla bean cut into small pieces

   dash of fresh shaved nutmeg

   ¼ cup coconut palm sugar

   2 cups coconut milk, almond or other milk of your choice

   2 tablespoons loose leaf black tea, preferably Darjeeling or Assam

   liquid Stevia to taste if needed

Preparation:

Bring the filtered water, spices, and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover and gently simmer for about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add the milk and tea. Stir, cover and allow it to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain into a glass container using a fine strainer or coffee filter. Add a few drops of liquid Stevia if more sweetness is desired. Enjoy.

Until Deb’s post next week ... have fun exploring the world of chai and remember the most important ingredient, the love that’s in each and every cup!

 


Love and Blessings,

Dawn

Hattie's Heirloom Tomato and Rocket Dream Garden

Hattie Allen, Lewes, DE

Hattie’s story is an excellent example of one woman who made her dreams come true.  Making your dreams come true takes guts! Since the age of four Hattie has loved being in the garden witnessing the miracle of nature take hold of a simple seed and reliably transform it into a bounty of edible delight. It takes a lot of faith, I think, to trust that nature will nurture the seed you’ve planted. We all have within us seeds of passion and purpose for some expression of good which we hope will grow and one day render a fruitful and fulfilling bounty for ourselves and for others. The life-force of garden-fresh produce is a treasure of love meant to share and such is the life of one Delaware farmer. 

Hattie's Garden Delights

We can all be inspired by Hattie’s willingness to follow her passion that caused her one day in 2004 to leave her comfortable position in a large D.C. law firm and move to the Delmarva region of Delaware to begin her new life as a farmer. When Hattie arrived in Lewes, Delaware, a coastal resort hot spot, she discovered the community was sorely in need of a farmer’s market. So in 2006, along with others, Hattie helped to establish the Historic Lewes Farmer’s Market (HLFM).  This last August the market  joined three others which were awarded the title of America’s Favorite Farmer’s Market by American Farmland Trust. Historic Lewes Farmer’s Market won second place last year and this year gathered 1,837 votes (350 more than the runner up) in the medium-sized category with more than 380 farmer’s markets competing nationwide.

Hattie's Fall Rocket Salad photo courtesy of Deny Howeth

When I saw Hattie’s celebratory post on Facebook about the win, I knew I had to interview her. "What makes an award winning farmer’s market?" I said to myself. What’s their secret? I had met Hattie last June at a weekend spiritual retreat in San Diego, CA. Through that brief but pleasant encounter I had learned that Hattie was well-know for her signature crop: rocket or arugula, as it is commonly called. Every summer Hattie plants a bed of rocket every week and sells as many as 150 bags of triple-washed arugula every Saturday. This resort area’s population in summer swells from its average of 2,750 to over 50,000. Among her offerings at market are heirloom cherry tomatoes, washed salad mixes, flowers, and other garden delights.

Hattie's Award Winning Kohlrabi

Hattie, an innovator, likes to think outside the box taking advantage of nature to produce a more flavorful harvest. Hattie, being the independent thinker that she is and committed to a yield that bursts with flavor, prefers to plant carrots only in the fall as experience has shown her that in her climate region that time yields the best flavor. She uses a high tunnel to extend her harvest year selling way beyond the season of the market which runs from May to October. She has, as she says, “had wonderful luck hooking customers on delicious carrots, succulent kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, and other cold weather crops that only taste good after several nice frosts”. In 5 years her post-market delivery service has grown from a handful of names to an email list of over 700 with at least 200 active customers every month. The delivery service now includes other farmers goods with between 60-80 Saturday deliveries from November through early May.

Hattie Allen, Chairperson HLFM 2011 (far right)

When I asked Hattie what she felt contributed to the customer loyalty that resulted in the overwhelming amount of votes that won the market the award this year she said that it is a combination of a committed “working” board of directors who follow smart market guidelines established by D.C. FreshFarms and the strict prohibition of non-grower prepared-food vendors which maintains an attractive and diverse sampling of local grower goods. It is indeed the most extensive assortment of farm-fresh goods which include free-range, no-hormone eggs and meats, pesticide-free produce, flowers, coffee, prepared pies, sheep & goat cheeses, fresh-caught seafood, and more! In addition, every Saturday the market features cooking demonstrations and classes that help shoppers learn new ways to prepare their market selections. They sponsor recipe contests and post the winning recipes online. In addition, the market has a program to donate excess produce at the end of each market day to a nearby soup kitchen to feed those in need.

I am truly inspired by Hattie’s story and her love of good food. Rocket is one of those greens that just bursts with flavor - good for salads and makes a great pesto. The trick with Rocket Pesto is to avoid it becoming bitter either by way of the rocket itself or the way you prepare it. Many folks prefer the mortar and pestle so if you like you can blend it that way but I like the quick method myself. 

DEB’S ROCKET PESTO

NOTE: Blanching the rocket involves plunging it into boiling water for a few seconds, removing it to an ice-water bath, then patting dry then adding to your food processor or blender to blend with the rest of the ingredients (except olive oil). If your rocket is at its peak and fresh you may skip the blanching and add a little more water in blending step as needed.

3 cups packed rocket (arugula) leaves, washed, blanched, dried

12-14 sweet basil leaves

½ cup lightly pan-toasted walnuts

¼ cup lightly pan-toasted pine nuts

6-8 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 garlic clove, peeled, minced

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon or citrus zest

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup of water

Add After Processed:

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Optional:

½ cup Pecorino (hard Sheep cheese)

LOVING PREPARATION: 
1. Pan-roast the unpeeled garlic cloves over medium high heat in a skillet for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool slightly then peel and add to your blender or food processor.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the processor bowl then slowly pulse the mixture while adding the water until well-blended.
3. Pour pesto into a mixing bowl. Slowly add the olive oil mixing it in gently then adding the cheese if you like. Stir gently until pesto is well-blended.
4. Taste and adjust if you need. Store in a sterilized jar and cover with olive oil before placing in the refrigerator. Should keep for up to a month if you continue to pour more olive oil over the top of the pesto after each use.

Enjoy this pesto sauce on gluten-free pasta, pizza, steamed veggies, a raw bread or cracker, or stuff a chicken breast, or use as a sauce atop fish. So versatile and so nutritious!

That’s all for this week…I’m off to a food writing class tomorrow and a wonderful farm-to-table dinner on Sunday. 

See you in two weeks and until then…prepare your food with love and enjoy the love in every bite!

Deb

Coconut Water - The Fluid of Life

Young Coconuts in Panang, Malaysia

During the mid 1990’s I traveled quite extensively throughout Southeast Asia.  One of my fondest memories is of enjoying the juice of a fresh young coconut while relaxing in a hammock on a beach, or while wandering the busy streets in places such as Bangkok, Penang, or Singapore.  You could even buy ready-to-drink coconuts from the young children who would enthusiastically run alongside our train as we pulled into each new station. Coconut in its various forms is a regular part of life in Southeast Asia, and it’s not hard to figure out why … it’s really hot, and frankly, you sweat pretty much all the time.  Coconut water or juice, which are really the same thing, are the perfect choice to refresh and rehydrate at any time. It is sweet, naturally sugar and gluten free, and extremely plentiful in this part of the world. I really missed it for a period of time, but not for long. Coconut water is once again a regular part of my life thanks to the recent interest in its health benefits as well as increased availability as a packaged ready-to-drink product.

So why is everyone talking about coconut water anyway?

Young Thai Coconuts

Because coconut water offers the body so much natural goodness and sustenance, and is truly is one of the most amazing substances given to us by Mother Nature.  The coconut palm is often referred to as The Tree of Life and has been a major source of nourishment to populations around the world for generations. Coconut water is the fluid obtained from a young unripe coconut at about five to seven months, specifically for drinking. These are the white or green pointy-topped coconuts you may have noticed showing up recently in the produce section of your local market. If allowed to ripen and mature, the fluid becomes part of the white flesh, also known as coconut meat, and eventually grows into the brown hairy variety we typically think of as a coconut. A little known and pretty amazing fact is that coconut water, often called The Fluid of Life, has an electrolyte profile somewhat similar to human blood plasma, and for that reason, was commonly used as a lifesaving replacement for IV solution that was often in short supply during World War II as well as in Viet Nam . Pretty amazing, huh?

The shining star of coconut water’s profile is definitely potassium, weighing in with almost twice as much per serving as the amount in one banana. It’s low in sodium and sugar but rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, as well as both vitamins C and B.  Many are calling coconut water “nature’s sports drink” these days, but in a recent article in Mother Jones, Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at UC Davis, offers a caution.  She states that “coconut water isn’t ideal for prolonged bouts of physical activity”, explaining that “when you sweat, you lose a lot more sodium than potassium”. 

The health benefits attributed to coconut water are many, but the most notable and undeniable is its ability to rehydrate, making it perfect after light exercise or for anyone with intestinal disturbances, especially children and elderly patients. It is also said to be effective in the prevention and treatment of urinary infections and kidney stones, acts as an anti-viral and anti-parasitic, improves bowel function and is a diuretic, to name a few benefits. For a more in-depth look at coconut water’s properties, click here.

But is it really that good?

Opening A Young Coconut

Yep. Coconut water is so good, and there are a number of ways you can purchase and enjoy this life-giving juice. Young Thai coconuts are increasingly available, and not as hard to open as you might think. This link will show you exactly how to do it, and before you know it, you won’t be giving it a second thought. This video is very well done, however I would like to suggest leaving the plastic on the lower portion of the coconut while cutting as many of the coconuts available for purchase today are chemically treated to prevent browning. The research I have done indicates that these chemicals do not penetrate the outer husk reaching the water and meat inside, but may leave a residue on the cutting surface that is probably best to avoid.

Too much trouble, you say? There are quite a few coconut water products on the market today, the three major players being O.N.E, which is distributed by PepsiCo in California and Florida; Zico, which is owned by Coca Cola; and Vita Coco, which is the only major producer which has remained independent. The lunchboxbunch.com recently performed a blind taste test comparing eight different brands as well the real thing, and posted their results on their web site.  Definitely worth checking out, keeping in mind that as with many things, taste is subjective, and coconut water is no exception!

So other than drinking it straight out of the package (nature’s or otherwise), what else can you do with coconut water?

I drink it almost every day in my morning green smoothie. It’s taken me awhile to come up with what I think is the perfect combination, but here it is for you to try and enjoy:

        Dawn’s Green Coconut Water Smoothie

        ½ cup coconut water

        ½ cup rice, almond, hemp or coconut milk

        ¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries

        1/2 cup finely chopped kale

        1 tablespoon of chia or hemp seeds

        1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I use brown rice or hemp)

        1 dropper full of liquid Stevia 

 

        Throw it all in a blender or magic bullet and you’re good to go …. the

        amounts are approximate (who wants to measure 1^st thing in the

        morning?). Add or delete items until it works for you.

Some other fun ideas include:

·        Use instead of water when cooking rice or grains

·        Add it to soups and sauces

·        Use in salad dressing

·        Use it in cocktails or mocktails

·        Use it instead of water when making sorbet

·        Mix it with fruit juice and make an ice pop

We’d love to hear your ideas … post one in our comments and I’ll send you an easy recipe for making coconut yoghurt at home!

 

Until next weeks post from Deb ... enjoy and keep Love'n Every Bite!


Dawn

 All Photos by Dawn Adams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are You a Locavore?

Are you thinking...what? Or maybe you're familiar with this term, especially if you're a foodie like me! For those who are not yet familiar with this new word to the English language, which by-the-way some dictionaries may not yet include in their repertoire, read on and you may find out that you are, in fact, a locavore.

The word "locavore" was first introduced on the occasion of World Environment Day 2005 to describe and promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a 100 mile radius. The word was created by a group of people from the San Francisco area (what a surprise...huh) who also took it as their group's namesake.  (except fromThe Free Dictionary)

Seriously though, it is not just a crazy California thing. A few months back, I traded in United mileage points I couldn't use for a magazine subscription to Entrepreneur. A choice a little uncharacteristic for me but a good one. Entrepreneur author, Bruce Schoenfeld, did a piece entitled Foodie Inc. about what I will call locavorism and America's farm-to-table phenomena for the October issue of Entrepreneur.  He says that "the locavore movement began in earnest over a decade ago."  In the restaurant business it is referred to as "farm-to-table" - what was reported by the National Restaurant Association as the #1 and #2 top restaurant trends for 2011. 

Cleveland Food Bank Garden

Schoenfeld's story highlights the many benefits of locavorism from keeping the local consumer's food dollar in the local economy to providing fresher produce for the table and new jobs for one's community. It warmed my heart and put a smile on my face to read that in Cleveland since 2007 the city has been zoning "for community gardens" and subsidizing "farms in the abandoned city core". Schoenfeld reports that a farm stand adjacent to a low-income family housing unit makes fresh produce available to housing residents at 50% off regular prices. This is inspired city government at it's best folks! Especially when you know that Cleveland won the "junk food capital" award from Men's Fitness magazine in 2007.

In September of 2010, my partner, Jon and I visited Concord, Massachusetts on our way back from a family wedding in Maine. Before spending the day in Boston with clients, Jon dropped me at Walden Pond where I sat meditating by the water and writing in my journal near Thoreau's cabin. Later, I walked into the historic town of Concord and on the way I admired the most beautifully lush community gardens I'd ever seen. A restaurant owner told me the city keeps the land from private ownership specifically for this use.

Photo by Courtney Hergesheimer

There are many opportunities to practice locavorism! Perhaps you harvest from your own or a community garden or shop at a local farmer's market?  Many local farms now deliver through farm-share programs. Perhaps you purchase locally grown or raised food in your nearest supermarket or enjoy farm-to-table restaurant fare? It may not be practical to completely restrict your diet to local fare but anything you can do supports the access of seasonal, fresh produce in your area. 

A surprising statistic in Schoenfeld's article was that "the average metropolitan area in America still grows or raises less than 2% of the food it consumes". As we seek to improve air & water quality, boost our local and global economies, and support intelligent farming techniques such as non-GMO and organic approaches, in addition to providing food for those without--we must embrace the advantages of "thinking globally and acting locally" as much as possible. 

It reminds me of the wise advice from the air travel industry to remember to place the oxygen mask on yourself first and then help others if need be to do the same. A healthy individual can contribute much to a community and a healthy community can do much to contribute to the world. Perhaps one of the many gifts of our economic crisis in relationship to the food industry and agribusiness is that it encourages us to re-engage with our local community putting the healthy spirit of love and family back into our experience of food. 

There is enough bad news in the world, I prefer to focus on what is working, the "good news" of the day. This is what Love'n Every Bite is about fundamentally. Some of you have asked how we came up with the name. When this name came to Dawn and I, it meant two things to me. First, when three years ago faced with my need to avoid certain foods I decided to give up "the right to complain or feel deprived".  Instead, I focused on enjoying the long list of foods that I could eat and began to practice mindfully loving every bite I took of them. Secondly, as I began to prepare more meals at home I developed a practice of putting love into every dish by observing each and every ingredient for it's contributing features. I know it sounds odd but I sometimes talk to each ingredient telling it how wonderful its taste, texture, color, or fragrance is and with gratitude I appreciate each one in this way. Healing our relationship with food is all about changing our attitude.

Joanne's Facebook

As my new friend, cookbook author Joanne Neft, says "we are what we eat" and don't we all want to be vitalized by the food we eat. This is why I am a proponent of organics, non-GMO farming, and local farming support. Joanne & Laura's Real Food cookbook is about eating close to the earth, eating seasonally, and supporting your local farmers. This is what the locavore movement is all about in a nutshell. The next level above eating locally is using intelligent farming practices in how we grow that local food. This as I see it is the growing edge of the locavore movement.


Are you a locavore? What percentage of local food do you eat? I'd love to hear your thoughts, stories, information about good farming/restaurant practices in your area! Any farmers out there or restaurants with farm-to-table as their guiding principle? We want to hear from you...


If you are receiving this post by email, click the link "comment", scroll down the post and please share your comments about how you practice locavorism in your area: COMMENT


Subscribe to Love'n Every Bite by email or feed if you like.


For our local readers who are looking for upcoming locavore events in Placer County, here's two:


October 15, Saturday:  10-4 - Auburn Community Festival


November 18-20, Friday-Sunday - 18th Annual Mountain Mandarin Festival


Look for Dawn's post next week! 


Until then hope you are loving your food and feeding yourself with love...Deb


Read more in Wikipedia about the locavore movement.


Read more about small farming success in Entrepreneur.