A True Pharmacopeia of Rockin' Health

Depend more on food and less on drugs to preserve health. Here is a food pharmacopeia of goodness in my stirfry salad with a touch of oyster sauce and soy. The cut, stirfry and flavor is what a good cook is all about. Simple, clean, healthy and fun.

Ingredients

1/2 cup of you favorite fresh vegetables cut into 2 inch pieces, such as cabbage, peapod, pepper, onion, scallion, tomato, celery, carrot, bamboo shoots

2 cl garlic, slivered

1 tbl ginger, slivered

1 tbl mixed olive oil

1 teas soy*

1 tbl oyster sauce

1/4 cup water

Method

Heat a cast iron pan, wok or your favorite saute pan. Add the oil and then starting with heavier veggies, start to stirfry adding more as you go, tossing and grabbing a sip of wine in between!

As the veggies cook combine the soy, oyster sauce and water. Add the ginger and garlic. Stirfry again. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Let veggies be crisp!

When all is tossed and glistening, add the liquid mix, toss and serve. Enjoy with a friend, or eat it all by yourself!

* for those who want an alternative to soy, use a pinch or so of coarse sea salt.

EAT ME!

Eat Me!

Burger, Burger on the Wall,

Who’s the finest of them all?

Could be beef, might be pork

Maybe chicken says

that bite with fork!

Is it turkey, Is it ham ?

What would make all

fine for man?

We know bacon, we know spam

But all excluded, this ain’t no can.

Open minded, spiced and fresh

Cook is quick, so fine a trick!

Black Bean’s the one!

Black Bean’s the pick!

With skill and toil, and blend of kind,

This protein rocks, a welcome find.

A Variation on this Theme*, highly digestible vegetable protein! Yahoo!

Ingredients

2 (14 oz) cans black beans, drained

3 Tbsp mayonnaise

¼ cup dried bread crumbs

¼ cup dried panko crumbs

2 tsp cumen

1 tsp oregano

¾ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

vegetable oil

hamburger buns

Method

Using a knife or coupe, chop coarsely half of the black beans. Remove and reserve. Add the balance back to the bowl and work lightly to a smooth paste. Stir in other ingredients.

Stir in reserved black beans, reseason and cook on grill pan, grill or in your favorite sauté pan. Garnish to preference and serve on you favorite hamburger bun.

* component idea forwarded from Gourmet

' Evacuate the Dance Floor '

Make that workspace kitchen of yours a dance floor. Here, Wednesday in Chicago, and the 'Music is Taken me Underground' . Natalie Horler and Cascada has got me goin' and my kitchen's rockin'! Web waves have scored Jason du Rulo cuz 'Whatcha Say' translates today to this:

In the last month Vanity Fair ran a piece on Ferran Adria, London Times on Alain Ducasse. Grant Achatz, Charlie Trotter, Thomas Keller, and Chicago, new on the street, Girl and the Goat, Stephanie Izard have all been claiming media lines for reasons particular to their passions.

Reading, learning and thinking, I almost forgot I was a cook too! My career has taken a different twist than my fine dining, farm to table or consulting past. It keeps creeping more and more to my favorite cuisine, Vegetable Alchemy, casual, tasty, sexy and healthy colorful with hardly any money down!

While Alain Ducasse calls for a new 'gold standard' and simplicity at Plaza Athenee, and Ferran heralds work on cuisine now at Harvard, you and me have to take a look at the home kitchen and how we cook. We need a NEW recipe our day to day food. We have to know what to eat, and eat well, for simple money that brings healthy fun to muscles, mind and bones. A start might be setting your web dial Pandora Radio to CHOSE YOUR ATTITUDE! Mine's on Replay by Iyaz. Back up the rap that opens your soul to cookin, rockin and learn'. Let no man come knockin' when your cookin' tent's rockin'. Chose a sound for the mood and dish that you do. Sound brings frequency and frequency will soon bring you fabulous fla'vor! 'Cook to the tune' tm with T.I on Paper Trail, Live Your Life! cuz YOU Are Beautiful, Akon. High on cooking is a good thing and sound brings it forward!

The dish I am sending takes a little more time, but where do you want to go when the music's rockin? Chop, slice and dice your way to color, flavor, and a fan finish. Wield your knife to the beat but only on the cutting board! Learn your mind to the sound of form and function in peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and homemade touch of ricotta. Pull down a simple web eggplant roll up recipe. Top that scoop of fresh ricotta with olive oil, lemon, cracked black and chile pepper. What you don't use keeps for another two to three days of salad, sandwich, entree or dessert. Yours will be no comparison to store bought. Who knows, while you're getting your cookin' grove on, you might meet that 'Sexy Bitch' in One Love by David Guetta.....Of course, please excuse me ladies, but I know you will make that 'sexy' your way!

For the ricotta take time to measure the salt and vinegar. As the L.A. Times shares, get the temp close to right or you might find the ricotta dry. Vegetable Alchemy, vegetable centric, but not vegetable only. Vegetable Alchemy for a new kind of food sound. The food, I claim, sings like Cobra Starship blasts: it makes some Good Girls Go Bad!

Your Homemade Ricotta

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups whole milk (1 qt)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 teas salt

1 1/4 teas distilled vinegar

Method

Heat the milk and the buttermilk to 185 degrees in a heavy bottom pot. Turn off or remove from the heat. Stir in the salt and the vinegar. Stir gently. Let stand

5 minutes. The curds will form as it stands. Using a slotted spoon pull the curds slowly to one side of the pot. Let stand again an additional 5 minutes.

Line a strainer with paper towel or cheesecloth if you have it. Slowly scoop the cheese curds to the cloth. Let drain one minute and bring up the sides. The ricotta will form a ball. Tighten the cloth slightly. Remove the ricotta to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

The whole process takes about 20 minutes, 10 of which are cooking time. Do not boil. Medium heat is find until you reach that 185 temp.

Don't worry, it won't Break Your Heart, Taio Cruz, or your budget, Right Round, Fio Rida! Do It!

The New Norm

Love the term, The New Norm. Not often do I get a chance to use it. When it starts a 'new norm' needs followers. So I know in order to grow this norm, I should remind you of what Vegetable Alchemy is all about. How did I come up with the idea.? What are the design notes? Try to remember this.

For many years I have been cooking food, visiting and working in other countries with food and at many levels of the food chain: farm to table, manufacturing to retail, earth, sea, land and sky. I hit this idea that if a certain food made me feel light and kept my body science even and healthy, then I needed to investigate. I did. Vegetables, herbs and spices really moved on my food design board from garnish to center of plate recipes.

Am I a vegan, a vegetarian, a Chef non- loving of meat, fish, poultry or proteins other than vegetable? NO! No, I am not. I am saying that I found out more about what makes me feel so great, want to work out, do pilates, swim, bike, ride, jump horses, skate and run no matter the season.

The road to Vegetable Alchemy became clear. It took its path came from my hobby, architecture and design. Reading Form, Function and Design, a favorite of Jacques Grillo, the author, squared my thoughts. As an enthusiast for those design ideas shared, I found my recipes shifting in ingredients do new principles and discoveries in food and lifestyle. The recipes are now based on the end user first. I see it like this.

The form (end user) = my body; the function = my lifestyle today, far different than generations beforehand; the design = a chef's need for health, wellness and longevity.

And so Vegetable Alchemy was born. Coupled with dishes centered in Vegetable Alchemy, I add other proteins as key to garnish and flavor so a new recipe style, a better recipe style is born. Weekly dishes are coming. Safe and secure are why we love to eat, umami (that fifth sense in taste) satiation (that feeling of eating to just full) and the best of course, deliciousness. Try them. You will become a friend. We love our friends, we love the followers, we grow from fans. Join us! Vegetable Alchemy is 'the new norm.'

Eggplant Chili

Eggplant Chili Chow

Never under estimate the power of a terrific bowl of chili! With a farmer's load of eggplant, I discovered ecstasy in both chili and a partner jump in cuisine to Italy, using the same idea in an unbelievable bolognese. How did that happen? Just one of those fun filled dreams that I adapted from the plot! While I slept my thoughts were of Fall and eating chowder. I woke humming, 'Chowder, Chowder, Chowder.' The term 'chowder' comes from the French Chaudiere, or 'stew pot'. Since I like one dish meals, I thought, what an application for a classical technique and dish stew. But, Alert to self! Chowder no matter what the content, is secured in definition with cream. Exit 'chowder'. Enter 'chow' to my title! Suddenly chili is my new chow. Adjusting the recipe to a bolognese and you take on new 'chow' applications. Make both in a thick bottom cast iron pot. For the chili bring it to the table with serving bowls, a couple of beers and/or fabuloso not too pricey Zinfandel. 'Chow' down, chow down with vim and vigor!

Don't spend time worrying about bitterness in the eggplant. Since it is diced and seared buy mid size and spend time with more careful cooking. Try the dish one time with the skin on, the next time with skin off. Experiments brought me to using green pepper with skin off and the sweeter red pepper with the skin on the eggplant. I also tried a variety of beans but settled into the white northerns when others were too tannic or too demonstrative against the eggplant, skin on or off. Where you want to spend time is on the chiles! I suggest a great chile powder in both usages for convenience but nothing better than using 2 each whole ancho and chipotle wiped clean and going on a spice adventure.

As you heard them say if you've ever have been campin, "Don't come a knockin' if the trailer's rockin'!" Well, If you don't like what you cooked, don't knock on my wall.....do it again, and adjust to your likin' . Viva la Vegetable Alchemy, my fun, fit food with flavor!

My second favorite recipe for Eggplant Chili*

2 teas ancho chile powder

2 teas chipotle chile powder2 teas cumin seeds, toasted

1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

pinch of cinnamon powder

3 tbl olive oil1 lb, medium size eggplant, 1/4 inch dice, skin on

2 medium onions, chopped evenly

1 medium red pepper, chopped evenly

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1 14 oz can whole tomatoes in juice

white northern beans, 4 c. home cooked or canned, or 2 (15oz) cans, drain with retaining 1/2 cup of canning sauce

2 c. water or 1 3/4 c. vegetable stock with 1/4 c. water

garnish highlights: chopped cilantro, sour cream or queso fresca, chopped scallion and maybe a little rice if you want to savory it more, fontina is tangy but shredded white cheddar fits too

kitchenware: 1 (2 qt) heavy bottom pot

*chef's note: As a vegetable, Eggplant has the reputation for brain food. If you want to add other proteins, feel free. adjust seasoning. add a half a pound of protein or so with the onions when cooking. then add the veggies as directed after the protein is almost cooked.

How To Do> Heat the pot to medium temperature. Add the olive oil and eggplant. Stir and stir again until the eggplant starts to slightly brown. Add the onions. Stir. Add the peppers and garlic. Stir. Add the seasonings including your own take on salt and or pepper. Cook until peppers are wilted. Add beans and water and/or stock. Bring all to simmer with top partially on the pot. Cook slowly stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Taste. Adjust all seasoning including chiles to your taste.
Bring to table with smiles, a few bowls and spoons, the garnishes and bevs of your choice. Bravo! You are now entering the world of Vegetable Alchemy!

This month Vegetable Alchemy takes on a new image.

Time to add a little fresh look!

Stay tuned for new ideas on food, fun and fitness.

Happy Spring!

The Place to Start

On Friday, February 26, 2010 I was invited by a client to a luncheon at the Palmer House in Chicago. The theme of the event, 2010 Go Red For Women, was about raising awareness and money to battle heart disease through funding research on how to rid ourselves of this killer at almost any age. Whether congenital or not, this disease hits women at a higher ratio than men. Seven Lifestyle Simple suggestions listed on the table setting individual place card menus include: 1) Get Active; 2) Eat Better; 3) Lose Weight; 4) Stop Smoking; 5) Control Cholesterol; 6) Manage Blood Pressure; 7) Reduce Blood Sugar. The Recipe Collection compiled by Merck, noted themselves on the back page as working 'hard to discover and develop innovative medicines and vaccines not just for the sake of the company and our shareholders, but also-and most importantly- for patients!' Nice of them to include the reason they exist, the patients! But nothing was said about the primary source of the disease for most women (and people): the Western diet!

This is what we should be funding: new recipes that do not cause or worsen heart disease. Let’s unravel disease to find the real cause.

Take a look at the primary killers of Americans: heart disease, cancer and diabetes. ALL of these diseases are primarily rooted in the American Western diet. And yet as I sat there thinking about all the conversation on the need to raise funds to find CURES for heart disease. I kept returning to one thought, a thought that was not unknown to me, a thought that is the core of why Vegetable Alchemy is so important as the new architecture of food: since the most common causes of disease are for the most part caused by the Western diet and lack of fitness, WHY are we funding cures through medicine? Why are we not FUNDING cures through developing new recipes that will change the Western diet, that can be applied to manufacturing and today's demand for lifestyle-centric frozen, shelf stable and fast food? According to Body and Soul, a Martha Stewart publication, February, 2010, “95 percent of U.S. health-care funds go towards treating illness. 5 percent goes to prevention.” THIS is a call for CHANGE!

Why are we funding research to battle the disease when we SHOULD BE funding the research to MAKE food for our bodies, for our cells that are more nutritious and more heathful. This is the food of longevity and positive proactive living. The best defense is a strong offense.

Lee Iacocca in his book, Where Have All the Leaders Gone?, talks about politics, but I want to use that context and say....with the EARTH at a Crossroads (Hartmut Bossel), is it not time to fund new thoughts on the human diet so that these diseases caused by foods that conflict with human anatomy are updated for cell nutrition and not bioengineered for profit? Almost all food we eat is based on a system steeped in industrial farming, manufacturing ease, marketing tags, 100 year old generationally suggestive recipes rooted in old cuisine. It is time to take notice from the countless books that have appeared in the last four decades--such as Paul Roberts, End of Food and Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food--and bring research to the forefront that is based on what the human cell needsand NOT on age old adapted templates now used in manufacturing that cause these diseases.

In February, an international kitchen design company demonstrated at a conference in Europe their idea of the 'kitchen of the future.' While the ideas are smart, what I wanted to hear and see were ideas based on recipes for human 'cell cuisine' of the future, one that eliminates disease from the process of growing to manufacturing. That is not what I saw, although I love the stove top.

http://newsroom.electrolux.com/uk/2010/02/16/electrolux-presents-the-kitchen-of-the-future/

What I want is a statement that we need to design for the cell. That is why it appears is MY statement: Design recipes NOT on historic styles but on a new "Cell Cuisine." Then design the equipment around it. All for this, say 'AYE!' All opposed....please 'wake up as you will soon be part of the reaction instead of the revolution!'