I’ve always lived in a do-it-yourself household and prefer to cook most meals for the convenience factor (and, as my husband would point out, because I’m picky about where my food comes from, I try to deny this because I don’t want to seem like a snob but have to admit that the more I study our food system, the pickier I get).

With sustainability always on our minds in the workplace, we naturally stop to think, criticize and evaluate purchases and lifestyle choices that we make at home on a regular basis too. In the food arena, we are making efforts to reduce our carbon footprints by buying locally grown produce, beer and wine; buying bulk and fresh, unprocessed foods to reduce our landfill contribution; bringing our own bags to reduce plastic bag use at the store/ farmers market; and riding our bikes instead of driving. We are also pretty serious about supporting sustainably produced or harvested foods such as fish, meat and dairy- we know that these may or may not have added health benefits over conventionally grown foods, but they are generally more responsible in terms of resource use, pollution, chemical use, animal husbandry and overall respect for the community. As conscious consumers, these are values we like to support.

As eaters, we try to appreciate our food. Michael Pollan stated in his op-ed Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch in NYT Magazine that cooking is a defining human activity and we couldn’t agree more. We grow some of our own food and cook as much as we can. We sit down when we eat, we plan ahead so as not to waste food, and we enjoy sharing meals with good company whenever we have the chance. We are not perfect though. We could always do more- grow more, share more, eat more sustainable fish, eat less packaged breakfast cereal, etc. etc. The facts that 1) obesity rates are inversely correlated with the amount of time spent on food preparation; and b) the average American spends a mere 27 minutes a day on food preparation means that probably a lot of people could be doing a little more.

We also happen to like adventure in my household, so we have decided to spend one afternoon/ evening a week making a dish completely from scratch. The first meal was homemade falafel sandwiches, which in 4 main steps turned out quite laborious, but delicious nonetheless.

This chewy, tangy, spicy, starchy, heart-warming falafel sandwich was perfect for the misty fresh Sunday evening air here in Monterey. We hope you enjoy it.  You can cut down on time by buying tahini and hummus at the store (or making it ahead of time).

Step 1: Tahini

• 2 cups sesame seeds
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup olive oil
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the sesame seeds evenly out on a baking sheet or a thin baking pan.

Place in the oven and open the oven and stir the seeds around every few minutes until they are golden brown, being careful not to let them burn.

Take the pan out of the oven and let the sesame seeds cool for a little while. Next, use a high powered blender or food processor to grind up the sesame seeds. Put all the seeds in the blender/ food processor with 1 tbsp oil and blend on high, adding the remaining oil slowly until the sesame seeds are blended on a thick, smooth paste. Do not add too much oil or it will be too runny.

Tahini can be kept in a jar or even frozen in small amounts for a few weeks.

Step 2: Hummus

I have to admit, the Joy of Cooking’s hummus recipe that we tried was fun to make and definitely edible but did not turn out anywhere close to the best hummus ever, Sabra with the red lid.  We are inspired to try another recipe. Maybe from The Hummus Blog. Adrian also did a roasted garlic hummus recipe on this blog that you can check out here.

Step 3: Falafels

• 2 cups dried chickpeas
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoons ground red pepper – we used mortar and pestle
• 1/4 – 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cucumber
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 4-6 pitas or tortillas

Rinse and soak the chickpeas for at 12 hours (they can be soaked in a bowl of water in the refrigerator). Put them in a food processor with the garlic, onion, lemon juice, parsley and spices. Blend to a rough moist texture. Add a little water if needed.

Let the mixture rest for about an hour. Chop the tomatoes and cucumber into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. Set out paper towels or pieces of paper bags on a surface. Place the pitas into a toaster or oven at about 200 degrees to warm.

Pour enough oil into the pan so that it is 1/4 inch deep. Heat it to medium-high.

Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir the baking soda into the mixture. Form uniformly shaped and sized balls and fry them when the oil is hot until they turn brownish, then flip. Transfer the falafels when they are golden brown on both sides onto the paper.

Step 4: Put it all together

Spread hummus into the warm pitas. Add generous amounts of tomatoes, cucumbers and falafel to your liking.

Falafels can be frozen and defrosted for quick dinners or a salad topping in the future. Enjoy!

Back in college was when I first started making my own hummus – you know, the totally simple, cheapo college food that was way better for you than pizza or mac and cheese when coming home at 2am on a Saturday.  What I quickly learned, and to my surprise, was that the best hummus contains absolutely 0 oil.  The creamy texture that I love is a direct byproduct of the quality of your tahini (I recommend splurging if you have the means).  I also discovered that the stuff doesn’t always have to be a chip or vegetable topper, but it’s awesome on top of fish and pork too (some middle eastern restaurants serve it wrapped inside cured pork – damn good.

Another attribute that I like about hummus is that is perhaps the oldest known prepared food that’s still regularly consumed by the modern population.  There is evidence of hummus being consumed all the way back to the 12th century by Egyptian sultans. 

Holding even more antiquity is the main player in traditional hummus – the chick pea.  It is widely believed that these little buggers were cultivated on the fertile plain by the civilizations of Mesopotamia and in Palestine, way BC.  Chick peas were served as a side dish in ancient Rome and have come all that way to still be one of the most consumed foods around the world today.

I’ve always loved hummus.  In fact, I think most of my friends and acquaintances do too.  There’s something about the accessible, ultimate snackability of the stuff, which with the health benefits that it offers is attractive to most.  It’s smooth, creamy and sometimes spicy, as I found it’s best made (if you like a little spice).  Here’s how I make mine:

• 2 cans cooked chickpeas – drained but reserve the liquid!
• 1/2 cup sesame tahini
• 1 head garlic (roasted…see below) – or 1-2 cloves of raw
• Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
• 2-3 scallions
• 1 tsp. cumin (best if ground from toasted seeds)
• 1-2-3 Tbsp. Sriracha (depending on your taste for heat)
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2-3 Tbsp. chick pea liquid
• Salt to taste (around 2 tsp.)
• Extra virgin olive oil – for finishing

Start in advance by roasting the garlic: preheat your oven to 400 F.  Cut the top of the garlic head off with a knife, exposing the cloves inside.  Tear off a piece of aluminum foil, around 1 square foot.  Place the garlic head in the middle, top with a little olive oil and a touch of salt and wrap the foil around the garlic, closing it up at the top (forming a little chimney).  Cook the garlic in the oven for around an hour, or until the garlic itself turns soft and browns a little.

Making the rest of the hummus is a breeze – simply place all of the rest of the ingredients in a food processor with a metal blade and puree until very smooth – this may take up to 5-10 minutes.  If you want a coarser hummus, then stop when the mixture is still a little chunky.  Adjust for seasoning (add a little more water if it’s too think or not getting totally smooth).  Top with a little olive oil, some paprika perhaps and serve.

Here’s some more hummus ideas to get you going:

• TriniGourmet
• Miss V’s Vegan Cookbook
• MFH

Ok, here’s the situation: it’s winter time – snow falling and not very many good, local, fresh ingredients at your local market.  You got some friends or family coming over for dinner on a weeknight and want to make something really good, but don’t want to have to work very hard at it.  Here’s an idea – do just a little bit of work a few days in advance and then reap the benefits later while only having to sear some pork chops for a few minutes.

Brining is something that I was introduced to a couple of Thanksgivings ago by Aimee’s family when we decided to brine an entire turkey for the dinner.  It turned out great for the turkey, and even better for these pork chops.  If you haven’t tried brining pork chops, you will be impressed with the moistness of them, I guarantee.  It’s so easy to do too, though the hard part is remembering to do it in advance.  A lot of sources may recommend brining pork chops 1-2 days, but I would definitely advise using the full 2 days or more. For other poultry, you can use less time, but be patient for the pork.  Here’s a pretty good guide for brining different types of meat.

The kale is a fairly simple Italian recipe that is spicy and savory.  The white beans added some starch and thickened the sauce and the tomatoes and lemon play key roles for their acidity.  This was a good complement to the pork and would serve it again.  Here’s how it went down:

For the Brine and Pork:

• 1/3 c. sea salt
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 10-15 whole black peppercorns
• 5-6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 rosemary sprigs
• 2 cloves garlic – smashed with your knife
• A few fennel seeds
• ~5 c. water
• 4 bone-in or bone-out pork chops

You can really add as many things here as you want or whatever you would like – it can be as simple as salt and water and it will still work great.  Some other ideas are star anise, cloves, cinnamon sticks, juniper berries, saffron, etc…you get the idea – go nuts.

Mix the brining ingredients well in a large seal-able bowl and add in the water.  The salt and sugar you add should dissolve before you add in the meat.  Once the liquid is ready, add the meat and cover in the fridge for the desired brining time. The brining time can vary, but I wouldn’t go over 36-48 hours on it, or your meat will end up too salty.

When the pork is done brining, remove them from the liquid and discard the liquid.  Dry the pork well with paper towels and set aside to come to room temperature.  Heat a heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron works great) over medium-high heat and add olive oil to coat the pan – grab a well fitting lid too!.

Once the pan is hot and the oil is almost smoking, add the chops and sear for a few minutes before flipping – you are looking for some good carmelization here!  Flip the chops and cover the pan with your lid.  Continue to cook until done, around 10-12 minutes depending on thickness.  If you think your pork is done, pull it from the heat and let it rest for another 10 minutes – it will continue to cook!

For the Kale:

• ~3 c. Kale – chopped into 1-2″ pieces lengthwise like lettuce
• 1 can white beans or 1-2 c. cannelloni beans soaked overnight and boiled in salted water until tender
• 1/3 c. white wine
• 1/2 large white onion – juilianed (half moons)
• 2 anchovy filets
• Leaves from 7-8 thyme sprigs
• 3-4 garlic cloves – peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. red pepper
• 1/2 c. tomato puree
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper

• olive oil

Start by adding the olive oil in a pan, then the onions and salt and sautee until softened.  Add in the red pepper, thyme, anchovy (let it dissolve into the oil) and garlic.  Cook until the garlic is a light golden brown before adding in the wine.  Let the wine cook until the liquid from it is almost cooked off, then add in the beans.  Cook the beans for a minute or two, and then add the chopped kale and some more salt and pepper.  Let the kale wilt and cook down, incorporating it into the dish, but don’t stir to hard or you’ll break up the beans – you want to keep them fairly whole.  Finish in the pan by adding the tomatoes and lemon juice (you can also use a little vinegar) and finally the Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately with a pork chop on top!

More brining ideas:

• Cookshack – good looking brining guide
• I Like to Cook
• Real Restaurant Recipes

And a couple Kale recipes:

• Kathy’s Blog
• 101 Cookbooks

Camellia Grill is a 70 year-old classy short-order diner, famous for its sandwiches, breakfast all day, pies and “freezes.”

Hurricane Katrina closed down this staple of the Uptown-Riverbend neighborhood. Luckily, its persuasive fan base (evidenced by the number of internet postings referring to the place, its wikipedia page, and the copious amounts of love letters left by patrons begging the grill to re-open) got it going again after Katrina. Power to the people! Camellia Grill was re-established in April 2007.

We waited in line about 30 minutes out front on a Saturday around noon, making conversation with other hungry New Orleanians in line who recommended the same dishes we had seen our foodie friends around town drool about. We sat on  spinning stools in a curved bar formation made of marble waited on by friendly, efficient, bow-tie wearing waiters. They brought cloth napkins and marked off our individual orders onto a pre-printed worksheet with a red pen. They then fetched coffee and blended up the creamy cool chocolate freeze drinks while yelling the orders to the cooks to fry up the tastiest omelettes and burgers around. (Click here for pics inside Camellia Grill & dining info).

We tried the Pecan Waffle, which came plain on a plate with three mini pitchers on the side filled with Cane Syrup, Maple-Flavored Corn Syrup and Liquid Butter. It was perfectly cooked, crunchy and warm all the way through. I liked that they skipped the dollop of butter or whipped cream that waffle houses usually plop on top- saving both the restaurant and patron time, money and extra Calories.

We also tried the Chef’s Special Omelette: a monstrous one with potatoes and onions inside, topped with a lot of chili (with turkey bacon, beans, ham and beef) and two types of cheese, with french fries on the side. That was tasty! Enough said!

The Chocolate Freeze Drink (a chocolate frappe with chopped ice) was sweet and delicious, reminding me of thick chocolate milk with crushed ice in it.

After eating, we took our individual forms and paid at the cash register by the door  (by cash or credit card), again saving the waiters and patrons time. This place knows how to do it. The only problem with Camellia Grill is that we didn’t allow our food to settle. That was it though, everything was delicious and pleasant.

Here’s the the recipe for the Chef’s Special Omelet as posted on the Food Network:

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on 09/25/2008 © 2008 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Chef’s Special Omelet:

3 eggs
1/2 cup diced potato, boiled until tender
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced ham
1/2 cup diced bacon, cooked
1 slice Swiss cheese
1 slice American cheese
1 cup cooked chili (meat or bean)

Put eggs in a blender, and mix on high until egg mixture is almost white.
Put potato, onion, ham and bacon on grill pan and saute for 30 seconds. Then pour egg mixture over vegetables. Let eggs cook until
slightly firm around edges.
Add cheese slices. Then gently roll eggs over into omelet shape. Cook 2 minutes until firm.
Plate the omelet on a plate and pour 1 cup cooked meat or bean chili on top.

My green bean story starts at a young age, when I was served your typical canned green beans that are mushy and flavorless.  This variety of serving green beans really killed them for me until a friend of mine introduced me to the wonders of seasoning green beans with Asian flavors and not just your typical butter and salt method.

There are certain vegetables that are just simply better with Asian flavors.  Nowadays, Szechuan Green Beans are a must for me in any Chinese Food order.  I actually consider the quality of a Chinese or Szechuan restaurant by its green beans (and broccoli of course).  They should be crispy, crunchy and spicy – a perfect accompaniment to your protein and starch.

The French are famous for serving ‘Haricots Verts’ alongside their protein, usually cooked in butter and befriended with some sort of nut or fruit.  Here’s a good example of a French interpretation from the folks at Epicurious.  Green Bean casseroles are also popular, especially in the Southern states, though being a northern Yank, I can’t say that I’ve ever tasted a good quality green bean casserole.

But I prefer my Haricots with a little kick in the ass.  So I scrapped the herb butter and nuts for some good old Sriracha and Thai Fish Sauce.  One of the best parts of this dish is that it takes about 5 minutes to cook.  It would also make a great snack at any point in the day.  Here’s my take:

Ingredients:

• A good amount of Green Beans – around 30 to 40 total
• 2 cloves Garlic – minced
• 1 Tbsp. Ginger – grated
• 1/3 cup Red Onion or Shallot – finely diced
• A few grape Tomatoes (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds (optional)
• Sesame Oil to almost coat pan
• 2-3 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce, available in most supermarkets)
• 1-2 Tbsp. Sriracha (adjust if you like it milder or spicier)
• 1 tsp. Thai Fish Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

Prepare an ice bath and a small pot of boiling water.  Quickly blanch the green beans in the water (about 1 minute will do) and then plunge them into the ice bath.

In a separate pan over medium heat, add the sesame oil, then the onion and cook for a minute or so until the onion browns just a little.  Add in the garlic, ginger and then the green beans and cook a for a minute or two.  You should then add in the Sriracha sauce and the Soy Sauce and mix together to combine.  Add in the Hoisin, fish sauce and sesame seeds last and mix together.  The Hoisin will be ver thick (like molasses), so give it some time to let the heat break it down and incorporate it with the rest of the ingredients. The green beans should be cooked through but still a little crunchy before you serve – eat immediately and enjoy!

Makes about 3 servings

Some other good looking Green Bean recipes:

Simply Recipes: Green Beans with Almonds and Thyme
Seasonal Chef: Green Beans with Tomato and Jalapeno
RecipeZaar: Green Bean and Ham Soup