You see, I went to Israel in December and had one of the best times of my life.  Between the landscape, the history, the people  and the classes I taught , it was an incredibly rich and layered experience. 

Hence, the blogstipation.  There is just too much to say. 

So, after ruminating on the topic for a while now, I have decided to distill the Israel experience down to its most meaningful element and the one that has lingered the longest; friendship.

I was invited to Israel by two friends, Sheldon and Ginat Rice .  They are both American Jews who moved back to the Holy Land and currently live in Jerusalem.  They are also both macrobiotic; Sheldon got into it over 20 years ago in order to dissolve a tumor discovered in his abdomen, and Ginat had stumbled upon macrobiotics in her early 20s… being a groovy, hip chick… and even ran a macro restaurant in Boston in the '80s. 15 years ago, Sheldon, being single after a long first marriage, and father to three daughters, held a macro potluck at his home in Jersalem.  Ginat showed up and the rest is history.  He proposed within a month !

Together Ginat and Sheldon have helped nurture a small but vital macrobiotic community in their area.  They work under the name of The Rice House and for years they have given lectures, classes and held potlucks.  Recently, they've decided to start importing teachers from the rest of the world… Michael Rossoff  had been over to give consulations and lectures… Christina Pirello  had a cooking class tour… and last spring, on the Taste of Health Cruise (coming up soon on Feb. 27th–JOIN US!), Ginat and Sheldon invited me to be the next to come to Israel.  I was overjoyed at the invitation and extremely excited about the trip.

For the next nine months, Sheldon and Ginat went into preparation mode.  They are both extremely detail-oriented people and Ginat even signed a recent email "The Ginorganizer" .  Together we figured out topics for the classes, recipes and did some press to get the word out, but behind the scenes, S and G handled everything else.  Not being much of a Jessorganizer, I will be forever grateful to them for that.

I arrived in early December and had a couple of days to just hang out, see some sites and get over the jetlag.  I camped out in their guest bedroom.  Now it's all very well to be a guest in someone's home for a weekend, or maybe 4 or 5 days maximum, but Ginat, Sheldon and I co-existed very happily and peacefully for SIXTEEN DAYS!  And not only did we share space, we managed to pack, shlep and set-up equipment and food for 12 different cooking classes (some of them at great distances), followed by the breaking down, schlepping back and putting away of said equipment after each class.  And, honest to God, we laughed throughout most of it.  

To what do I attribute this peace and general jolliness?  You guessed it: The Food.  Of course, Sheldon, Ginat and I are all basically good people; none of us is hysterical, histrionic, evil or insane.  Well, okay, maybe insane, but who isn't?  But even amongst good people, there are edges that get rubbed, buttons that get pushed and darkness tends to emerge.  But two important factors were in play here:  First, we had all eaten macrobiotically for a number of years.  This means that really old emotional sludge has been addressed or even eradicated.  In a very real way, the energy we were bringing to one another was quite clean.  Second, we ate well while we were together.  Sheldon was in charge of breakfast, Ginat Ginorganized lunch and I generally taught a cooking class which became dinner.  So as we moved through the stresses of co-habitation, work and play, our blood sugar remained level and we floated on a wave of wellbeing together .  When issues did arise, we each had a stable self to reflect upon and respond from.  There was no slinging mud .  Well, most days.   We were careful and kind. 

(By the way, Michio Kushi refers to all macrobiotic people as "friends".  When I first heard that, I considered it sort of kooky and hippy-ish, but it actually points at a very real truth; by eating natural foods, we begin to vibrate together in a peaceful, joyous way.) 

It was from this lovely, loving platform that we could–like three giggling children–enjoy our experiences.  The classes went really well (there is a recipe below).  Ginat and Sheldon made sure to show me lots of Israel, like the Negev desert , The Dead Sea , Old Jerusalem , The Sea of Gallilee , and Tel Aviv .  In those sixteen days, I also had the luck to meet all three of Sheldon's beautiful daughters… each a unique and powerful spirit.  While we traveled in the car, passing camels  and Bedouin neighborhoods , we discussed politics, religion, and history.  Neither Sheldon nor Ginat ever shyed away from some of my difficult questions, both of them attempting to answer them from a unified, macrobiotic perspective.  More on the politics next week…

There were so many layers of this trip, and I will continue to blog about it at least once more… but I wanted to begin with this simple, lovely layer of relationship.  I was amazed and delighted by the glue that arose between the three of us… the affection and caring that presented itself… I know that in those sixteen days, I secured friends for life. 

Recipe (adapted from Meg Wolff's new book A Life in Balance):

Sweet Potato and Arame Salad with Asian-Style Tartar Sauce

2 large sweet potatoes

2 parsnips

2 T olive oil

pinch of sea salt

black pepper

1 cup dry arame, reconstituted

1 T shoyu

1 T mirin

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

salad greens, such as arugula or watercress, to serve

toasted sesame seeds

Tartar sauce

½ cup vegan mayonnaise

1 T minced pickled ginger

½ teaspoon wasabi paste

1 small shallot, finely minced

1 tsp ume vinegar

2 T minced cilantro

big squeeze of lime juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Peel the sweet potato and parsnips and cut into bite-sized chunks. Steam the chunks for about 5 minutes, until they just start to soften up (you can do this in a steamer basket set over boiling water of by simmering in a small amount of water).

In the meantime, pour the olive oil onto a baking tray and let it heat up in the oven.  Transfer the potato and parsnip chunks to the over-warmed tray and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.  Toss to coat the vegetables evenly with the oil.  Put on top shelf of oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until they’re tender when pricked with a fork.

While the veggies are baking, prepare the arame and tartar sauce.  Measure out the arame dry, then soak in a bowl with enough water to cover for 10 to 15 minutes.  Drain and simmer the arame in about ¼ cup of the soaking water—drizzle with the shoyu and mirin while cooking.  After about 10 minutes, turn the heat up a bit to cook off any excess liquid and drizzle with the toasted sesame oil.  Mix together all the tartar sauce ingredients.

To serve, arrange the salad greens on plates or a serving platter, and top with the arame and sweet potato mixture.  Add a big dollop of the tartar sauce and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top.

Variations:  You can use other veggies such as sweet squash or pumpkin, in place of the sweet potato.  You could also add corn, zucchini, or other vegetables. 

If you don’t like the tartar sauce too spicy, omit the wasabi.  Instead, add other ingredients like minced capers, chives, parsley, or minced dill pickle.

Remember: it is easy. You're basically just stuffing a dome of tofu with delicious stuffing and baking it. No biggie. It's just that the recipe sounds a little complicated… AH RECIPES! I SHAKE MY FIST AT YOU!!!

But this recipe is so easy, a child could do it.  And I'm not kidding.  Last year, Gail Goldman left the task of Tofu Turkey to her daughter Marley, and she did a FINE job.

Scooping tofu out of the dome: 

Making the stuffing: 

Removing the cheesecloth: 

Basting: 

and VOILA!: . 

Put it all together with some other delicious Holiday dishes and you have this!

Speaking of delicious recipes, I'm writing a new book and am very open to including wonderful recipes from readers… if you have any blow-your-socks-off macro or vegan recipes and you'd like to share them, please send them to me at jessicathehipchick@gmail.com. If I include it in the book, you will get full credit and a free copy.
And for that, I am very grateful.
xo Jessica

Tofu Turkey with Mushroom Gravy

Equipment:
Handheld blender or food processor
A medium-sized colander
Cheesecloth
A baking sheet
A pastry brush
Aluminum Foil
A skillet
A large measuring cup
Knife, wooden spoons, and the other usual stuff

Turkey:
5 lbs extra firm tofu
Shoyu
Toasted sesame oil
Onions (lots)
Mushrooms (lots)
Celery (a few stalks)
Seitan (if you like it)
Unyeasted, whole wheat sourdough bread, in cubes
Poultry seasoning (as much as you want)

Gravy:
Onions
Mushrooms (optional)
Water
Shoyu
Mirin (optional)
Brown rice vinegar (optional)
Kuzu

For the “Turkey”: THE NIGHT BEFORE: Whiz the 5 lbs. of tofu in a really big bowl with a handheld blender. If you don’t have one, it’s a great time to go get one. They are cheap ($30?) and soooooooo useful. I also refer to the handheld blender as “food dildo”. If you don’t have one, and aren’t going to get one, you can puree the tofu in a food processor, in batches, until it’s all smooth and creamy. There may be a few lumps, but nothing big. As you are blending, add about 2 tablespoons of shoyu to the tofu to give it a little extra taste. The more daring may add some herbs…

You now have a 5 lb blob of tofu. Congratulations! Take a colander (medium-sized or smallish are best–the bigger the colander, the flatter the “turkey” will be) and line it with a double layer of cheese cloth, with about six inches extra on each side. Place the colander on a big plate or baking sheet. Spoon your tofu blob into the cheesecloth-lined colander until it molds completely to the colander. A little tofu “milk” will start coming through the colander. That’s good. That’s why you’re doing this, to press all excess liquid out of the tofu, making it a sturdier turkey. Fold the extra cheese cloth over the top of the tofu and place a plate and a weight on top of that. Let sit overnight in the fridge.

The next day: Take the turkey out of the fridge. Pour off any extra tofu liquid that seeped out overnight from the baking sheet or whatever you had the colander sitting on. Remove the weight, the plate and pull back the extra cheese cloth to reveal the bottom of the “dome” that will be your turkey. Now here’s the tricky part: You must now dig into the upside-down dome, with your hand, creating a space in the middle that you will put the stuffing into. Try to dig so that you leave about 1/2 to 1 inch of tofu between you and the colander–in other words, so the dome maintains a decent thickness all round. If you find that you dig too far, you can repair it with tofu, but do your best to dig a nice ditch in the tofu, leaving the walls of the dome thick enough to protect the stuffing. Does that make sense?

Now you have a pile of tofu and an upside-down dome of tofu. Your parents must be very proud! Preheat your oven to
350 F and start working on the stuffing!

In a skillet, heat the oil, and saute the onions and a pinch of salt for about five minutes. Add the mushrooms and another pinch of salt. Add celery, seitan, poultry seasoning and bread. Sprinkle with shoyu to taste. You know what you like in a stuffing. Do whatever you want to achieve that. Make way more than you need because extra stuffing is one of life’s great benefits. When the stuffing makes you all happy and say “ooooo”, then place it in the dome of tofu, packing it down well. Take the rest of your dug-out tofu (leaving aside about 1/2 cup) and place it on top of the stuffing (and on top of the dome edges), making a bottom for the dome. Pack it down well.

Tricky part number two: Now, take a baking sheet and place it over the colander. Make sure it covers it completely. Hold them together tightly. In a graceful and quick maneuver, flip the whole colander upside-down, so that your dome now sits on the baking sheet. Remove the colander. Remove the cheesecloth, and voila! That’s your un-cooked “turkey”. If there are any cracks in the turkey, do your best to repair them with your leftover tofu. If they are really bad, just chalk it up to experience–you’ll do much better next year (or try again at Christmas!) and this will still taste great.

Make a mixture of 2 parts sesame oil to 1 part shoyu and, using a pastry brush, baste the turkey with it. Be generous with the basting. Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover, baste again and cook for 15 more minutes, uncovered. Baste one more time and cook for 15 minutes more. Let sit for 1 hour before cutting, while you make your gravy!!

GRAVY:
Dice a bunch of onions and mushrooms. Saute onions first, with a pinch of salt, until translucent and yummy, then add mushrooms, another pinch of salt, and saute until softened and wilty.

Apparently, I just made up that word: Wilty. I know that because my computer has put a red line beneath it. Oh well.

Anyway, pour some water in a large measuring cup and add water to this saute, equalling the amount of gravy you want. You have the measuring cup so that you know how much liquid you’re using–you will need to know this for when you add the kuzu later. So make a mental note of it.

Then add shoyu, carefully, to taste (you might want to start with 1 teaspoon per cup of liquid, and add from there if desired). I haven’t given strict measurements here because a) I’m lazy and b) you are the arbiter of your gravy’s strength and saltiness. You can also add mirin (about 1/3 the amount of shoyu you put in) and a dash of brown rice vinegar, if you like. I find that the combo of the shoyu, mirin and just a touch of brown rice vinegar makes for a nice meaty flavor in the gravy.

Let it all come to a boil and then simmer for at least ten minutes.

Now, measure out the equivalent of 1 level tablespoon of kuzu per cup of gravy liquid. If it’s not perfect, don’t worry–if the gravy ends up being not thick enough, you can add more kuzu, and if it’s too thick, you can add more water and shoyu. I think gravy should be a pleasurable, sort of intuitive dish, so don’t get too hung up on it.

WHAT YOU DO NEED TO GET HUNG UP ON, though, is that kuzu needs to be diluted in cold water and be lump-free before being added to the gravy. If you add chunks of undiluted kuzu, they will become unbreakable lumps in the gravy. So when your kuzu is nice and diluted (you can break it up with your fingers in the cold water–I recommend that), add it slowly to the gravy as you stir it vigorously. The gravy will become glossy and thicken. Let it come to a boil, then reduce flame to a simmer. If the gravy is not thick enough for you, add more kuzu. If it’s too thick, add more liquid. Once you’ve gotten the thickness right, let it simmer for about ten minutes before serving on slices of tofu turkey.

Serves 8-12.

BUT I rarely blow my own horn as a cook.  I'm really not that good a cook.  I mean, I have a good vibe in the kitchen, but I'm extremely messy and rarely think up new things… When someone calls me a chef, I laugh and correct them quickly. 

Soooo, when I do think up something nice, I get extremely excited, and I yell it from the moutaintops.  Here goes:

Really Good Minestrone

Please forgive the lack of specifics on this recipe… I made it for twenty people recently and just eyeballed it. 

Ingredients:

Approx I cup kidney beans, soaked overnight

sea salt

6 cups vegetable stock (preferably homemade, but don't go crazy)

1/2 a winter squash, preferably Hokkaido pumpkin or buttercup, in chunks

a few large carrots, chopped into big chunks

1 medium beet

umeboshi vinegar

shoyu

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 large stalks celery, diced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/4 head green cabbage, diced

1 cup green beans, sliced on the diagonal

White miso, if needed, for extra taste

1 cup whole wheat macaroni noodles, cooked, if desired. 

Chopped parsley to garnish

Directions:

Bring kidney beans to a boil in fresh water to cover.  As the water cooks away, add a cup of cold water, carefully poured down the side of the pot.  This is the shocking method, and it works very well for cooking beans.  Cook until they are soft.  Salt to taste: remember, you want the beans to be tasty–inside and out–so don't skimp on the salt here. 

While the beans are cooking, place the squash, carrot and beet in a pressure cooking and add water that goes about halfway up the vegetables.  This is your no-mato sauce that whill make the soup taste tomato-y.  Close the lid and bring to pressure.  Reduce heat and let simmer for about ten minutes.  Let the pressure come down and scoop the vegetables into a food processor, with the liquid. 

Whiz the veggies until smooth.  Add umeboshi vinegar first.  This will give the no-mato liquid the tang and slight acidity of tomatoes.  Keep adding until it tastes nice and tomato-y to you.  It will permeate the whole soup, so don't be afraid of making it strong.  Add a teaspoon or so of shoyu just to round out the taste and darken the sauce slightly.  If needed, add more.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the onion until soft.  Add the celery and the herbs and continue to saute for a few minutes.  Pour in vegetable stock and kidney beans and bring to a boil.

If you're using noodles, now is a good time to cook them and rinse them with cold water until needed. 

When the stock and beans are simmering, add the no-mato sauce.  Let it all come together as a soup.  Add cabbage, beans and miso, if needed.  Let simmer for 10 minutes.  Finally, if you're using noodles, put them in last. 

Serve garnished with chopped parsley. 

Serves 8.

Of course, like I said, I eyeballed this recipe so you may find that you need more seasoning, more vegetables or more herbs. 

You might also want to make this in a slightly larger batch and freeze half of it for soupy afternoons this winter.

YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!

Jessica

Roughly ten years ago, word got out about her skills and Mayumi went off to cook for a singer named… um… oh yeah, MADONNA. She spent seven years chopping and sauteeing for the Material Girl and her ever-expanding brood. That gig bounced her around from New York to London to LA and on tours  around the world. If you think Madonna looks pretty good for her age, Mayumi, and the macrobiotic diet, have had a lot to do with it.

Here's what Madge has to say about Mayumi:

"In the seven years you lived with us and cooked for us, your amazing food helped me to be a happier, healthier person, balanced in body and mind.  I feel better than I did twenty years ago.  I am very grateful to you for this."   Yaayyyyyyyyyy!!!!!! I love macrobiotics!!!!!!

Because my mother lived in London, I got into the habit of seeing Mayumi whenever I was over there. We would meet to have tea at some fancy department store… sticking with the green tea and fruity desserts, of course.

Then, when I moved to Los Angeles, we bumped into each other here, and gossiped over agave-sweetened chocolate cake at Real Food Daily  in Santa Monica.

A couple of years ago, Mayumi moved back to her homeland of Japan, where she hasn't lived in 20-odd years. I figured I would help her adjust by making her take me out for lunch in Tokyo. We bonded over the totally macrobiotic lunch (designed by LA's Nadine Barner) at the Peninsula Hotel… SWANK!! Mayumi designed the macro menu there last year, so she knew the ropes.

Finally, last week, I giggled over soba and yuba with Mayumi at Souen in New York City . She was there to visit her daughter, who lives in Brooklyn.

I say all this because Mayumi has also written an amazing cookbook , which finally came out in English and which I highly recommend.  It's call Mayumi's Kitchen: Macrobiotic Cooking for Body and Soul.

It contains a great ten-day detox plan and a ton of wonderful recipes, including this one, great for fall:

Brown Rice Mochi Crepes with Stewed Apricots

1 tsp rapeseed or sunflower oil

2 cups grated brown rice mochi

Stewed Apricots

10 dried apricots, quartered

1/3 cup spring water

pinch sea salt

1. Make the stewed apricots: Combine the apricots, spring water, and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.

2.  Heat the oil in a frying pan and sprinkle the grated mochi in an even layer so as to form a thin pancake.  Cover and cook over low heat until the mochi melts.  Do not turn over.  Make 3 more in the same way.

3.  Serve the mochi with the stewed apricots rolled up inside or spread on top, or both. 

Mmmm…  Enjoy!

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I just don’t understand Strawberry People .  I just don’t.  I don’t GET wanting to eat a berry that makes me feel like I’m French kissing a cat .  Call me crazy.

This time of year is so hard.  My beloved raspberries  come out to play and I am once again reminded of just how deeply and purely I love them.  And then my ugly prejudice against Strawberries rears its head . 

I can’t help it.  Strawberries get soooo much attention.  We’re just expected to love them, without question. Strawberries dominate the berry world like an arrogant, strutting bully.  Dare I suggest we live in a veritable Strawarchy? The dominant ideology of our culture is inherently pro-Strawberry and yet this discourse is rarely challenged.  So here goes:

Strawberries are the anti-Raspberry!  Whereas seeds cover the outside of the Straw, they are neatly and modestly tucked away inside the sexy, juicy bulbs of the Raz.  Whereas the Straws are firm and dry, a lovely Raz is soft and fuzzy.  Where Straws have this woody, white interior, the elegant Raz is brilliantly empty like Nature’s cute little thimble .  Just the right size to fit the tip of one’s tongue .  HOW CAN YOU GET BETTER THAN THAT???

I know this isn’t cool. Or PC.  I know it’s not all balanced and macrobiotic, in which the thinking is to accept BOTH, as the yin and yang to one another.  BUT I JUST CAN’T.  Strawberries are… wrong.  There.  I said it.  And the people who eat prefer them to my precious raspberry should be put in Strawberry Jails.  Guarded by thousands of Strawberry Shortcake dolls  .  And a lifetime supply of strawberry-flavored lip balm .   And their cell mate?  That’s right. … Darryl Strawberry. 

Teehee.  When I pull my tongue out of my cheek, I will stick it in a… you guessed it… raspberry.

My advice to my fellow Raspberry People is to do the following.  Place half a cup of our ripe loved ones in a bowl.  Add a tiny pinch of salt.  Massage until about most of the berries become mushy (you need to get to the Raz juice to really enjoy the Raz).  Add 1 teaspoon of brown rice syrup and stir it in thoroughly.  Raise a spoonful to your nose… mmm… close your eyes… place this bright red nectar-of-the-Gods in your mouth and enjoy your inherently superior taste. 

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I had some friends over for dinner last night and served two of my favorite dishes–Mock Tuna and Quinoa Salad with Hazelnuts. They’re both from The Hip Chick’s Guide (although one I stole–with permission–from Christina!) so if you’ve made them ten thousands times, forgive me.  If you have not, now’s the time to throw a dinner party and serves these summer lovelies:

Mock Tuna 

 No, you’re not making fun of a fish. This recipe is for those of us who had a very intimate relationship with little cans in our cupboards and who miss the idea of opening them regularly. Tuna is very yang and contracting–considered too strong an energy to take in regularly, especially for a woman. Ditto salmon. Macrobiotic recipes generally stick to white-fleshed fish, which are lower in fat and more easily digestible. Therefore, to imitate the sensual pleasure of tuna fish, we use tempeh.

1 8-ounce package tempeh

1 tablespoon umeboshi vinegar

1/3 cup Tofu Mayonnaise (see p.123 or store-bought)

Black pepper to taste

Any spices you desire–cumin, curry, paprika, saffron etc. (optional)

1 celery stalk, diced

1/4 red onion, finely diced

Steam or boil tempeh for 20 minutes to make it more digestible. Break apart with a fork until you get smaller-than-bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle the umeboshi vinegar onto the tempeh, mashing it in with a fork until you get a tuna-fishy saltiness. Mix “mayonnaise”, pepper and any other spices you enjoy. Mash into tempeh. Add vegetables. Serve or refrigerate–it tastes even better the next day.

Makes 4 servings.

Quinoa Salad with Hazelnuts

1/2 medium red onion, sliced fine into half moons

4 radishes, cut fine into half moons

2 Tablespoons each of ume vinegar and brown rice vinegar

1 1/2 cups quinoa

3 cups spring water with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2/3 cups hazelnuts

1/4 cup chopped parsley or chopped mint

1/2 cup raisins, washed and drained

Mix the onions and radishes with both vinegars.  Place a plate and weight on top and press for 1 hour to pickle. Wash quinoa thoroughly to remove the bitter saponin on the outside of the grain.  Roast in a dry, heavy-bottom fry pan until dry, stirring constantly until grain begins to turn golden and puff up a little.

Bring water and salt to the boil in a saucepan, stir in quinoa, cover and bring back to the boil.  Turn the flame down low and simmer until all the water is absorbed (about 20-25 minutes). Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, remove from heat and return into a mixing bowl to cool. Wash and roast hazelnuts at 325 degrees until nuts are golden and skins crack and loosen.  Rub the nuts in a dry dishcloth to remove any loose skins. Chop roughly. Mix hazelnuts, quinoa, pickles, herbs and raisins together, including pickling liquid.  Serve garnished with chopped nuts and sprigs of parsley or mint.

Makes 4 servings.

Variation:

Yummy if not yummier. Substitute pearled (polished) barley for quinoa (cooks 2-1 like quinoa in about 30 minutes). Replace hazelnuts with toasted pecans, use dried apricots that have been soaked and chopped instead of raisins, and add fresh chopped dill at the end to replace the parsley or mint. You still use the red onion and radish pressed with the vinegars.

P.S. In the photo, I’ve included an arame dish, a golden beet, and greens with cilantro/mustard/ginger/rice syrup dressing. 

How things have changed.  Now I’m the one living a relatively quiet life, away from the Kushi Institute, listening to NPR and surfing celebrity-gossip websites .  I’m going to movies, and worrying about the oil spill  and generally being steeped in regular culture.  So it’s always an amazing thing to hang out with other macros and remember the actual "cult"  that I’m in. 

I spent last night on a panel of macro "experts" at M Cafe  in Culver City.  If you’re not from Southern California, M Cafe is a reason to visit.  For the last five years, M Cafe  has provided gourmet macrobiotic food to the hip and trendy masses of West Hollywood, Culver City and now Beverly Hills .  Apparently Ellen and Portia  have brunch at the Bev Hills M regularly.  If they’re smart, they have the killer vegan benedict .

So M Cafe hosted this panel as an anniversary event.  It included chef Lee Gross,  Mina Dobic and yours truly.  Mina  cured herself of ovarian cancer–which had spread to the bones–25 years ago, having been given two months to live by her doctors.  The whole story is in her book, My Beautiful Life.  Since then, she has been a macro counselor to thousands of individuals, helping to save countless lives in the process (by the way, if you’re recovering from a serious health condition, you need to skip the rich food at M cafe for a while and contact a counselor like Mina.  See resources for a counselors near you).  

Also on the panel was Lee Gross , who went from traditionally trained chef to Macro Masterpiece Maker.  After cooking for Gwyneth Paltrow  for a few years,  he went on to develop the original menu at M Cafe (click here to see the current one).   Eric LeChasseur (owner of Seed, another great macro joint in Venice, CA) was the original pastry chef.  Their mouth-watering M cafe fare has only gotten yummier over the years.  

Between the three of us, we had a lot to say.   Mina’s schtick is turning lives around, Lee’s whole gig is seducing the body into radiant health via the tongue and I’m into inspiring healthy people to feel even better and to learn about the power of food. 

We’ve come a long way, baby.  In the fifteen years since my friend confronted my denial of other people’s denial, things have changed.  Books have been published .  Big stars have blown the macro horn.  Medical doctors are taking up the plant-based diet charge with gusto . 

It felt really good to talk to the group of people who had gathered for this panel–people who were curious and turned on by the macro thing.  I said at one point: "If you’re just getting into this and it feels like the most exciting thing you’ve ever come across and inside your head you’re silently screaming ‘omigod FOOD… omigod it’s like the BIGGEST THING… this macro thing is MIND-BLOWING!!! I’M SO EXCITED!!!!’ , don’t hold yourself back.  This thing is huge.  And I don’t just mean that the movement is getting bigger or that celebs are into it.  That’s just window dressing… 

I mean it’s huge inside of you.  It will change your life.  Your body.  Your mind.  Your whole direction .  In beautiful ways you never anticipated."  And I looked into their faces, so relieved and happy to have someone wave their freak flag for them .  And I looked inside the restaurant, which was full and BUMPIN’ with customers. 

"Be excited" I said.  "You should be". 

By the way, Lee and I will be speaking again at M Cafe in Culver City next week; Tuesday, June 22nd at 7 o’clock.  To be a part of the action, and eat an amazing gourmet Lee-cooked meal, contact Cindy at cindy@thechaya.com

Here’s the recipe for M Cafe’s Scarlet Quinoa salad.  Mmmm… Perfect for summer.

Mina’s website has tons of recipes too, which are more traditional and medicinal.  Enjoy. 

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Which brings me to the following recipe.  For any followers of this blog, you know that I am not exactly arrogant about my cooking skills.  I don’t feel like a natural chef and I’m not creating, creating, CREATING  all the time in the kitchen.  However, every once in a while, I come up with a bona fide hit.  So here it is for 2010… and maybe 2011 too:

Oy, this is good.  I stumbled upon it while visiting some close friends on Lake Pickett  in Central Florida .  My friend Victoria  was very pregnant with baby number four.  You heard me:   and I guess I just felt moved to make something soothing and motherly.  Mmmm…

FAKE CHICKEN SOUP

Serves 10-12

1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 cups of red lentils, sorted and rinsed

10 cups spring or filtered water

2 medium carrots, diced (or 1 medium red-skinned potato–optional)

1 package of White Wave Chicken-style seitan , including liquid, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 small or 1/2 medium leek, cleaned and sliced on the diagonal. 

3 tablespoons shoyu

1 tablespoon mellow white miso

Parsley for garnish

In a large saucepan, heat the oil.  Add the onions and saute for at least five minutes, or until soft and translucent.  DO NOT ADD SALT.  Add the red pepper and saute with onions until soft.  Add the red lentils and stir in briefly.  Then add water. 

Let it all come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Add carrots (and/or potatoes) and the chopped up seitan and seitan water.  Let simmer for about 1/2 an hour or until the red lentils are dissolved. 

Add the leek and shoyu.  Dissolve the miso in a cup or suribachi with some of the soup liquid.  Make sure you smooth out any lumps.  Add it to the soup.  Stir and let simmer for five more minutes.

Ladle into individual serving bowls and garnish with parsley.  Eat.  Send me an email thanking me.  It’s that good.  YUM.

P.S. The baby arrived in April 16th.  A little girl born at home.  All is well.

The recipe is by Eric LeChasseur, from his book, Love, Eric.  He’s also the owner of Seed Kitchen, in Venice, California. 

Blueberry Pine Nut Pie

Makes 6 servings

For the Pine Nut Filling:

1 ½ cups pine nuts

2 ounces silken tofu (Mori-Nu brand)

4 tablespoons organic apple sauce

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ cup rice syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

For the pie crust:

1 ¾ cups spelt flour

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup maple sugar

1/3 cup safflower oil

¼ cup water

For the blueberry topping:

1 ½ cups fresh organic blueberries

1 cup organic apple juice

1 tablespoon kuzu

1 tablespoon agar flakes

To prepare the pine nuts:

1.    Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

2.    Roast the pine nuts lightly on a baking sheet in the oven just until lightly golden in color, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.  (Or toast the pine nuts on the stovetop in a skillet)

3.    Transfer roasted nuts to a food processor and grind into a fine powder.

To make the pie crust:

1.    Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

2.    In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

3.    IN a small bowl, emulsify the wet ingredients then combine with the dry mixture.

4.    Knead quickly and allow dough to sit for 10 minutes.

5.    Roll out the dough to fit six 4-inch pie shells or one 8-inch pie shell.  Bake pie crust for 10 minutes and set aside.

To make the pine nut filling and pie:

1.    Add the remaining ingredients to the pine nuts in a food processor and process until smooth.

2.    Pour the mixture into the pie shell.   Bake for 20 minutes.

To make the blueberry topping:

1.    In a saucepan, combine the apple juice with the agar over medium-high heat.  Simmer until agar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.

2.    IN a small bowl, dissolve the kuzu with 1 tablespoon of water.

3.    Whisk the kuzu mixture into the apple juice and continue cooking and whisking until mixture thickens.

4.    When it has fully thickened, turn off the heat.

5.    Add the fresh blueberries to the saucepan ad stir the mixture with a spatula.

6.    Pour over the baked pie.

7.    Allow the pie to cool before serving.

So here goes.  Christmas Stew.  I call it that because it’s red, with a green garnish, but you could make it anytime.

The Stew

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 onion, sliced in half moons

8 – 12 cups filtered or spring water

About one cup of yellow split peas

2 cups of kabocha squash, cut into biggish chunks.  If unpeeled, orange is best.  If using green, peel it.

1 large beet, diced

1/2 a large daikon, sliced into 1/2-inch wide half moons.

3 stalks celery, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

Mellow white miso to taste (about 3-4 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons kuzu, diluted in a little cold water

Heat oil in a large pot.  Saute onion for at least five minutes, letting it get soft and translucent.  Add the water and the split peas.  Bring to a boil and let simmer about 20 minutes.  Add squash and beets.  Simmer another 20 minutes.  Add daikon and celery and simmer 20 more minutes. 

Stir in diluted kuzu, whisking vigorously until it comes to a boil, at which point the stew should seem glossy and a little thickened.  But not thick like a gravy. 

Using some liquid from the stew, mix with the miso in a suribachi, grinding it with a surikogi.  If you don’t have them, mash the miso into the liquid in a bowl or mug, using a fork or whisk.  Return miso liquid to stew.  Taste to see if it rocks your world.   Serve in a big bowl over rice with a big spoonful of Yummy Green Dollop which follows:

Yummy Green Dollop

1/2 a ripe avocado

3 large scallions, chopped

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon brown rice syrup

1 teaspoon (give or take) umeboshi vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil (more, if sauce is too thick)

Whiz all ingredients in a food processor.   Adjust to taste.   Spoon onto stew. 

By the way, I did a radio interview the other day.  Hopefully I didn’t sound like a complete doofus.  Click here to listen.