Vegan, Gluten Free, Easy as Fuck Crackers

Yummy Seed Crisps

For the graduation ceremony of the 200 Hr. YTT that I was privileged to mentor this past winter I made some crackers that were a hit.  I promised the attendees that I would give them the recipe so here it is.

It is so simple and nutritious and happens to be gluten free if that’s your jam.  It’s not mine but, whatever.

Feel free to riff on this basic formula with different seasonings and seeds.  For instance I haven’t tried chia seeds but think they would be successful as a replacement or in concert with the flax meal.


Ingredients

1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
2 tbs. raw sunflower seeds (optional)
2 tbs. raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds, also optional)
1 cup water
2 tbs Bragg liquid aminos or tamari sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
Additional spices might include garam masala, berbere, cumin, cayenne. Feel free to experiment.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir.  Let it all sit in the bowl for at least 30 minutes.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Spoon the mix onto the parchment and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly.  If you don’t have an offset spatula, a knife or regular spatula might due.

Use a pizza cutter or some other implement to score the batter in squares or whatever shape you like.  If you forget to score it, as I have on occasion, it’s no big deal. You can just break them up when they’re done.

Bake them for 45-60 minutes or until they seem sufficiently crispy.  They should be uniformly brown.  Underbaking them will render a kind of chewy texture that is not so appealing.  You can tap around them to see if there are any soft spots.  Basically, bake them till they're done.

When they’re done remove them from the oven and allow to cool before breaking and consuming.  While they cool they crackle like Rice Crispies.

Follow this link to the hummus recipe I served.  

https://food52.com/recipes/22888-yotam-ottolenghi-sami-tamimi-s-basic-hummus

I add 2 tsp. of ground cumin to the mix.  It is so good when served warm, sprinkled with smoked paprika and drizzled with olive oil.

Enjoy

What a Bunch of Bunk

Portrait Daniel Genova  danielgenova.com

I have a memory of a conversation I had with one of my best high school friends and her father.  I believe it was about Deepak Chopra although it must have been very early in his career since the conversation could not have happened any later than 1986 or so and was probably even earlier in the 80s.  

The conversation was about the mind body connection and the heart as an emotional organ.  There was discussion about a doctor’s work (probably Chopra) researching the management of heart disease through meditation and bio-feedback.  I remember that my friend’s father dismissed it all as "a bunch of bunk", stating that the heart was a muscle and nothing more.  What’s more we were all in agreement.  All hail drugs and modern medicine!!

If I were to have that conversation today it would go very differently.  I can’t say that I believe 100% in Dr. Chopra’s work but absolutely believe that through meditation, awareness of the subtle body and body work we can consciously impact our inner landscape.  Does that mean we can cure ourselves of cancer?  I’m no expert there and have certainly seen enough cancer among my friends and family to say probably not although instances of radical remission have been documented.

What I do know is that having lost my father to a blood pressure and stress induced cerebral hemorrhage, I still wish we had not put off our planned meditation sessions.  I was pretty sure that the blood pressure meds he was on weren’t helping him and may have been hurting him.  I am convinced that what he needed was to relax and to tap into the healing nature of turning has awareness inside.  He was no stranger to eastern approaches to wellness having spent time in India in the 70's and was amenable my help here.  We never got the chance.

For myself, I know that my meditation practice has made me a more patient parent and partner and I have experienced some of what was discussed in my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training and in other mediation/pranayama sessions I've attended.  I now know that I can manipulate my lung function, consciously draw down on one lobe of my lungs at a time and feel the lift in my pelvic floor when I exhale.  That is just the tip of the iceberg and it is so cool.

Take the time to observe your inner landscape.  Learn about your body, how it works and the position of all the puzzle pieces.  You won’t be harming anything and you might even be helping yourself and others.

Thanksgiving Celebration Roast

The Celebration Roast

There have been a lot of questions about the celebration roast I made for Thanksgiving.

Full disclosure, I got the recipe from another blog, Mouthwatering Vegan, and yes I made a few adjustments.

http://mouthwateringvegan.com/?wiziapp_display=latest

It is a three-step process that begins as a savory dough.  You’re making seitan.  The dough consists of vital wheat gluten flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill), beets, nutritional yeast, dried mint, onion powder, soy sauce, olive oil, tahini, miso.  

After mixing the dough you mold it into a shape.  Mine looked like a big brain.  I then simmered it for an hour in a broth of water, wine, soy sauce, rosemary, sage.  I wrapped it in cheese cloth to be sure it wouldn’t fall apart.  It’s pretty dense.  It probably wouldn’t have fallen apart but better safe.  Then I removed it from the broth and let it cool.  At this point it really looks and feels like some kind of sports ball.  You really want this to simmer NOT boil.

Next step.

Cut holes in the thing and stud it with garlic.  Put it in a Dutch oven and surround it with roasting vegetables of your choice.  I had onions, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, parsnips, mushrooms, more garlic, lemon slices and some preserved lemon.  Shove in some rosemary sprigs and sage and some whole garlic bulbs cut in half.  Do I have to tell you to put some salt and pepper in there?  I think not.  Just do it.

Into the blender place a few pitted dates, fresh mint, lemon juice, more preserved lemon and its juice, pepper corms, olive oil, more soy sauce and garlic, miso and oregano.  Blend it up.  Pour some of this slurry over the “meat” and put it a preheated 350 degree oven.  

I started it covered then removed the cover after half an hour or so.  I probably roasted it for an hour and a half pouring more slurry over the roast every 20-25 minutes.  What was left of the slurry made a good gravy but there wasn’t much of it.

Speaking of gravy, I recommend a good mushroom one for the finished product.  I make a mushroom-miso-mustard one that rocks.

Regarding seitan, there are lots of recipes out there for different veggie “meat” dishes.  I will be experimenting with some sandwich slices too because the ones at the store are expensive and mostly processed unless you’re buying Field Roast, or Uptons.  More on that later.

Golden Milk Morning Concoction

In September I promised my yogis at Red Hook Pilates that I’d share with them the recipe for my morning concoction which consists of golden milk paste, maple syrup or honey, almond milk and tea or coffee.

It took a while, but I have finally documented the process for them and anyone else who would like to know.

My son thinks I should have prettied myself up a bit for this video but, hey, sometimes you just gotta keep it real.

Turmeric has been touted for its anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial properties.  It has also been credited for curing all kinds of afflictions from cancer to Alzheimer’s.  Some of these benefits I believe, others not so much, obviously.  Honestly, I don’t know if feel better or my health has improved as a result of my making turmeric beverages almost every morning for the better part of a year but I don’t care.  I think this stuff tastes great and if improved health is the result then so be it.

One more word to the wise, turmeric requires pepper to be effective so make sure that you include it.  Coconut or another oil will also be helpful for absorption as turmeric is fat soluble.  

Enjoy,

Primula Cerebri

ACBG PRACTICE 1

Yesterday I did what my family has been asking me to do for some time.  I practiced yoga with my son.  Now 15, he ha been in physical, occupational and speech therapies since he was young.  Even though he only remains in speech therapy and does well in school there are physical challenges that remain.  

In middle school he ran track and cross country.  This helped a lot with the physical challenges.   His high school, as much as we like it, doesn't offer the same caliber of athletic training.

In going through a simple yoga sequence with him I learned a lot about his body.  Man, there are so many incongruities and nothing that some regular, simple practice can't address.  The kid is 15.  He's been in his body a much shorter time than I've been in mine.  It is now my job to make sure that this body serves him well.

Even simple things need practice sometimes; pedaling a bicycle, reaching for something on a high shelf.  Which muscle actions are useful and which I ones are unnecessary.  He needs to learn this.  It doesn't help that he's grown about 5” this year.  It's like he's always getting used to a new body.

I will continue to find the time to practice with him because it's important that he have the physical stamina, coordination and mental focus to face what lies ahead.  I may not be a physical therapist but I know I can help.

Gusty and Sister Princess now

Age Is Just a Number

Age Is Just a Number

My dwindling budget aside, I have really been enjoying the free yoga offered every Thursday in Prospect Park.  These classes are being offered all summer long and the last one is on August 31.  Take advantage if you can.

One of the things I like best is that every week the class is taught by a different instructor.  Having belonged to one yoga studio for the better part of two years I found a routine that worked for my schedule and went to the same classes with the same teachers weekly.  Sure, I loved these teachers and their approaches but also found joy when there was a sub.

While many, if they know a sub is scheduled decide instead not to practice, I always welcome the opportunity to experience a different approach.  I discovered several talented teachers this way as I have with #Prospectparkyoga2017.

Last week’s teacher was a boisterous, big, black woman with a studio in Crown Heights.  Her voice was her own as she took us through the sequence challenging our expectations, bodies and breath.  As the class progressed it became clear that this was going to be a challenging yet basic class well intended to motivate beginners and seasoned yogis alike.

As you might imagine, I was surrounded by yogis 20 or more years my junior.  It didn't take long for them to begin groaning as the sequence became harder and their breath became unsteady.  I was resolute, maintaining even inhalations and exhalations and finishing the class as I should, feeling strong, grounded and refreshed.

So, to all those 20 and 30 somethings practicing in the grass with me I say, keep it up and you too could be strong like this middle aged lady.

As the class came to a close it began to rain.  Savasana in the rain is an interesting experience, as this video will attest.

See you in the park next week.

Raindrops Keep Fallilng in my Eyes

Musings on Ardha Chandrasana

Musings on Ardha Chandrasana

In considering the principals of alignment based yoga I am reminded of my recent experiences with Ardha Chandrasana,

Ardha Chandrasana is a posture I had been executing with relative success until 18 months ago.  During my 200 hour YTT I was asked to maintain the outward rotation of the standing leg, plug the femur bone in to the hip socket and maintain Trikonasana alignment in that leg.  18 months later and my foot and leg still want to turn inward.  18 months later and I am still more likely to fall rather than balance in the posture.  18 months later and I am finally able to extend my arm towards the sky for a few breaths (sometimes).

Externally rotating the femur bone and maintaining that alignment of the standing leg leg has completely changed this pose for me.  Sure, one way it has changed is that is much harder for me to maintain my balance.  But why?  The adjustment is seemingly minor.  It seems simple.  It isn't.  I've had to look at why my foot turns in and why the balance is so much easier when it does.  Is it just habit?  Is it easier to cling to my Samskara rather than evolve?  Does that inward turn make my base more stable?  I doubt it.

Those are the the challenges of the change.  What are the positives?

Other ways the asana has changed for me is that it is much stronger.  As my distribution of weight has changed so has the strength I can gather in my standing leg.  As my bones align the muscles are able to engage more fully.  That strength more readily transfers from the foot to the leg, into the hips and out to the extended leg and heel. I can feel this energy course up my spine, into my skull and into my outstretched arms and fingers.  Binding it all together is the breath.  As soon as that stops the whole thing falls apart.

For now I will continue to refine this and all the other asanas that are integrated into my practices.  I will bring my awareness to what works and where the stability is and break habits to find new insight.  I will use that insight to push past fear and learn new postures well in order to preserve my joints and those of my students. Taking the time to get it "right", while potentially difficult, will elevate my practice and the practices of those I teach.

Oh Tannenbaum

This is how I found our gingerbread man this morning.  I swear...

A gift from Lois oh so many years ago

Our Christmas tree is still up.

Yup. Today is January 15 and our Christmas tree is still up. 

When I was a kid I would beg my mom to let us keep the tree until my birthday on January 9. She always said , "no". It would make too much of a mess. Denial on the other hand likes to keep the tree around until my birthday, which I love about him. All I know is that it remains up, a homage to our busy lives. Sure, after I get home and pretend to make dinner, get Gusty to do his homework, practice the cello and make sure that his music theory homework is done then put him to bed I COULD go to the basement get the boxes and wrap all of those small precious ornaments but it's all I can do to knit a few stitches, wash my face, brush my teeth and throw myself into bed.

Remnants

Don't get me wrong, I like the tree. It's festive and smells good. The problem is that it's in what is supposed to be my crafting room. That's right. I actually get a crafting room. It doesn't matter though because when the tree comes down I'll be able to look at that space and marvel at how little I really use it.

I have plans to sew, make myself a dress form and design beautiful things to wear, sell and give away to deserving friends. I want to go through all of my photos, organize them and seriously get rid of the ones that mean nothing to me at this point. Oh goddess please afford me the time and energy to indulge my creative side.

Who am I kidding? I can't even find time to dismantle a tree. It is Sunday. I think today's the day.

  

The corner without the tree.

Done.....

Au Revoir Marie Christine

 On Christmas Eve I learned of the death of a dear friend.

We met in the late 80's when I was just out of school and was working at ELLE Magazine. She had been aquatinted with my boss and was trying to get some work as a stylist. My boss, Regis, didn't care to hire her but somehow she and I managed to strike up quite a friendship in the process. I can't even remember how it came about really. She was significantly older than me. She had me to dinner at her home. I met her then husband. She went to France, came back, got divorced. She stayed with me and hosted me in Paris. I began raising a family and she rediscovered her stepdaughter. Childless, she fell in love with my son and her stepdaughter's son and showered them with gifts. She spent time with my family on Shelter Island and had great respect for my mother. She was at times frustrating but her giant heart and love of life always won out with me. For 23 years she made me crazy and we loved each other.

On December 8, while living in Paris (which she hated) she had a heart attack and died. Even thought I hadn't seen her in two years my world is different without her. She used to say to me, "Oh Tracy, getting old really sucks." Always attractive, even at 70 she would show up in leather pants and decked out in black. 

 

I have keepsakes. She used to wear all her rings on a chain around her neck. One day she took the chain off and removed a Cartier ring from it. "Mais tu est folle," I said. "C'est un Cartier!". "I have others," she said. "This one I want you to have.". Because of her I now wear my rings on a chain around my neck. When she last moved back to France I got to ransack her apartment. Among the items I got from her at that time is a small Le Creuset covered casserole which I have never used. It's perfect for confit and roasting small birds. Living as I do in my veg household I don't have opportunities to make such things so in her honor I have prepared this confit of cippolini onions.

If anyone out there has ideas of what other yummy vegetarian things I can slow roast in this beautiful casserole let me know. In the meantime I will savor my onions and lift a glass of Cotes du Rhone in Marie Christine's honor. Salut mon amie... 

When I have a plan...

Thursday night went really well. That's what happens when I have a plan. Even though Gusty had street hockey until 4:30 and we didn't get home until almost 6:00 we managed to get all the homework done, practice the cello, have a real home cooked meal, watch a 1/2 hour of Boomerang and and still get to bed at a normal hour.

Dinner was braised tofu sticks with green beans and rice. I had never made tofu sticks before and was unsure what to do with them. If you've never seen them, they're available at Asian markets. They come in a bag and look like giant, yellow, gnarled witch's fingers. I have gotten them before and they languished in the cupboard and ended up in the garbage. Not this time. Inspired by Gusty's desire for a reproduction of the roast "duck" served at the vegetarian Chinese joints, I looked into their preparation. Suffice to say that they will become a regular on the meal roster.

I put them to soak in the morning before we left the house and when we returned home I put them in a pot with star anise, cinnamon sticks, sugar, rice wine, soy sauce, a few dried chilies and ginger. After a 40 minute simmer they were ready to eat along with simple preparation brown rice and some garlic sautéed green beans. Gusty, who originally complained that he would be eating something brown (huh?) ate them with wild abandon and we all enjoyed the chewy texture along with the sweet and savory broth. A topping of garlic chili sauce didn't hurt either.

The braising broth was complex. It had some spice, some sweet, some savory... I wondered what it would taste like if I simmered it until a reduction ensued. After refrigerating the tofu, I put the pot back on to simmer for about 45 minutes and I wasn't disappointed with the results. The broth reduced to a more pungent version of itself and I tried it over vanilla ice cream. That was good too but next time I'll sprinkle on a few sesame seeds. The plot thickens.

When I make the tofu sticks again I'm going to soak them in a more flavorful concoction, maybe some tea and peppercorns. They absorb a ton of liquid. Why shouldn't that liquid have some taste.

On Friday night we had tofu pups and popcorn for dinner. I definitely did not have a plan.

Decisions Decisions

 

 

Over the last month or so I have been strugglinh with a decision to let my Mother's storage space go. I had been paying for first 3, then 2, then 1 storage locker since 2007 when she got sick. In the process of eliminating lockers we eliminated a lot of stuff. Stuff from Shelter Island. Stuff from her office. Stuff from her home. So much stuff. I hope I never have that much stuff.

A few months ago it became prohibitive for me to pay for the locker and unable to even get into the space I stopped fretting over the contents. I started wondering how much I had spent over the years to keep this stuff and while there were a few things I really would have liked to retrieve the thought of forking over $700 to spend a week going through boxes of books to locate a few photos and old 78's was not worth it. Over the years most of what had meaning for my mom or myself had been removed and most of what was left was expendable. Of course there is that word; most.

I have to remember that I have my memories, her few special pieces of jewelry and what's left of these plates which I'm pretty sure were a wedding present to my parents oh so many years ago. I think I'll put some corn and little yellow tomatoes on them in her honor but that will have to wait until summer.

If you only shoot close ups...

When you begin occupying a new space all you can see is the big picture, rooms full of boxes and the detritus of your existence.  As you work to put things together you begin to see close ups of normalcy, a corner that has come together with art and a certain grace, or a bedroom you can actually relax in (especially if you can't see the rest of the house).  Then you pull focus to see that there is still disarray.

 

It's ok.  The doorways are clear, I can walk from one room to another without tripping (as long as some family member hasn't left something right smack in the middle of the floor) and there is space to play and for me to lie on the floor and enjoy my little bed of nails. Small pleasures.

This week Gusty was sick and so I stayed home.  "Yea," I thought.  We'll sit and do some art, maybe make something out of Sculpy, I can find a new knitting project.  Instead I relocated glasses, vacuumed, emptied more boxes, went shopping, made dinner and played Cranium.  It was still a good day even if I didn't make any money or lovely little items.

Dinner was a simple affair.  On my walk I went to Pastosa's Ravioli where I got some extremely yummy fresh angel hair and some surprisingly vegetarian pasta and bean soup.  The angel hair was excellent topped with pesto and chopped toasted walnuts and served with fried broccoli.  Producing a meal is definite sign that things are on an upswing.  The leftover angel hair and broccoli went to my lunch the next day, a spaghetti omelet topped with extra sharp vermont cheddar cheese.  I love spaghetti omelets.   Gusty got the pasta and bean soup.

Today fresh waffles for breakfast and quinoa cakes and more fried broccoli for dinner.

On Wednesday I went out with some girls.  More signs of normalcy.

It's Hard to be a Domestic Goddess When You're Moving

I hate moving.  In the last four years we've been in three different apartments and two different art studios.  Our first move occurred just before Thanksgiving 2007 and now it's Thanksgiving 2011 and we are moving yet again.  I guess that makes four apartments in  four years if you include the one we moved out of in 2007 and the one we're moving into now.  All this after living in the same apartment for 15 years.  We're a frustrated family.

Last night Gusty spent the night with a friend and Denial and spent the evening watching films noir and arguing.  We didn't even go out for a drink.  Now it's Sunday morning and we need to get down to the serious business of putting our life in boxes, again.  I guess the good part is that we're pretty good at it now.  Denial is "no nonsense" packing like a machine.  I tend to be slower and more sentimental about it.  Oh well.

When the house is in such a state of disarray it's hard to think about meals, knitting, writing or any creative endeavor.  The Christmas hats are on hold.  The maple pecan pie is on hold.  Homemade pizza, macaroni and cheese, quinoa cakes, coconut tofu curry all on hold.  Heck everything is on hold.  No two ways about it.  This sucks.  Having said that I’ll get on with my day.

The good part, in two weeks this will be over.  We'll be moved in and semi unpacked.  We'll have more space although we will certainly fill it up fast.  I'll have my own crafting corner.  This apartment will be cleaned up to the landlord's liking.  Christmas will be on the way.  The new apartment will fill with the smell of chocolate chip cookies and maple pecan pie.  Until then boxes.

My friend David is a gem...

My friend David is a gem.  He fancies me to be some kind of domestic goddess when the truth of the matter is that I just scrape by.  "Write a blog!" he says, "You'll have lots of followers."  I remain skeptical.  Still I try. 

How does one go about this?

I take photos of stuff, document moments when I see beauty in the mundane, try and make dinner worthy of being photographed then forget to photograph it.  Blogging moment missed.  I am however undeterred.

I ask myself questions:  How candid should I be?  How much should I praise my family and partner?  How much should I kvetch about my family and partner?  Is this dish, action, anecdote good enough?  How do I take photos of myself or myself doing stuff?  I can't trust anyone else to do it consistently and well.  Denial is a fantastic painter but often his photographic prowess as far as my creations are concerned is lackluster. How do I make interesting salads every night?  Actually, how do I make salads every night interesting or otherwise?  Should I aim to entertain, educate, or become educated myself?

As I ponder this and more there are fries with garlic in the oven and there will be Gardenburgers with cheddar cheese.  Sometimes you have to just get by.  I haven't been to the store for a decent shop for ages and our pantry is suffering.  We even need olive oil and garlic.  This week.  I promise.

Macaroni and Cheese Wars

Macaroni and Cheese Wars

In my family we all enjoy macaroni and cheese.  Who doesn't?  On occasion I have made the bad mac-n-cheese, too grainy, too loose, too dense.  You are all probably aware of the pitfalls that one can fall into striving for mac-n-cheese heaven.  My grandmother, god rest her soul, made terrible Mac-n-cheese but we thought it was wonderful.  After all it was homemade with love but... she just wasn't a very good cook.   It was baked with chunks of cheese interspersed within it and the casserole must have weighed 10 lbs.  I thought you could only get creamy Mac-n-cheese out of a box and that was 40 years ago.

Well I grew up, started cooking and discovered that the stuff I thought was good wasn't.  From a cookbook  I learned to make it by making a cheese sauce beginning with a béchamel.  This method is risky and a pain in the ass.  I don't know about you but I want my mc to be delicious, reliable, and easy.  I know that we all have our favorites but I want to share two of mine; one baked in a casserole, the other stirred in a pot.  They are different from one another and both are delicious, reliable and easy.

The first one which is Denial's favorite came from the New Your Times.  I can't take credit for either of these recipes.  It is unexpectedly made by mlixing dry noodles into a wet puree of cottage cheese, milk, shredded cheese and spices. I always add more spices. It all gets baked together with yummy results. Here's a link to the recipe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/04/dining/041wrex.html

One nice thing you can do with this recipe is that you can add cauliflower to this mix and bake it in the casserole.  Its also nice to top it with panko during the last 1/2 hour of baking time.

The second one is Gusty's favorite.  Being a kid he likes boxed mac-n-cheese.  This recipe came from Good Eats on The Food Network.  It also seemed improbable, but works beautifully.  Whisk together 2 eggs, 6 oz. Evaporated milk (I must that admit when I made this dish for the first time it was the first time I had purchased evaporated milk since my grandfather was alive), and spices (dry mustard, hot sauce, nutmeg, salt, pepper).

Boil elbow noodles until al dente.  Strain.  Turn off heat and return the noodles to the pot. Pour milk and egg mixture into pot with the noodles and stir.  Here you do need to be careful not to let the eggs in the mix cook too fast or the cheese will be curdley.  Over a low flame incorporate 10oz. of grated cheddar cheese until it is all creamy, melty, good.  Done.

You'll find the recipe here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/stove-top-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html

Sit down with a giant salad or roasted veggies and enjoy with a nice brew. Sixpoint's The Crisp would go nicely.