Sundays with Sparky - Spaghetti Squash "Noodle" Kugel

Did you know that the word "kugel" means "ball" in German?  Apparently the original version was baked in a round pan;  the name describes it when hot from the oven and still puffy.  While many people know Kugels as a sweet noodle dish of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, the term really refers to many dishes that use a farmer’s cheese and egg custard as a binder.  A Kugel can be sweet or savory, and can have fillings as diverse as noodles or spinach, potatoes or cranberries.

Although a traditional noodle kugel is made with broad noodles, I decided to take advantage of spaghetti squash's interesting texture and use it instead...and then I just started playing fast and loose with the dozens of recipes I found; what I wound up with is a mishmash of most of them.

As a first step, I had Sparky and Zuko prep the spaghetti squash as you would for any recipe: I cut it in half (an adult should do this step, and carefully,) had them scrape out the seeds, and then we placed it face-down in a microwave-safe dish with a little water in it.  We microwaved it on 80% power for about 12 minutes, until the "spaghetti" separated easily with a fork.  If you just want to eat squash, you can stop here and go to it!

They scraped out the “spaghetti” strands out of the squash with forks and dumped them into a buttered loaf pan. (I will admit here that I tweaked the recipe after the first attempt: it was not as creamy as I wanted it, so I re-tested the recipe later in the week, adding panko, flour and sour cream.  Just in case Sparky or Zuko are extra-vigilant and call me out.)

Ingredients

1 small to medium size spaghetti squash

1 cup unsweetened applesauce (chunky homemade is best if you have it)

1/2 cup panko or matzo farfel

2 eggs

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp flour or 1 tbsp potato starch

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 to 1/3 cup crushed hazelnuts

Butter for pan

We preheated the oven to 350 degrees. 

The eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, maple syrup, flour and salt all went into the blender and were zizzed into a smooth, gloppy mess.  The applesauce and bread/cracker crumbs were folded in to the squash in the loaf pan, and the custard glopped over the top.   We then used the forks to poke the squash and applesauce to admit the custard, making sure there were no dry spots.  Sparky and Zuko sprinkled hazelnuts over the top, and we put the whole thing in the oven for 30 minutes, checked it, and baked it for 10 more minutes until the skewer we stuck in the middle came out clean.

We had a delicious lunch of kugel and beet chips, sweet with the flavors of squash, apples and vegetables of the earth, and called it a day.

Policy Point Wednesday - Grocers in the food desert

There are many, many strategies that have been applied to the Food Desert in Chicago, but none more controversial than the opening of Wal-Mart stores.  Recently, Appetite for Profit writer Michele Simon went head-to-head with the study I quoted in the above link, saying that a recent study by Loyola University showed that agglomeration did not, in fact, occur when Wal-Mart moved to Chicago.  In fact,  the study found that "the weight of evidence suggests that the Wal-Mart opening on the West Side led to the displacement of a range of businesses.  There is no evidence that Wal-Mart sparked any significant net growth in economic activity or employment in the area."

That being said, the study does not find a specific relationship between the closing of food stores and the opening of a Wal-Mart - so, setting aside for the moment the issue of economic development, does it mean that a Wal-Mart can still have a positive impact on the diet of its neighbors?  Not necessarily, says a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine and reported in the Los Angeles Times.  While access to fast food does measurably increase consumption of fast food, "Greater supermarket availability was generally unrelated to diet quality and fruit and vegetable intake, and relationships between grocery store availability and diet outcomes were mixed."

According to a published comment on the study by Jonathan E. Fielding, M.D., M.P.H., and Paul A. Simon, M.D., M.P.H., from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the University of California, Los Angeles "In many disadvantaged communities, the food environment is more swamp than desert, with a plethora of fast food; convenience stores selling calorie-dense packaged foods, super-sized sodas, and other sugar-loaded beverages; and other nonfood retail venues selling junk food as a side activity."  They suggest that public policy restricting access to junk foods may be more effective than increasing access to healthy foods.

The Food Desert Project: Mứt Tết - Vietnamese New Year Snacks (Soy-ginger peanuts and sunflower seeds)

When I was a little girl, our local church sponsored a group of Vietnamese refugees.  Many families, including our own, offered their guest rooms to people from these families, whose stories we never really knew.  I don't even know what became of the quiet young woman who stayed with us.

Since my parents offered room and board to foreign exchange students in exchange for some housework, this arrangement was hardly unusual for us.  What made it different was that the young woman's entire family was spread throughout families we knew.  One day, as was my parents' custom, we asked them to come together and teach us about Vietnamese culture with a meal.

I grew up in a small Midwestern city that likes to think it's more sophisticated than it is.  While it holds a large Asian population from all over the globe, we had only a few Chinese restaurants,  and we had little or no other examples of the varied and delicious cuisines from many immigrant groups who lived among us.  Our one chance to sample culture was the local "folk festival," an event I looked forward to every year - but there was so much to choose from, I never got a chance to immerse myself in another culture's cuisine.

That meal was an eye-opener for me.  I loved all of it (in particular, I have never forgotten the Vietnamese "egg rolls" chả giò; nothing like their Chinese takeout counterparts) I hardly thought about this for years - although I am glad to now reside in a place where phở is readily available and cultural immersion is steps from our door - until Sparky's book list included the excellent Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai; the story of a Vietnamese refugee in Alabama.  I read the story with great interest, wincingly grateful for the opportunity to see the other side of the story...and, remembering that special meal from my past, I realized I was HUNGRY.

Tết Nguyên Đán, mentioned often in this book, is the Vietnamese New Year, which falls this year on January 23.  Like many holidays, it involves preparing all kinds of delicious dishes, including an assortment of fruit and nut snacks called Mứt Tết, which typically includes fried crimson watermelon seeds, but can include other kinds of nuts and fruits in a beautiful display.  I found this recipe on White On Rice Couple (a blog I recommend you peruse) and realized it would not be too difficult to fit into the parameters of this project.

Ginger Garlic Peanuts or Sunflower Seeds

Ingredients:

1 lb Dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts OR 1 lb dry-roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1/2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tbsp neutral oil
1/2 an anchovy filet, or 1 tsp Worchesershire sauce (anchovy filet preferred)

salt & pepper to taste

Equipment: Mixing bowl, microwave-safe cup, small pot or frying pan, cookie sheet

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the garlic, ginger, sugar and soy sauce into a microwaveable container and microwave for 15 seconds until warm.  Set aside.  If using an anchovy fillet, fry it in the oil in your smallest skillet or saucepan until it dissolves (this is the closest Food Desert analog for fish sauce.)  Pour the peanuts or seeds into a bowl, and add both liquids, tossing well to make sure every peanut or seed is well coated.

Pour the coated peanuts or seeds onto a cookie sheet and spread them out into an even layer.  Bake for 15 minutes, until your home is incredibly fragrant, taking care not to burn the nuts or seeds.  Stir once, and return to the oven until the moisture has evaporated completely and your snack is beautifully glazed.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Snack!

Sundays with Sparky - Fried Elvis Oatmeal

What do Vegans and The King have in common?  Well, I know Elvis wasn't exactly known for healthy eating, but you have to admit the combination of pan-fried peanut butter and bananas is brilliant - replace the fried bread with whole grains, and you've got yourself a healthy breakfast!

We buy a lot of bananas, Sparky loves them - but his banana window is pretty small: he needs them ripe, but not beautifully spotty and soft like I like them, and we wind up with a backlog of frozen ripe bananas.  I use them to bake, but, let's face it - most baked banana recipes are really desserts.

I turned to google and searched for something healthier.  In the vegan community, I found lots of references to a "Banana Scramble"; sort of vaguely like egg-free scrambled eggs.  Sparky was already a fan of "Elvis" oatmeal using these ingredients - I realized pan-frying would bring the dish into a whole new dimension.

So, now we have a quick breakfast staple that seems really decadent, but is still pretty healthy, considering it has only 4-5 ingredients, including the garnish.  Plus, it's simple enough that Sparky can make it on his own.  I've discovered that we like a more oat-y version than the recipes I found online, so the cakes hold together better (truthfully, I rarely measure - I just toss the ingredients together, mix, and cook.)

Ingredients (1 serving)
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup plain oatmeal
2 tbsp milk (for a vegan version, substitute a nut or soy milk)
1 heaping tbsp peanut butter
A tiny amount of butter for the pan (if you have a non-stick pan, you just need a whisper)
1/8 tsp vanilla sugar for garnish, if desired

This is pretty simple: the hardest part is removing the frozen banana from its peel (if you are hasty, like me, and freeze them whole, just run it under warm water, peel, rinse again to get any stringy bits off.)  Mash the banana in a small bowl, and add the oats, milk and peanut butter.  Mix thoroughly until the peanut butter is well distributed.

Drop onto a hot buttered skillet in small dollops, slightly less than 1/4 cup each.  Cook until the edges start to brown, and then flip carefully (they don't hold together very well until they're ready for the plate, so keep them small, and if you break one, just turn it into two cakes.)  Cook until the cakes are crisp on the outside and are still creamy but give slight resistance when poked in the middle (you want the escaping steam to thoroughly cook the oats.)

Place on a plate and sprinkle with the vanilla sugar.

Thank you.  Thankuhvehrymudjch!

Policy Point Wednesday: Video guest post by Dr. Mike Evans - 23 1/2 hours

Follow Dr. Mike on Twitter @docmikeevans
Facebook/docmikeevans

Conceived, written, and presented by Dr. Mike Evans
Illustrated by Lisa Sorsa
Produced, directed, and filmed by Nick De Pencier
Picture and sound edit by David Schmidt
Gaffer, Martin Wojtunik
Whiteboard construction by James Vanderkleyn
Production assistant, Chris Niesing
©2011 Michael Evans and Mercury Films Inc.

The Food Desert Project - Mediterranean Tuna Panini

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention...but commerce is all about taking mother's simple tricks and turning them into a bunch of junk we don't really need.  So it is with the panini press - which started out as a simple brick and became a $49.95 invention.  If you want to make a delightfully crispy sandwich, you don't even need a brick - two pans will do the job just as well.

So, for this recipe, you will need two pans - I am employing my two favorite cast-iron skillets, Bossy and Dahlia.  - So I name my cooking tools - don't you? ;-)

Ingredients
1/2 can artichokes, rinsed and drained
1 small jar pimiento peppers, rinsed and drained
1 can tuna, drained (I've found I prefer salt-free albacore tuna, but use what you have)
1 heaping teaspoon of capers, with some brine
2 tablespoons jarred pesto sauce
EVOO
4 slices of hearty bread, homemade if possible
3 slices cheese of your choice

Making the filling is simple: either using a food processor or by hand, chop the artichokes and pimientos and drain them again.  Combine them with the tuna, capers, and pesto, taking care not to break up the tuna too much.

Heat two skillets (or a skillet and a wide pot) on your stovetop.  Lightly oil each skillet and place two slices of bread in each one.

Drizzle the tops with olive oil.  When the bread is fragrant and feels warm, flip the two slices in the larger skillet so the crusty side is facing up.

Pile the filling on top of each of the slices and top with the cheese.  Take the two slices out of the second skillet and place them, crusty side down (this will help heat the sandwich) on top of the cheese.

Making sure that the top of your sandwich is well oiled, take your small skillet and squash it down on top of the two sandwiches,


allowing the weight of the skillet to squash everything together in a motley layer of deliciousness.

Cook until the cheese melts and the sandwich is fragrant.  Enjoy!

Sundays with Sparky - Candied "Puppet Noses"

Once upon a time, back in the days when the millennium was only an imagined nightmare for the computer-savvy, my only aspiration was to work for Sesame Street.  I used to think to myself, "If I could help them make a difference for just one kid..."  For some years, I tried to make a go at this career, but the closest I got was to be able to work with some exceptional people with far more talent and focus than I.

So where did I wind up?  Well, with   Just.   One.   Kid.  

Very funny, universe - but I got it:  the difference I make is behind the scenes, with my own family, in my own community.

Of course, having said kid meant I kept in touch with the work of said talented people, as their dedication and skill paid off.  Every time I see a familiar name float by on big screen or small, I think about how their work spreads glee and tolerance, silliness and understanding to all kinds of people all around the globe.  Sooo...this recipe is an homage to those friends and that past life.  It's inspired, in part, by this song on Sesame Street (I wish I could embed this video - but, understandably, Sesame Street doesn't allow that.) Do click the link and play the video, because otherwise the connection may not be as obvious to you as it is to me.

Sparky's buddy Meep joined us for this particular olfactory adventure. (Hi, Meep!)

Ingredients:
Kumquats
Berries: blueberries, blackberries, cranberries
Pomegranate pips
Clementine sections
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1-3 cups additional sugar

Equipment:
1 heavy saucepan,
1 spider or slotted spoon
1 rimmed cookie sheet, covered with a thick layer of about half of the additional sugar

We began by making a simple syrup - one cup of water and one cup of sugar in a saucepan.  I managed the heating, because hot sugar is extremely dangerous stuff...so the kids dumped their ingredient and I took it to the stove and brought it to a boil.  While I waited for the sugar to melt, I had the kids peel and section the clementines and the pomegranates.

After the sugar had dissolved, I turned off the heat and added our hard fruits first: the cranberries and kumquats.  I allowed these to sit in the syrup until a few of the cranberries started to split, and then fished them onto the cookie sheet with the spider, allowing them to drain well.


The boys then played tug-of-war with the cookie sheet, thoroughly rolling the berries in the sugar until they were well-dusted and sparkling.




Without reheating the syrup, we added the softer berries and fruits to the syrup and allowed them to sit in it for a minute or two. We cleaned the cookie sheet and repeated the process with fresh sugar, using some to pour over the top as these fruits had more juice to absorb.

Ideally, after being rolled in the sugar, the fruits should be laid in a dry layer of sugar or dried on a rack for a bit, but we were impatient to taste the...um, fruits of our labor.  They are delicious, crunchy, sour, sweet all at once.

Sparky and Meep decided to pose for Muppet-Nose Mug Shots:

Mr. Big Round Nose, a nose to smell a rose:

Mr. Turned-Up Nose, just give me one of those: