In cooking class the other night (Eating Healthy on a Budget) we were talking about heirloom vegetables that MA'O Organic Farms is growing in a test bed. They didn't know if the organic seeds would produce out in Waianae. As it turned out, the caterpillars really liked them, so they ended up with fewer heads than they expected. I got to see this type in the photo which I just enjoyed for breakfast, as well as a purple one, and a yellow one. So beautiful!!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Albert Einstein
I've been talking to someone I know about the differences between scientific veganism and macrobiotics. Macrobiotics is often criticized for being non-scientific, objective, unmeasurable, etc.
Here's a quick quote I found today that I think helps describe the ineffable aspects of macrobiotics:
"It would be possible to describe everything scientifically, but it would make no sense, as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure." Albert Einstein
Sustainability quote for the day
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" Cicero
Funny quote for the day
"Currently, more money is being spent on breast implants and Viagra than on Alzheimer's research. So in the very near future there should be a large elderly population with impressive breasts and magnificent erections, but no recollection of what to do with them. " Sally Feldman
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Spring into Green
Since I do monthly cooking demos at Whole Foods, they invited me to join them for their first Spring into Green Festival to showcase their community partners who share a similar approach to living. I enjoyed sharing information about macrobiotics not only with the community passing by into the store, but also with the other fantastic vendors represented there.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Cooking Class: Eating Healthy on a Budget
March 19th, 2009
“Eating Healthy on a Budget”
Probably the most common perceived obstacle for changing one’s dietary habits is “It’s too expensive.” In this class, you will learn how to create quick and easy dishes that are extremely affordable, and of course, tasty too. You’ll also learn about the hidden costs of purchasing and eating food common in the Standard American Diet.Always included in cooking classes is detailed information about the ingredients including: - why they are good for us
- how to view their benefits in terms of Oriental Medicine
- where to purchase them
You take home the recipes and handouts, and taste the food.
Find out how whole foods prevent and reverse today’s lifestyle related illnesses.
How much is a lifetime of good health worth to you?
Leslie will teach recipes geared toward the spring season:
Sweet Vegetable and Garbanzo Bean Soup
Marinated Barley Pilaf
Greens with Mustard Shoyu Dressing
Light and Luscious Lemon Pudding
6:00 to 8:30 pm, Pan American MOA Foundation, 3510 Nuuanu Pali Drive, $38
Space still available!
Barley Koji
This barley koji was the starter for our miso making adventure! Deco Nakajima was kind enough to bring the miso making kits to Honolulu during her visit. The next photos show some of the process.
Blending Soybeans for Miso
The pressure cooked soybeans went into the food processor along with some of the cooking water to make it into a hummus-like consistency
Molding miso into balls
Toyoko, Ruth, myself, are making the miso into balls. We throw it as hard as we can into the ceramic jar to get the air out. Deco Nakajima is instructing us.
Thank you- Domo arigatou to the miso
The finishing touches go on the miso before it gets stored away.
Spring Cooking Style
Spring
The first leaves and buds of spring usually take several weeks to peek through the snow, unfold, and open (or if you live in Hawaii, the rain and chillier weather makes way for warm dry days again). In the same way, we can slowly modify our cooking as spring and warmer weather approaches. In addition to adding fresh greens to our meals, we can use more light cooking methods, such as short-time boiling, steaming, and quick sautéing. We may reduce the amount of salt and other seasonings slightly and fuse foods and pickles fermented for a shorter amount of time. During the long cold winter, the energy in our bodies often freezes, but as spring approaches, it begins to thaw and move upward and out. To help this process proceed smoothly, we begin using spring foods with upward energy such as wild grasses, sprouts and varieties of grain that have matured over the winter. Lightly fermented foods are also very helpful for releasing stagnated winter energy. Wild plants that grow in the neighborhood can be foraged. They give very strong energy and should be used only occasionally and in very small amounts. Wheat and barley have lighter energy than other grains and may be served relatively more frequently during this season. Condiments made with oil, miso, and scallions or chives are also especially enjoyable at this time of the year. As the weather turns warm, it is better to balance our meals with more lightly boiled vegetables and pressed or boiled salads rather than increase our consumption of fruit.
From Aveline Kushi's Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking
The first leaves and buds of spring usually take several weeks to peek through the snow, unfold, and open (or if you live in Hawaii, the rain and chillier weather makes way for warm dry days again). In the same way, we can slowly modify our cooking as spring and warmer weather approaches. In addition to adding fresh greens to our meals, we can use more light cooking methods, such as short-time boiling, steaming, and quick sautéing. We may reduce the amount of salt and other seasonings slightly and fuse foods and pickles fermented for a shorter amount of time. During the long cold winter, the energy in our bodies often freezes, but as spring approaches, it begins to thaw and move upward and out. To help this process proceed smoothly, we begin using spring foods with upward energy such as wild grasses, sprouts and varieties of grain that have matured over the winter. Lightly fermented foods are also very helpful for releasing stagnated winter energy. Wild plants that grow in the neighborhood can be foraged. They give very strong energy and should be used only occasionally and in very small amounts. Wheat and barley have lighter energy than other grains and may be served relatively more frequently during this season. Condiments made with oil, miso, and scallions or chives are also especially enjoyable at this time of the year. As the weather turns warm, it is better to balance our meals with more lightly boiled vegetables and pressed or boiled salads rather than increase our consumption of fruit.
From Aveline Kushi's Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking
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