Nepali Cuisine Spice And Mountains

Many only know Nepal for Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain top, yet it's also a fascinating, ancient country/It lies between China and India, and there's no doubt of their influence on the cuisine. It is tradition mixed with the exotic, two cultures fused as one in an interesting blend of spices.

Nepal sits on the top of India so it's no surprise to see certain Indian dishes in the cuisine..Dal, a staple of New Dehli and Bombay is made here as well.It's a spicy but easily replicable soup of lentils and spices.It's served with bhat or cooked grains along with rice. Sometimes vegetable curry is also served with it for a more  satisfying meal. A more Nepalese dish is dhindo.This is a kind of polenta being cooking with clarified butter or ghee and water. Buckwheat can also be added to the mix for more nutrition, Aachar or a tomato pickle is often served . This is a  kind of ketchup , but with zesty zing of cumin and mustard. Timur, or Szechuan pepper is also added to give the sauce more kick. There is  the chutney, made super hot by adding chili peppers and ginger to a sweet mango and tamarind mix. Most of the people are vegetarian , due to Hinduism and Buddhaism so most meals have yogurt as the main dish.Those of Pahari background enjoy yak meat.

The Chinese influence is felt very strongly here. There are momo, Tibetan style dumplings with Nepali spices. They were originally filled with buffalo meat but now have chicken and vegetarian fillings.Fermented soy and bamboo shots are also used.The janajati or indigenous people are big on buffalo and pork while another group, the Magars eat nothing but pork. Along with different ethnic groups different locations have different dishes Thakali cuisine, located between the Himalayas and the lowlands are big on sheep. Their meat is air dried and then eaten. The Thakali also make a kind of blood sausage rhat is also dried. These are added to curries  or sautéed in ghee and sometimes dipped into timur-ko-chop, Szechuan pepper, salt and local herbs.Newars, the urbanized people of Katmandu have huge feasts  that feature fried tofu or even cottage cheese. Their festival foods would not be out of place in a restaurant featuring nose to tail cuisine either. They are big on fried liver and tongue as well as stuffed lungs. Tea and beer usually round out any Nepali lunch or dinner.

Nepal is known for beautiful and exotic scenery.It is also know for interesting foods that reflects the cultures around it. It is full of variety and spice as it has been for centruies.

Pasolivo Olive Oil Light And Fruity For Spring

As the temps warm up it's time to think of lighter fare such as barbecues and salads. with that comes Pasolivo Olive Oil, an incredibly light oil that comes in  different flavors.This is unusual in itself and this difference makes for all sorts of great and innovative dishes,

Pasolivo Ranch has been producing this fine oil for the last ten years in the lush valleys north of San Luis Obispo , California. It's an area known for its'  olive oil, almonds and wine.The company, owned by the Dirk family not only produces the artisanal oil but also a unique variety of vinegars, blended spices along with everything  olive and olive  oil.(their tapas are on my next must buy list) There are different kinds  of flavored olive oils that will work well with this season's  barbecues and salads. Flavors include basil,  and lime along with lemon, citrus and extra virgin. There is also the one of a kind rosemary, this last is always made at home by oil enthusiasts.Try theirs instead to save yourself some work.Another plus is the cool retro like containers, small metal containers with easy to use  pop up lids.

I love Paolivo's oils. Usually there is some snobbery when dealing with California and/or American pressed olive oils however that disappears with one taste. The extra virgin is so incredibly light.There is no after taste and it would be perfect in any tomato sauce recipe and salad. Definitely use in it making a heavenly aglia olio one.. I like the fruity and refreshing flavor of the lime infused one too.It's good mixed with sea salt and drizzled on grape tomatoes but also use it in guacamole. Olive oil gives the avocado dish a smoothness and body , the lime version would do this along with accentuating the taste. Any of the Pasolivo olive oils would be great as a marinade for barbecue. Use the hearty basil for  roast beef  and while chicken and fish  can get a fruit bath in any of the citrus infused ones. There is a recipe for cake and ice cream on the website that calls for the original. I would sub in the citrus flavored ones for a creamy and smooth texture and flavor.

Pasolivo Olive Oils are perfect for the season coming up. Use them  drizzled on fresh veggies or marinating barbecue meats. Even try them as an interesting ingredient in ice creams and cakes. They are wonderful and unique.

Childhood Friends

Every once in a while we go off the sensible adult diet and head back to childhood faves.There's that one food that turns us into Marcel Proust and his madeleines. Is it bad? Not if it's a brief foray into throwback eating. It's just a nice way to remember our culinary pasts.

One of the biggest American kid foods was and still is Spaghettios.Who doesn't love it as it celebrates its' fiftieth year. It's a mix of big and small pasta hoops that at times fit perfectly in each other like Russian nesting dolls. As an adult ,it's a tasty nostalgic return. It's also a quick hot meal on a Friday  night.It is low in calories however has a whopping 630 grams of sodium. Unfortunately there are no boxes of uncooked pasta hoops where you can make your own. You can make your own Spaghettos from scratch but it is labor intensive. Better stick with the real deal and have  it two or three times a year. Another food of our kittenhoods (and here's an interesting fact , a cat's favorite food is the one it first ate during his or her kitten phase) is Chef Boyardee. Everyone has  eaten a can of this famed pasta on a Friday night or Saturday lunch .One of the most favorite and often bought are the ravioli. we all loved the tiny bity size, often mushy squares , brimming in chopped beef and simmered in a saucy tomato sauce.There was also the spaghetti too, always a treat for lunch or quick Sunday supper.There was an actual Chef Boiardi, Hector who came to New York in 1914 and first worked at the  famed Plaza Hotel. Give him a lot of credit. He introduced Italian food to all of America during the 1920s , allowing families to have not only variety, but also nutrition in their lives.

No matter where you are in the world, fish  fingers or fishsticks were probably a big part of  your childhood diet. It was a Friday favorite and an introduction to the British classic fish and chips.The company still makes fish sticks however they have been given a healthy twist, Gone is that oil soaked crust and in its' stead  a baked low calorie meal. The side of chips has been gotten rid of as well. If you 're craving something similar ,Jake's Wayback Burgers has a  dish with three pieces of fluffily battered cod deep fried to an oily crisp . A generous side of fries is also offered. Of course every Yank grew up with  SwandonTV dinners. These were a wild mix of differently made  meats, sides and dessert. The originals were tasty, cooking up in metal trays which produces crispy stuffing and brownies.The turkey was always the best because it has an ample amount of gravy and turkey slices.Swanson also had corn  niblets , improved by a massive glob of butter on top. Then there was Rice-A-Roni, that quick mix of pasta bits and rice, flavored with all sorts of spices  - and  - well additives.It was a real treat as it accompanied roast chicken or a slice of steak. Even better was when the steak juices mixed with it ,

We're all like Marcel Proust, One whiff or bite of a childhood fave brings us back to a happier time. It's always nice to go back, if only for a quick meal.

Listeria Explained

Everyone is getting antsy these days about the Listeria outbreaks that are cropping up throughout the US. The questions are what is it exactly and where can it grow. A few simple answers is all it takes to understand this bacteria. It is dangerous but it can be completely avoided with the right food choices.

The bacteria has actually been around for decades. It was the 1920s when two researchers independently identified Listeria monocytogenes from animal outbreaks. It is responsible for the relatively rare listeriosis. The disease primarily affects pregnant women,fetuses, newborns, those with weakened immune systems and the elderly. One form of it is meningitis. Healthy people rarely become sick from it however it can happen.Listeria can be found in soil, water and some animals such as cattle and poultry.It can also live in food processing plants and contaminate a variety of processed meats or foods.. Unlike many germs, it can grow in cold temperatures such as the inside of a freezer or refrigerator.It is usually killed by cooking and pasteurization.The symptoms are flu like and  could easily be confused  with a virus. Sufferers go through diarrhea along with fever, stiff neck, vomiting and weakness.There is also confusion in some cases. Most people are immune to the bacteria, but there are no tests yet to determine this,

What foods can it contaminate?It's ready to eat deli meats along with hot dogs however it could also affect veggie based products as we saw a few weeks ago with Amy's . The company's pizzas , lasagna and enchiladas were hit thanks to bad spinach.The reason for this is the manure used from infected cows or again from  the soil that the plants grow in..Fruits can also be contaminated as seen in an outbreak in California canteloupes. Several hundreds were thrown out of Colorado supermarkets thanks to the fruit being sprayed with contaminated water.  Dairy products can also be victimized too, Blue Bell Ice Cream had to be taken off  supermarket shelves throughout the southern US.The company, one of the largest ice creameries in the country had a total recall of all their products from their gallon containers to their ice cream pops.This is rare however because it is found in unpasteurized milk or foods made with unpasteurized milk.There is also the chance that it could be found in beef cuts as well as in raw chicken.Luckily any method of cooking can kill it. Some fish can also have it however the smoked kind is safe.

As with all foods, it's better to be safe than sorry. Wash fruits and veggies thoroughly .Cook meats thoroughly and be on the look out for food alerts.It's the best way of dealing with Listeria before it deals with you.

Fish Fears: Getting Over Them

One of the biggest fears and trepidations home cooks have is cooking fish, from buying it to storing it Then comes the hard choice of how to pan cook it .However there is one way of conquering this phobia. Treat it like any other meat. Handle it the way you would beef, chicken or pork.

This is Julia Moskin's advice in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Her Recipe Lab article give great advice and a simple to follow recipe on pan seared fish, Despite her vast and experienced background, Ms. Moskin has admitted she has qualms about cooking fish,  Most restaurants , especially in New York City, tend to cook any fillet in broth, juice or nage - a white wine herb infused broth (returning fish to water, Ms. Moskin muses).Other chefs prefer oil poaching, a costly way of cooking involving a slow simmer in tons of oil. A less expensive way is en papillote, folding up individual fillets in parchment paper with butter and herbs. It steams the fish and produces a thin broth. The problem is cooking this way is not exciting or that tasty. Searing in oil to try to produce the Maillard reaction is also dismal.The result is overcooked and flavorless fish.

Ms. Moskin sought advice from Chef Mark Usewicz of The Mermaid's Garden in Brooklyn. HIs secret to the perfect home cooked fillet? Butter.However the first step is getting a good , heavy skillet and constant attention. Not bad because the whole process only takes five minutes, The initial seas should be done in either grapeseed, canola or extra extra virgin olive oil because these will not burn at a very high heat.Only a few teaspoons will do the trick. Then add a nut of butter, flip the fillet and baste furiously. You can toss in a few fresh herbs like thyme or tarragon. What is the best fish for this? Try black bass, haddock, fluke for something different. For tradition stick with salmon, striped bass, tilefish or snapper. As far as it stinking up your fridge? Don't worry. If it's been properly prepped from the dock to the supermarket freezer, then there should be no odor or rot. It should last a few days  as would any piece of protein.

A good piece of fish is truly a treat. Cook it simply to bring out its' sweet briny flavor.It will be the best thing ever to  come out of a home kitchen

A Legacy Of Ladies And Lunch

Women's clubs seem to be a thing of the past, a quaint souvenir of when women got together to discuss how to better themselves and their lives. One such club remains, and has survived for 124 years. It was tarted during the Gilded Age in the 1890's and survives today in the 20 teens,It is the Thursday Afternoon Cooking Club and is going strong in Wichita, Kansas, a city known for its' strength and can do attitude.

It was the main article in today's New York Times' Food section. Kim Severson wrote the piece and even went to Wichita to interview the current members. Some are the great granddaughters of the founders. and still carry on the tradition of Thursday lunches and sharing recipes.The club itself started off as a kind of empowerment club for women in a Kansas that was just defining itself.Besides cooking it also taught manners to young women who were transitioning from farm girls to  wives of newly rich oilmen and ranchers. The Thursday Lunch Club  also concerned itself with what contemporaries of the time thought would be the lost art of cooking as well as the domestic sciences. Groups like this were springing up all over, It was the start of the Junior League and The DAR< Daughters of the American revolution along with several other clubs dealing with improvement and intellectual pursuit.Today's current batch of members are usually retirees  , mostly in their late sixties. Some however are only in their early fifties while other members are close to ninety ad these have been awarded honorary status.The Thursday Lunch Club now is more than just a club. The memebers weather all sorts of events , from marriages to death together and act as a family It's is very rare that they break off into clcliques or have battles. (although there was the Great Napkin Wars of the Nineties when one member introduced fancy napkin folding to the traditional three fold group)


Their recipes reflects the trends of the last 124 years.The members took a trip to New York City in 1900 to learn how to cook the latest rage- the omelet. World War Two saw recipes subbing in honey for sugar due to sugar rationing, along with tea being used for coffee. New products like baking powder were hotly debated as members wondered if their recipes for buckwheat cakes would be compromised. Food trends also influenced dishes. The Sixties saw some wild combos such as crab puffs and pineapple mint surprise - a kind of lemon bar- mousse hybrid; Hot curried fruit and deep sea casseroles defined the 1970s while the Nineties reflected the health craze with turkey tenderloins glazed with raspberry. A much more recent addition is alcohol, enhancing the luncheons. Everything is recorded in the minutes, form how the napkins are folded to what was said. Recipes are first practiced on spouses to see if they'll be good (the recipes - not the hubbies). One included one is Date Cake Delicious, from their 1922 cookbook. (and ,yes, they do put out cookbooks).It reflects the era, when women made scratch cakes with many ingredients. There are dates with cinnamon and clove along with nuts to make a rich , chewy loaf cake that would not seem out of place at an afternoon tea or a ladies lunch.

Many organizations have come and gone in 124 years. The Thursday Lunch Club has survived, giving advice and good food to Wichita ladies for literally three centuries.It is as stalwart and steady as the ladies who have joined it, then and now.

Vitamin Enriched

One of the biggest worries foodies have is are they getting enough vitamins. We love our different and varied foods but are they good for us? Are we eating enough to fulfill our daily vitamin requirement? The best advice is still be interested in new foods and culinary trends but be prudent about nutrient deficient foods.

Vitamins are divided into two kinds, water soluble and fat soluble. Water soluble are absorbed quickly into the body's water . They are the eight B vitamins and C. The B vitamins are a varied group including niacin , and the all important folate.Most of the B vitamins are found in liver and kidneys however there's also found in other kinds of food such as whole grain breads and pastas. These are healthier for you than organ meat and versatile.Try a yummy while grain spaghetti with the Vitamin C rich tomato sauce. One of the most important B vitamins is folate.The name comes from the Latin for leaf and it is prevalent in dark, leafy greens. This is spinach,  collards and broccoli . The first can be made so many different ways, from salads to crepe fillings. Collards, also high in Vitamin C, are great sautéed in a mix of olive oil, red peppers and garlic. The same with broccoli It is versatile and can go from omelets to salads. B Vitamin meats range from beef to lobster, both considered luxury foods As for the Vitamin C, this is primarily the citrus fruits but also many vegetables have it too.Kiwi fruit is high in C and it can be made into lush desserts from gelati to tarts.

Fat soluble vitamins require fat to be released into the body. These are Vitamins A,D, E and K. Vitamin A is found in the carotenoids, the veggies and fruits responsible for eye health along with immunity and stem cell growth. There are carrots as part of this group and they can be juiced to create a flavorful salad dressing. Sweet potatoes are also part of this group and they are so versatile. Try them as  trendy  baked fries or whipped with butter and brown sugar , a different take on the usual mash. Dairy products  such as whole milk and butter are also Vitamin A rich and you can use these- sparingly in dishes for prep and flavor.Even though Vitamin D is basically gotten through early morning sunshine but it can also be had through dairy products. To get an extra dose, have Greek  yogurt blended with fresh fruit and honey. One of the most used and talked about is Vitamin E. It aids in skin  and lung health and can be found in the highly tasty  sunflower seeds and almonds, Both can be used to add texture and taste to all sorts of salads. Vitamin K, needed for blood clotting is found in, not surprisingly olive oil and also soy products. There are so many varieties of soy based "fake" meats, you can have an entire week of faux burgers and steaks, and all the while be loading up on K.


You can still eat fun foods  but check to see if they are vitamin rich . This way you have not only great taste but great value. Meals can be varied and lux but also good for you,