Friday Night Dinner Blog

Photo by Fran Monks

The Menu:
Final preparations for welcoming a new life into this world including rest, relaxation, lavender and other essential oils, long walks, breathing exercises, pregnancy yoga, partner yoga, great food, lovely conversations, special moments with loved ones.

The Story:
As of this week, The Friday Night Dinner Blog is officially on maternity leave.  

However, please do keep checking in with our weekly newsletter -- On Life As A Picky Foodie -- and be sure to tune in for more awesome, delicious, gluten-, dairy- and refined-sugar-free recipes (and possibly a redesign) later this year. 

Thank you all for your support, comments, emails and input in these past few months.  
Please do keep 'em coming!

With love and gratitude, 

Gabriela a.k.a. The Picky Foodie

Watching two people fall in love can be like watching paint dry: you know it’s going to be beautiful when it’s done, but it bloody well takes its time.

Then they do, and you’re slightly envious (in a good way) of the excitement that comes with new love. 

The proposal follows and the excitement of watching two people you love who love one another plan their dream wedding is just so delicious.

So that’s where we were this past Friday: watching DW’s two good friends get hitched. 

When I first started down this road of food allergies, weddings were my nightmare: all that food, all those potential pitfalls, all that hassle.  After a good few years of having to navigate others’ nuptial meals, however, I can truly say that I no longer worry. 

Here are a few tricks I deploy so I can enjoy weddings as much as everyone else: 

1. Get in touch in advance: we all know that the bride and groom have a lot on their plate (no pun intended), but they also want to make sure that their guests are well provided for.  In my experience, the sooner you let the couple know that you need special attention, the less stressful it will be for them.
2. In addition to sending a list of what you can’t eat, be sure to include what you can and do eat.  When confronted with a long list of no-nos, many people feel overwhelmed, nervous and afraid to do the wrong thing.  However, when that same list is accompanied by ideas and suggestions about what is acceptable, people are more able to relax.
3. Keep it simple.  I know it’s a wedding and you want to indulge and celebrate like everyone else, but instead, why not plan a special meal for the next night in a great restaurant that you know and trust?  You want to be fed, but there’s no need to put even more pressure on the happy couple! 
4. Bring a stash of treats and backup snacks.  Just in case the dairy-free chicken meal comes doused in butter, or the “vegan” option turns out to be lamb, be sure to bring something to tide you over.  I usually make sure my emergency pack can also double as a sprucer-upper – so if the rice is plain and uninspiring, I simply sprinkle some of my spiced seeds on top and voila, the whole meal is transformed.

As I watched the beautiful couple cut their gorgeous cake, lovingly made by the bride’s super-talented sister, I quietly took a bite of my Picky Foodie friendly chocolate banana bread and smiled: it wasn’t wedding cake, but that didn't make it any less of a celebration.

Congrats guys!!!

The Menu:

Baked salmon with roasted leeks

Large green salad with arame arame grapefruit

And for dessert: Superfood ice cream* with raw chocolate galette

The Story:

There are hugs and Hugs, handshakes and Handshakes, greetings and Greetings.  And there are Superfoods and super foods.  It’s all in the marketing, really.  Because gogi berries seem to have hired good PR, they are touted in a much more overt way than the lowly kale though in effect both could be considered superfoods.

Spring is here, and just like nature rejuvenates itself, so we find ourselves with an extra bounce in our step and a desire to dance, skip, breathe fresh air.  For me personally, the Spring has been decorated by the approaching arrival, but in the mean time, I am enjoying wonderful visits from loved ones.

And what better excuse to eat outside for the first time this year?  Granted, we were all layered up, and after a valiant effort, we did head back indoors for a cup of hot tea.  But still… 

In the spirit of celebration, I focused on foods that would help us feel light, ebullient, celebratory.  As if we needed more help with that.  We squinted at the bowls in the darkness and held up our candle to make sure we were in fact eating what we thought we were.

In Israel, they are going through a heat wave.  In the UK, we’re just happy to be able to open the windows and doors, to walk through the Heath without our waterproofs, to be able to spend even part of a meal in our little garden enjoying the fresh air as we look up at the cloudy sky and imagine what the stars look like. 

I remember trying raw cacao for the first time.  Sitting around the table at my yoga teacher’s house in Venice, CA, I gaped as she heaped a large spoonful of raw almond butter mixed with raw cacao powder and all sorts of other goodies into her mouth.  I had assumed that chocolate would forever be out of bounds for me and was delighted when she let me in on her little secret: many “unhealthy” foods have actually become so as a result of over-processing.  But the raw beans of the cacao plant were actually considered a food of the Gods in many cultures. 

Slowly, I learned more about Superfoods and found the ones that I love, and how to best work with them.  Let me say right here and now, for the record: there is nothing more heart breaking than having to chuck a Superfood experiment.  Not only do I dislike throwing away food, Superfoods make that kind of mishap very expensive.  On the other hand, however, when Superfoods work, they offer delicious nutrition that enhances every part of your wellbeing.

As for the difference between Superfoods and super foods – it may be major or minor, but like being able to take advantage of a lovely Spring evening – be it for a few minutes or a couple of hours, I’m happy with every little bit.  So whether it’s raw cacao or broccoli, a meal with DW, or a visit from my wonderful Tia, I’m feeling the goodness so abundantly in all of it right now.   

The Recipe:

OK so maybe it don’t look so nice, but baby baby this is Superfood at its best.  Raw, straightforward, easy, and yummy as hell.

This is superfood with ‘tude.

Superfood ice cream*

(makes 1 gallon)

2 cups cashews (soaked for at least 3 hours)
1 T vanilla powder
¼ cup yacon syrup
¼ cup lucuma
½ t camu camu
2 T coconut water
1 T fresh lemon juice
pinch sea salt
1 cup gogi berries (soaked for at least 30 minutes – retain the soak water)
1 cup chopped dried figs (soaked for at least 30 minutes)

In the food processor, process the cashews, vanilla, yacon, lucuma, camu camu, coconut water, gogi water (up to ½ cup) until smooth.

Add the lemon juice and salt and process briefly.

To keep this ice cream chunky, add the gogis and the figs and pulse a few times to mix it all together.

The result is creamy, chewy, caramelly, and intense. 

Nutrition:

Superfoods.  When we’re talking about asparagus versus maca, what makes one a Superfood and the other just a super food?  I think the distinction is twofold: first of all, there is a marketing and economic factor; secondly, how much bang do you get for your buck?

The Superfoods that the health community likes to mention, like cacao and phytoplankton, are expensive, exotic, sometimes challenging to find and incorporate into one’s regular diet but also filled with a multitude of benefits.  In addition, these foods should not be used like you would anything else – it’s important to know how to use them and that a little goes a LONG way.  It’s easy to go overboard with these guys, but once in a while, when I’m craving something sweet, adding superfoods somehow change the nature of dessert as I’ve known it. 

However, cake is still cake, sugar is still sugar!

And keep in mind that all Superfoods do not work the same on every body. 

For example, maca, touted as an adaptogen, mood enhancer and hormone balancer (who wouldn’t want that???) has the opposite effect on me: I get depressed, puffy and really uncomfortable with even 1/8 of a teaspoon.

On the other hand, rarely does a day go by without some sort of raw chocolate something.  I love the taste of it, the way it makes me feel, and I know it’s enhancing everything about the here and now. 

Super foods, on the other hand are easy to stuff into every nook and cranny available.  Foods like berries, broccoli, apples and olive oil. 

So before you go spending thousands on strange powders and interesting concoctions that make all sorts of well-financed health claims, why not look in your local farmer’s market or the produce isle of your supermarket?

P.S. Having said all that, I do think we could all benefit from a little more information about both super foods as well as Superfoods.  If you’re interested in finding out more, check out my friend Meghan’s Healing With Superfoods e-book or sign up for her 5-day Superfood challenge that starts this Sunday -- April 18^th!

The Menu:

*Asian-inspired meal-in-a-bowl noodle soup

And for dessert: fresh pineapple

The Story:

DW and I started out our three days of doing nothing with a nourishing, comforting Friday Night Dinner.  I never believed all those myths about pregnancy: the nesting instinct, the forgetful brain, the blissed-out serenity that can make even the most ardent control freak shrug complacently, the torrents of hormonal tears that have you laughing through them at the same time. 

But they are all true in my case, and we have resigned ourselves to going along for the ride. 

Although in my opinion, there’s really nothing a good meal-in-a-bowl can’t cure, help, bolster, comfort or put in perspective.

Walking In China town the other day, I thought of how much I used to love Asian food.  I loved the flavours, the textures, the sticky wrappings and sweet-sour fillings.  As a child, one of my favorite nights out was dinner at Sin-Kee, a popular place in the centre of Antwerp where you were bound to see lots of people you knew.  I never really cared about the who’s who, but the spare ribs and shrimp-fried rice – now that was a sight to behold. 

Cut to post-college, freelancing, New York living, and I gradually moved from simple Chinese to more elaborate sushi, Pad Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Tibetan and, of course, the darling child of the nineties: fusion.  After five years of hummus and falafel, I regaled in the exploration of every kind of cuisine I could find.  What a joy, having more experienced New Yorkers, friends and colleagues, introduce me to their favourite spots – from “authentic” holes in the walls to elegant places with crisp white table cloths with tabs put on expense accounts. Each held its own fascination for me and I did not encounter a meal where I couldn’t find at least one thing or another to love.

But those days are long gone.  If it’s not the gluten, milk powder and vast amounts of sugar in most Asian sauces that will do me in, it’s the MSG and other additives that leave me reeling with migraines and digestive problems for days.

The solution, as always, has been to experiment with making my own. 

Which is what we did.

The result, though definitely as far from ethnic as London is from Bangkok, contained enough of the flavours of the Far East that I was satisfied. 

And the leftovers were even better the next day. 

The Recipe:

*Asian-inspired meal-in-a-bowl noodle soup

 (serves 3 as a main meal, 2 with ample leftover for the next day)

This is an extremely flexible meal; the trick is to do it in stages so each ingredient gets cooked without being overdone, and the flavors meld without allowing any specific one to take over.  In a nutshell, it’s a basic Western vegetable soup with an Asian twist.  Omit the egg to keep it vegan, or add chicken, bok choy or broccolini; use soba noodles instead of rice, or add more spice.  Just keep in mind that if you do alter it, the seasonings will need to be adjusted accordingly.

I've written the recipe itself a little differently than I normally do, but have bolded the individual ingredients.

Bring to a boil:

6 cups water
½ bunch celery, chopped into bite-sized pieces
½ bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped   
2 carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3/4 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 finger-length piece of fresh ginger, cut into long wedges
3 cloves garlic, halved. 

Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Then add a handful of seaweed of choice (I used sea spaghetti)
¾ - 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced lengthwise

Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, then lower the flame to as low as it will go while still bubbling and

Add 1 women’s thumbnail-sized slice of lemon peel
Mushrooms (I’ve used enoki or porchini)
¼ cup soy sauce
2 T mirin
1 T ume vinegar
1 t fresh lemon juice
pinch of cayenne (optional / to taste)

After you’ve put in the vinegar, whisk in 3 eggs (or skip this step to keep it vegan)

At the very end, add the Thai rice noodles (they only need 3 minutes)

Garnish with sprouts – sunflower are good, or for an extra little tangy kick, use radish – and fresh cilantro (if you have it)

The Menu:

(Post) Pregnancy Power Punch Salad*
Sautéed cubed chicken breast with roasted sweet potato and onion

And for dessert: Picky Foodie Valrhona brownies with vanilla ice cream

The Story:

We eat for many reasons.  Sometimes we are hungry, sometimes we’re sad, sometimes we’re celebrating and sometimes the food in front of us makes us feel like a snake coiled in the notes of a charmer’s flute.  People are constantly telling me they wish they ate better.  It isn’t often, however, that our eating has a definite purpose.  Basically, other than weight-management (a whole other can of lard), I only know of two reasons why people change their diets: convalescence and during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

When women are eating to help another being grow, many of us will try to eat and live as well as we possibly can.  I wonder why is it that when it’s “just” for our selves, we have a hard time doing things we know would make us feel good, whereas when there’s another person involved, someone else we are doing it for, then everything suddenly changes. 

The first challenge comes when we are forced to abandon many of the ideas we have developed around weight and body image.  Suddenly people telling you how big you are is supposed to be a compliment?!?!

In “normal life,” I am not an advocate of eating foods because of their ingredients.  People ask me all the time whether a food is “good” or “bad” – and I categorically refuse to categorize.  However, I do think that under special circumstances, it doesn’t hurt to know about certain nutrients – like iron and Vitamin K – and load up on them from dietary sources in order to hopefully avoid prescribed supplements. 

For example, finding out that up to 80% of pregnant women become anaemic did kind of give me pause.

This past Friday Night, we visited close friends who have just had their first child.  Keeping the new Mom in mind, I put together a simple, easy super-salad and enjoyed watching her tuck into it. Their life has changed drastically and they were both very open and kind about sharing their personal experiences, joys and challenges.  For my part, I listened to their experience and realized that although I am and have been aware that my own life is about to undergo a similar transformation, until the baby is born there really is no way of knowing to what degree everything will be different …

The Recipe:

You don’t have to have given birth recently to enjoy and benefit from what this salad has to offer: Broccoli for the vitamin C and K, hemp seeds to provide protein and EFAs, iron-rich raisins that also added a touch of sweetness, zinc-filled pumpkin seeds and refreshing fennel.  No matter who you are or what state your body is in, treat yourself to a Power Punch Salad – it may make you want to walk down the street singing your favourite tunes at the top of your lungs just so you can get others to smile as widely as you are. 

*(Post) Pregnancy Power Punch Salad:

(Serves 2 as a main meal, 4 as a side dish)

Combine in a large salad bowl:
2 heads broccoli, chopped into bite-sized florets and lightly steamed for 4-5 minutes
½ cup raisins
1 small fennel bulb, mandolined
¼ cup each walnuts and pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
¼ cup hemp seeds (make sure to buy them shelled)

For the dressing:
1 ½ T pomegranate molasses
1 T olive oil
1 T cider vinegar mustard
Unsweetened apple juice to taste – start with 1 T and then add 1 t at a time until desired sweetness. 

Nutrition:
I have brought up hemp seeds before, but these little guys are worth mentioning over and over.  Personally, I think they taste delicious (though their sometimes slight bitterness did take a little getting used to) and I love their enormous nutritional benefits as well.  Hemp seeds are great in smoothies, on top of granola, blended into seed mylk with added superfoods, and sprinkled over salads. 
If you think hemp is just for smoking, you are sorely mistaken.  In fact, hemp is one of the most versatile plants in the world.  It can grow almost anywhere, needs no human intervention in the form of pesticides or fertilizer, and is used to make everything from fuel to paper.
Nutritionally, hemp seeds and oil are very rich in Vitamin E, trace minerals, fibre and essential fatty acids -- they provide an ideal balance of Omega 3s and 6s as well as GLA.  In addition, hemp seeds contain all essential amino acids making them a complete source of plant protein.   
The oils in hemp are, however, very sensitive to heat, so if you do decide to give them a try, make sure to consume both the seeds as well as the oil raw.
And just in case you’re wondering: hemp seeds contain no THC, so no, they will not get you stoned.  You may, however, get a high from all the nutrition you’re packing into your food – but that’s a completely different story.  

The Menu:

Home baked gluten-free olive & sundried tomato bread

A selection of cheeses handpicked by DW, a.k.a. The Best Man

A big green salad

White Bean And Parsnip Casserole*

And for dessert: mini-banana loafs with Nuts To That!© chocolate spread

 
The Story:

As the story goes, first there was man.  Then there was woman.  In this case, both kind of appeared on the scene around the same time.  Both were ambitious, smart as can be, enjoyed studying.  Both met DW in college and have been friends with him ever since.  But lives become complicated, and while the man and the woman knew one another, over the years they had never done much more than exchange pleasantries.

It feels a little like a movie: it has a beginning, some adversity in the middle, a big event that changes everything, and then a satisfying conclusion.  The characters evolve and grow, as their lives take them in many different directions.  There is school, then there is work; there are boyfriends and girlfriends, maybe even a broken marriage.  Right now, we are watching them work their way towards the happy ending.

Like most people in this cynical world, sometimes I find it hard to believe in fairy tales.  After all, real princesses have been extinct for centuries now, and the handful still clinging to their titles spend much of their time in rehab.  This story, however, could not have been written by anyone other than the author of life, real life.  This could not have been made up.

I’m a sucker for happily-ever-after.  And to watch these two people who are so close to my husband’s heart find one another after two decades has been indescribable. 

So as our friends prepare to take the step towards wedded happily-ever-after, we had them over for one last Friday Night Dinner. 

It’s a little-known fact that joy is the best-kept diet secret in the world.  Still, out of respect for our friends who want to look their best on the first day of the rest of their lives, I kept the meal light. 

The Recipe:

White Bean And Parsnip Casserole*

Casseroles can be considered somewhat cultish in America.  That famous one-dish dinner that Moms used to bake in the nineteen fifties lost much of their lustre by the seventies.  However, what goes around…  And like that vintage Chanel, the casserole has been making a comeback. 

In the UK, the casserole is called a Bake, by the way.  Though it never quite achieved the same mythical status as its US counterpart, The Bake never fell out of fashion to the same extent either.

This is a three-layer dish, and unlike many classical casseroles, it does not contain meat.  I love serving it for brunch but it’s a great accompaniment to any meal – especially when you want to avoid anything too heavy. 

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius / 395 Fahrenheit

Layer 1: the bottom

1 T olive oil
2 leeks, finely chopped
3 parsnips, grated
1 T ume vinegar
½ t salt
pepper to taste
½ t thyme
around ½ cup water

Drizzle the ume vinegar onto the grated parsnips.  If possible, allow to marinate overnight though this step is completely optional.

If you don’t have time to let the parsnips marinate, simply mix the ume into the parsnips, then add the leeks and herbs.  Mix well.  Sautée on a low flame with the olive oil.  Add water once the vegetables are starting to brown.  Keep mixing often.  You want everything slightly caramelized.

When ready, evenly distribute the mixture at the bottom of a casserole dish.

Layer 2: the middle

Simply mandolin 3 zucchinis (or courgettes as they are called in the UK) lengthwise and drape on top of the parsnip / leek mixture.
Note: if you don’t have a mandolin, you can also slice them – make sure they are very fine.

Layer 3: the top

1 T olive oil
4 clove garlic, pressed
4 cans cannellini beans or a little less than a kilogram of beans soaked and fully cooked
½ t dried rosemary
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves only
generous amounts of pepper
salt to taste
¼ cup water + ½ cup
squirt of fresh lemon juice

Sautée the garlic in the olive oil until the kitchen smells like Tuscany.  Add the beans, the herbs and the water.  Allow to warm, but keep the flame low so it doesn’t burn.  Then puree with an immersion blender. 
Add another ½ cup water and a squirt of fresh lemon juice.
Mix well. 
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Layer evenly on the top of the casserole.  Sprinkle another pinch of rosemary, some black pepper, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. 

After your guests leave, wrap and freeze individual portions of the leftovers for a great go-to when you need something quick and satisfying.

Nutrition:
Beans, beans, the musical fruit.  Who hasn’t heard the old children’s song? Many people prefer to avoid legumes because of their potentially embarrassing side-effects.  But legumes are a wonderful part of any nourishing diet and worth experimenting with.  Nobody seems to know exactly why legumes cause flatulence, though the explanation I have found to make the most sense is that because they are made up of both carbohydrates as well as proteins – which we digest in different ways – our bodies do not quite know how to handle the combination of the two in one food. 

Anyhoo…  legumes are high in fibre, low in fat and provide an excellent source of non-animal protein.  In addition, they provide slow-burning fuel, as well as B vitamins and iron. 
In cooking, legumes are also extremely versatile as is demonstrated by the fact that every native cuisine has a myriad of legume-based dishes.  So whether it’s frijoles or dahl that you’re into, rest assured: there is a bean for every occasion.  

The Menu:

South Indian vegetable massala* for Friday Night Dinner

Sunday Night we had balsamic and herb roast chicken* with lightly steamed broccoli.

The Story:

OK, I’ll admit, I’m tired. 

There’s been a lot going on.

It’s been wonderfully busy during a time when I want to be slowing down.  Some of my clients will smile at this because I’m definitely getting a taste of my own medicine, needing to follow my own advice and listen to my body. 

The baking extravaganza is still in full swing: banana bread, brownies, carrot loafs, vanilla puddle cakes, icing.  I thank Goodness my belly is so enormous already as I waddle around the kitchen to grab some more date syrup.  Being seven months pregnant, I don’t have to watch my figure as such though I am careful with sugar intake.

Then there was the baby shower, organized by a good friend with food that wasn’t just vegan, it was also gluten and sugar free – even the brownies.  I felt a small pang of Jewish guilt when I saw the plates wiped clean: if they finish the food it means there wasn’t enough.  But, on a positive note, for once the fridge door actually closed at the end of a party.

And our Vegan Superhero came to stay. 

DW and I decided to take advantage of her arrival and take a few days off animal protein.  We didn’t feel forced or coerced at all, in fact we used her trip as an incentive to do a little vegan tour of London. What’s funny is that London is considered one of the easiest places in the world to be a vegan or vegetarian. While that may be the case, it’s definitely not a simple place to be a Picky Foodie.

Anyway, off we traipsed to Vegan Routes, a favourite all-vegan restaurant located in an old-fashioned, red London Routemaster bus in Soho.  The next night, we walked to Kilburn for a massive curry at Kovalam, a South Indian place we love that serves all palates but has a myriad of vegan options, followed by a trip to a “real English pub” (which, being in Kilburn, is actually Irish).

Both DW and I felt fantastic with our non-meat time – lighter, happier, generally better -- but after four days, both our bodies were wanting some chicken. 

Do I hope to be able to cut out animal protein altogether one day?  Definitely.  But right now, that doesn’t feel like an option.  So instead, we compromise: we have cut our animal consumption drastically, and when we do eat meat, we make sure to source it responsibly, that it had a decent life and was killed as humanely as possible (while remaining aware that there are so many contradictions in these compromises).

As our Vegan Superhero says: “we all do what we can.” 

The Recipes:

I am including both a vegan as well as a non-vegan recipe this week.  Because the beauty of our times is that we have the opportunity to choose what works for us.  For me, it’s not about rigidly sticking to one label and calling myself one thing or another as much as it is doing what’s right for my self and doing so in a way that takes others into consideration.  Vegan, vegetarian, carnivorous, fruitarian, fair trade, organic, local, Demeter, humane, free range – the options sometimes seem endless and that is why education is imperative in all of these choices.

Are you struggling with questions about what the best options are for you? 

Let me know by leaving a comment below.

Basic Vegetable Curry

* curry powder of choice

* 1 T coconut butter

* 1 8 oz. can coconut milk

* 3 small onions or 1 -2 large ones, coarsely chopped

* 2 T sugar-free tomato sauce (preferably one that is comprised of just tomatoes)

* 1 t orange blossom water (optional)

* small handful of raisins

* 3 tomatoes

* 2 cups diced vegetables – carrots, cauliflower, potato, green beans etc.

Melt the coconut butter in a large pan.

Once the oil is melted, add 1 T curry powder mix

When the powder starts to "rise", stir in the chopped onions. Mix well.

Lower the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes until the onions start to soften (add a little coconut milk if liquid is needed). 

Then add the tomato sauce, the rest of the coconut milk and the orange blossom water. 

Raise the flame and bring to a boil. 

Once the liquid has boiled, lower again. 

When the mixture goes back to a simmer, add the tomatoes and the raisins (tomatoes help make it counterbalance the spice and raisins add a touch of sweetness.) and then the vegetables.  Cook until done – you can test this by piercing the vegetables – they should be soft but not mushy. 

Note: if the mixture becomes too dry, you can always add some water.

Serve over rice or with flatbreads.

Balsamic and Herb Roast Chicken

Preheat the oven to 220 Celsius / 428 Fahrenheit

1 free range, organic chicken

1 large onion OR 1 beetroot and 1 fennel bulb

equal parts tyme, rosemary, tarragon – I use about 1 t of each

pinch of sel de guerande or coarse sea salt

2 T olive oil

1 ½ T balsamic vinegar

2 lemons, quartered

1 head of garlic, top cut off, chopped into 4

Finely slice the onion or the beetroot and fennel and layer at the bottom of a roasting pan.

Wash and dry the chicken and then put on top of the vegetables.

Mix the olive oil, vinegar, herbs, salt, and a squeeze of the lemons in a little bowl and then rub generously over the skin of the chicken

Place the garlic between the joints and the lemon alongside the chicken and in the cavities.

Put in the oven and roast, breast down, for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, lower the heat to 180 Celsius / 355 Fahrenheit and flip the chicken around.

Roast for another 20 minutes, after which you can up the temperature back up to 200 Celsius / 390 Fahrenheit for an additional 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cover.  Allow the chicken to rest for about 15 – 20 minutes.

Nutrition:

Spices aren’t just for changing the flavours of dishes.  Many spices also contain healing properties.  Here are just a few examples:

Rosemary has been linked to the prevention of Alzheimers, it can help improve blood circulation throughout the body as well as digestion.  Next time you walk by a rosemary bush, pick a little sprig, rub it between your fingers and give it a good sniff: it’ll give you a natural lift minus the come-down. 

Thyme is a wonderful herb to steep as a tea when you’re all stuffed up as it can help break down congestion and also contains anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.

Chillies are very heating and in tropical places they act as parasite busters.

Cinnamon is both a strong anti-microbial as well as a blood sugar balancing herb for diabetes. Also, try smelling some cinnamon when you need some cheering up.   

Next time you find yourself needing to spice things up on your dinner plate, know that you’re doing so much more than simply adding taste.

The Menu:

Dessert

White bean puree with cucumber* (see the Recipe section below for more ideas)

The Story:

This Friday Night was a little topsy-turvy: we started with dessert.  Then our main course consisted of more dessert.  And for dessert?  We had dessert. 

We also started Saturday morning with dessert. 

Dessert is my latest experiment. 

Let me explain: part of what The Picky Foodie does is work with small businesses and corporations -- restaurants, hotels, food stores – to help them cater to those of us with food allergies and specific demands.  And many of my corporate clients often request dessert.

So I’m busy making cakes, cookies, raw and cooked, chocolate, vanilla – you name it, I’m testing it out.

DW was gone for the weekend, so I figured it was the perfect time to make a big, floury mess. Just me and the cacao.

But in fact I was not alone this Friday Night Dinner: my food-loving friend, had selflessly volunteered to come experiment with me.  However, there is only so much sugar two people can ingest.  By 9 p.m. our sweet tooths were tilting and both of us needed a little something savory. 

And when I say little, I literally mean little.  So I wizzed up one of my fallback staples, a simple snack-type bean spread that I usually reserve for when it’s just me and I don’t feel like much.

There’s a really lovely book I read last year in New York called Alone In The Kitchen With An Eggplant.  It was especially relevant to me at the time because the collection of essays was about what people eat when they are on their own, and living without DW for the first time in half a decade, I did notice a considerable and pretty immediate change in my eating habits. 

We eat differently when we're alone -- that was part of what I loved about “Alone In The Kitchen With An Eggplant”: it reminded me that we all have our little preferences that we probably wouldn’t foist onto anyone but that we regale in when there’s nobody else around. 

Personally, I would eat the same thing for days at a time – my favourite being raw rosemary crackers with Dr Cow’s cheese and a big salad heaped high with kim chi and fresh greens from the farmers’ market.  Even now, as I write these words, I find myself missing that meal. 

Eating with others entails a whole slew of social decisions and is, hopefully, a pleasure.  However, eating alone can bring a unique joy as there is no one to please but our selves.  Oftentimes, people find that they make less of an effort: “it’s just me” is a phrase I hear a lot from my single clients.  I disagree.  Last year, I spent many nights with my colourful plates of food, sitting at the windowsill of my charming little rented flat in Brooklyn watching the sky change colors savoring every moment and every bite.  

The Recipe:

This very simple spread can be dressed and redressed in many ways.  It's a bit like those weird hippie mood rings: easily variable and extremely flexible depending on your state of mind.  I have made it with curry powder at times, or I have added tahini and cumin or different spicy chilles.  I love it very lemony, but that is a question of taste.  It can be made into a dip or a thicker spread, and can even be made with leftover beans or used as a roadmap to spice-up dulled-down hummus.  In any case, it’s a great protein-staple to have in the fridge when you want something small and don’t feel like fussing. 

(White) Bean Puree:

1x 8 oz. can of white beans, or 1 cup of dry beans, soaked overnight and well-cooked

1 bunch fresh parsley

pinch thyme

¼ t dried rosemary

juice of 1 lemon (or to taste)

1 small clove garlic (optional)

1 T olive oil

Water, as needed (optional, depending on the amount of lemon juice used)

Salt and pepper

Combine all the ingredients in the blender.  If you prefer not to use as much lemon or need additional liquid, add water 1 Tablespoon at a time.

Serve with cucumber or carrot sticks, crackers or well-toasted bread topped with fresh tomato.  Another idea is to spoon some into a lettuce leaf and eat as a wrap. 

Other small meal / snack ideas that I enjoy when it's "just me" that are easy to store as leftovers and / or combine with other bits and bobs:

-  miso soup with wakame

-  salad with kim chi and toasted sesame seeds and cashews

-  baked sweet potato fries with hummus or spiced pumpkin seeds and crumbled nori.

-  chickpea pancakes with a myriad of fillings – from hummus to guacamole to cashew cheese, to chocolate spread (homemade of course!)

-  slow-roasted vegetables including fennel, squash, sweet potato, leeks and the likes are a wonderful combo with almost anything -- I sometimes top them with leftover chicken or baked tempeh. 

-  Leftover roast chicken can be shredded into a chicken salad with chopped veggies (cooked or raw), fresh herbs, pressed garlic and some balsamic vinegar. 

I’m curious: what you eat when you’re on your own?  Please let me know in the comments section below.

The Menu:

Stir-fry of roasted purple carrots, fennel, broccoli, radicchio* 

Homemade pain de sarrasin with olive tapenade, raw pesto and mushroom-walnut spread. 

The Story:

When a person has been in your life for years, it can sometimes feel as if you’ve heard everything about them at least once.  But that is when you find out that though they hate walnuts, they do like them in brownies, or that their favourite subject in school wasn’t history, it was chemistry, or that they once dreamt of becoming a carpenter. Because when do we ever really know everything about a person?  And the trick, I realize, is to keep asking rather than start assuming. In that way, every relationship can remain new in little tiny details, keep surprising you, stay fun instead of going stale and becoming same-old-same-old.

And so it is with the trusty carrot. 

I thought I knew carrots.  Who doesn’t? They’re sweet enough to be satisfying when you’re not sure what you want but are staying away from sugar, and yet they have that satisfying crunch and enough liquid to be thirst quenching. 

Carrots.  Who hasn’t had them in a hundred different ways?

As children, cooked carrots were a nightmare for many – the overly sweet mush that tasted of little and promised a lot through parental insistence that they were good for us. Then came carrot juice, which can turn your fingers orange and is touted as one of the healthiest foods one can consume.   Carrots with peanut butter, then carrots with almond butter, shredded carrots in Asian-flavoured salads with raisins and cabbage, carrot and apple, carrots on the bottom of the roasting pan on Sundays, carrot cake, muffins, warming carrot soup with ginger on a cold winter night.

I didn’t think there were any ways in which I hadn’t tried the ubiquitous carrot.

Until I encountered it in purple. 

Like so many other vegetables, the classic orange carrot is actually a domesticated mutation of a wild species that has been bred by humans for its increased sweetness.  But carrots need not be orange.  In fact, the orange carrot is probably the newest of the bunch.  Historically, they come in a variety of colours including yellow, white, purple and even black, each with its own little twist. 

And so, while the more mundane orange carrot is too sweet for me when cooked, the purple kind offers a nuttier, deeper flavour that isn’t as sugary. 

The whole day had been busy and full of unexpected surprises.  How wonderful to sit down to a Friday Night Dinner tasting of the hours that have come before, and what a treat to be able to discover something new without having to leave the comfort of my kitchen. 

The Recipe:

Combining leftovers is a wonderful way to create something completely new.  Earlier in the week, I had taught a cooking class in which we had slow-roasted the purple carrots and fennel.  The steamed broccoli was from a meal the day before, and the radicchio needed to be eaten.  Combined, the vegetables created a dish that was nutty, crunchy and sweet, a wonderful accompaniment to a simple meal and a touching parallel with the homey ambiance around the table.

* Stir-Fried Purple Carrots with Roasted Fennel and Radicchio

Ingredients:

Leftover slow-roasted purple carrots (see recipe below)

Leftover slow-roasted fennel

Leftover steamed broccoli

½ head radicchio, chopped

1 T olive oil

½ T tamari soy sauce

splash mirin

salt to taste

toasted sunflower seeds (optional)

For the slow-roasted purple carrots:

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Centigrade (302 Fahrenheit)

Chop the desired amount of carrots in half length-wise and then into quarters length-wise again.

For 5 carrots: Put in the roasting pan and cover with 1 -2 T balsamic vinegar and a pinch of coarse salt (I use sel de Guerande)

Mix with your hands to make sure they are all well-coated

Roast for about 1.5 hours, checking every half hour or so and giving the pan a little shake. Flip the carrots about halfway through.

Optional addition: a splash of hazelnut oil will really bring out the nuttiness of the carrots

For the Stir-Fry:

The goal is to warm up the leftovers without making them too soggy, and to cook the radicchio only ever so slightly. 

Drizzle the olive oil at the bottom of a pan.  Add the radicchio and stir.  Then combine with the rest of the vegetables in the pan.  Mix well before adding the tamari and the mirin.

Cook on a relatively high heat for just a few minutes and serve hot. 

Nutrition:

Let’s talk about broccoli.  

Just kidding – carrots. 

We all know that carrots are good for the eyes, right?  An old folk saying states that people who eat a lot of them can see in the dark.  While this last little tidbit is not true, the reason carrots are touted as fantastic for us is the anti-oxidant beta-carotene.  Beta-carotene is what gives carrots their orange colour.  It is metabolized as Vitamin A in the body and can help strengthen the immune system and protect against a myriad of diseases including cancer, heart disease and stroke.  In addition, carrots are high in fibre, Vitamin C, K and B6.  Funnily, carrots have a very different effect on blood sugar when they are cooked -- they become more sugary.  

A note about carrot juice: many people swear by carrot juice, and while I agree that it has wonderful properties, I do want to point out that anything juiced is no longer a whole food.  When carrots are consumed in their entirety, their relatively high sugar content is tempered by the fibre that is present in the vegetable itself.  Once it has been juiced, however, that buffer is removed. In other words, people who are sensitive to sugar should be careful about consuming carrot juice and consider chomping on a raw carrot instead.

The Menu:

Early Dinner at Chez Dumonet

Mâche salad with shaved black truffles

Duck confit with steamed green beans and spinach

The Story:

They say the quality of ingredients is what makes a meal.  Then again, they say a lot of things.  In my opinion, nowhere is this theory more blatantly proven than in Paris where the par between great, mediocre and crappy food is absolutely mind-blowing.

DW and I have our usual spots in Paris, little holes in the wall we’ve discovered with the help of friends and people like David Lebovitz and Clotilde Dusoulier whose websites have proven invaluable resources.  Thankfully my French has helped me navigate the treacherous local attitude when it comes to allergies.  Most of the time, I have no problem explaining myself and my needs to a relatively sympathetic ear. 

However, this time, we wanted to try new things, new places, new neighbourhoods.

Instead of staying centrally and in a hotel, we opted to rent a little studio in Montmartre. And instead of heading to the 11^th as we usually do for Cassoulet, we decided to try Chez Dumonet in the 6^th.    

It was a cold, grey day and it was getting late.  We were starving, but couldn’t stop ourselves from lingering in front of the street’s many artisanal shops. Chez Dumonet was at the very end of the Rue du Cherche Midi, a winding street that I had discovered in my first foray years before.  Many of the shops were still there and I happily shared my memories with DW.  I had tried the pralines in about 4 small chocolatiers way back when, bought a pair of my favourite brown boots that I still treasure in a shoe shop that I could barely afford, and the scents of boulangeries and cheese mongers wafted everywhere around us.  This time, however, we were headed on a specific mission, so we tore ourselves away.

Finally we arrived at Chez Dumonet. Like many of the best places, the entrance looks unassuming. You kind of have to know it’s there.  The restaurant is all over foodie websites, so I thought we were probably in for a treat, but seeing as it was a last minute decision, I hadn’t called ahead and so was crossing my fingers that I would be able to enjoy it. 

The décor was as old-fashioned French as it comes, with white tablecloths and large mirrors lining the walls.  There was one table left right by the window, which we squeezed into, shoving the goodies we had found at that morning’s market behind us.   

While DW headed off to the men’s room, I looked around, trying not to listen in on our neighbours’ conversation.  The waiter, a brash man with a floppy grin, made a big deal of delivering two glasses of beautiful white wine.  Sadly, putting my hand on my pregnant belly, I had to decline.  He shrugged.

“Et pour Monsieur?”

“Non merci,” I said. Only in Paris am I embarrassed to admit that neither of us has had a drink in almost a year. 

It started out as a decision based on our need to get more accomplished and a feeling that alcohol was slowing us down.  Then I got pregnant.  Now, alcohol rarely features in our thoughts or our life at all. Except in Paris.

The menu had an entire section devoted to black truffles.  These highly prized fungi are in season in the winter and famously expensive – a kilo costs around $1000 wholesale.  At Chez Dumonet, the offerings included scrambled eggs with black truffles as well as stuffed artichoke hearts.

If I were ever to try them, this would be the place.  I happen to love mâche, or lambs lettuce as it is called in the UK, and a basic salad topped with some shaved black truffles sounded like my best bet. The catch?  It was going to set us back 44 Euros!  44 Euros for some leaves and a few shavings?!

They say the quality of ingredients is what makes a meal.  And they’re not wrong.  The simplest of salads was also the most rich, complex, beautiful mixture of flavours, textures and aromas I have ever experienced.  Every other bowl of greens seems positively vulgar in comparison to this delicate, nutty mixture with undertones of chocolate brought out by the huile de noisettes – hazelnut oil – sprinkled on top and balanced out by the crunchy freshness of the lettuce.  Across the table, the birthday boy seemed just as entranced in his chicory and Roquefort extravaganza, making little mmm sounds as he chewed slowly. 

Our Chez Dumonet experience combined with a few good field trips to different markets around the city was a great reminder that the best ingredients may be more expensive, but it pays to buy less in quantity for more enjoyment in quality. 

Sublime. 

The Recipe:

Lately, there has been a resurgence in awareness about buying locally.  Besides the fact that buying locally holds many benefits for the environment as well as your health, in my opinion, you can find the best, most delicious food close by at farmers' markets.  Costco might save you a few bucks, but when you compare, does it really?  And besides, you can’t put a price on the experience of getting to know your local farmers, learning new recipes from the people who grew the ingredients and tasting produce the day it was picked.

Some people visit art galleries when they travel, others prefer to bring a trusty tour book and make sure they catch all the must-see sites.  While we occasionally do some of that, DW and I mostly just wander from market to market, seeing, smelling, tasting, and, invariably meeting locals who send us in many a surprising direction.  

Here are a few of the markets I love:

London: 

The Queen’s Park market on Sundays is full of ideas and people willing to share them.

Of course no trip to London would be complete without a visit to Borough Market.  Lots of ready-made food offers a lovely lunch option while you browse the stalls. 

New York:

Both times I’ve lived in Brooklyn, Saturday has posed a challenge.  The question is always whether I want to stay local and run up to the Grand Army Plaza Market, or whether I prefer to jump on my bike and head to Union Square in Manhattan.  Both have their own charm. 

Wednesdays are also great at Union Square.

Paris:

Marché Raspail, oh what would we do without you?  Sundays is the Marché Bio – the organic market, filled with beautiful produce and – so I hear – famous faces shopping for some fresh fare.  But during the week, regular, non-organic produce is also available and fun to experience with the proud vendors who will make you try everything that isn’t bolted to the walls.

If you prefer to stay up North, Saturday’s Marché Bio by the Place de Clichy holds many a surprise including a young man who sells raw basics like cacao, mesquite, Incan berries and purple corn.

Los Angeles:

I could write a book about the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmers’ Market and yet I am at a loss for words.  All I can say is, if you’re in LA on a Wednesday morning, GO.