Author Archives: Alison Ashton

Homemade Gravlax with Wild Alaskan Salmon

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Gravlax is a wonderfully simple way to showcase the the rich, buttery quality of wild salmon from the Copper River. Gravlax is a Swedish specialty that cures the salmon with a mixture of salt, sugar and spices. It’s a simple, no-cook technique requiring nothing more than a little prep work and time. There many of variations of gravlax. Our version uses a basic combination of granulated and brown sugars, coarse sea salt and black pepper that lets the luscious flavor and texture of the wild salmon really shine. You could customize this in any number of ways – swap black pepper for earthy white pepper, add lemon or orange rind, etc. Serve thinly sliced on multigrain crackers, garnished with chopped fresh dill and grated lemon zest. Or you could go old school and serve it with fresh bagels, cream cheese, capers and thinly sliced red onion.

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Super Seven Sustainable Seafood Picks-2011

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It’s World Oceans Day again, and, wow, has the world’s fish been in the spotlight in the past year or what? This time last year, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was still oozing across the Gulf of Mexico. And it seems there’s news every day about a threatened wild fish or some irresponsibly cultivated farmed fish. What’s a conscientious fish-lover looking for sustainable seafood to do?

2011-sustainable-seafood-picksTo make those choices easier, Lia introduced NOURISH Evolution’s Super Sustainable Seafood Picks in 2009. We’ve updated that list each year with some new entries. Our criteria are simple: A fish must be raised or caught in an environmentally sound manner, safe to eat, widely available and easy to identify. We cross-check our selections with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s SeafoodWatch, Blue Ocean Institute’s Seafood Guide and the Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector.

Our selections have remained pretty consistent, though there have some changes. For example, this year, we knocked tilapia off our list of faves. Why? The fish is still an environmental darling – when it’s cultivated in recirculating tanks. But a recent New York Times story revealed that intense demand for the fish has lead to some questionable products on the market. Tilapia cultivated in the U.S. is still a “best choice,” but less than 5% of the tilapia on the market is from here. Much, but not all, tilapia from Central America is OK, and lots of it comes from China, which is definitely a no-no (a new Food & Drug Administration report uncovers serious concerns about contamination in China’s fish farms).

All that makes shopping for truly sustainable tilapia a bigger project than a busy shopper might want. (If you’re a fan of tilapia, try widely available U.S.-raised catfish instead.)

View from the Bay. Watch this video to discover how easy it is to cook mussels — and what you should ask the folks at the fish counter.

Drum roll, please, here are NOURISH Evolution’s Super Seven Sustainable Seafood Picks for 2011:

Barramundi. A common fish in Australia, barramundi is now being farmed sustainably both here in the U.S. and in Southeast Asia. Since they are a fast-growing fish, they’re a great choice for aquaculture.

Farmed Clams, Mussels, Bay Scallops, and Oysters. These bivalve mollusks leave their environment even cleaner than when they arrive because they filter particulates from the water. Even better, farmed versions of these mollusks from anywhere in the world are considered environmentally sound.

Alaskan Pacific Cod. Moist, lean, tender, and mild–if you crave cod these days, make sure it’s from Alaska, which has the most sustainable supply. It’s also marketed as Alaska cod, true cod, gray cod or simply as “cod” (like its less-sustainable cousin, Atlantic cod, so you’ll have to quiz the fishmonger). Pacific Halibut is another great alternative.

Sablefish (Black Cod). This omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish is prized for its velvety, buttery texture. Sablefish is neither cod nor butterfish, though it resembles both and may be labeled black cod, Alaska cod (just like Pacific cod, so be sure to ask the fishmonger if it’s really sablefish) or butterfish. Sablefish from Alaska or British Columbia is the most sustainable choice; Alaksan wild salmon also works well in many recipes calling for sablefish.

Alaskan Wild Salmon. Alaska’s wild salmon is a model of fishery management, so it’s abundant and widely available (fresh when it’s in season in summer and frozen year-round). We also think wild salmon has superior flavor and texture to its farmed cousins. If you can’t find Alaskan wild salmon, try sablefish or Arctic char.

Arctic Char. This is actually a member of the salmon family. In the U.S. and other parts of the world, it’s being raised in sustainable environments. It’s a delicious everyday alternative to salmon.

Herring/Sardines. Sardines are a type of herring, a small, fast-growing fish caught in purse seines with minimal bycatch and habitat damage. You’ll typically find them in cans or jars, often smoked or pickled, although fresh whole sardines are increasingly available, too, and are delicious grilled or broiled.

Certainly, these aren’t the only sustainable seafood, just seven of our favorites. When it comes to selecting other types of fish, here are few simple guidelines:

  • Skip supercheap fish. This advice comes from Mark Kurlansky’s new book, World Without Fish (Workman), a cautionary tale written for his young daughter and other kids. “Cheap fish has usually been caught in careless ways,” he warns. Likewise, cheap farmed fish may be the result of sloppy aquaculture practices.
  • Beware of the hot “new” fish. High demand often leads to overfishing, says Kurlansky. Orange roughy and Chilean seabass are just two examples of fish that high demand has pushed onto everyone’s “avoid” list.
  • Eat a variety of fish. We all have our favorites, and it’s easy to get into a rut (Lord knows, we love Alaskan wild salmon in our household). To avoid overtaxing any particular fish stock, make a point of expanding your seafood repertoire to eat a range of fish, from big carnivores like salmon down to sardines and other abundant choices lower on the food chain.
  • Shop at stores that support sustainable seafood. If you have a local fishmonger who’s knowledgeable about sustainable choices, that’s great. For guidance shopping at larger retailers, check out Greenpeace USA’s Supermarket Scorecard to see how your favorite store stacks up.

Old-Fashioned Raspberry Buckle Coffee Cake

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A buckle is a homey, old-school American dessert that’s a single-layer coffee cake studded with fruit. As the cake cools, it settles and “buckles.” I used raspberries here, but blueberries or blackberries would work just as well. If you happen to have our DIY Ghee on hand, use it to add deep flavor to this recipe. The buckle cake a great addition to a brunch spread or as an afternoon snack with coffee or tea.

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USDA Trades In Old Pyramid for a New Plate

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I suspect Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was overstating things a bit yesterday when unveiling the long-awaited icon to accompany the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“It’s an important day for the entire country,” he declared, as he prepared to introduce the USDA’s new MyPlate. The icon replaces the old MyPyramid.

Well, important for dietitians, public health advocates and those interested in nutrition, maybe. I suspect more Americans were following Weinergate.

For the most part, MyPlate got a warm reception. First, it’s simple to understand. Anyone can glance at it and know half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, a quarter grains (mostly whole) and a quarter protein– with a small serving of dairy on the side. That’s a huge improvement over the old MyPyramid, which was widely criticized for being confusing and, basically, useless. That’s it here. Do you have any idea what those multicolored stripes mean? That’s OK, no one else did either.

Is it perfect? No, these things never are. As Adrienne Youdim, M.D., medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Weight Loss Clinic in Los Angeles noted, what you gain in simplicity you sacrifice in detail. Still, if people get the message on the proper proportions of fruits, veggies, grains and protein, that’s enough of a step in the right direction. In perfect world, she added, MyPlate would incorporate the message of physical activity, much like the stick figure did in the old pyramid.

Even Food Politics‘ Marion Nestle, who’s a tough critic of the USDA, is (mostly) satisfied with MyPlate. “My one quibble? Protein,” she notes in her blog. “Protein is a nutrient, not a food. Protein is not exactly lacking in American diets. The average American consumes twice the protein needed.  Grains and dairy, each with its own sector, are important sources of protein in American diets.”

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine PCRM raises another issue. While MyPlate emphasizes fruits and vegetables–and looks a lot (OK, almost exactly) like the PCRM’s own Power Plate–it’s at odds with current federal agricultural subsidies.

“The plate icon advises Americans to limit high-fat products like meat and cheese, but the federal government is subsidizing these very products with billions of tax dollars and giving almost no support to fruits and vegetables,” says PCRM staff nutritionist Kathryn Strong, M.S., R.D.

More than 60% of federal subsidies go toward promoting meat and dairy. Fruits and vegetables get less than 1%. So while the government is touting fruits and vegetables on half MyPlate, it’s doing little to fund promoting those foods.

Sure, if you visit the ChooseMyPlate.gov website, you can click around the plate to learn the different foods that make up the plate, and there are some improvements there. In “Proteins,” beans and peas, nuts and seeds, and seafood suggestions overwhelm those for meat and poultry. “Dairy” includes soy milk as an alternative (though as a bit of an afterthought), and “Grains” clearly favors whole grains over refined varieties.

But how many Americans are going to spend time trolling around ChooseMyPlate.gov, anyway? Harvey Hartman, of the market research firm Hartman Group, which does wonderful research on consumer behavior, has long maintained that plates, pyramids and other government-created public-education efforts are a waste of time.

“We were among the first to warn that the last refresh of the food pyramid in 2005 would prove unsuccessful and likely have no effect on obesity rates,” he notes. “We knew this because the pyramid was particularly confusing and people do not eat according to scientific principles. But more foundationally, because our research always shows that most people are not interested in this source of information, there is little reason to expect any correlated behavioral change.”

MyPlate is unlikely to fare any better.

“Once again, the powers-that-be refused to consider the historical evidence (i.e. that these things never work) and pursue more innovative approaches,” he says. “Rather than thrusting a plate upon us, why not remove all vending machines from schools? It’s always struck me as bizarre that we would let our children eat from machines.”

What’s your take on plates and pyramids? Do you care? In the meantime, try this Obscenely Good Eggplant-Ricotta Tartine. It’s healthy, delicious food on a plate. Your plate.

Romance and History in One Little Heirloom Bean

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It’s no surprise that we’re all about dried beans at NOURISH Evolution. They’re rich in fiber and protein, and a good source of iron, calcium, zinc and B vitamins. They’re cheap, too, offering plenty of nutrition for just pennies.

As far as I’m concerned, that’s just the nice bonus. The real appeal is the rich comfort of a plate of beans or other legumes — these Santa Maria-Style Beans wrapped in a warm tortilla for lunch, or a flavorful bowl of Red Lentil Dal with Caramelized Onions, Carrots and Peas over brown rice on a chilly night.

Heirloom beans–heritage breeds that are the legume equivalent of ancient grains–hold even more allure. When I spy packages of them in the store, I’m seduced by their gorgeous colors and patterns. Even their names evoke culinary romance. How can I resist splashy burgundy-swirled Anasazis (first cultivated by the Navajos) or the purple-and-ivory splotched Appaloosas (another Southwest favorite)? Or the dramatic black-and-white Calypso beans that evoke the yin/yang icon or the smaller version known as the Orca? This weekend, I was won over by shiny Eye of Goat beans, a Baja California native with subtle brown-on-brown swirls.

Given that we eat with eyes first, heirloom beans do a great job of selling themselves.

Heirloom beans can be used interchangeably with more common varieties. Just consider the bean’s size and characteristics. Their flavor ranges from mild and slightly sweet to full-bodied and earthy; their texture varies from creamy to firm.

Though you’re unlikely to find heirloom beans at the local supermarket, they’re still easy to find. Whole Foods carries several varieties (that’s where I spied my Eye of Goats), and I’ve even grabbed packages of golden Yellow Indian Woman beans at World Market. Your farmers’ market may offer some locally grown varieties. And, of course, there are many online sources, including Rancho Gordo, Zursun Beans and Purcell Mountain Farms. Yes, you’ll pay a good bit more for these babies than for more common varieties–about $5 a pound. But that’s still only about 40 cents a serving.

Really, isn’t that a bargain for so much history, romance and flavor?

Santa Maria-Style Beans

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The barbecue of Santa Maria, Calif., is famous for delicious smoked tri-tip, and it’s always accompanied by a pot of pinquito beans. This legume, a cross between white and pinto beans, is grown only in the Santa Maria Valley. You can order them online, use standard pintos or experiment with other varieties of heirloom beans, such as Eye of Goat (which I used here) or Yellow Indian Woman. Using a pressure cooker yields tender beans that hold their shape in about a third of the usual cooking time. If you don’t have one, soak the legumes overnight and cook them in simmering water for 2 hours or until tender. Cooking time will vary, depending on the size and age of the beans. Use any leftovers to make kick-ass burritos the next day.

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The Balancing Act of Balancing Flavors

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I’m always saying that recipes are more templates than commandments — a starting point to creating meals that work for you. A recent conversation on the NOURISH Evolution Facebook page reminded me how important it is for every cook to balance flavors to suit his or her own palate.
balancing-flavorsA reader responded to a recipe for Speedy Chickpea Couscous with Pesto that we’d posted from Maria Speck’s wonderful new book Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. “Seemed like it was missing something,” she noted, “a shot of lemon juice or some vinegar.”

This piqued my interest, because our Facebook friend was on the right track. While the recipe leaves it up to the cook to use any type of pesto, we’d suggested using the Basil-Mint Pesto below. Indeed, when I developed that pesto recipe it needed a little splash of lemon juice to enliven and heighten its flavor. As it turned out, our Facebook pal had used some store-bought pesto she had on hand, which, we think, accounted for the flat flavor of the final dish.

That experience reinforced the importance of following your own palate to cook food you’ll love. “We all like to eat things our own way,” says Speck. “My Greek mom puts loads of lemon juice on everything — she loves the tang.”

Of course, you want to develop the flavors of a dish throughout its preparation, and some ingredients need to be added early in the cooking process. Dried herbs, for example, benefit from cooking to soften and mellow their flavor. But just before serving is a key opportunity to give a dish one last adjustment to elevate it from ho-hum to wonderful.

Some (very) basic tips for how to balance flavors:

  • Salt. If you’ve added salt a little at a time during cooking, you may not need much at the end. But a little finishing dash of salt can boost the flavor of a bland dish. Check out Salted author Mark Bitterman’s tips for how to use salt with finesse.
  • Sour. This is what our Facebook friend craved from her pesto, and it comes in the form of acidic ingredients like lemon juice and vinegars. A splash of acid brightens the overall flavor of a dish. As Harold McGee notes in his latest book, Keys to Good Cooking, acid also stimulates saliva production to make food, literally, more mouthwatering.
  • Sweet. If a dish is too sour, you can add a dash of sugar to balance it out. Similarly, sweet can help balance an overly salty dish.
  • Bitter. You’re not typically looking to add bitterness to a dish. You’re more likely to want to tame it. For that, try a touch of salt or sugar.
  • Umami. This is the so-called “fifth” taste and refers to savoriness. It also helps carry a dish’s aromatic qualities, McGee notes. If you taste a dish and feel like it needs some heft or roundness, you can add a splash of soy sauce or Worcestershire. A grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese also boosts umami.
  • Pungent. This isn’t one of the five tastes, but pungency is what you crave when you taste a dish and reach for the pepper grinder. Mustard and wasabi are other finishing-touch ingredients that add pungency.

Another tip from McGee: Season foods at their serving temperature. Heat accentuates flavors while cold tends to diminish them. Ever had cold leftovers for lunch the next day? Bet you needed to add salt or something to boost the flavor.

Of course, those are just some basics. You can play with all manner of ingredients–including fresh herbs, flavored oils, different types of vinegars and salts–all of which will add different nuances to your cooking. That’s where it gets really exciting and every dish becomes truly your own creation.

“Most important: Never hesitate to let your own taste buds guide you in cooking,” says Speck. “There’s is no right or wrong.”

Greek Chicken Salad Pita with Lemon Vinaigrette

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When chicken salad comes to mind, I always think of a mayonnaise-bound concoction (not that I don’t enjoy that). But this chicken salad recipe, from Alison Lewis’s new book 400 Best Sandwich Recipes (Robert Rose) updates an old favorite with a fresh, bright-flavored, colorful spin. There’s no added salt in this recipe, because the feta and Kalamata olives add plenty of salty kick. If you don’t want to buy a whole jar of olives, look for Kalamatas that you can purchase by the pound at the supermarket salad bar, olive bar or deli case. Lewis recommends using leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken. Or, to change it up, sub chopped, cooked shrimp for the poultry. Use whole wheat pita bread, if you can find it.

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Sandwich Talk with Alison Lewis

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I’ve been doing a project for a company that requires me to work on-site a few days a week. The lunchtime pickings near their office are slim, so I usually prefer to take something in. Leftovers are fine, but I really like tucking into a good sandwich. The release of Alison Lewis’s first cookbook, 400 Best Sandwich Recipes: From Classics & Burgers to Wraps & Condiments (Robert Rose), arrived just in time.

Lewis, a longtime recipe developer and food consultant whose work has appeared in Cooking Light, Weight Watchers, Southern Living and other publications, has filled the book with tasty ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert. She also has a sizable section devoted to homemade condiments–aiolis, relishes, salsas and more.

I can’t wait for nectarines to peaches to come into season so I can make her Open-Faced Nectarine and Chevre Sandwich and Grilled Peach and Brie Sandwich (Lewis’s personal fave). Her Vietnamese-inspired Banh Mi Burgers, made with ground pork, are sure to turn up on our table this summer.

I asked Lewis about the importance of great condiments, her definition of the perfect sandwich (she should know!) and why she has her son to thank for the book.

You said your younger son, Zachary, came up with the idea for the book. How did that happen?

My publisher, Robert Rose, was looking for a hole in the cookbook market, and they publish single-subject cookbooks.

After months of ideas back and forth, I was on a conference call with my publisher discussing ideas, with my 3 children in the car. Zachary, said, “What about sandwiches?”

My publisher did some quick research, and he realized there was no bible of sandwiches. The rest was history.

But, wow, 400 sandwiches! Where did your inspiration come from?

Most of the recipes were inspired by sandwiches I love or have had in restaurants or while traveling. Some ideas came from friends’ suggestions and requests via social media.

I love that you devote so much space to condiments. Is a good homemade condiment the component that elevates a sandwich from OK to outstanding?

I believe so. What I really love about that chapter is so many also can be used as appetizers, Nectarine Relish, Pineapple Relish, Peach-Ginger Chutney and Southwestern Corn Salsa, to name a few

After developing all those sandwiches, burgers, wraps and condiments, how do you define the perfect sandwich?

Start with great bread and the freshest, most seasonal ingredients possible and add a great spread to top it off.

Ancient Grains Go Modern with Maria Speck

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I don’t know Maria Speck, other than exchanging a few friendly e-mails. But after diving into her gorgeous new book, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals (Ten Speed Press), I’ve got a big ole fangirl crush.

Here’s what I really love about the book: While Speck acknowledges the health benefits of whole grains, her primary goal is to make staples like millet and spelt so appealing that the reader can’t resist craving them. Who wouldn’t want to start the day with Walnut Spice Breakfast Cake?

“I was very lucky,” she writes. “Unlike many of us today, I was never introduced to whole grains as a health food. No one lectured me to add them to my diet.” Instead, Speck, who grew up in a Greek-German household where grains were always on the table, treats them as the ultimate comfort food.

“To me, whole grains carry luxurious qualities: lively textures, vivid colors and rich flavors.”

That passion comes through in every recipe and tip. You can’t help by be drawn to fare as tempting as Mediterranean Mussels with Farro and White Wine or Greek Millet Saganaki with Shrimp and Ouzo. (Sara Remington’s stunning photos add to the mouthwatering appeal of Speck’s wonderful prose and tempting recipes – that’s Remington’s handiwork, above left.)

While her Greek grandmother rose at the crack of dawn to cook for the family, Speck’s approach to cooking whole grains is in sync with hectic American schedules. Her handy reference cooking guides are divided by quick-cooking grains (those ready in less than 30 minutes) and slow-cooking grains, which may require overnight soaking and take up to an hour to cook.

She also offers plenty of helpful tips to make whole grains easier for busy cooks to prepare with strategies like putting a potful of grains on to soak before you leave for work (one our favorites!) and parboiling brown rice for quick weeknight suppers.

The book’s 100 recipes run a wide gamut of seasonality, and while Speck adores hearty, slow-cooking wheat berries and the like, she’s no whole grain snob. There’s room on her plate for instant brown rice, which turns up in Spring Pilaf with Artichokes and Green Peas. There are plenty of ideas for quick-cookers like bulgur, whole grain pastas and, my current favorite, whole wheat couscous (a curious anomaly, she notes, that’s neither a grain nor a pasta, but a sort of hybrid).

Such speedy options are balanced with recipes sure to appeal to more ambitious cooks. You can try your had at making Homemade Spelt Fettuccine, for example, or an intriguing Floating Sesame Bread, a yeast bread that calls for proofing the dough in a pot of cool water (can’t wait to try that one).

I suspect my now-pristine copy of Ancient Grains will soon be dog-eared and spattered with kitchen stains – sure signs of a well-loved cookbook.