Illustration from Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885, Gera, Germanycourtesy of Wikipedia.

My chin is stained with the dark-red
pomegranate juice
This autumn I have eaten pomegranates
knowing their seeds were symbols
of a rebirth . . . Pomegrantes by Hilda Morley in Cloudless at First

When we eat pomegranates, we eat food fit for a goddess. In Greek mythology Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was abducted and taken to the underworld by Hades. Zeus demanded that she be returned to earth. Hades had to relent, but Persephone ate four pomegranate seeds and for that she was doomed to return to the underworld for several months (winter time when fields and trees are dormant) each year. We, on the other hand, eat pomegranates and are "doomed" to good health. High in antioxidants and ellagic acid, they are believed to mitigate cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and potential for various cancers including breast and prostate. Pomegrantes are, however, contraindicated for those taking certain medications.  So, if you are on cholesterol lowering or blood pressure lowering medications, it's best to check with your doctor or pharmacist before indulging.

Persians put out big bowls of pomegranates at weddings for fortunate and fruitful marriages. In Persian (Iranian) cuisine - a largely undiscovered wonder in the U.S. - it is used in many delicious ways including their tantalizing walnut, bell pepper, and pomegranate dip, muhamarra.  It's quite easy to prepare: In a blender combine

• two large red peppers, seeded and cut in chunks
• 1/2 cups of raw walnuts
• 3 teaspoons of fresh pomegranate juice
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper
• sea salt to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, best quality you can afford

Blend well.  Taste and adjust salt, lemon and olive oil and give it another whirl in the blender.  Pour into a bowl and serve with crudités.  (Great dish for raw foodists.)

Among modern-day Greeks on New Year's Day, pomegranates are taken outside the house and smashed on the ground to disperse the seeds for good luck. The further the seeds travel, the better the luck. More practically speaking, the pomegranates are used in drinks, salad dressings, fruit salads, and just by itself. To get at the seeds, cut the pomegranate in half.  Hold the halves over a bowl of cold water and tap the shell.  The seed and the pith will fall into the water. The seeds will float to the bottom and the pith to the top, making it easy to separate them.  Drain off the water and pith and eat the whole seed.  The flavor is in the juicy outer part, but the fiber is in the inner kernel, so eat the whole thing for maximum delight and health benefit.
Pomegranate molasses can be combined with the seeds and juice of the fruit to make a delicious Greek salad:

• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, best you can afford
• 2 teaspoons Annie's Dijon mustard (gluten-free)
• Freshly ground sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 10 cups of mesclun salad mix
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta
• 1 cup of pomegranate seeds

For the vinaigrette, combine the juice, molasses, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk.  To make the salad, combine the greens and the apple in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette and mix.  Divide the dressed greens among eight salad dishes. Top with the crumbled feta and the pomegranate seeds.  Spoon some more of the vinaigrette over each portion, and you're ready to go.
In Lebanese cuisine pomegranate seeds are sprinkled on bowls of leban (yogurt) and on hummus bi tahini, chickpeas with sesame seed paste, andbaba ghanouz, tahini with eggplant. There is also a popular pomegrante drink - Americans would call it a "mocktail."  Combine the following ingredients in a pitcher and serve over ice:

• 2 1/2 cups fresh pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, Meyers preferred when you can get them
• 1 teaspoon orange-blossom water*
• honey or sugar to taste
• 4 cups mineral water

* Orange blossom water and rose-water are used frequently in Middle Eastern cooking.  It may be a bit of an acquired taste.  Hard for me to tell since I grew up with it.  However, I can give you a good budget tip.  If you have a Mediterranean or Indian grocer near you, these waters will be half or even one-third the price of the same product in other stores.  And, a beauty tip: rose-water makes a great and very soothing toner for mature skin.
For the holidays, drop a few pomegranate seeds in glasses of champagne for the grown-ups and sparkling apple juice for the kids and watch with delight as the lovely garnet gems dance.  Or for the kids a soda with grenadine. Grenadine is a sweet syrup made from pomegranates and something with which most people are familiar since it is often used in mixed drinks. Most of  my generation got introduced to it as kids in Shirley Temple and Roy Rodger drinks, ginger ale and grenadine on ice.  They might be fun drinks for your kids during holiday season, but probably need to be renamed.  Maybe Hanna Montana and Spider Man, or something like that.
Enjoy fresh pomegranate now. The season will pass quickly.

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

PACKAGED SOUPS, Portable and Palatable

If you are looking for something you can keep in your desk for a quick gluten-free fix on cold winter days, this is it. Rather like ramen noodle soups but lighter with much less salt and fat and a lot more real flavor, they cook up in a microwave in less than three minutes.  You just need to have a bowl.  The price is right too. Our local store carries them for 99 cents. They come in four flavors. If you make them up at home, you can add some leftover meats or tofu and/or some veggies.


Thai Kitchen offers quite a few products that are gluten-free and make life a bit easier when you are on the run. There are some good recipes on their site as well.

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 


Wondering what to do with your left-over Thanksgiving turkey. Try our Turkey Poule.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE, Streusel-topped

Streusel-topped Pumpkin Cheesecake

Twelve Servings

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

The Ginger-Pecan Crust:

1 1/4 c gluten-free gingersnap cookies

1/4 c granulated sugar

½ c finely chopped pecans

4 T unsalted butter, melted

Mix all four ingredients well and pour into the bottom of a nine-inch, non-stick spring-form pan.  Using the back of a tablespoon, pat the crust down firmly.  Bake for ten minutes. Remove the pan and place it on a cookie tray.  Leave the oven on.

The Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

4 pkgs. 8oz. Philadelphia-brand bar cream cheese, leave out of the refrigerator to soften

1 1/4 c granulated sugar

3 T Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all purpose flout

1 c canned pumpkin puree

½ t each ground nutmeg
 and ground cinnamon

¼  t each ground cloves and powdered ginger

1 T gluten-free vanilla extract

½ t salt

4 large eggs at room temperature

Beat the cream cheese and sugar on the lowest setting of an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth.  Slowly incorporate the flour being careful not to over do it.  Add the puree, spices, vanilla and salt and mix gently until smooth.  Incorporate the eggs one at a time.

Pour the cheesecake mixture into the pan on top of the crust.  Place in the center of the oven on the cookie tray and reduce the heat to 300 degrees after you close the oven door.  Do not open the oven after this until the cheesecake is done.  Bake for 45 minutes at 300 degrees and then turn off the oven, leaving the cake in it for two hours. Again, be sure not to open the oven.

After two hours, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool complete.  When it is completely cool, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least four-to-five hours, but overnight is best. When ready to serve prepare the streusel.

The Streusel Topping:

1 ½ c finely chopped pecans

6 T ice cold butter

¼ t each cinnamon and powdered ginger

Put the sugar and butter in a bowl and with a fork mash it working it until it looks like meal.  Add the pecans and toss.  Add the cinnamon and ginger and toss.  To serve, remove the outer ring of the spring-from the cheesecake.  Gently spread the streusel over the top.

Optional:  Create a decorative edge with home-made whipped cream and, about an inch apart, place pecan halves, plain or sugared. (As an alternative to home-made whipped cream, there is a soy whipped cream with a corn-based malto dextrin that would be okay for people with Celiac Disease.  As always, read the label.)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

… AND FOR THOSE WHO DON’T CELEBRATE, MAY YOU STILL HAVE MUCH FOR WHICH TO BE GRATEFUL.

A gluten-free holiday recipe.

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

CHEESE RECALL, U.S.A. - Denver, CO

Denver - State health department officials are warning consumers who purchased Mauri Gorgonzola cheese with sell by dates January 13, 2011, and January 14, 2011, that the product has been recalled by the distributor, DPI Specialty Foods of Tualatin, Ore., because E. coli O157:H7 was found in an unopened package tested at the state health department's laboratory.

When notified of the positive result on Wednesday, the company immediately recalled the cheese.

The cheese was distributed only to Costco stores in Colorado. Mauri Gorgonzola cheese is packaged in clear plastic in approximately 1 lb. wedges. The recalled cheese can be identified by the following information contained on a white sticker on the package: "DISTRIBUTED BY DPI Specialty Foods Tualatin, OR, ITALY 34449" with sell by dates of "01/13/11" or "01/14/11." The Costco item number is 34449.

Consumers who have any of this cheese should not eat it. They should return it to the place of purchase or dispose of it in a closed plastic bag and place it in a sealed trash can to prevent people or animals, including wild animals, from eating the product.

Colorado and several other state health departments, the CDC, and the FDA have been investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections among people who sampled or purchased cheeses that were part of a "Cheese Road Show" at Costco stores Oct. 14-17.

The gorgonzola cheese was tested as part of this outbreak investigation. However, the DNA fingerprint of this cheese does not match the outbreak strain and appears to be a separate incident. To date, no illnesses associated with this gorgonzola cheese have been identified; however, consumers are cautioned not to eat this cheese.

Most people infected with E. coli O157:H7 develop diarrhea and abdominal cramps, but some illnesses may last longer and can be more severe. While most people recover within a week, some may develop a severe infection. Rarely, a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome can occur (as symptoms of diarrhea improve); this can happen at any age but is most common in children under 5 years old and in older adults. People with hemolytic uremic syndrome should be hospitalized immediately, as their kidneys may stop working and they may be at risk for other serious health problems.

State health officials urged individuals experiencing signs or symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 to immediately contact their health care provider. Health care providers also should immediately report any suspected infection to state or local public health authorities.

Costco has removed the cheese from its stores and using card purchase records, has notified consumers by phone of the situation.

Consumers with questions may contact DPI Specialty Foods at 1-800-597-3876.

ARTICHOKE CHEESE SQUARES, retro '80s - great holiday potluck or canape

This is a quick, easy, moderately priced dish that lends itself well to holiday potlucks, company canapes, and is easily portable and packable lunches. It also uses standard staples that you may have in your kitchen for quick fixing when necessary or desired.

2-6 1/2 oz. jars of marinated artichoke hearts
3/4 cups white onion, small dice
2 stripes of gluten-free bacon (crumbled) or 1/4 cup gluten free ham (minced)
1/4 gluten-free breadcrumbs
4 large omega-three eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon gluten-free Italian seasoning (try Penzey's)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, best quality you can afford
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed and chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce*
Salt and Pepper to taste

Drain the marinating liquid from the jars of artichokes. Pour it into a saute pan and saute the onion and garlic in it. Cool.

When the onions and garlic are cool. Mix them together with the rest of the ingredients and poor into a greased pan, 11" x 7".  Bake for half-an-hour in an 325 degree F oven that has been preheated for at least fifteen minutes. It should be firm, but don't let it dry out.  Cool. Cut into squares and serve cold or at room temperature.

*Originally this recipe called for Worcestershire Sauce, which is made with malt vinegar. Malt vinegar is made from barley and therefor unsuitable for people with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.  Since Worcestershire Sauce is made with anchovy, we thought Asian Fish Sauce might be a reasonable substitute. We found Thai Kitchen has a number of gluten-free products that are marked as such.

A gluten-free holiday recipe.

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

MAC AND CHEESE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH (via Buttercup600s Blog)

This recipe (below) from our Awesome in Australia blogger-poet friend, Amanda, at Buttercup600. Recommend her site. It's rich in music, art, poetry, and good food . . . what more could you want?

This recipe is reminiscent of the pumpkin and butternut squash ravioli that old friends in Brooklyn used to make . . . but it's a lot easier to prepare. For my wheat-and-gluten free version I substituted the following:
- Pacific Natural Foods Free-Range Chicken Broth, gluten-free
- Organic Valley Milk, gluten-free
-Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Flour, wheat-and-gluten free
- Mi-Del Gluten-free ginger snaps, wheat-and-gluten free (but not manufactured in a dedicated facility)
- and Trader Joe's brown rice pasta.
Perfectly wonderful. Try it. Thanks, Amanda.

Amanda's Mac and Cheese with Butternut Squash follows:

Butternut squash is one of my favorite ingredients to work with during the fall and winter because it just exudes a sweet, hearty, warmth. When it’s roasted, all the sugars caramelize and the flavor of the squash is intensified. Pair it with the other star ingredient in this dish, the aged Gouda, and we have ourselves a sweet-and-savory home run! The technique to making this dish is pretty standard as far as mac and cheese goes. After sautéing th … Read More

PRODUCT RECALLS, possible Salmonella contamination

Orval Kent announced today that it is voluntarily recalling 23 products as a precautionary measure because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The Orval Kent products are being recalled because they contain fresh cilantro produced and distributed by EpicVeg, Inc. of Lompoc, CA.  Epic Veg, Inc. issued the notice to recall one lot of cilantro with the UPC code 033383801049 and lot 6127R on November 3, 2010. This lot of cilantro has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella EpicVeg, Inc. distributed the cilantro to Field Fresh Foods, a produce supplier to Orval Kent.

Consumers who have recently purchased the items listed below should not consume this product and should return it to the store of purchase for a full refund or replacement.

Salmonella is a common foodborne pathogen that can cause severe illnesses, including fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.  While most individuals recover in three to five days without medical intervention, the infection can be life-threatening to young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.  Consumers with any of these symptoms should call their physician.  For more information on Salmonella, please visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.

Orval Kent products affected total 43,814 lb. The recalled products were distributed at retail stores nationwide.

Consumer Contact Information:
Consumers with questions may contact Orval Kent at 800-544-1246 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Central Standard time.  Recall Coordinator Bill Schwartz, email address william.schwartz@orvalkent.com.

There have been no reports of illness to date in connection with the items listed below.

UPC	Item	Use By
7945388187	Bistro 28 Cranberry Mango Pico de Gallo	12/12/2010 BJJIDJ
7978185105	CA Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad	11/24/2010 BJJGAG
7978191705	CA Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad	11/25/2010 BJJGAH
7978185105	CA Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad	11/27/2010 BJJGHG
7978185105	CA Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad	12/1/2010 BJJIGE
7978191705	CA Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad	12/2/2010 BJJIGD
7978191705	CA Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad	12/2/2010 BKKOGD
77509663208	Chef Solutions Mexican 5 Layer Dip 12 oz.	12/11/2010 BJJGFG
1345435529	Fish House Foods Ceviche 5 lb.	10/30/2010 BJJIAC
1345435529	Fish House Foods Ceviche 5 lb.	12/7/2010 BJJIAC
1345435800	Fish House Foods Fajita Chicken Salad Kit 1 lb.	1/28/2011 BJJFHD
1345435800	Fish House Foods Fajita Chicken Salad Kit 1 lb.	2/4/2011 BJJJEC
1345437117	Fish House Foods SW Fajita Bean Salad w Chk	11/21/2010 BJJGAI
1345435301	Fry's Krab Ceviche Fry 12 oz.	12/9/2010 BJJHJC
1345435574	Orval Kent Chipotle Chicken Pasta Kit	1/2/2011 BJJFHH
7945330215	Orval Kent Cilantro Pecan Dip 8 oz.	12/1/2010 BJJHDD
36420	Trader Joe's Cilantro Dressing 12 oz	2/9/2011 BJJFFA
76986	Trader Joe's Cilantro Pecan Dip 7 oz	11/20/2010 BJJGHC
	(West Coast Stores Only)	11/24/2010 BJJIH
80947	Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette 12 oz	1/9/2011 BJJFFD

ELDER KITCHEN, wisdom for all ages

Photograph taken at the local farmers' market (summer 2009) before the camera died.  

"When cooking is thought of as a matter of indifferently opening cans or laboriously preparing complicated conglomerations, it becomes either boring on the one hand, or exhausting on the other.  When, however, it is appreciated as the delicate art of choosing and preparing natural foods in such a way that their life-giving qualities are unharmed and so that they are pleasing to the eye and refreshing and delightful to the palate, then cooking becomes a joy."
Rudolph Ballentine, M.D., Diet & Nutrition, A Holistic Approach

"Should I try to bring up to date my grandmother's recipe for Boiled Dressing or Addie's Sister's Pickles?  And if so, why?  Yes, this is a strange confrontation, partly with my own past, and the recipes will prove it, no matter how grudgingly or triumphantly."
M.F.K. Fisher quoted by Joan Reardon, Poet of the Appetites, The Lives and Loves of J.F.K Fisher

I use the term "elder" rather than "senior". Senior to me implies that we've managed to survive for a certain number of years and have arrived at a socially-sanctioned "retirement" age. Elder to me implies that not only have we survived, but we have learned something along the way, gathered some wisdom along with years.


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Oh, the challenges of the Elder Kitchen: between the allergies and the reflux, the low fat and the high fiber, the low salt and high antioxidant . . . not to mention complex carbohydrates.  Hardest of all are the prohibitions against sweets and the constraints of portion size, kitchen space, and food budget. We may have  to learn to eat alone.  We do have to avoid pre-fab food and chemical additives.  We shop at new places and in new ways, like using on-line resources for special products. We thought cooking for our kids was hard.  Except for those whose kids have allergies, it was all rather simple back then. Of course, some of us never did the cooking – our spouses did – and now in our sixties or seventies - we may have sadly lost them and we’re playing kitchen catch-up.
Despite the challenges of Elder Kitchen, I’ve ended up having a great time experimenting and discovering, shopping for and cooking and eating many wonderful, sometimes even memorable - though modified - meals. It came to a head for me with the discovery that I have Celiac Disease.  I decided I’d just have to dig into it in the spirit of adventure. I think it was a Clint Eastwood character that quipped in one movie “It’s not a job.  It’s a mission.”  That pretty much sums it up for the Elder Kitchen, or anybody's healthy kitchen. It's a mission.  It takes dedication.

In the kitchen and out, one of the many great advantages of my life is a rich family background that includes a diverse mix of racial, ethnic, and religious origins. I believe that makes our family quintessential examples of the great American experiment, which among other things expresses itself in the delectable diversity of cuisines and traditional feast-day foods.   Additionally, having lived on both coasts, I’ve been exposed to a variety of cuisines right in the ethnically heterogeneous neighborhoods in which we've lived. I would be remiss if I didn’t remember those many friends, neighbors, and business associates who have generously over time introduced me to their cultures through the sharing of foods, particularly through traditional holiday events or religious feast days. In the documentary Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama, the Dalai Lama says that the path to world peace is through festivals.  I don’t think it’s that simple, and I don’t think he does either.  But it couldn’t hurt.  It’s hard to look at someone as “other” when you’ve  broken bread together or shared a bowl of rice.

Among the wonderful things other cuisines can teach us about cooking is that there are many different ways to combine foods and to flavor them.  Many of us in the States are so deadened to flavor by the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) that if food isn’t laced with fat, salt and sugar, we think it lacks flavor and richness.  We feel deprived.  But many cuisines use aromatics to enhance flavor, vegetables and sometimes spices sautéed at the start of the cooking process. Examples of the use of aromatics are the New Orleans Trinity (onions, peppers and celery) and the French mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery).   Iranian's set an example with their prodigious and creative use of raw herbs.  Indians often fry spices in a pan as a start to food preparation.  Other cuisines teach us that we can expand the flavor base of a dish and improve complexity by changing the oils used for cooking and dressing.  Toasted sesame oil will lend a very different scent and flavor from that of olive oil. Some European, Asian, and Middle Eastern dishes include fruit in savory dishes in a manner we tend not to do in the S.A.D. Often, those cuisines are not as heavily meat and fat based.  We may learn from other cuisines to prepare vegetables with imagination in dishes that result in complex and nuanced flavor and scent without excesses of salt, sugar and fat.

Modifying old standards is just one way to go in adjusting to new dietary constraints, and it's not always the best way. Another is to learn new ways to cook and flavor and to prepare and eat fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains that we haven't tried before.  When I learned I had to eliminate wheat and gluten from my diet, I could no longer grab a bagel at the coffee shop in the morning or take-out Chinese dinner or a pasta dish on the way home from work. I learned to substitute a piece of raw fruit or some raw vegetables.  I transitioned from corporate fast food to Mother Nature's fast food.  Not a bad thing on many levels. It’s budget wise, waist trimming, high fiber, and cholesterol free. It’s a nutrient and enzyme rich way to go. It precludes the consumption of chemical additives. It’s easily portable. What more could I ask for? In the end, I find there are so many unexpected advantages that derive from the constraints of the Elder Kitchen. One day I woke up and realized if I had transitioned to Elder Kitchen when I was in my twenties, I might not be in such bad shape now. Something to think about, eh?

Here's to your health . . .

Actual product ingredients may be other than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read package labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product.