One of the fun things about shopping at the local farmers market is discovering new things. At first glance, it looks like there are a lot of apples, cheeses, breads, and some meat. However, if you look carefully at each stand and examine the names of the fruits and vegetables, you see that there are vegetables you have never tried, apple strains you have never heard of, and herbs that you thought only grew in other places.
I did not quite know what I was going to eat for lunch the other day. I had just gotten back from Italy and was excited to eat some home-cooked veggies. I love Italian food, but I had been in pasta overload, and was missing some fresh vegetables. I found some beautiful sunchokes and smoked trout, and was trying to figure out the best way to use them in something light and healthy. Then I cam across some Crosnes. It looked like a crate full of little white worms, something that you would go to the doctor to get out of your system. But I was intrigued. I asked the women what they were, and they described them as small little tubers. I love tubers: sweet potatoes, yucca, taro, potatoes of all shapes and sizes, sunchokes- well, why not try another one? I took them home and looked them up online. It turns out that they are native to China, but the French imported them in the late 19th century, and they got their name from a town in their adoptive country.
They are small little tan tubers, and combined with smoked trout and sunchokes, I knew that I would need some color on my plate. I decided to jazz up my salad with some grated carrots, cilantro and thinly sliced watermelon radish. In the end I had a gorgeous salad that looked like a party on my plate.
Anyway, the point of this entry is to say that I had never had Crosnes before, and had no idea what they were before a week ago. But I bought them and tried them, and now my world is just a little bit bigger. So go to the markets, read all the signs and find something new to try. Do not be afraid!

I am back from Rome, and ready to dive back into work. I hope to translate what I ate while away back into some healthy recipes for everyone who cooks along with us. One of my favorite meals was one of our simplest. We went to a Salumeria in the southern neighborhood of Testacchio to get some cheeses, cured meats, and bread. We got a Pecorino Sardo (Sardo means from Sardinia), Taleggio, and Burrata. For those of you who do not know, Burrata is a creamy mozzarella, sort of like unchurned butter in the middle of a mozzarella. This version was stringy cheese mixed in with cream, as in pure heaven. Our lunch was Prosciutto San Daniele, the cheeses, salad with pears, and some anchovies. It was eating the best of Italy- the individual, painstakingly prepared artesinal products- all at once.
Also coming up are some eating guides for Rome, so that you know where to eat the next time you head to the Eternal City.

I have been in Rome for the past week and have been picking up a bunch of restaurant tips for people who might find themselves in the hungry in the "Eternal City". I have roamed (pun intended) around the main viales, narrow vias, and tiny vicolos day in and day out. Before coming I found a Gourmet Collector's Edition on Rome from 2003 and circled all of the places that I wanted to try. I also used a few of my family's trusted guidebooks, but those were not as descriptive or telling. Here are a few of my discoveries on where and how to eat in Rome. There will be more names and addresses to follow.

First, you must try all of the typical Roman pasta dishes. Cacio e Pepe is a simple dish of spaghetti with grated cacio, a local ewe's milk cheese, and black pepper. Amatriciana is a tomato-based pasta sauce with rendered guanciale (cured pork jowl). I have had spaghetti, penne, and rigatoni with this type of sauce and they are all great. Alla Gricia is also made with guanciale but with pecorino romano, and no tomatoes. And of course, carbonara. Carbonara is a heavier sauce of egg yolks and pancetta. It is hard to go wrong by eating one of those dishes, and they all usually come out to be about 8 or 9 euros.

For lunch I really would recommend sticking to panini and pizze if you are on a budget. Rome calls what we would think of to be focaccia "pizza bianca". You can find it "stuffed" with different ingredients and they make great sandwiches for no more than 3 euros. The best one I had was at the famous il Forno in Campo di Fiori. It was strozzaprieti cheese, walnuts, and arugula. Yum.

As for meat dishes, stick to simple things. Saltimbocca a la Romana, meat with sage and ham in a wine sauce is a sure bet. If you want to try some different traditional foods, head down to Testacchio, which lays to the south of the city on the Aventine hill. Besides visiting the Pyramid of Caius Calus and the tombs of Shelly and Keats in the Protestant cemetary, you should definitely make a stop at Checchino dal 1887 for Coda a la Vaccinara. It is an oxtail stew with tomatoes and spices and even some chocolate (apparently).

There is no need to eat dessert in a restaurant in Rome. We have been to many different places and the desserts are always average, yet they are almost always 9 euros (and very small). Instead, go to a gelateria and have an ice cream for about 4 euros. Our favorite of the week was Gelateria dei Gracchi located on the via Gracchi in Prati, a few blocks from the Vatican. It is a hidden parlor, more known to the locals than to tourists, and the flavors are phenomenal. The Ricotta and Pear, Chestnut and Rum, Persimmon, Apple and Cinnamon, Cream of Pinenut, and Date and Fig are ALL to die for.

Next time I will follow up with a short list of my favorite restaurants and shops to buy artisinal goods.
A dopo!

Being in Rome has given me some new perspective on the food situation in the United States. They say that the Jewish food of Rome is the oldest and most authentic, because it has stretched back so many thousands of years. Carciofa a la Giuda (Jewish style Artichokes) is a must-eat dish in Rome and is served in almost every food establishment. What is interesting about Roman Jewish cuisine is that it was born in the Ghetto, and is some of the simplest Italian fare that there is.

Street food in the Ghetto was a necessity. Many people did not even have kitchens, and would have to buy their food from the streets. Most of the food was fried, and just seasoned with salt and lemon.

It almost makes perfect sense right now to see how being strapped to the bare necessities brings out what is really important for nutrition and what is really convenient for preparation, in order to produce a real traditional recipe. I would not go so far to say that the present-day situation in the United States could ever be compared to the misery of life in the Jewish ghetto, where people were only let out between from dawn to dusk, but there is something to be learned from the example.

Lately there has been so much hype in the US about the economic crisis. Newspapers and magazines want to publish stories on “how to eat on a budget”. It seems almost ludicrous to me to look at the way we sensationalize the situation, but never really get down to the bottom of it. Americans are so used to eating whatever they want whenever they want, that we do not come close to having an equivalent to Carciofi a la Giuda. “Experts” say eat locally and seasonally- well that seems obvious to me. We should have been doing that all along. Everywhere else in the world (before the influence of the SAD-Standard American Diet), people eat locally and seasonally because it is the only way to eat. There is nothing else available. Why should we pat ourselves on the back for that concept? It has to be more than that. We cannot try and “invent” a real traditional Fillinyourregionorcity dish; that is superficial and gross.

It will be interesting to see how we come out of this, what foods become important to us, and what we become famous for. If hamburgers and fries symbolize our domination of modern convenience, what will symbolize our economic collapse?

Boy, do I feel stupid. I guess my New York mentality got the best of me today. I wanted to eat at this restaurant in the Piazza Navona, because I read that they specialized in truffle ice cream. That was a bad literal translation that I should have been more aware of. Or maybe I was just in denial. Tartufo is a very common dessert in Italy. It is made of chocolate ice cream layered over a filling of either vanilla ice cream, real chocolate, or candied cherry to form a little rounded mound. The outside is covered in powdered chocolate. It is called “tartufo”, because it resembles truffles, those special delicacies found on logs. Even though I have eaten the dessert tartufo many times in my life, I trucked myself over to the piazza for what I thought would be truffle flavored ice cream. It’s the season, right? Boy did I feel dumb. The waiter proudly set in front of me their specialty of the house- tartufo. A little dome of dark chocolate ice cream with a candied cherry filling covered with roughly chopped chocolate. Ah yes, a 9 Euro treat not nearly resembling the truffle- flavored ice cream that I had hoped to find. I guess in Italy I should only look for truffles on pasta dishes, and not in my desserts.

The other day I made a really delicious stew. No, I mean REALLY delicious stew. I had been thinking about it for a while before I made it, ever since I rediscovered the hyssop that I had bought at Kalustyan's a long time ago. I had read up on the Mediterranean herb and learned that it was often used as a rub for lamb, as it helps with the digestion of fatty meats. And then I saw my first quinces of the season at the Greenmarket- those wonderful fruits so full of mythology. I kept thinking about a lamb stew with quince and hyssop. I wanted to make the stew before I left for Rome, where I am now, so I went to the market early last week to get all of my ingredients.
Partly becuase of the NY Times article on Bill Niman's switch to sustainable goat meat, and partly because there was no lamb, I decided to use goat meat instead. I bought 1 lb of cubes from Patches of Star Goat Dairy and moved on. I wanted to marinate the meat, so I got some garlic, onions, carrots, and celery for my aromatics. And some rosemary and thyme to compliment the hyssop. What would I marinate it in? Red wine did not so like a good pairing with the quince, and white wine did not seem seasonally appropriate for some reason. Then I remembered that I had a bottle of Eve's Cidery Bittersweet in the fridge at home. cider sounded great with quince, as apples and quinces are feminine fruit friends. It also sounded right for the season. Maybe red wine would be better for the deeper Winter months, but not for an October/November stew. I got sweet potato (the Japanese white kind), parsnips, and more carrots for the stew garnish.
Below you will find the approximate recipe, but if you want to make a stew, you can really trust your instincts for the quantities and specifics. That is the whole fun of stew- the personal nuances of flavor that only you can bring out. For now, let me just skip to the end result. The stew was delicious, 98%local, and very Autumnal. It was a repeat times 10. What I really liked about it was that it was sweet, not because of sweetners, but because of the naturally sweet cider, sweet potato, and quiince. Their mellow sweetness further brought out flavors in carrots in parnsips that I had never tasted before. There is a lot of preparation work, but the technique and presentation is a no brainer. Here are the basics for my Goat, Quince and Hyssop Stew:

1 lb goat meat, cubed
1/2 carrot, sliced in large rounds
1/2 onion, large dice
1/2 celery stalk, large chunks
Few sprigs of Rosemary
Few sprigs of thyme
Pinch of hyssop
1 clove garlic
Hard Cider (about 1 cup, enough to cover the meat)
Splash of olive oil or canola oil
Salt and Pepper

Season the meat generously with the salt and pepper. Put it in a medium-large container. Add all of the ingredients, pouring over enough cider to cover the meat, as well as a dash of oil. Marinate for 8 hours or overnight. If you can, turn the meat over in the marinade, to make sure it is all coated well.

For the stew:
2 tablespoons butter or oil or a combination of the two (you will need more, so keep it on hand)
1/2 quince, peeled and cut into medium sized chunks
1/2 carrot, peeled and cut into medium sized chunks
1/2 sweet potato (depending on size), rinsed and cut into med. chunks
1/2 parsnip, same as carrot
Goat meat drained from marinade
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Hard Cider (about 1 1/2 cups)
Rosemary, Thyme, Bay leaf
Pinch of hyssop (about 1 teaspoon)

Heat the butter/oil in a heavy bottomed pot. I love Le Creuset pots for making stews. Every woman must have one in life.
Add the quince, carrot, sweet potato, and parsnip, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they gain some color. Transfer to a plate or bowl.
Toss the goat cubes with the flour and coat evenly.
Heat up more fat in the pot until very hot and add the meat. You only want to add enough meat to cover the bottom of the pan, so that you can brown each side well. Don't poke at it or turn it over too soon, or it won't gain that nice browned edge and create as much flavor for the stew. You can do this in a few rounds. Each time, wipe out the pan and add more fat. You want those little brown specks in the bottom of you pot, because those are caramelized proteins and have a lot of flavor. If you do not wipe out the pot between rounds, those can burn and ruin the overall flavor of the dish. What I do is after each round, I pour off the oil and add a few drops of cider, and quickly scrape up the protein bits (this is called "deglazing"). I pour the liquid over the vegetables or already cooked meat off to the side, and then wipe out the pan to continue cooking the meat. That way you do not waste those extra bits of flavor in between rounds.
Once you have browned all of the meat, deglaze the pot with a drop or two of cider, just enough to wet the bottom. Scrape up the brown bits and then add all of the meat and vegetables back into the pot. Pour in enough cider to just barely cover the ingredients. Add the herbs. Bring the liquid to a bare boil, and then let it simmer quietly for 1- 1/2 hours, or until the meat is falling apart at the touch. Take off the heat and serve with warm crusty bread.
Enjoy your seasonal stew!
This serves 2 people well, with enough for leftovers, but might not be enough for 4 people.

For other recipes using quince, like Quince Jam and Membrillo, check out Simply Recipes.

Lately I have been really into combining chocolate and pomegranate. You will soon see that our Thanksgiving episode (still a secret!) will feature a special dessert that combines the two flavors. But for a more simple preparation, I have been topping my breakfast oatmeal with dark chocolate powder and pomegranate seeds. Usually I would use Valrhona dark chocolate baking powder, which comes in little containers at Whole Foods. Dark baking powder is fat free and low in calories. You only need a scant tablespoons worth, and that might even be too much. Another way you can eat healthy chocolate in the morning is by grinding up the raw cocoa nibs (also known as cacao nuts)in a food processor or spice grinder until they are a fine powder. Neither of these has any sugar in it, mind you.
The reason why dark chocolate is a good idea in the morning is because it contains a chemical called theobromine, which is really good for improving mood. I always feel almost trippy-happy after some raw chocolate. It is also rich in magnesium, which relaxes tense muscles and nerves as well as eases blood flow around the body. Dark chocolate has a slightly bitter taste which is nicely counteracted by the sweet and slightly sour pomegranate seeds. Both are antioxidants, which work to counteract the oxidization of cells. The two of them together on top of high-fiber oatmeal make a great way to start your day. But the bottom line is that it tastes really good and is a pleasure to eat.

We are not sure about you, but we are pretty confused about Sarah Palin's views on sex education. She does not believe in funding explicit sex-education programs, yet at the same time believes that teenagers should learn about condoms. Not only is that message not clear, but she has managed to convince everyone that her daughter's example is one to be emulated. We thought we would do our part for the Governor, and teach the 750,000+ teens that will get pregnant this year how to cook.
Here is our recipe for Healthy Salmon Noodle Casserole for Pregnant Teens, which we hope you enjoy:

Salmon Noodle Casserole

1 box whole grain penne or macaroni
2 portobello mushrooms, medium chop
¼ cup frozen peas or 2 cups loose spinach, kale, or collards
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 can wild Alaskan salmon
¼ cup + 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta in boiling water according to the instructions on the package. Drain and reserve.
Cook the mushrooms and spinach with some olive oil in a sauté pan. Refer to the video for help if necessary.
In a medium sized saucepan, heat up the olive oil. Add the flour and start whisking somewhat vigorously. Keep whisking on medium high heat for about 3 minutes, but not letting the roux (the combination of flour/oil) turn brown. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, whisking as the mixture thickens. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until the liquid has a nice, thick consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the vegetables, pasta, and cheese. Pour into a casserole dish and top with the 4 tablespoons of Parm.
Bake at 350º F for 15 minutes, or until the cheese gains some color.
Remove from heat, and serve.

There are so many sweets and desserts associated with Autumn. Candy apples, apple pie, apple crisp, candy corn, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, sweet potatoes with marshmallows (yuck) - the list of Fall favorites goes on and on. What I find funny about this is that most of the fruits and vegetables used in these dishes are naturally sweet, and yet they are usually prepared with lots of sugar, masking their true identity as nutritional powerhouses. We could get so much nourishment from eating these fruits and vegetables if we just prepared them simply.
Sweet potatoes are the perfect example of this. Even though I have always liked sweet potatoes, they were never a part of my habitual diet. I always associated them with heavy preparations with lots of butter, sugar, and spices. They almost seemed foreign to me. But something changed this Fall, and I have been eating them often. One of the reasons I have been eating them so regularly is because I am trying to cut back on my intake of sugars and sweeteners. Sweet potatoes provide me with natural energy and a sweetness that hits the spot, which makes me not want dessert after my meals. When the weather changes and the leaves turn to their gorgeous hues of orange and red, I always crave warmer things that provide comfort and fill me up heavily. This fall I have not had any cravings for desserts or simple carbs, because the nutritional content of sweet potatoes is providing me with sustainable energy, and their natural sweetness is preventing any needs for finding refined sugar in other places.
Another reason that I have been eating them so regularly is their preparation and texture. I have to admit that I have been a bit boring in how I cook them, because all I ever do is wrap them in foil and bake them (usually at 375° F for 1 hour). Once they are baked, I can mash them up with seasonings and other ingredients, or just cut them into cubes and toss onto my salads. Tonight I added baked cubes to a pot with mustard greens and beans. Their texture is soft and mashable, yet they can hold their shape and get tossed in with other things.
Sweet potatoes are very nutritious. They are filled with vitamin A and C, both water-soluble vitamins that have antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin A is definitely the vitamin for Fall, as it is found in so many of the vegetables in season-squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes are the most obvious examples of this. They are also rich in manganese, copper, fiber, potassium, and iron. Even though these beautiful tubers are native to Central America, they have made their way into the diets of many cultures. Christopher Columbus brought them back to Spain, from where they then went to the Philippines. The Portuguese brought them to Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. I was even surprised to find Japanese sweet potatoes at the farmers market today. They were white and starchy, their texture almost reminding me of yucca.
The bottom line is that we have all of these naturally sweet, yet incredibly nutritious vegetables in season now. My favorite of the moment is the sweet potato, but I encourage you to find your own. And try them without sugar!!!

Our new blogger friend, Marie-Claude, otherwise known as Banette, writes mainly about breads and baked goods on her blog: http://www.bombance.net. Although she is French, she has worked in New York for almost 20 years, and currently divides her time between New York state and Connecticut. One of her recent blogs was about Beltane Farm, where she bought fresh chevre and made a Rustic Tart with Chevre, Rosemary and Lemon. We were not lucky enough to try it ourselves, but it looks delicious! Her blog is in French, so if you would like to brush up on your language skills, it is a great opportunity. If you don't speak French, just enjoy the photos, they are pretty self explanatory!