December 26, 2011: Good Masters All

I will be getting back to the Asian recipes real soon. I’m not quite Christmased out, just yet. By the way, this it the third Christmas I’ve had to spend away from my family (and even friends, this year) and as such, the blog has been a great comfort, so thank you, kind reader.

Today is the day of my patron saint, Stephen. It is also called “Boxing Day” in England, as it was the custom there to give servants a “Christmas Box’ on this day. This has always sounded rather elitist to me, as in “Jeeves, you did a smashing job with the roast goose yesterday, slaving all day making sure each and every one of our needs were met…here, take this box.” I’m hoping that there was always something pretty amazing in that box, like a month-long getaway to the Bahamas or at least a really, really good tip.

Today was also called “The Day of the Wren” yet another odd (and old) English custom was to hunt a wren down this day, and kill it. The first kid to do so, got a prize. Boy. Rewarding children’s cruelty to animals.The “reason” or rather, I should say, the connection is that St. Stephen, captured by soldiers in Scandinavia, was about to make his escape, but a wren made some noise and woke the soldiers up and they killed Stephen. Mmmmm…I guess you have to be British for that tradition to make sense.

Yet another Christmas connection is that this is the day, that in the Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslaus” he “looked out” and is a good day to talk about a rather obscure Christmas theme that I see coming up in Christmas literature and songs, that of “Good Masters.” Now, I’m not talking about the golf tournament, I’m talking about people who have authority and treat workers well.

One of the most popular Christmas stories that concern “Good Masters” is “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. In that story, the ghosts all try to convince Scrooge that he could be much better to the Cratchit family, the father of which, is Scrooge’s clerk. The saddest part of this story is that Scrooge had an ideal Master in his youth, the character of Fezziwig, whose example should have set Scrooge on his own path of being a Good Master, but Scrooge, initially, rejects this fine example. We only see Fezziwig just as he finishes his workday, but one gets the impression that he works as hard as he plays…and he plays hard. Wrapping up work as fast as they can on Christmas Eve, Fezziwig and Scrooge set up for music, dances, food and games for the company’s family and sundry visitors. Fezziwig is generous, playful, loving, funny and just full of life! Scrooge himself defends his former boss, for when the Ghost of Christmas Past calls Fezziwig’s efforts “a small matter” for spending a few pounds on the party, Scrooge retorts:

“It isn’t that, Spirit. He has the power to make us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words an looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ’em up: what then? The happiness he gives is as great as it cost a fortune.”

Scrooge is already on his way to being a Good Master. He just needed the example put before him once again. By the end of the story, Scrooge is finally proclaimed “…as good a friend, as a good a master, and as good as a man, as the good old city knew…”

Good King Wenceslaus (and if you’ve never heard the carol before, you may find the lyrics here) was a real person and from all accounts was good…he just wasn’t a king (at least not when he was alive.) Wenceslaus was Duke of Bohemia from 921 until his murder in 935. Because he was devout and pious Catholic, a decent ruler, and an all-around stand up guy, the church increased his status to king right about the same time they made him a saint. Oh…and the person that murdered him…was his own brother: Boleslav, “the Cruel.” Boleslav may have gotten to be the next Duke, but Wenceslaus is elevated to not only king, but saint; is called “Good” and has people sing a song of praise about him, hundreds of years later. Boleslav is called “Cruel” and has spiraled from obscurity to the level of hell fratricides go to. He and Cain can commiserate.

In the carol, Wenceslaus notices a poor subject and pities his hard plight in terrible weather and seeks to comfort him with a warm meal and drink. Wenceslaus is adamant in helping the man, despite the weather. In his efforts, he forgets his young page who is suffering from the cold. Wenceslaus then shields his page with his own body to protect him. Noticing, pity, seeking to comfort, shielding, protecting…these are the qualities of a Good Master!

I’ve had my share of good and bad masters over the years. The good ones inspire me. The bad ones…well…I can only shake my head. I tease my current boss that he is like Fezziwig, if Fezziwig were a wise-ass! That’s just my way of telling him that I think he is good man and interesting as well!

So, in review: Don’t harm little birds (despite tradition.) For pity’s sake, don’t harm your brother!!!! Do all you can to be a Good Master. You will set an example that just may reverberate further than you know.

Remember what the carol says:  “Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.”

December 25, 2011: Yule Log

My Yule Log [an oak log from the recent storm, decorated with ribbons, English Ivy, & Bittersweet] after a very nice (vegetarian) Christmas repast:

• Stuffing: Wheat Bread with Soryizo (meatless soy Chorizo); Apples, Crasins, Walnuts, Onion, Sage, Fresh Thyme & Veggie Broth.
• Baked Potato: Crusted with Butter, Sal de Mer, and Herbs de Provence
• Tofurkey: Baked with Butter and Crasins
• Acorn Squash: Basted with Butter, and French Thyme
• Béchamel: Infused with Tarragon and Ground Pepper

After dinner, I lit the Yule Log in the chimenea out on the deck and had it with a mug of warm mulled wine and probably the best cigar I’ve ever had (the perfect size; undertones of chocolate.) In anticipation of Peppermint-Stick Ice Cream for dessert.

“Fiercest heat-giver of all is green oak…” [from “The Death of Fergus Mac Leide”]

Merry Christmas World of Okonomy Readers!

December 25, 2011: Drops of Water on Stone; Fruitcake Vindicated

Yeah, I know there’s a lot of you that profess to have fruitcake-hate. It’s almost a Christmas cliché to hate fruitcake. I have a couple of theories about this, but it is almost impossible to resolve most of these because when I start to talk to people about fruitcake, I usually get shut right down with a “Nope…fruitcake is not for me. Don’t like it. Never have. Never will.”

And before I go on…yes, I know there are more important things to address this Christmas. I’ll do “World Peace” or some other worthy issue some other Christmas, but today…please indulge me.

I have never lied to you, dear readers, and never will. I am officially coming out as a fruitcake lover!!! OK, my own peculiar infatuation aside, would someone please tell me: what the hell is there not to like about fruitcake!!!? C’mon folks, really? You’ve got dried fruit. What’s wrong with that? You’ve got nuts. Everyone likes nuts. And you’ve got cake. Who hates cake? Plus, you can soak fruitcake in brandy or a nice bourbon and it just improves the whole mélange of tastes.

Admittedly, fruitcake is, for me, a comfort food. Every year, some business associate would send a fruitcake to my father, just before Christmas. When it arrived, each year, I would start salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs. We had a family injunction against opening the fruitcake, but scamp that I was, I often opened it up anyway and blamed it on one of my siblings. I just couldn’t get my fix fast enough. Also, that fruitcake was the harbinger of the whole Christmas season, so I associated fruitcake with that ramping up of excitement for the main event of  the year in our house: Christmas.

OK, but that’s me. What about the rest of you? Well, one of my theories is that there must be some really awful fruitcakes out there somewhere. One thing that certainly doesn’t help is the addition of citron in most fruitcakes. I’m not sure who had the bright idea of adding dried citron to fruitcakes, but I personally blame this person for the downfall for what could be the perfect treat, fruitcake could be. Citron is the fruit of an Asian citrus tree. The fruit is similar to a lemon, but all I can tell you is that dried citron is bitter! Fruitcake makers have gotten wise to this and have reduced the amount of citron they put in. As a child, I used to pick out the citron in each piece for a more perfect fruitcake.

The other theory I have is that people are caving into popular opinion and just say they hate fruitcake…and I have the evidence to support this:  For the last five years I have gone to bat for my beloved fruitcake. Each year, I have walked up to the bakery section of my local grocery store and firmly, but politely asked why they don’t stock fruitcake. The standard reply was “No one likes it” to which I would reply “Well, I do, and I don’t believe I’m alone on this, so please order some next year.” It took five years, but I can be very stubborn and I was on a quest. Like drops of water wearing down stone, my resolve finally got results. Lo and behold, this year, I was pleased and surprised to see it stocked! In a return visit to purchase more, I ended talking to the person that ordered fruitcake to thank her. I noticed there was only four left on Christmas Eve and I asked her how many she had ordered. “Forty-eight” was the answer. I bought two. So, in my close perimeter, that makes forty-two other fruitcake lovers!!!

I have one young friend who has told me that she would never ever taste fruitcake again and that she loves all kinds of food! It made me sad that there are people of the next generation who may not have a fruitcake appreciation. I asked her when she first tried it and it turned out that she had it when she was very young, so maybe fruitcake may not be a good treat for the very young.

If you have ever had a bad fruitcake experience, do me  a favor: try to give it another shot. You just might be surprised. And, if you are one of those who say you don’t like fruitcake, just sneak it on the sly. I won’t tell. Promise. It’ll be our little secret.

December 22, 2011: Christmas Bark

This is a treat I used to make my students at Christmas. I used to put pieces of Christmas Bark in small plastic bags with a Christmas quote of some sort attached to the tie sealing the bag. Then I put the whole bag into a Christmas coffee mug. I used to enjoy this making Christmas Bark and I do miss the tradition. It’s pretty easy to make and has generated a lot of fans over the years.

Christmas Bark:  Toast @ 325°F 1C. whole Pecans and 2C. whole Walnuts on a cookie sheet covered in parchment for about 20 minutes, turning often. Cool and coarsely chop. Also chop 1C. Craisings (or you could substitute Dried Cherries.) On a double-boiler, over medium heat, melt 7C. semi-sweet chocolate chips. When chocolate is melted, add nuts and craisins and stir until both are coated with chocolate. On a 10″ X 15″cookie sheet, covered with parchment, pour the chocolate mixture and use spoon to level. Cool at room temperature and then further cool in fridge. Chocolate will harden in about 30 minutes. Break, by hands (covered with rubber gloves to keep both you and the chocolate clean, but also to insulate the chocolate from your hands’ warmth) into chunks and bag. Use the tines of a fork to break the tougher pieces. Keep all pieces that you are not working on breaking, in the fridge, as your hands will start to melt the chocolate if it is at room temperature.

Simple. Tasty. Quickly made. An original Christmas treat!

December 21, 2011: Pearl Onions in Bechamel

I made my regular visit to the reduced section of the produce department the other day, and I was pleased that they were practically throwing away pearl onions, so I decided to make one of my favorite dishes I associate having at the holidays: boiled pearl onions in a béchamel sauce. If you’ve never had pearl onions, they are white baby onions the size of small and large marbles. Boiled until tender, they are tucked in this velvety cream sauce that is infused with spices. A comfort food if there ever was one!

First you need to skin the onions. This can take a while as the young onions hold their skins close to their delicious insides. I had about a pound of onions and it took me about half an hour to skin them all. With a very sharp knife, nip off the tops and carefully peel skins away.Rinse, and immerse into boiling water (2 Qts.+2 Tblsp. of sal de mer) for about 20-30 minutes until the largest onion is easily pieced with a fork. Drain. While onions are boiling, prepare the Béchamel Sauce.

Béchamel Sauce:  In a pan over medium heat, melt 3 Tblps. butter. Add 3 Tblsp. white flour and whisk until bubbly. Heat for another two minutes (careful not to burn the butter.) Still whisking, add 1/2C. veggie broth (or chicken broth, if you like) plus 1C. milk. Continue whisking until the Béchamel thickens. Add 1/2 Teasp. fine sal de mer, a few grinds of pepper and 1/2 Teasp. Herbs de Provence. If Béchamel is too thick, add a bit more stock. Pour over drained onions. Serve.

Yummy!

December 09, 2011: Sleepy Concerns

I’ve been a sporadic insomniac for just about forever. The combination of being of an extremely light sleeper (critters rummaging amongst leaves below my window will wake me up) coupled with being a very vivid dreamer makes for a rather broken sleep cycle. Any added stress doesn’t help. The tricky thing about insomnia is that you never know when it will strike, but Murphy’s Law assures that you will get a bout when you can least afford it!

A caveat here: I AM NOT A DOCTOR! These are things I have found to be generally true and certainly help ME, but if you have a sleeping condition, please see a doctor for help. I was amazed that while doing research for this article, that there are things I’ve always considered innocuous, but can be harmful to some people. For instance chamomile is part of the daisy family and can really mess you up if you have a daisy allergy!

The good news is that there are a few things that can help a regular sleep cycle. The bad news is that it may involve a change of behavior (but in a good way.) It is not a small coincidence that just about all these rules revolve around a healthy life style and a fair dose of common sense. It’s nothing you’ve haven’t heard before: exercise regularly, eat no or lean meats and more veggies, avoid excesses of: sugar, white flour, alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, drugs of all sorts..oh…and food! Try to regulate your sleep schedule, so that you go to bed at the same time each night. Blah, blah, blah…like I said: it’s the old song and dance. Trouble is: I do ALL of these things and STILL have the occasional bout of insomnia!

So, my tweaks: first is a Zen approach to the whole event. Nothing is worse that the insomniac’s worry “If I don’t fall asleep soon, I won’t have enough sleep to function the next day.” Honestly, this is torture, but this added stress does nothing for the problem. I literally can’t count the nights I’ve gone without sleep, and while it certainly is not comfortable, you can do more than you think you are able without sleep. So first: LET GO of the problem (as best as you can) and find a way to distract yourself. Reading helps me, but I have learned to stay away from the very interesting, active plot-lines. Philosophy, for instance, puts me right out! I love movies, but they are too stimulating for purposes of rest.

I started this article with the idea of finding a food panacea for insomnia. Most authorities recommend a high-carb diet within four hours of sleeping. Carbs are said to increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter that reduces stress and promotes rest. So, a PB&J sandwich, pasta, oatmeal cookie and milk. Yep, generations of pre-school teachers knew what they were doing feeding kids cookies and milk before nap time! I find a warm drink helps, so my warm milk and freshly ground nutmeg is my “go-to” cure. It’s said to have tryptophan (another stress-reducer) but I believe it has more to do with the action and habit of a participating in a mundane chore. The same with making tea. Teas with herbs like chamomile, valerian, lavender, and lemon balm are said to help digestion and relax muscles.

Pets can help too: there is nothing so Zen and ready for a nap than a cat, and I have a friend who uses his two large German Shepherds like huge, cozy, hot-water bottles! Having no pets, I have to look to my inanimate buddy, pictured above, for an example. “Sleepy” was my crib-mate from my first days. He’s lost his closed lashes that earned him his name, and has had all the stuffing loved outta him a long while back, but he still has that relaxed demeanor that with one look, just as in childhood…lulls me off to the Land of Nod.

C’mon Sleepy. It’s been a long day. Off we go.

December 07, 2011: Asparagus in Tofu Skins

Last spring, I started a series of recipes with asparagus. I was trying for a trilogy of original recipes, but I got to only two, before I got distracted by other ideas for the blog. The great thing about modern foods is that you can easily get asparagus (for a bit more money) in fall as well as spring!

A while ago, Yoshio gave me a package of tofu skins and I have been thinking of how I could best use them, and I came up with asparagus wrapped in tofu skins. If you’ve never had them, tofu skins are a product of dehydrated soy milk that are in thin sheets, like paper. Be aware that these sheets are very fragile. Handle with care or you will have a pile of tofu crumbs (which are not bad as a healthy snack.)

You need to reconstitute the tofu skins. Add three sheets of tofu skins at a time to a shallow pan of: 1C. hot H2O, 1 C. hot veggie broth, 1Tblsp. each of shoyu and rice vinegar and 1/2Tblsp. mirin. When the skins are soft, put on a plate or between paper towels to drain. Meanwhile, remove ends and boil asparagus in salted H2O for about 2 minutes. Immediately drain and immerse asparagus in cold H2O and drain. [You may want to trim ragged ends of tofu skins as you do the next step to make a neater wrap.] Tightly wrap each asparagus in a tofu skin and cut at 60° (you will get two pieces per asparagus.) Top with black sesame. Have dipping sauce as a side.

Dipping Sauce: 1 Tblsp. each of shoyu, rice vinegar and 1/2Tblsp. mirin

These make a slightly unusual, but a very healthy hors d’oeuvre!