Sweet Potato Casserole

Over some terribly lousy feijoada at a recent Brazilian festival (the churrasco and capoeira entertainment at least made it worthwhile), my friends commented on my energy level which they had decided was superhuman. I'm assuming the basis for this conclusion would be the seemingly crazy amount of non-work related activities and out-of-town trips I take part in despite a full-time job and a small venture which I'm constantly looking for ways to promote. Yet instead of whining about how tired I am, I'm either making or committing to new plans.

I suppose to some it may seem I'm stretching myself too thin. But while my mind and body are able I like to do what I can and experience all I can so I don't live to have many (or any!) regrets. This is not to say of course that I don't give myself time to relax. Oh, no! This girl needs her me-time too! Because although I wish I had the ability to become invisible or fly at will, unfortunately I don't possess any superhuman powers or stamina. So I pause and take breaks every chance I get. I really look forward to this quiet time alone recharging and regrouping.

I manage to achieve this using different methods - ranging from the most simple like curling up with a good book to a deliciously decadent home-service, 2-hour, full-body massage. Ahh yes, something I reward myself with once a week or every two weeks! A luxury which I'm so glad is made affordable in our country.

And let's not forget the healing power of comfort food. Everyone can use a regular dose of that. Comfort food to me is something that is familiar, uncomplicated, something that triggers happy memories, something that is satisfying not only for your tummy but your soul as well. Comfort food is also rewarding. Like in the case of this simple but super delicious casserole made with my all-time favorite vegetable, the sweet potato! What other vegetable can double as dessert so naturally and perfectly? Aside from being packed with potent anti-oxidants, vitamins, beta-carotene and all that other good stuff that rewards your body, this root crop is super versatile. But this is probably one of my favorite ways of having it. I've tried several sweet potato casserole recipes but this has been my preferred recipe for many years now (allrecipes.com has never failed me yet!). It's deliciously creamy with a crunchy brown sugar/pecan topping. I am greatly comforted and rewarded with every bite. :)

Sweet Potato Casserole
adapted from allrecipes.com

5-6 sweet potatoes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs (or 4 if your eggs are tiny like the ones I get from our organic farmer)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp grd cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tbsps heavy cream

For the topping:
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tbsps all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 deg F (175 deg C).

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake the sweet potatoes for 35 minutes or until they begin to soften. Check softness with a fork. When done, cool slightly then peel and mash with a potato masher.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter,flour, brown sugar,and chopped pecans. Mix until the consistency of course meal. Spread it over the sweet potato mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes or until topping is crisp and lightly browned. Enjoy!

A super special delivery

When my sweet friend D offered to send me a sample basket of her organic produce, I expected, well , just a small sampling. Instead, I woke up to the super generous and colorful bounty you see in the photo above (there's a lot more in the basket you don't see: more potatoes, onions, kalamansi , another head of broccoli, another head of cauliflower, a zucchini and more tomatoes)! Don't they look gorgeous? It made me wish instantly that I didn't have to leave for work that day. I wanted to stay home and admire my lovely present and make delicious things with them. In an ideal world, that's how that special day would have played out, with the time to blog about each and every one of the dishes.

But in reality, I barely had time to arrange the veggies and shoot this photo before I grabbed some breakfast and dressed for work. Since that day though, we've enjoyed the freshness and all-natural goodness of these vegetables in simple dishes such as tortang talong, spanish omelettes, cauliflower au gratin, eggplant parmesan, steamed broccoli in oyster sauce, and tortilla de patata. The super crisp lettuce & juicy tomatoes I take with me to work for a nice lunch salad along with various other toppings, and all the carrots have already gone into the juicer with either oranges, grapefruit, celery and/or cucumber, melon, mango etc. (boy, do I love my fresh juice!!) :)

I'm really enjoying this stash! So much so that I've asked D to put me in her 'system', with an every-other-week order. I'm really loving how accessible all these locally-grown organic fruits (she'll be adding mangoes, papaya and bananas to the next batch:) ) and veggies are becoming, giving busy people like myself the opportunity to support local farmers.

I've also placed an order with another local organic farmer to try, the same one Joey ordered from and who was introduced to us by our dear friend, Katrina. (Thanks, Kat!:)) He delivered his produce this morning, looking just like Joey's in her photo, along with a dozen organic eggs, 2 papayas and one mabolo fruit. :) I can't wait to try everything!

Thank you, dear sweet D, for such a lovely and healthy present! :)

Mixed mushroom couscous

Here's a little break from all the protein I've been featuring from my last trip. This is a recipe that was inspired by BBC's Good Food 101 Veggie Dishes. I needed something new for my office baon (packed lunch), a change from my usual. I was growing a bit tired of grilled chicken (served with our ever-growing collection of condiments in the office), my usual salad brought from home, or any one of our usual take-outs : laing, tawilis or sushi from Conrad's, dimsum, pizza, or KFC. I need baon ideas, people, please take pity on this poor working girl! :)

I saw a recipe with couscous and thought that was just the thing I wanted. I still had half a pack of couscous in my pantry from a recent lamb tajine I made so I used that. I wanted something light, so I turned to my trusty little book of veggie dishes like I always do when I'm feeling "healthy". I settled for this recipe which originally calls for halloumi cheese. Unfortunately I no longer had any of that in my fridge so I made it anyway without the halloumi.

This is an incredibly quick and no-fuss dish. Something you can whip up in the morning while getting ready for work. It's that easy. When lunchtime came around, I had it with a half order of steaming mechado (Filipino beef stew) from the cafeteria and that hit the spot beautifully.

I really love the texture of couscous, I like how the grains feel when mixed with other firmer ingredients. It is also a great vehicle for absorbing and carrying whatever flavors you lay on it. You can have this as a side or as your main meal.

Mixed mushroom couscous
serves 2

3/4 cup couscous
1 cup boiling water
1 green or red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
150 g mixed mushrooms, for this one I used shitake, button and oyster mushrooms
basil and parsley - finely chopped
olive oil
fleur de sel

Pour couscous into the bowl of boiling water and cover with cling film. In the meantime, roast the bell pepper on your stove top then seed and chop when done.

Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and saute until lightly golden. Set aside.

Stir in the chopped bell pepper and herbs with the couscous and season. Spoon onto plates and top with the pan-fried halloumi (if available) and mushrooms. Garnish with the extra herbs and serve.

LP 18: Squash & Shrimp in Coconut Milk

I couldn't resist joining the Lasang Pinoy 18: Oh My Gulay! event. I took one look at the icon (below) and signed up. I mean look at this guy,he's adorable! I wanted to hug him and squeeze him and and call him George. And then I wanted to take him home because I had to have him on my blog.

Lasang Pinoy (lasa meaning taste and Pinoy is slang for Filipino) is a Filipino food blogging event that was launched in Aug. of 2005. Since it's inception, LP has been successful at setting the stage for promoting Filipino cuisine and ingredients native to this country, as well as providing a venue for the sharing of ideas and discoveries related to Filipino food. Though this is my first time to contribute to LP, I have eagerly followed many of the past events and round-ups.

This month's LP is all about vegetables or gulay in our native tongue, and is hosted by Toni of Wifely Steps. For those who aren't familiar with the expression, "Oh my gulay!" is a Taglish (Tagalog+English) version of "Oh my God!", "Oh my gosh!" or "Oh my goodness!". I may be wrong and may be speaking only for myself when I say that I think our Taglish version was born out of the fear of taking the Lord's name in vain. We were always scolded and admonished by our elders when we did, so when shouting it out in front of them, we grab hold of ourselves at the last minute and make that crucial switch to "Oh my G-gulay!!!"

According to Jeffrey Steingarten in The Man Who Ate Everything, we are omnivores by destiny and food aversions are not something we are born with but something that is learned. A food aversion is no different from a phobia or fear which can only be overcome by exposure. The more we are exposed to something at moderate amounts and at regular intervals, the sooner we conquer the aversion. Steingarten asserts that "most babies will accept nearly anything after eight or ten tries." (So don't give up, moms!) I think he is definitely on to something here.

Now I love vegetables big time but I didn't always like kalabasa or squash, in fact I hated it as a kid almost as much as I hated ampalaya (aka bitter gourd, bitter melon or amargoso). And because I was never forced to eat it, I didn't. But you see, when I was growing up I idolized my older sisters. I worshipped the ground they walked on and I wanted to be like them in every way. So I followed them around, mimicking their movements, their fashion sense and their expressions. What I didn't realize was that I was also unconsciously taking on their likes and dislikes.

So when one day I noticed my sister Ginny eating kalabasa during lunch, I did a double-take. But-but we both hated kalabasa!? What is she doing? I was confused and even felt slightly betrayed. Ugh! Now I have to eat kalabasa too!? I barely remember how I liked it the first time because I was pinching my nose throughout the ordeal. On the second try, I had to admit it wasn't half bad. On what was probably my fifth encounter with kalabasa, I could taste the beginnings of an amicable relationship which gradually evolved into a full-blown love affair. Steingarten and those scientists were right! And if it weren't for my crazy sibling idolatry, maybe I still wouldn't be enjoying those creamy pumpkin soups today or those nice roasted butternut squashes, or even this dish below.

This is something I learned to make while still living abroad and craving home-cooked Filipino food. It is a modified version of a recipe I had found online many years ago, and in which I originally used butternut squash. It is not your usual ginataang kalabasa (squash in coconut milk), it has a pinkish hue from the tomato paste and the chili gives it a nice punch. But it's still smooth and creamy and flavorful like mom's. If you like squash and you like things cooked in coconut, I guarantee you will love this.

Squash & Shrimp in Coconut Milk
Ginataang Kalabasa't Hipon

1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tsps brown sugar
2 tsps tomato paste
1 tsp chili flakes
1 can coconut milk (I used Nestle coco evap this time)
2 cups squash, cubed
1/2 kg shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp patis or fish sauce (optional)

Mix together the chicken broth, brown sugar, tomato paste, chili flakes and coconut milk in a saucepan. Add the squash and bring to a boil. Slow it to a simmer then season lightly with salt and pepper, simmering until squash is tender. About 15 minutes or so. Throw in the shrimp and calamansi juice and continue simmering until shrimp is cooked.

Best served with steamed white or brown rice.

Check out the other delicious entries on the LP 18: Oh My Gulay! round-up here.

Conquering tabbouleh

My first encounter with tabbouleh was at my aunt's cabin in Tagaytay many moons ago. It was Christmas night and as is tradition, we celebrated both the holidays and my aunt's birthday there with the rest of my mom's side of the family. It is a reunion of sorts because many of our relatives from Spain and the US are home this time of year.

I always looked forward to these gatherings, when I get to hang out with my cousins at this beautiful house on the ridge with the sprawling garden and viewing deck overlooking one of the more beautiful vistas in our country, Taal lake and volcano. Scenery so beautiful, Patricia Schultz deemed it worthy of a spot in her book 1000 Places to See Before You Die.

The party was always held in the garden so prettily decorated with Christmas lights. Being up there on those cool December nights meant resurrecting those rarely-used sweaters and coats from the back of our closets. I loved it. Us city-folk don't get to cozy up like that very often.

Dinner was always catered with not a few additional homemade dishes thrown in for good measure. Since my aunt's husband is of Lebanese descent, there was always a big bowl of tabbouleh on the buffet table. I remember being excited to try it that first time because it was 'exotic' to me then. But at the same time I was anxious. I mean, this is made with garnish! Is it really edible? I couldn't wait to find out.

I greedily filled half my plate with the stuff, so sure I would finish it all. That was my first mistake. My second mistake was plowing a big spoonful (not a dainty forkful, mind you) into my mouth. Oof. I couldn't chew. My jaw refused to budge. The taste and aroma of the parsley was overwhelming. The texture was too strange. It took all my will to chew and swallow what I had in my mouth. As I did, I contemplated ways of making the rest of the 'gunk' on my plate disappear. I watched how the others on my table were eating it, some pinched bits of it with pita bread, others mixed it with the viands already on their fork. This was when I realized my third mistake. Sigh, it was too late now. My tastebuds threatened to revolt and I couldn't eat another bite for another, hmmm, 5 years or so.

Fast forward to Portland, Oregon. At the apartment of my brother-in-law's relatives (they're Lebanese too). We had driven down from Vancouver, BC for the weekend. There was a horrible heatwave then, but that's a story for another time. While there, I was treated to ringside priveleges in the art of Lebanese cooking, a cuisine I already had a fondness for thanks to my sister and brother-in-law. It was during one of these busy moments in the kitchen when I saw the pile of parsley on the chopping board. That much parsley could only mean one thing.

I am a strong believer of second chances. Especially when it comes to food. We all have our share of certain foods we despised as a kid but now love. How I love squash and okra now! So there I was at the table already happily chowing on hummus and baba ghanoush with the rest of them, when they passed the bowl of tabbouleh to me. Portion control! I reminded myself, as I carefully transferred some to my plate and grabbed 2 more pita wedges. Perhaps because I learned from my mistakes and also because I'd like to think my tastebuds had matured, I can say I actually liked the stuff. I wasn't doing cartwheels from sheer delight, but it was alright. Feeling triumphant, I rewarded myself with a couple of puffs on the sweet sheesha (hubbly bubbly or hookah, if you prefer).

Today, I'm still not a huge fan. If you had told me I would be voluntarily making tabbouleh for my own consumption at home, I would have asked what you were high on and if you would share some with me. But I had way too much parsley in the crisper and not enough time to consume them all. I figured this was as good a time as any to have my close encounters of the third kind with tabbouleh. Yet another salad I've made with my stash from the Baguio trip, which includes delicious cherry tomatoes.

The recipe called for flat-leaf parsley but I only had the curly variety. After consulting with a few recipe sites online, I was happy to learn that both varieties are acceptable so I went ahead and chopped those babies up. I served it as a side dish with warmed pita bread. How did I like it? It was not bad at all. What I would suggest to do differently though is up the ratio of bulgur to parsley.

Taboulleh

adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

½ cup fine bulgur

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cups finely chopped parsley

½ cup finely chopped fresh mint

about a dozen cherry tomatoes

1 cucumber, seeded and cut into ¼-inch pieces

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

Stir together bulgur and 1 tbsp oil in heat-proof bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over bulgur, then cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.

Drain bulgur in a sieve, pressing on it to remove excess liquid. Transfer bulgur to a bowl and toss with remaining 2 tbsp oil and remaining ingredients until well combined.

Best served with pita or other flat-bread.

The Salad Bowl of the Philippines

The 'main' greenhouse

The mere mention of Baguio triggers my sensory memory. Somehow during my past trips to Baguio since my childhood, my brain had subconsciously programmed into my memory every thing about this city that toyed with all my senses. The beautiful pine trees and their distinctive fragrance, the gorgeous mountain-top views, the taste of sweet fresh strawberries mashed with cream/milk and sugar (my favorite way to eat strawberries as a child), the sound of horses hooves and my the happy squeals of children astride them, and of course the feel of the crisp cool mountain air that lowlanders like us are deprived of.

what's left of the sweet strawberries after picking

It was nice to come back to all that after so much time away and be able to top-up those memories for later enjoyment. If you can look past the newly-opened SM mall, you'll see that not much has really changed. All the elements that make it the summer capital of the Philippines are still there.

And whenever I come to Baguio, I am a woman on a mission. That is, to bring home the best lettuce, broccoli and strawberries, among other things. Benguet, the province that surrounds Baguio and La Trinidad, is after all the Salad Bowl of the Philippines. It is also called Strawberry Country as this is the only place in the entire country where strawberries thrive.

look at all that lettuce! Can you guess what I'll be taking to the office for lunch everyday this week?

I was quite happy to make my purchases at the well-stocked city market but I was beyond delighted when we were invited to pick our produce from an organic farm in La Trinidad! My friend's lovely aunt arranged it all for us.

So midday on Saturday, we were accompanied by Sister Josephine from St. Louis University to the Benguet State University organic farm, just about 2-3 kms. away in La Trinidad. She regularly takes her students on field trips there so she was our 'ticket' to this private farm. She explained that what makes this farm unique is that spring water is used for irrigation, and not recycled canal water as other farms purportedly use. Now, I don't know about you, but anything a nun tells me I am inclined to believe.

curly leaf parsley

Fifteen minutes later, we turned into an unmarked dirt road and we passed several greenhouses to our left. She explained that inside those greenhouses was where experimental farming was being conducted. We arrived at what looked like the main greenhouse as it appeared to be the biggest of them all. Johnny, the resident farmhand, was expecting us. With knife in hand, ready to hack away, he led us into the greenhouse where row upon row of the most vivid shades of green greeted us.

Top row: broccoli and red beets
Bottom: cherry tomatoes and bell peppers

I ogled the broccoli plants, I had never seen a broccoli plant before. At first I didn't know what they were, these huge blue-green leaves. It was only when I bent and peered into the center did I see the familiar little head hidden among the leaves. Such a big plant that takes up so much precious fertile space, for such a small harvest. I asked if the leaves were edible. Nope, Johnny shook his head, they're used for compost. Interesting. No wonder they command quite a hefty price.

There were cherry tomatoes on the vine, gorgeous beds of parsley, red and green bell peppers hanging from their stems like shiny ornaments on a short and wide christmas tree, various lettuce varieties such as leaf and romaine, and of course the strawberries. Those elusive (to us lowlanders) little red gems that cost an eye once transported to Manila. We each bought 5 kgs of strawberries (P60/kg), 2 kgs of broccoli and about 8 kgs total of the other vegetables (all for P50/$1 per kg each) to be divided among ourselves. Now that's what I call a sweet deal.

5 kgs of strawberries for only P 300 ($6)!

Before we headed back though, we made a quick detour to the La Trinidad strawberry fields (pictures below) to have a look-see. This is obviously a popular tourist attraction because we were barely out of the car when we were hounded by peddlers. It was a beautiful day for picking strawberries, and if we didn't have to go back to meet the guys for lunch I would have loved to go out there and get my hands dirty.

for sale: strawberry wine & strawberry jam

the ubiquitous walis (grass broom)

Sweet potato stew

When I read that Alanna from A Veggie Venture had dubbed February the Month of Soup and invited everyone to post their favorite soup recipes, I knew exactly what I was going to share. Let me tell you why...

I was born and raised in a tropical country where the only seasons we have are hot and hotter, with the occasional wet season when the heavens open up and the rains come pounding for days on end. In January 2002 however, I moved to London. In the dead of winter. When darkness fell at 4:00 in the afternoon. I had to acclimatize overnight and as would be expected of any warm-blooded girl from the islands, I despised it.

Those first couple of months were my most lonely and trying. I was a long way from home and living alone for the first time in my life. I couldn't properly deal with personal issues such as homesickness, which was the most prevalent, because there were business matters to take care of. It was after all, the reason for the move. So I hit the ground running, temporarily neglecting my inner fears and emotions. Sooner than later, it was starting to take it's toll on me and the pressures of doing everything single-handedly was almost too much to handle.

I needed some serious nurturing and comforting! And while I had friends and relatives there who were extremely supportive, I had to start taking care of myself. One of the things that needed a drastic change was my diet. One could subsist on those pre-packed convenience-store sandwiches only for so long. Yes, folks, that was my epiphany. I couldn't stomach another one of those egg-salad sandwich wedges so I had to learn to cook. It was learn to cook or starve. So I bought cookbooks (I found myself frequenting Books for Cooks which was conveniently located across my favorite bookstore in Notting Hill, the Travel Bookshop) and waded through pages and pages online bookmarking recipes as I went. That was when I found this recipe for sweet potato stew. It sounded perfect!


Not only is the sweet potato (locally known as kamote) one of my most favorite vegetables, it reminded me of home where it was practically a staple on our table. It sounded easy enough to make but I was a little nervous, this being one of my first times to ever cook anything on my own and all. To my surprise and delight it turned out wonderful! It was hearty, flavorful and had just the right amount of heat. Oh and healthy too! Did you know the sweet potato is chock-ful of goodness? In fact, it was ranked the #1 most nutritional vegetable, by the CSPI. Proof that not everything good is bad for you! ;)

With each spoonful came a flood of warmth and memories. It was just the thing this tired and lonely soul needed on that cold winter night. :) And even back home where the mercury rises, it still makes for a very satisfying and delicious meal.


Sweet Potato Stew
adapted from a recipe site online (sorry, it's been so long I don't remember which site)

1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ yellow bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups water
½ can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 cups diced peeled sweet potatoes
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed & drained
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
fresh oregano
salt & pepper to taste

Heat some extra-virgin olive oil in large saucepan. Cook the onions and garlic until lightly browned. Add bell peppers and saute for 5 minutes.

Stir in water, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, chilis, sauce, chili powder and cumin.Cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened and potatoes are cooked through.
Season with salt and cracked black pepper, and serve hot with some crusty bread.

If you're in need of some soothing nourishment or just simply looking for new soup ideas, head on over to A Veggie Venture and check out all the delicious-sounding recipes posted there.

Thank you, Alanna, for letting me play. :)

Of cheese, vegetables and figs

It was a short and pleasant drive to our next stop, downtown Sonoma, where the enormous plaza or town square with it's serene duck pond is the focal point of the town. Driving around the plaza took me back to that time 10 years ago when we stopped here on our way back to SF from a ski trip in Lake Tahoe. It was just as I remembered it...quaint and peaceful. The square is rimmed with old adobe buildings, converted army barracks, chic boutiques, restaurants, the historic Sebastiani Theater and the Mission (which I will talk about in my next post).

We pulled up behind the Sonoma Cheese Factory, the home of the Sonoma Jack. Before we sampled any of their cheeses, we chose to have lunch in the patio of the Plaza Grill. It would have been a shame to stay indoors on such a beautiful day. There were sausages and burgers already sizzling on the grill, the smell wafting up and taunting our already-grumbling tummies. I couldn't help it, all that food tasting had opened up our appetites!

I chose a turkey burger, but could not decide on what cheese I wanted with it as there was so much to choose from and each one sounded like the perfect choice. After much deliberation, I decided on the Jalapeno Pepper Jack and was very glad I did because I like my burgers with a slight kick (like the Kamikaze burger with wasabi mayo), and this had just the right amount of heat for my juicy burger.

Contentedly wiping the crumbs and grease from our chins, we headed back inside to sample the various cheeses.You're probably wondering where I would put it on top of all that I had already sampled that morning plus the burger (and cold mediterranean pasta salad!) I had just cleanly put away. Well if there's one thing you should know about me, I always have space for cheese and dessert.

So there they were...wedges and tubs of cheesy goodness. On top of each flavor group are tupperwares containing cubes of cheese for sampling. Aside from the traditional Sonoma Jack, we tried the various flavors such as the very spicy Habanero Jack, sun-dried tomato and olive-flavored Mediterranean Jack, Portabella Jack with portabella mushrooms of course (these three were my favorites), and all sorts of cheese spreads and teleme - the softer and tangier cousin to Jack.

The store area is huge and one can find everything expected from a deli and cheese store but it also doubles as a souvenir shop. In addition, there is also a gelato bar and a coffee corner from where we bought the coffee we took outside to the plaza with us later. All this is managed by the Viviani family who carry on the time-honored cheese-making methods of Celso Viviani , an Italian immigrant who founded the company back in 1931.

Not yet cheesed-out, we walked past the Mission down a tree-lined road and turned left towards the Vella Cheese Factory, a true Sonoma treasure. The building made entirely of stone was originally built in 1904 to house a brewery but was later converted into a factory that has been churning award-winning artisan cheeses for 75 years.

As a bonus, we even met the man himself, Ig Vella! It was like a celebrity sighting. He walked into the store wearing his trademark suspenders and white paper cap and I immediately recognized him from the brochures. He nodded his hello then disappeared through a door at the back. I was star-struck. I read that he learned the craft from his father who was responsible for the popularity of aged cheeses in the Bay Area and beyond. Now anyone who makes good aged cheese is definitely a celebrity in my book!

Vella's Traditional Dry Jack is a favorite for its nutty flavor as well as the Mezzo Secco, it's softer offspring. Now for me, tasting is believing. So I tasted and became a believer. The dry jack brings to mind parmesan but with a milder taste and without all the salt. The asiago was nutty, buttery and slightly sweet, perfect in my opinion. The Mezzo Secco is tangy and absolutely delightful.After we made our purchases and stepped out into the sidewalk, I saw this sign (above) across the street and just had to check it out. It was a very simple self-serve produce stand filled with autumn's bounty. The first thing that caught my eye were the fresh figs in their crates! ( Joey can totally relate! She had even coincidentally posted about her experience on her blog on this very day.) The taste of fresh figs were a mystery to me until then. I let out a shriek and made a beeline for them.

The kind man in charge was thrilled that I was thrilled and he immediately transferred some into a little plastic basket, which is how they measure and price them, and asked me how many I wanted. I stammered something about 3 or 4, paid him and grabbed a basket from him. He said to go right ahead and try them, so I did. I bit into one and felt a little bit closer to paradise. I closed my eyes and really tasted it. It was incredibly sweet! It's unique texture is a combination of it's smooth thin skin, crunchy seeds and soft chewy flesh. It was gooooooood! And very well worth the wait. :)We stopped to check out the Fruit Basket along Sonoma Highway. It turned out to be a place to buy much more than just fruit or vegetables. There were wines for sale, assorted breads and biscuits, hordes of pre-packed nuts and candies and other miscellaneous items. Ok, so I really just wanted to stop for a picture with the haystack decorated with pumpkins, which is actually what caught my attention and caused me to swerve into the driveway. But look (second pic below), doesn't it make a pretty picture!? :)

The Fruit Basket

"warty" gourds in all colors and patterns

clockwise from top right: pre-packaged pasta in various shapes, candy corn,
nuts and other goodies, beans of all varieties, and an abundance of squash

Sonoma Cheese Factory
Sonoma Town Square

Vella Cheese Factory
Second Street East
withing walking distance from the Plaza

The Fruit Basket
Sonoma Highway

Up Next: Misson Solano

Hummus and Baba Ghanoush

Foreword:
Happy new year everyone! I hope you all had a nice time surrounded by people you love during the holidays. : ) I don't normally make NY resolutions because I don't like succumbing to the pressures of making resolutions just at the beginning of a year. I prefer making resolutions throughout the year which, in my experience, results in a higher success rate. But I found myself at the brink of the new year with a lot of blogging to catch up on. There is still the last leg of my October trip I'd like to finish documenting. So i resolved to stop slacking and start posting more often!

So here I go, my first post for 2007. I decided to start with a food post, particularly food which I included in the feast my sister and I prepared for us to enjoy as we ushered in the new year.

After I graduated from university, I went on an extended vacation to the US and Canada. I had never had more than a 2 month vacation since I became a kindergartener at the age of 4, so I was really looking forward to this hiatus. Since I finished with a double degree, wasn't it only fair that I also got a double vacation? Of course! So I went away for 4 fabulous months! I stayed in the Bay Area for a little over a month, with side trips to LA & Lake Tahoe, before making my way north to Vancouver, BC where I visited my sister and her family for the remaining 3 months. Needless to say, these were some of the best months of my life and when began my little romance with this beautiful city.

My sister is a stay-at-home mom so we spent a great deal of time together. Much of this time was enjoyed in her kitchen as she prepared dinner for her family. I tried to watch and learn from her while I balanced her then 7 month old son on my hip or painted and colored with her 3 year old daughter on the breakfast table. Because I didn't write anything down, I forgot most of what I learned.

Except for these two dishes...hummus (creamy chickpea dip) and baba ghanoush (creamy eggplant dip). I don't remember if I tried them for the first time that time, but I vividly remember happily eating either one at least twice a week either as an appetizer or as a side, and even sometimes as our main meal and always with some pita bread.

I've only bought hummus once, from a supermarket in London. Blech. That was the last time I had store-bought hummus. No matter how lazy or tired you are or, what's that? You're a kitchen-virgin? Have no fear! Not only are these delicious and healthy, they're unbelievably easy to make. I make hummus quite often at home, sometimes eating little else for a week.

There are countless variations to hummus, in fact I probably don't make it the same each time. I just throw everything into the blender and add a little of this and a little of that to taste. Every country in the Middle East, Northern Africa and along the Mediterranean has their own version of this ancient dish as well.

I prefer to use roasted garlic instead of raw garlic because the taste is nuttier and sweeter. However, when I'm in a rush or making it at someone else's place, I just use raw garlic which makes it delicious nonetheless. And since I'm a garlic fiend, I put lots of it. So for starters, you can use this recipe and tweak it as you please. The kitchen is your playground, and this hummus is your ummm, oyster!

Basic Hummus

1 can garbanzos (chickpeas, canned or cooked - I buy Molinera)
2-3 tbsp. Tahini (sesame seed paste)
6 cloves of crushed garlic (preferably roasted)
juice of 1 lemon
4-5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/4 cup water (optional, if you like a smoother and more liquid consistency, though I usually just add more olive oil and lemon juice to achieve the consistency I want)
fresh parsley or olives
paprika

Mix everything (except parsley and paprika) in a blender. Pour in a bowl, drizzle with some olive oil then sprinkle with parika and garnish with either olives or parsley. This is best eaten scooped up with warmed pita bread but you may also spread them on melba toast, crackers or french bread. It is also excellent as a vegetable dip.

For some variety, I like to substitute the garbanzos with black beans or fava beans and adding some chili powder or cayenne for a little kick. This will produce a dip similar to ful medames or simply ful, one of Egypt's national dishes. You may also add peeled roasted red peppers or kalamata olives to the basic recipe for a more Mediterranean or Greek flavor.

To make Baba Ghanoush, use the same ingredients as the recipe for hummus above but substitute the garbanzos with 4-5 small (or 2 large) eggplants. What you do is, first pierce the skin of the eggplants and broil them until they're black on all sides. Place them under cold running water while you peel the skin off, then mash the flesh before combining it with all the other ingredients. Serve in a bowl drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, paprika and garnish with parsley or an olive.

Ratatouille

I don't know if I love this sauce because it's got zucchini in it or because I love saying it's name : ratatouille (rah-tuh-TOO-ee). But whatever the reason, it is a favorite. Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish which can be served as a meal on its own, with rice, bread or potatoes or as a side dish, hot or cold. It is tomato-based and usually consists of eggplant, garlic, green peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, flavored with oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil.

Our family likes to serve this dish with pasta. Poured over penne or spaghetti, with some crusty bread to wipe up the sauce with. But I've found that it is also perfect with grilled fish. Once, I served it as bruschetta for appetizers which turned out to be a big hit. The best thing about this sauce is it's wonderful hot or cold.

Of course, there are tons of ratatouille recipes out there, but this is the only one I've ever known and one I am very happy with.My dream is to one day pick the ingredients I need for a good ratatouille from my own garden. :)

Ratatouille

EVOO
4 pcs zucchini, chopped
6 pcs eggplant, chopped
1 small can pimiento, chopped
2 – 2 ½ cups basic tomato sauce (recipe below)
Salt & pepper to taste

Saute zucchini in olive oil until golden brown and set aside.
Saute the eggplant in olive oil until golden brown and set aside.
Using the same pan, pour in the basic tomato sauce, add the zucchini, eggplant, and sliced pimiento and cook on medium heat. If you feel it's a bit acidic, add a little sugar.

Basic tomato sauce:

½ cup minced white onions (2 large)
½ cup minced garlic
½ cup olive oil
½ cup herbs (2 part basil, 1 oregano, 1 thyme)
½ cup parsley
1 can whole tomatoes (largest can)
1 beef broth cube
1 ½ - 2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 cup water, if needed

Saute garlic and onions in very hot olive oil. Add the dry herbs and tomato juice from the can. Mash whole tomatoes and add parsley. Add salt, pepper and beef broth cube. Add water, if needed.

You may reduce the tomato sauce to 1 1/2 cups if you like it less saucy.