diary of a mad foodie: how to make korean seaweed soup aka miyeok kuk or nicely said ~ sea vegetable soup globally inspired!

dried seaweed: not your everyday dime store visitor......


submerged in tap water: resurfing back to the sea.....options are endless now


freakin' mermaid left her *&#$&@$! garter belt on my kitchen counter


If you were ever wondering how to cook with seaweed or *ahem* sea vegetables, I thought to share a bit of insight with you. I reiterate the term sea vegetables because of previous reactionary comments from people that are not familiar with the fab quality, taste + nutritious value of seaweed.

When I first made a pot of Korean seaweed soup, also known as miyeok kuk for my in-laws and others......I didn't find them too responsive to it.

With that in mind, I began a quest to develop a recipe that would be more inviting to the timid palate yet still retain its intensity and savory appeal. That seems to be my motto......retaining intensity + savory appeal without overtly turning palates away......but at the same time retaining the challenge!

Challenge is so necessary.....don't you think?

aaaaaghhhhhhh!!! OMG - Wwwhat is that thing??!!


I also wanted to mention, that I find my readership to this blog quite adventurous and your comments have already proven that! Alongside your posts on your own blogs ~ that I find more so challenging + entertaining, so here goes.....


trimming unnecessary ends: parts that are overtly ewey + gooey......like I prefer not to have in my soup.....hey, but makes a real sexy making facial mask when blended with honey......I'm not kidding


I have been on this trek to develop a more health conscious (I hate that combined effort of those two words, but I can't think of anything else right now) recipes that focus on use of natural, organic and globally inspired ingredients. I consider my cooking to focus on Korean American inspired recipes as well as other Asian recipes with a slant (hah!) toward healthier, natural ingredients and approachable techiques for the Americano and global foodies abroad.

For example.....the seaweed soup I grew up with was made with chicken broth, but had chunks of beef simmered alongside obscenely gaudy wads of seaweed. I think sometimes my mom threw in chicken gizzards and other obscure body parts (animal parts mind you)to really freak me out per chew.

the beginnings of the trimming session: From here.....I trim to more definitive bite size pieces. The long strands on the far right side is the stuff I've trimmed off for my facials.....like you really want to know


trimmed the stem off here (left top)......then sliced into very thin strips lengthwise (top right)


Miyeok guk is traditionally prepared for the pregnant/nursing mother and college students because of the high nutritional content including fiber, protein, iron and calcium.

Raw foodists and those of you that are watching the chain of emerging super foods know that seaweed contains an extraordinary amount of wealth of minerals + vitamins including iodine, magnesium, calcium, vitamin A, C, B12 to name the very few as well as nutritionally valued fatty acids.

nicely trimmed, seasoned + topped with the niceities.....doesn't it look ~ well at least presentable now?


all dressed up


supporting cast members from the top: green onions, roasted sesame seeds crushed, knob of fresh ginger + minced garlic

I also pre-marinate the seaweed with garlic, green onions, fresh ginger, sesame seeds and sesame oil for starters.

My Korean relatives.......most notably my elder uncles & aunts enjoy my cooking but slightly freak out because it really is not 'tradional' Korean cooking. Actually, some of this stuff my mom taught me....and once they know it was handed down by mom then they leave it alone.

I do not use fatty cuts of meat that is common in some Korean cooking. For example if fatty bacon is called for, I usually replace with paprika+onion powdered smoked chicken, lean cut of pork or if I'm lazy Canadienne bacon. Another commonality in Asian cooking is the use of two to three different meat proteins in one dish (as I am discovering this becomes more difficult for some people to digest or lets say for those that are trying to trim back a bit aka gut builder).

cukes for banchan: slice the cucumbers paper thin ~ evenly, precisely...........what?.....Who's a control freak? Does this pict reflect control freakism?

I also use more ingredients + methods that are fresh, less preserved and perhaps from other cultures that will generate questions marks and slam doors on traditional Korean 'zen' cuisine.

Actually, being of Korean descent I have yet to run into a 'zen' Korean. As I call it and my husband even reinforces what we call the 'hostile Korean'. Why do you think they still have the north and south?

Also, why do ALL Koreans in the United States + elsewhere claim to be from Seoul?

Like there is no other f*** city in that country other than Seoul?

Who's hostile?

Strange.

simmering with goodness: abyss of minced garlic, green onions, ginger, sesame seeds, onions, sea salt w. seaweed + chicken broth


welcome home: how to make a perfect bowl of soup

I like make seaweed soup to replenish my family with something soothing, comforting and nourishing.

I also make it when we've been to busy to make it out to the beach as it reminds me of emersing myself in ocean waters to be free.

The taste memory of seaweed soup reminds me of returning home......and not necessarily to the one readily considered home.......

korean seaweed soup ~ miyeok kuk
*refreshed* version © 2008 recipe + words Ingar Brunnett, TasteMemory

1 1/2 oz. dried korean seaweed for soup (or wakame) for example see here
5 green onions, tops + bottoms trimmed off, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teasp. fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds, grounded with mortar + pestle or other
2 teasp. sesame oil
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

soup stock:
2 quarts of filtered water
4 cups of organic chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 whole onion, outer skins peeled off

optional:
1 small korean white radish or japanese daikon, sliced in half, then in half moons 1/3" thick
1 clove garlic, sliced really thin lengthwise

steamed brown or white rice

In a large bowl, fully emerse seaweed in cool water. Allow to soak for 20 minutes until soft and pliable. Rinse thoroughly and drain.

Trim off ends that feel ewey + gooey + overtly gelatinous (doesn't this sound appealing? ~ see picture above for reference. Test by trying to tear the bottom strands off - if they tear easily....then it's trimmable. Also, please note you don't have to do this to the 'T' regarding the trimming of endz.....This is what my mother taught me, and I know from experience that *other* Korean families don't really do this as much as my immediate family of chopping + slicing + dicing + trimming freaks.....so you can chill on this part to your liking.

Also, I really think that trimming the seaweed to smaller bite size pieces makes this soup more palatable. The intense Korean versions I've had retains the seaweed in huge wads in your bowl. Not too pleasant. I also trim off the thick stems (see photo above) and slice them into to thin strips. Again, this is your call.

After the trimming episode, squeeze out excess water from seaweed and place in medium size bowl. Add 3/4 of the chopped green onions, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, sesame oil. Then taste test a few strands. Remember there will be a hint of saltiness from the sesame seeds so consider that prior adding the sea salt. Also, make sure the sesame seeds are roasted and ground....this is so essential in the flavor of the marinade I can't tell you enough! Season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Combine mixture, cover and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.

In a large stock pot, add water, chicken broth and the whole freaking onion intact. Bring to boil, add the seasoned seaweed, sliced radishes + sliced garlic. Bring heat down to low~medium and allow to simmer at least 20 minutes whilst stirring on occasion. You can simmer a bit longer, just bring the heat down until ready to serve. Do not cover.

To make additional marinade aka ganjang for soup, in a small bowl combine 1/3 cup soy sauce, dash of sesame oil, freshly ground black pepper, toasted sesame seeds if you have any left over and the remaining minced green onions.

Ladle into soup bowls.

Serve with steamed rice + ganjang for additional seasoning.

Also, YUM with pickled cucumbers, kimchi aka kimchee and other banchan....but that's another post!

Danish Layer Cake: Freedom to exercise

my attempt at baking something masterful....please don't laugh....esp. Medena over at Café Chocolada, pastry aficionado!

I am reading M.F.K. Fisher again.

She has been a delight to read because she breaks tradition.

Her voice is dauntless at times that I wonder how she ever survived the early years with her sense of clairvoyance and attitude toward the sedated just mix a highball crowd back then.

Last few nights I have been reading and re-reading through The Gastronomical Me and realized something about her.

Absolute pure genius she was.....

She was purely a different breed; so exact as a matter of fact and I imagine was perceptive as hell. If you sat clear across the room from her, she would be able to sop your soul through like dense bread over meat drippings.

Then on a flip coin I read vintage The Cooking of Provincial France.

I actually grew up reading this book not realizing M.F.K. Fisher was a woman.

I cherish this book with dear life.

If a tornado were to run through this house.....I'd grab my kids, my purse, this book and my eyelash curler ;-)

With the 'munchkins' we decorated this cake with a make-shift pastry bag from parchment paper.....frosting is made of cream, white sugar, vanilla, a touch of gelatin, drained chopped fresh pineapples, hand shaved semi-sweet chocolate....

I made this Danish cake referring back to my taste memory when I worked as a designer in Los Angeles some years back. I also found an old recipe from another out of print book that re-played similarities of ingredients from the Danish cakes I used to love so much.

There was a Danish bakery nearby where our breaks were taken.....in between hunkering over the drafting board, cigarettes....I recall the treat of layer cake and for later a sweet roll with slivers of Havarti cheese with thick wedges of cucumbers.

I love Danish cakes and also some French pastry because it is not cloyingly sweet like some American cakes aka Betty Crocker inspired.

This cake was a killer to make ~ supposed to be a three layer cake but I couldn't fathom how that was done as explained in the recipe, so instead of creating a pile of crumbles I relented to the simplicity of two layers.

Too many increments, too precisely oriented and already naturally uptight because of Asian descent (ha!).....Korean to be exact.....I'd rather let loose on a savory dish......marinate + roast a bone marrow for pete's sake......spend an afternoon with a mallet and a side of beef would be nice, or perhaps cram a bag carrots through a juicer to get my aggression out.

Bake a cake?

I do things for love ~ esp. for the love my family and friends.....

Okay so far MFK Fisher, Danish layer cakes, vintage cookbooks, family and friends which leads to my official thank you to Medena at Café Chocolada for recently presenting me the E Award!


I am enamored to receive this especially from the pastry priestess herself for my blogging.......Thank you! Whenever visiting her site I feel inspired by her passion for the art of baking.

Thank you so much Medena for thinking of me and I look forward to reading more about your pastry sensibilities.....

Sharing a slice of cake among friends: at the end of it all.....it did taste good. It had a light sponge cake appeal and I mixed in fine shaving of the rind and juice of half a lemon.

In tradition to this cyberspace exchange.....I pass on the E Award to the following bloggers:

Nina's Kitchen ~ Do check out her masterful creations. I am constantly waiting at her door stoop like a puppy to admire her culinary creations. Visually stunning yet also salivary gland inducing.....She may have already be granted an E award with all she has done, but here goes....

Sweet Home and Garden Chicago ~ Carolyn is a garden blogger but has enticing food insight and recipes. Another twist is her take on traditional Korean recipes that have been lovingly passed down to her from family. I love her take on Soul food and Seoul food! A master gardener as well ~ she inspires me to go beyond growing herbs when she writes about her bountiful gardening....

Mochachocolata Rita ~ I love mocha girl's savory, fun + often times outlandish approach to cooking and blogging. Melting pot cooking with Asian inspirations that is delight to look at as well as ponder......'Hey - I would have never thought - but looks enticing enough to try!' I like how she takes my thoughts out of safeguard as she introduces Indonesian + Chinese + more with her personal touch.

Food Mayhem ~ Okay she cooks, she dines, wines, dices and promotes food happenings. Amidst invitations to food centric events and her own dining escapades. I often times wander over to her side of the cyber globe and feel like Carrie Bradshaw of the food world with stilettos on trying to keep myself from tipping over each tantalizing post! Talk about the queen of food posts.....over here in the slow balmy South ~ I am trying to keep up with each day's douse! She's about a dozen posts ahead of me and going strong!

Passionate Eater Like moi, a California transplant in the South. Read + See her dining adventures from San Francisco and now in New Orleans and then some. Beautiful photos, glorious rousting of well executed dining finds and always a fun read. I love everything she orders and imagine I am dining there right alongside every bite from oysters in chardonnay sabayon or an earthy bowl of gumbo to a serving of ooey gooey nachos @ Lakers game......!

Bloggers awarded: please feel free to pass on + cut & paste this E Award as needed + would be lovely to link it back to me @ TasteMemory!

Next up another gracious award! Thank you kindly to Nicole at Art and Aioli for the Blogging with a Purpose Award

More words to follow about BWAP Award......


Adieu, till next time!

Beauty and the Beet: The Brilliant Impression

Bejewelled: beets, berries, chopped eggs, white onions, minced parsley + chives......light drizzling of honey dressing crosses the threshold.....

This is a smattering of a post.....so I decided to condense this to Part One of Two à la Beauty and the Beet.

Part Two will be posted shortly this week.

My love affair with root vegetables began with the beet.

Perhaps not in the dark earthen crevices below where the dirt is so gravenly wet underground it seeps through your nail beds, but rather off the beaten trek years back when my father took us to dinner at the original historic Cafe Du Nord near San Francisco's Castro District.

Back when it was an inviting supper house complete with its Basque inspired dinner menu served family style. A repast with a set menu that created the tone nightly with six courses and amply served alongside with some obscure chilled rosé strewn in labeless oddly shaped and colored wine bottles.

The tinge of pink through my mother's rosé glass, the beet salad with chopped hard boiled eggs and the red stain from the beet juice soaking through the last shred of my baguette has simmered in my taste memory for so many years.....



i *heart* beets: entranced by a living breathing bleeding geode....

The concept of food + memory has been a frequent haunt of mine and it's only as of recent that I decided to let go of myself, get of out of my freakin' way and excavate through that back logged mind mine beginning with my family stories.

Which in turn has led to finding this space and place to shed light on someone that left with me a brilliant impression.

My father.

My father passed away 6 years ago and his final days came rather abruptly. I will just touch on this briefly about his passing because I don't want this to be an angst post but rather a living tribute to someone that had a profound effect on the development of my person. What I have written is a recollection of just a glimpse his journey that I met along the way of my own.

When I was a little girl my parent's owned and operated a delicatessen in the Mission District in San Francisco during the height of the Bay Area's food revolution. This was an incredible time for me. My curious palate was introduced to the diverse range of cultural cuisines from the neighborhood. There were immigrants from all over the world settling in San Francisco and my parent's deli thrived in the midst of foods from Mexico, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Russia, Italy....even Japanese home style cooking and of course regional Chinese cooking.

The food at the deli was a reflection of the melting pot of San Francisco as well as traditional delicatessen style fare of sandwiches made with the freshest of San Francisco style French bread and produce.

The sandwiches were made in crusty bread that fought back with slight resistance into a dense yet pillow-like threshold of savory meats, lined with fresh crunchy slivers of lettuce, pickles, tomatoes and whatever else desired. The options of meats included salamis, fresh oven roasted roast beef, pastrami, corned beef, head cheese, Louisiana style hot links (just to name a few). Also on the menu were the new wave of organic and farm fresh inspired sandwiches that payed homage to whole grain sprouted breads, alfalfa sprouts, avocados and for the faint of heart.......bacon.

sourdough for noshing....not from my beloved city ~ but it will do.....at least for now

After a long day at the deli, my father would often take us out to 'dine' for dinner as a family. A restaurant we frequented was Cafe Du Nord located in the Upper Market-Castro district leaning toward the slightly seedy, prior the 'emerging' neighborhood it later became. Now this is the original Cafe Du Nord which was a sort of a quasi-French Basque bistro at the time. Today, Cafe Du Nord is a trendy nightclub, restaurant and live music venue.

After my dad parked the family car, which was either the Chrysler wood paneled station wagon or the obnoxious yacht of a vehicle.....the highly coveted Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham with its own 8-track tape player that was factory installed(this was all top of the line stuff btw even the station wagon which eventually met its demise after one of the wood panels finally faded and fell off); we would take a flight of steep stairs downward into the basement of a storefront which was the perfect cave like setting for the literal 'underground' Cafe Du Nord.

The historic cafe was built in 1907 and at one time was a notorious speakeasy during prohibition. It was pretty much what you would imagine it to look like; dimly lit with odd sized and handsome antique dining tables throughout the main dining room with an evocative yet bucolic ambiance. Many locals frequented this eatery which had enough of slight upscale vibe with a familiar ease to call it their favorite neighborhood bistro.

speakeasy to me......is that you beaujolais?

On the walls were series of oil paintings that thematically reminded me of the revolutionary romantic period of Theodore Géricault, Ingres and even the idyllic American painter Turner......oh my art history days, which should be a completely other blog.....sorry. Anyways, these were not the canny paintings you've seen at your gas station corner and those blow out events at your nearest convention center in need of rental fees in between major events, but rather the restaurateur's quite exquisite and most likely personal collection of paintings. The collections were complete with fruit & wine still life, formal portraits, battle scenes, courtship and even tall ships in turbulent waters. Each painting was also lovingly installed with its own spotlight to feature its beauty. I know the subject matter may sound canny but I do recall these paintings to be quite impressive.

The owner was a short bald gentleman with an extremely thick mustache that twisted ever so slightly upward at each end (yes, seriously!). He was the exact reflection of what the proprietor might look like in such an establishment.

There was a painting in the main dining room of a man in a old fashioned military uniform; perhaps he was a general as he wore many decorated medals upon his uniform and he was painted with great distinction. He had the same facial features and the mustache as the proprietor, which led my parents to joke with a sense of seriousness that it must be a relative of his.

Upon arrival, we would often find him sitting at the hand carved mahogany bar near the baby grand piano reading a paper. He always gave a familiar nod to my father. I’m not surprised he recognized us as we frequented there often and I am positive we were the only Asian family and definitely Koreans that dined there.

As I am rummaging through my thoughts, I cannot seem to recover some of the conversations my family had over dinner at Cafe Du Nord. It actually saddens me that I am drawing a blank on specific words that were exchanged with my dad, my mom and my little brother during these special times out. It seems as if it were another lifetime ago and the words have been erased from my memory.

What I do recall are certain 'moments' as we sat around the bistro table. The dining room always had a tranquility that I was instantly drawn to upon arrival. The lighting was warm and dim.....a glow emanated throughout. My dad's stress level would ease as soon as we arrived, and it's only today that I realize how much stress effected his life.

Since we arrived after closing the deli, it must have been around 7:30 in the evening before we settled in for dinner.

They offered only a prix fixe menu was set each night with about seven courses that was served family style.

Upon arrival, I was always.....famished.

An evening meal remembered began with the first course of a salad of bibb lettuce, celery, white onions with a aïoli based dressing with a hint of mustard and fresh tarragon that seeped through each bite.

herb pot in early spring: this is what survived the harsh winters :) of the south.....gathered a handful of parsley and chives to topple over the chopped eggs for the beet salad. the cactus type plant on the far right corner reminds me of SoCal. Don't know what it's called....I know it's a succulant, no wait...succotash? or isn't that lima beans + corn? maybe succulant....

I was little girl back then, yet so hungry and intrigued by the setting that I didn't have time to complain about white onions, aïoli based dressing, mustard or the fresh sprigs of licorice intent tarragon.

The salad was refreshing and I enjoyed the tang and retreat of the mustard and tarragon that played upon my developing palate.

Baskets of chewy baked french bread was served alongside and refilled without asking.

Soon after, the second course arrived. Soup of the day ladled into white bowls that reminded me of wading pools just deep enough were filled with a hearty yet translucent tomato based potage of bite size morsels of tender vegetables and beef. Upon finishing the bowl of soup, I always sensed it whispered to me.......welcome my lady.

The third course was a salad of chilled marinated red beets with chopped hard boiled eggs and onions. A recourse to cleanse the palate.

Again, I didn't have the urgency to say anything about my opinion on beets.

I do remember my father encouraging us to try different foods. His ways encouraged me to step into unfamiliar territory......actually constantly! Many times, I saw perhaps how he saw the beauty of the unacquainted.

In so many of his words, if you don't try......how would you ever know?

So with distinct recollection, I do remember the sweet floral taste of the beets combined with the earth tones of the chopped eggs and onions as an amusing play on my senses. Crusty french bread combines perfectly with cooked beets and by this time I recall my mother telling me not to eat too much bread since more was to come.

berries & beets making merry....

I used my last shred of baguette to bring up the ruby red juice with crumblings of eggs and sweet onions before taking my pause.

Next......the most delightful sweetbreads served over a crisp pastry puff......but I'll save that for next time.

Part Two of Beauty and the Beet will be posted this week.......

Thank you for reading ;-)

taste memory: retrospective of food & memory

comfort me with lemons......


remembering juicy lemons drenched in fairy dust sugar and running across the grass with the sprinklers on......

Does the thought make you pucker?

I remember sour, sweet, sugar granules and endless sun filled afternoons growing up in California.

It's been one year since I've been blogging Taste Memory and it's been a fantastic one at that.

In the past few months, you may have noticed I've re-directed my posts to focus primarily on my own cooking as well as 'taste memory' food thoughts.

I initially began with restaurant & other foodie type reviews and have decided to do less of that for the time being......unless I am traveling and if for some reason I have an outlandish dining experience locally that runs the gamut of a must post. For the most part, (unfortunately) - I have found dining in northeast Florida completely challenging and many times disappointing.

I have had my share of horrifying, gut wrenching (stomach doubled-over literally)food as well as scary sushi experiences that I have declined to comment upon........other cringes include lackluster food preparation, service, sanitary conditions and the overall 'experience of dining' as a foreign concept at many of these establishments.

The other has been the disappointing turn around(going out of business) and change over in ownership(effecting quality) at these restaurants.

Now please keep in mind, there are several tried and true establishments that are definitely worth writing about.....but.....long story short - the restaurant reviews will be on the sidelines for now.

To keep things tantilizing ~ I will be doing a new series INTERVIEWS WITH THE CHEF....very soon ;-)

At the end of it all; I am plain sick of lackluster food + food service around here. Enough said and don't want to rant about dinings thereafters having to seek detoxifying herbs or more to cleanse my system after the experience.....

Not to be a snob ~ yet at an early age I was raised by extreme foodies in the midst of the San Francisco bay area's food revolution.....so I naturally gauge my palate against the foundational 'palate training years' of my former haunts on the west coast.....or maybe I'm just an obnoxious food snob?

I do like In n' Out Burger!

Also to mention my latter years of dining haunts that have left me awestruck and mesmerized by talented individuals and restaurants who's dedication and passion toward food + service leave no room for funny business.....

With that said, Taste Memory the blog has evolved into my favorite theme of the connection of food and memories; touching on both past and present glimpses.

The new visuals of the fresh sliced lemons are reminiscent of my childhood during a time when I thought everything was as endless as the warmth of the sun, orangesicles, swimming in kiddie pools, sharpening wooden Popsicle sticks on the sidewalk, climbing cherry trees and anticipating freshly baked french bread delivered at my parent's San Francisco deli every morning.....except Wednesday because the bakery closed every Wednesday.

Taste Memory is about where I come from, where I am right now and where I long to go to challenge myself.....I look forward to sharing more about this in upcoming posts.

I also look forward to hearing about your food + memory stories as well ~ thanks for stopping by btw.....

Also ~ KatyK @ Raw Vegan Lifestyle tagged me (btw KatyK ~ so sorry you will be taking a break - I love your voice) about five things about me you prob didn't know abou me:

1. I love the ocean waters as I grew up sailing on days after school.....

2. English is my second language and I can barely speak Korean now....though I would love to!

3. I have this affinity for anything French and especially for the southwestern coast of France.....quite odd I know - never been + don't know why!

4. I love being around fog

5. I miss my father intensely since he passed away about 6 years ago.....but the funny thing is ~ I sense that I understand him more than I did when he was alive.

at least everyone left with a smile on their face thinking about sunshine.....


What are your taste memories?........past, present + future thoughts that linger in your heart to palate?

the art of juicing: washing, trimming, juicing + slurrying

the beginnings of my morning juicing frenzy: romaine lettuce leaves, celery, apples, pears, lemons + knob of ginger


Green Lemonade adapted from The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose

Before you cringe at the combination.....its actually quite good and the taste has become quite habit forming as the lettuce w. celery, lemon + ginger do dress well together. I always thought lettuce juice or wilted lettuce was gross, but this turned my head to a nod. Natalia Rose's recipe includes the use of 1-2 Fuji apples to sweeten up the lemonade and I have thrown in two baby seckel pears for good measure.

That mellow rustic appeal of pear really smoothes out the aftertaste in this morning elixir......


what the juicer spits out after all the ruckus......



my mid~morning trinity toward enzyme peace......still trying to wean myself off coffee......painful



scrubbed + trimmed by a fanatic - it's not as crazy + time consuming as it may appear.....but maybe it's me.....kinda like bathing babies, trimming toenails + brushing the hair back to make goo goo glossy new.....remember how pretty babies look after a nice bath?


wwwhat?.....who's spending too much time with vegetables?!


scrubbed carrots with a vegetable brush while singing tunes + trimmed the top nobs bruised from delivery......

As you noticed, I have had to split down some of the vegetables and fruits to make their way through the portal with ease.


this has been lunch as well as a second batch to revive me from my late afternoon lull


there is actually a good use for the remains....will tell......


orange has never been a flattering color on me except for when I was twenty something and it was a Yves St. Laurent lipstick shade that was hot orange......


Okay before you think I am schizoid about my food posts - yes I am quite extreme....but I do love my vegetables, fresh fruits and I enjoy decadent feasting as if I were dining reclined @ Roman banquet après watching the games @ the Parthenon.....I have always wanted to raise a toast with a silver chalice full of mulled wine.

But really at the end of the day.....all that feasting & jousting makes it way back to me.......and I totally refuse to wear that girdle + snug tube thing they are selling now.......what's that thing called? Why?! ~ just because I adore sausages....esp. Louisiana Hot Links doesn't mean I have to dress like one.

I am a baby(beginner) raw foodist ~ and am trying to balance + make happy my love for healthy & passionate decadent foods like the stuff I recently came across at FXcuisine.com ~ truly lovely gorgeous crazy bejewelled dining.

It may be impossible.

I admit, I am an extremist about things.

But funny thing.....it has been working.

I am pretty raw 3/4 of the day (unless for lunch meetings where I try not to let all heck break lose) and at the end of the day eat a beautifully cooked dinner with lots of fresh vegetables.

I went through a transition period of just trying to do raw entirely and I did not do well. Was not a functional situation for me ~ I had to find the balance.....it was eventually found simmering 'neath the supper pot ;-)

The juicing has just become part of my ritual ~ when I am busy and away. I juice everything in the morning & take with or keep storage in the fridge for later in the day as needed.

As if I didn't have anything else to do ~ but for those of you that do juice & include the raw diet in your daily gear....boy, it does make a big difference in how you feel!

Trying to live healthy & happy.....essentially want my cake, lobster, sushi rolls + slim trim waistline at the end of the day.....we'll see.

Okay ~ what to do with pulp?

I posed this question, and my GF who has one of those blissful gardens where everything blossoms + its always insanely lush suggested to make a 'slurry' for my flower beds:

"I blend up all my vegetable leftovers in my blender with water until I come up with a slurry that I then go out and pour directly into the soil in my garden. Oh, I put in the egg shells too, blend 'em up. Banana peels. Tea bags and coffee grinds and also the coffee filters -- add water and blend away.

The reason is, there is no soil here in Florida -- it's all sand. Nothing organic in there at all except what I'm feeding it with my leftovers.

When you pour the slurry into the earth, it absorbs quickly, goes to work with the worms and bugs......Sometimes I water it in a little if it sits on top of the soil too much.

The key is to not ever ever put any meat or protein or fats (oil) in with it ... and to throw in a little garlic if you have a clove, to keep critters away.

I do this several times a week. Always have a container on my counter for such stuff.

Other parts of the country they do actual composting, but here in Florida, too many bugs, bees, wasps, etc. so this has been a great solution. I have the yummiest flower garden soil this side of the Georgia line.

Just add water and pour it into your soil....maybe take a couple of good digs before and after to get it under the surface. Go check it in a week and see the fat earthworms chowing down.

If the earthworms are happy - then everybody's happy." ~ GF

Okay ~ so juicing can go full circle.

the rituals of the easter meal......

the makings of eggs benedict: perfectly creamy poached eggs await.....a whole wheat english muffin (so American this dish....), Canadienne bacon (across the border we ran), spinach (health factor for moi), drizzled with hollandaise sauce (or for special occasions aka holiday sauce at my house) with blueberry ice tea on standby mode.....

Easter Sunday is always a good excuse for eggs benedict.

It is an avid ritual that I have picked up from my *luv's* family.

There's a slight adjustment here and there with the addition of fresh spinach leaves slightly sauntered in boiling water with a dash of sea salt.

I doused it with cool running water with a slight conditioning of red wine vinegar to whisk away the slight aftertaste of cooked spinach.

Straight off the griddle, I have placed the delicate slices of Canadienne bacon on top of toasted whole wheat english muffins.

Another *must do* on my list of things to do is to make sure to use good n' healthy eggs. Organic, cage free, eggs from chickens roaming about their property able to do this and chitter chatter about in the sunshine make tasty eggs ~

I had fun poaching these in simmering water....let the water simmer but not dance to that threatening boil. Always at a high sustained simmer.

Then crack an egg in a bowl.

Lovingly slide in that swallow of an egg into the simmering water and watch it poach to creamy perfection.

the first bite is the deepest....

I am a bread freak.

When I was growing up in San Francisco, my family ran a deli in the Mission District.

I remember the mornings when the baker would arrive with freshly baked french bread snugged tightly in brown paper bags.

With that said.....wheat bread.....and WHOLE wheat bread has always been a slight issue for me.

Until I relented to think outside of things and try things outside of that safe house of my thinking.

Yes, I know it's just wheat.....in all it's plain glory.

Long story short ~ I like wheat bread now.

I actually love WHOLE wheat bread and whole wheat anything now.

Now about dinner......

baby baby lamb chops from Australia......I am not a vegetarian in case you were wondering what was up. Here they are all in the raw with my marinade of minced garlic, fresh rosemary + basil + thyme + parsley w. sea salt + freshly ground black pepper and of course a good douse of very good olive oil


hot off the grill and ready for the taking


lamp chops marinated with fresh herbs, sea salt and olive oil


you know they actually tasted like filet mignon with a juicier meat content....it was a very nice way to celebrate a feast day


'now....I am back to eating good & green ~ so let's be good.....well at least for awhile.

bare necessities: salad + veggie roll

my daily ritual relies on fruits from the avocado tree, endless roots of carrots, buds from baby romaines, the green asparagus plant......all quite underscored in a sprouted whole grain tortilla and not to be missed are those lively sprouts to make everything new again.....

This salad + veggie roll has been one of my favorites lately. I hesitate in saying the word 'wrap' since the ones I have tried at the restaurants try to imply they are healthy but often times I find over burdened with excessively cloying greasy substances.

Now don't get me wrong....I love oil in my cooking....can't do without ~ but I love really good olive oil.....sesame oil.....grape seed oil and even sunflower oil.

I just don't like recycled regurgitated hydrogenated oils that seem to burden our foods.

Meanwhile.....here's my favorite lunch time ritual:

salad + veggie roll
© 2008 Ingar Brunnett, TasteMemory.com

*Ezekial sprouted whole grain flourless tortillas or similar to your liking
*baby romaines or romaine lettuce leaves
*alfalfa sprouts
*avocado slices
*carrot sticks
*asparagus or sliced cucumbers or whatever you prefer
*optional: veganaise grapeseed oil dressing ~ omg; i luv this stuff....tastes + has the scent of mayonnaise! this is eggless and very heart & body healthy.
*optional: a few slices of meat of your choice

Roll forward tightly......you can cut in half with a sharp knife and wrap it in plastic wrap to take with you or enjoy now!

For lunch on the run ~ I end up eating two of these to fill me up.

Delicious with a simple dipping sauce made with a shot of soy sauce + shot of sriracha or hot sauce of your liking.

someone told me that alfalfa sprouts combined with avocado creates a taste sensation that is a match made in heaven......I do agree.

mandu mandu ~ how many ways & days do I love thee....

all dressed up and ready to go.....


the beginnings: mandu filling all chopped up and green as can be....even if you don't like vegetables, this recipe will jump hoops past any blind taste test


ground meat isn't always a pretty picture....but the veggies poking out are always cute......

First off - I want to thank you guys for voting on the recent poll - and you got it! The winner is Homemade Mandu aka Korean dumplings kinda like gyoza I'd say.

As you probably know by now, I am a freak about chopping vegetables.

I love to chop, mince, shred and pulverize vegetables.

I especally love to mince garlic ~ my favorite thing to do lately.

Many of you don't like this manic behavior.....so by all means use your food processor and/or other kitchen accessories to get this recipe off the ground.

I am just pure lazy about washing dishes.

When I was waitressing way back when.....had to force myself to help in dishwashing duties when it was my turn. It was even one of those mega industrial dishwashers and that still didn't have me convinced.

I liked scooping ice out though.....

Also - may I suggest to do this in steps, so you don't drive yourself nuts trying to conquer the world and make mandu in a day.

Day 1: Get groceries needed. Chop/prep vegetables and throw all the prepped veggies in an airtight container in the fridge

Day 2: Make the mandu filling. Cover & chill till needed that evening or the very next day to complete the filling

Day 3: Make the dipping sauce. Make the mandu with help of friends and family....I've prepped them solo w/the help of my 6 year old too....cook & enjoy! Mandu boiled, potstickers, fried and duk mandu soup make great leftovers too.....

I also suggest if possible using organic produce and meats if possible. Not only does it tastes so much better ~ the end results will leave you feeling more coherent about life sans the pest & bacteria killing elixers, additional fake hormones and other stuff that normally doesn't grow on trees or breathes air......

mandu as pot sticker babes basking......kinda like Japanese gyoza


Homemade Mandu: Korean dumplings
© 2008 Ingar Brunnett, TasteMemory.com
this is a recipe I am sharing with you ~ appreciate my credit ;)

1 lb. freshly ground turkey or ground chicken
1 package soft tofu, drained on paper towels
2 eggs
20 asparagus spears, finely sliced into rounds*
optional: 1 yellow squash or green zuchinni, finely shredded then minced
2 cups of white mushrooms, finely chopped up
4 green onions, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. **toasted sesame seeds (unsalted), grounded w/mortar & pestle or other
2 Tbsp. mirin or sweet sherry
1½ teasp. sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
*thanks to my mom's insight about using fresh asparagus ~ it makes this recipe even tastier
**use of toasted sesame seeds that are UNSALTED & GROUNDED is a very IMPORTANT aspect to this recipe. I have tested this recipe several upon several times and the ratio of the sesame seeds are perfect with the ratio of the sea salt mentioned fyi.

2 - 10 oz. packages small gyoza/won ton wraps, 3 ½” width and preferably round in shape
a bowl of water

Ganjang: seasoned dipping sauce
½ cup soy sauce
1 teasp. sesame oil
freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, minced
1 teasp. toasted sesame seeds, grounded

optional: ½ teasp. mirin and ¼ teasp. dried Korean chili pepper flakes

preparing the marinade
In a small serving bowl combine the ingredients in the order listed. No need to mix, just serve with a small spoon on the side for communal use as needed. If you prefer a slightly sweeter sauce add the mirin in after the soy sauce. If you think you’ll be going through the sauce more – just double it. Serve Ganjang (seasoned dipping sauce) with mandu.....

making the mandu filling
In a large bowl, mash the tofu with potato masher or throw caution to the wind and use your hands.....it will just take a brief moment to create a chunky blend that is slightly smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients. Combine everything using a large spatula until all ingredients are thoroughly combined together. Koreans like to use their hands for this part, but a rubber spatula suits just fine.

Cover and chill until needed the same day or....

The mandu filling can be chilled overnight, but I suggest you prepare and cook it the very next day.

forming the mandu
Pull up a chair at the table :).....invite your friends, roommates....kids to help...

Arrange small bowl of cold water, mandu filling (you may want to bring half of it out at a time - keep the remaining half in the fridge), gyoza skins and a kitchen towel to wipe finger tips as needed and a lightly floured a dinner platter.

Place one gyoza wrap in the palm of your hand. Put one slightly heaping teaspoon size portion of the filling in the center of the wrap.

With your fingertip wet one half edge of the wrap with cold water.

Fold and seal tightly. Make sure there are no air pockets between the filling and the seal of the wrapper. Make sure the meat filling doesn't creep out towards the edges.

To crimp the edges: Lightly wet the outer edge and make about 4 to 5 overlapping folds one at a time and pinch down until secured....or can also pinch one corner of the wrap to the other to resemble a pillow (see fried mandu photo).

Lay out finished mandu on lightly floured platter. Be careful not to have any of the wet portions touch each other.

If you find the process of forming the mandu a little longer than anticipated; cover the completed mandu with plastic wrap and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to be cooked later in the day. Start another lightly floured platter to place your completed mandu and repeat as needed.

Don't worry that it may not come out perfect the first couple of times you do this. Its all in the heart & then the wrist....have fun and eat at the end of it all!

boiled mandu: easy
In a quart size pot filled with water add 1 teasp. sea salt, 1 Tbsp. olive oil or sesame oil and bring to a boil.

Gently drop in mandu, bring to medium simmer and cook completely for until the mandu rises from the bottom of the pot to the top. Allow the mandu to float to the top, thereafter cook for 2-3 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon onto serving platter and serve immediately with seasoned dipping sauce.

potstickers method:easy
In a large saucepan or frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add mandu and be careful not to overcrowd. A large saucepan can accommodate about 20 to 25 pieces of mandu. Gently brown mandu on both sides for about 10 to 12 minutes on medium to high heat until deep golden brown. Then, pour ¼ cup of cold water and cover pan immediately. Bring heat down to a medium to keep the pan simmering for 3 to 6 minutes. Allow the mandu to absorb the water during the cooking process. The mandu should be puffy like a pillow and check for the meat’s doneness but slicing into one before removing off the pan.

I have a thing about grease – so I drain the cooked potstickers on paper towels prior serving.

Serve immediately with seasoned dipping sauce.


deep double fried method: patience required
In a deep fryer or deep frying pan heat 3 to 4 cups of canola or sunflower oil to 350 F. Gently drop in mandu in small batches. Deep fry until light golden brown for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels in between batches.

Then re-fry the batches mandu until a deep golden brown on all sides for another 3 to 5 minutes. To check for doneness, cut open a mandu to make sure the meat is completely cooked.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm or cooled with seasoned soy sauce on the side.


place about a heaping teaspoon of mandu filling.....


hey, if a 6 year old can do it....plus she knows how to make the 'crimps' on the edges too!


lightly dab with water half of the inner edge of the mandu skin, fold and then seal shut......


to crimp: lightly dab half the outer edge with water and pinch 4 to 5 crimps - kinda like one over the other....then pinch down.....


the crimp look - makes it tastier too...if you can't crimp (or don't have time), don't worry - go for the free flowing straight look.


lightly floured surface and don't let the wet parts touch eachother too long or ----aarggghhhhh-----they'll stick


potstickers are easier than frying and taste just as good - with way less the oil....


whole toasted sesame seeds in mortar waitin' for that pestle





Ganjang: marinated dipping sauce the Korean way....a must have....


the trick to tasty boiled mandu is sesame oil & sea salt in the water: in this photo the mandu is not ready cooked, it's still lingering on the bottom


it's near done when they become floaties.....


boiled mandu, just hot off their bath....


comfort & tang in each bite


mandu fried

duk mandu soup: rice cake dumplings & mandu soup....it's all in the broth my friend


yum

Okay is this the longest post ever?

Baking and Breaking Bread with friends and family really.....

*The BE THE LOAF campaign began after Triumph the Church applied for a grant asking Panera Bread for day old bread to feed the children in their after school care program. They responded by offering one loaf a bread a month to feed the 50 or so children.......O K A Y.....


*"All children need some sort of after-school care," said Pastor Criswell, who has become known in his neighborhood for taking on thugs and street-sold drugs. "We have to break the cycle of poverty and crime through education. But growing children need an after-school snack."


*I'm wearing the green apron playing celeb chef making pretzels with the kids. So much excitement playing with dough.....mind you we worked with the pre-made Publix pizza dough to get the 'ball rolling'. First Coast News camera guy and all......


Once again, Publix pizza dough saved the day.....perfect for cinnamon rolls, pretzels (really!), flat bread pizza & I made pepperoni rolls.....give me a break ~ I am by no means a pastry chef....too much math involved. This got the job done deliciously.......


the girls admiring the flat bread pizza ~ just cooling down before snack time


*Moi~TasteMemory Girl gladly takes on the role of celebrity chef of the day with Triumph's awesome kids. Mucho Thanks Suzanne for inviting me to launch the baking campaign....!


*How fun is it to make your own chocolate chip cookies?


*Sheri Weitzner (left) came with her husband Jeffrey to share their all-time cookie recipe with the kids......


This was fantastic fun.

Rolling.....stretching......dusting.....mending.....lending and baking bread with these little ones was way too much fun.

The best part of it was they had a blast! They also gave me pointers about not too much salt or too much sugar. Very good nutritional advice from these savvy kids!

This was all part of the recently launched BE THE LOAF campaign in an effort to provide a safe haven and after-school care program for children in Jacksonville's troubled northside.

The brain child behind this campaign is Suzanne Yack.

btw: If you don't know her.....you definitely should.

Suzanne has a tried and true history that will outshine the brilliance of any newly buffed diamond as far as heaven sent integrity goes. Out of pure dust (a bit of flour and words of wisdom too) she has voluntarily pioneered a campaign that is reflective of the loaves and fishes miracle. BE THE LOAF has arisen with hope for the children at Triumph the Church's after-school care program lead by Pastor Moses Criswell and Suzanne's Yack's insight.

Last week, the program was not only amped with special coverage on First Coast News and the Florida Times Union, but the campaign received the honorary Points of Light Award from Florida Governor Charlie Crist. On February 27, Pastor Moses traveled to Tallahassee to the governor's mansion to receive the award from the governor.

Now that is a launch.....done well.........

An excerpt from their press release started simply by asking for a miracle:

"Triumph the Church offers a safe sanctuary and tutoring for children on Jacksonville's low-income northeast side is asking for the community of good usable bread-making machines, peanut butter, jelly and juice."

Well, you know what happened at the Sermon of the Mount don't you? To make the invitation wider to all our friends - perhaps the concept of stone soup mixes well too.....

Well.......It's been quite and outpouring of bread machines. After they maxed out on bread machines; donations are slowly trickling in to feed these children healthy after school snacks, a little money to pay the gas bill and maintain stability for this program.

The 'celebrity chef' baking program has morphed from baking pretzels, cinnamon rolls, pizza and now chocolate chip cookies to showing the children how to make nutritious meals using 5 ingredients is scheduled as well.

BE THE LOAF is still in it's infancy and asking for donations and community support to help build a strong and lasting foundation for these children. All contributions go directly to the BE THE LOAF campaign.

More will be posted on this program.....

For more details and/or would like to make a donation you may contact SuzanneYack@operamail.com

For details visit http://betheloaf.wordpress.com/

Triumph Community Development Corporation is a 501c3 at Triumph the Church. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

*photo credit © 2008 Suzanne Yack

Dining @ 1171 sure fire treat inspires hope ........

the bread of life was wrapped in linen cloth.......blessings to have found the bakery that saved Jacksonville upon my view

The waiter shows up with a pretty bundle of just warmed baguette peeking through the neatly made linens from none other French Pantry. Anyone that shows up at the door stoop with French Pantry in their pocket speaks eloquence......


Mussels Sevilla...imagine smoky, tender, slightly al denté with mystical memories of the eastern seaboard right down to the last chew.....

The broth held up the mussels which lent a smoother essence than expected with a good dose of sauve seasoning to justify Pavlov's theory and even Anna Pavlova's innate desires for dessert's sake.....


Blackened Salmon.....waiter, waiter there's a galette on my plate!


Scallop & Shrimp glazed over that comfort me like apples.....

I do prefer my scallop more seared, but this preparation was more reminiscent of a classical French approach. My shrimp was a tad slight over done.....yet overall I found the chef's cooking approach mysteriously sweet and rather quite sensitive to the female palate and sensibilites.

I'll be waiting for Thomas Keller making jet deliveries with cute boxes of macarons from Bouchon Bakery to Murray Hill.....well maybe in my dreams......ya never know.


now where did I land?

I finally went, dined and wined with much nudging from all corners of northeast FLA's food freaks "insisting" I must go! As always - mucho mucho thanks for the insight my friends.

1171 Restaurant & Lounge is located in that hidden alcove of a place on Edgewood Avenue in that little place has been 'up and coming' et that promised 'emerging scene' like forever. 1171 was a sure fire sweep upward for me and I did notice they have quite a following to support their endeavors.

Let's cross our legs, dot our 'i's and hold up a tier of swiftly stirred real gin Beefeater martini (the way the real martini's supposed to be) glass up with chants and praise to uplift hopes fer sure and to lush out that emerging scene that has ever so been promised....like forever.

Across the street was Moon River Pizza and I was already salivating in hopes for an after dinner pizza run....(in case I left 1171 a tad too hungry - which wasn't the case). We stepped inside the new dining establishment to be greeted by freshly scrubbed young pretty faces (20-something skin is always so lovely!) that promptly seated us to our window side table (and large clean & smooth windowsills too - I LOVE large windowsills.....very elegant - am I a freak or what?)

The ceilings scaled fairly high enough in the fresh modern black n' steel bar and lounge area, accented by natural cherry wood tones. The overall feel was upscale with your 'often frequented neighborhood relaxed mood' type of thing going on. There was a large communal table slightly off center in the dining room that anchored that upscale 'home' vibe immediately.

Oh - and don't forget the fresh cut flowers. I have a wretched thing about plastic flowers. Nice fresh cut flowers in a sexy stout vase @ la each table too.

I was heartbroken for new york and homesick for san fran my city by the bay....little did I realize just a short drive and I was reminded at least for that evening what it was like to be transfixed by culture.

This post is just a small dollop @ 1171: all the right touches in all the right places in the middle of historic Murray Hill......support local dining & the small businesses surrounding that abound.

You can read more details and see ample coverage on 1171 @ Jacksonville Confidential....great food stories there too.

I have promised the results of my melting pot recipes poll - and yes MANDU aka Korean dumplings were the on the spot winner......coming very soon @ how to make the best home spun Korean dumplings aka Mandu......

1171 Restaurant & Lounge
1171 Edgewood Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida

Tel.904.384.3160