The Big 11

More than a year ago now the New York Times blog Well had a provocative post entitled The 11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating.  More recently, Michael Pollan released a new book, Food Rules: An Eater's Manual, which condenses his more philosophical works into an easy-to-follow guide to eating more healthfully and enjoyably.  Pollan's money-quote this time around is, "If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't." Complements his "Eat Food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants," nicely, doesn't it?

Back to the 11.

They are, according to the NYT:

Beets
Cabbage
Swiss Chard
Cinnamon
Pomegranate Juice
Dried Plums (prunes)
Pumpkin Seeds
Sardines
Turmeric
Frozen Blueberries
Canned Pumpkin

I felt a modest sort of pride to realize that I regularly (that is, once a week or more) eat 8 of the 11 foods mentioned, and the list reminded me of the three that weren't on my radar.

Even after all this time, there is a still an animated on-line conversation in which people seek guidance on how to eat these super-foods, looking for recipes or general suggestions for serving them.

So, for the next week or two, I will be offering such suggestions and linking to other recipes not my own, dealing with each food in order.

If you try any of them, let me know how it turned out and whether it will become a regular part of your diet.

Steampunk T

And speaking of soup

Sam Sifton had a terrifically atmospheric article on lobster bisque in the New York Times Magazine last November, as well as a recipe for this unctuous delight that is considerably lighter than the classic French version.

Now, I don't generally run to live lobster and certainly not to three of them, but by scaling down this recipe to make only enough for two people and using one frozen lobster tail, my sweetie and I had a wonderful meal on Valentine's Day.  And we played all that old-time romantic music Sifton recommends, too.

Steampunk T

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1 c. boiling water
1-3 T. unsalted butter
2 large shallots, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced

4 c. assorted fresh mushrooms (white button, cremini, oyster, King Oyster, shitake), brushed or peeled and roughly chopped

1/8 to 1/4 c. dry sherry (to taste)

2 c. organic chicken or vegetable broth, skimmed of all fat**
3 whole sprigs fresh thyme
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
fleur-du-sel (or Murray River Pink Salt), to taste
1/4 c. to 1/2 c. light cream

Boil the water and soak the dried porcini for at least 1/2 hour and up to 2 hours. (Tip:  Invert a saucer or bowl over the mushrooms to keep them immersed.)

Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth, and slowly strain the soaking liquid into a bowl to reserve, being careful to avoid any sediment or dirt at the bottom of the soaking vessel. Discard porcini and the cheesecloth.

Warm a large heavy pot to medium-low, and melt the butter until it just foams.  Add the chopped shallots and garlic, and gently infuse the butter with the aromatics for about 10 minutes, being sure not to burn the butter or garlic.  Strain the butter and return it to the saucepan and discard the solids.

Return the saucepan to medium-high heat, and saute the chopped mushrooms until they are browned and all the liquid has evaporated.

While the heat is still medium-high, add the porcini-water and the broth.  Bring to a simmer.

Add the sherry and thyme.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Take the pot off the heat (but leave the burner on) and discard the thyme-stems. Whisk in the cream.  Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Bring the soup to a bare simmer and serve immediately.

Optional:  Add a couple of drops of truffle oil to each bowl of soup.

Steampunk T